29 April, 2025: Chuck Ragan live in Newcastle at The Cluny with Nate Bergman

Remember that Arctic Monkeys lyric “there’s only music so that there’s new ringtones”? As far as we’re concerned, there’s only venues so that The Revival Tour can return. Although more than a decade has passed, this night proved that the feeling is shared – and there will be blood if that tour isn’t revived in the Tyneside specifically! Until then, Chuck Ragan live in Newcastle was a worthy substitute, especially as he took on the mantle of The Revival Tour almost singlehandedly, embodying the music and the spirit of the show for the eager Northern fans.

A brief history of The Revival Tour

Not to be confused with Selena Gomez‘ 2015 Revival tour, THE Revival Tour was a series of shows from 2008 to 2013 that variously took place in North America, Europe, Australia, and the UK.

Chuck Ragan gathered together dearly beloved, like-minded alt/punk-turned-folk/Americana musicians to share the stage in a very literal sense; starting and ending the night together as well as joining each other’s sets throughout. These troubadours mined an old seam of camaraderie and distilled performance to its purest form. The music was non-stop – again, not in a hackneyed Hackney music critic cliché way but quite literally as collaborative combinations rotated ceaselessly until the curfew called.

The 2011 and 2012 editions of The Revival Tour were formative for our music journalism. Our coverage centred on Brian Fallon, Dave Hause, Emily Barker and other alumni plus allies – Frank Turner, Billy The Kid (the incredibly talented Billy Pettinger) and Northcote to name just a few.

Chuck Ragan live in Newcastle: You make us feel like we live in the neighbourhood”

The revue concept isn’t Ragan’s only appeal, of course. Coming up in the scene as co-vocalist and guitarist in seminal post-punk/hardcore band Hot Water Music, it would have been enough for any musician to simply be involved with their sublime song Trusty Chords.

But being the Chuck Norris of music, Ragan also delivered the Hot Water Music side project Rumbleseat and a slew of solo records (while forging a career as a fly fishing guide, alongside carpentry work). Americana in action.

All this to say that Chuck Ragan has earned a firm fanbase in this country. Therefore, little introduction was needed before he belted into Nothing Left To Prove, the opening track of his third solo album, Covering Ground (2011). From the get go, this was going to be a night of collective catharsis, as Ragan and the audience gave everything they had, eyes closed tight, ears open, singing to the sky.

His voice has a distinctive rumbling tonality; a raw yet warm quality that envelops the room. The microphone was basically an optional extra from the first note to the last. Pretty sure the Geordies enjoying pints on the lawn outside in the last of the evening sun heard a free concert through the walls!

As the Chuck Norris of performance, when Ragan stomps the beat, the floor trembles. So it was only fitting that he dropped in Revved early on, with the lyric “I’m on the floor begging for nothing more
than you to understand I’m here to be your man.” The floor was begging for mercy.

Rotterdam was one of many tracks that expressed the key creative and personal tension in Ragan’s life, of providing for his family through touring and sharing his love for them through song, yet being so often separated from them as a result. Reel My Heart, from the long-awaited new album Love and Lore continued the sentiment. Later, he asked if there were “any mamas and papas in the house tonight?” then dedicated the endeavour to his son.

The fans’ familiarity with Ragan’s solo work told with the collective audible acknowledgement triggered by mere mention of the word ‘bedroll’ as Ragan described composing music for Scott Toepfer’s film It’s Better In the Wind. To be fair, ‘bedroll’ isn’t a word you often hear in Newcastle, so of course we were leading up to Bedroll Lullaby.

For Ragan, it had wider meaning too; a reminder to celebrate and embrace “the mentality of doing something as often as possible” that makes your hairs stand up. Despite being the Chuck Norris of contemporary homesteading, Ragan’s not immune from the “modern conveniences” that distract us from things that are most meaningful to each of us, of course. After all, he performed Flame In The Flood from the video game of the same name. It’s just that he understands how important checks and balances are.

These songs resonated tonally and thematically as Ragan and the crowd poured every fibre of their being into belting these songs out with earnest abandon.

As the Chuck Norris of musical longevity, Ragan acknowledged his own heritage and his fans’ long loyalty by playing two Hot Water Music songs, State of Grace and Drag My Body.

Then the set turned into a mini one-man Revival Tour. First, Ragan performed Bleeder by Alkaline Trio in trade for a fan fixing his phone earlier in the day.

He also sang No Weather by Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem.

Despite being the Chuck Norris of remembering other people’s lyrics, he laughed heartily when people started requesting his own songs. Lost and Found? “I’m sorry, that would not work out too well,” he chuckled. Non Typical? “Oh jeez!”

He joked that he couldn’t perform them until he remembers which album they came from and eventually declared “all of these can be done at other shows!”

At points throughout the set, Ragan was joined by Todd Beene. We’d already been warned, with a mix of awe and amusement, that Beene was “literally playing with a broken arm” and had cut his cast off to be able to tour.

He started off as a pedal steel player but also impressed with his electric guitar work on songs like Winter.

The penultimate songs were a mix of promising new tracks from Ragan’s new album such as Northern World and Echo The Halls, plus familiar favourites like Right As Rain, California Burritos and The Boat offering more chances to roar along.

Finally, the moment that, we, specifically had been waiting for. Meet You In The Middle is an astonishingly good song so it’s always a joy to hear it live.

After standing in for Brian Fallon on the call-and-response backing vocals, Beene had a final time to shine with Americana pedal steel work in Gathering Wood. Ragan dropped his in-ear monitors to take in the lush sound.

Their musicianship was locked in and it seemed like there were far more than two performers singing us home ’til next time. Which, if we wish hard enough, might be The Revival Tour. After all, the Chuck Norris of being Chuck Ragan has the power to make our dreams come true.

Nate Bergman live in Newcastle: “This is going to get really sad really fucking fast”

Ragan has a long history of selecting support acts that match his own passion and power. On the off chance that there were any newcomers in the crowd, Nate Bergman did a sterling job of introducing the volume and intensity we’d need to get used to. Even primed for this, the outburst of noise and emotion for the first chorus lyric of “Britney, I’m sorry” was startling.

There were equal measures of swearing and sorrow in Bergman’s short set. Yet, the melancholia was delivered with considerable humour and balance. The ‘makes me wish that I was dead’ sentiments in his self-described “very fucked up sad songs” were chased with assurances that “after the period of darkness, it does get better.” True to form, that heartfelt message had to be undercut a little: “not that much better. 10%.” Deep End certainly indicated some sadness remained, with the words “ain’t no telling how long this missing you will last.”

Evidently the misery isn’t work related as Bergan clearly loves to perform. “Thanks for coming out a few minutes early. It’s really fucking cool” he grinned. The feeling was mutual as new fans and friends roared their approval throughout the set. He’s especially grateful for UK support, explaining “I got stuck in the UK during the pandemic” and so he got his start with pub and street performances on these shores.

He’s certainly got the audience participation part sewn up. He asked the crowd to stand in for the gospel choir that he’d blown his budget on when recording Back To Nashville and there was zero hesitancy or self-consciousness in the collective response. “Good news, you’re all hired!” he yelled, before a final push of encouragement: “Newcastle, this is our big moment together!”

Bergman’s charismatic, enthusiastic performance style reached its peak when he jumped into the crowd to perform his final song unplugged.

Much like Ragan, he’s got his own personal internal amplification, so the stripped-back sincerity suited him, and the audience, well.

Chuck Ragan live in Newcastle setlist: The Cluny, 29/04/2025

1. Nothing Left To Prove
2. You Get What You Give
3. Rotterdam
4. Revved
5. Reel My Heart
6. Bedroll Lullaby
7. It’s What You Will
8. Flame In The Flood
9. State of Grace (Hot Water Music cover)
10. Drag My Body (Hot Water Music cover)
11. Bleeder (Alkaline Trio cover)
12. No Weather (Brian Fallon cover)
13. Winter
14. Northern World
15. Echo The Halls
16. Right As Rain
17. California Burritos
18. The Boat
19. Meet You In The Middle
20. Gathering Wood

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