NATE BERGMAN AND CHUCK REGAN PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON JOINERS

★★★★☆ (4/5)

**NATE BERGMAN PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON’S JOINERS**
**PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI**

Friday night in Southampton is gig time and the iconic venue The Joiners hosted an unforgettable night of Americana and punk-infused folk, featuring the dynamic duo of Nate Bergman and Chuck Ragan. As part of their UK tour, the intimate venue provided the perfect backdrop for a night of rawness, emotion and storytelling – the perfect combination for bringing people together.

Nate Bergman took the stage with a minimalist set-up – just his voice and an acoustic guitar – but delivered a performance rich in depth and emotion. His music blends soul, punk and Americana with a Stone Sour twist, and his music showcases his ability to convey profound narratives through songs. Nate connected with his audience by sharing personal stories of how his music came to be – accompanying him in his darkest times after a life-changing experience, travelling across the States to start his life over and spending time in solitude during the pandemic. He characterised his music as going ‘very sad very fast’, but in the spirit of rock and roll and before we all took a deep dive into the darkness, he asked his audience to sing along cheerfully the lyrics ‘Makes me with that I was dead’ – which he said was the fun part.

Despite the dark lyrical themes, the audience enjoyed singing along to happy guitar chords, connecting with Nate especially during the song ‘Deep End’, a personal favourite during the set. At the end, Nate unplugged his guitar, walked down amongst the audience and played the last song in the crowd, something that he said reminded him of his times busking and playing in small pubs in the UK. That definitely left a lasting impression and created a whole new experience of enjoying a live gig.

Following on, Chuck Ragan delivered a set that was much more powerful, yet keeping the intimate theme. His setlist spanned his career – including elements of punk vocals, Americana-infused sound, keys and a heartfelt intensity. Chuck’s performance was also about musical storytelling, showcasing his enduring appeal and musical versatility. His tracks are characterised by his reflective depth poured into lyrics, whilst the music is also a classic ‘sing-along’, creating a communal experience. The room was packed through the set all the way to the back, with eyes peeled and people singing along to the songs they knew, and I spotted a lot of smiley faces in the crowd.

Personal favourites from the set were ‘Rotterdam’ and ‘Nothing Left to Prove’, even though some of the covers he did were also very well received by the crowd. His ability to blend the energy of punk with the warmth of folk created a very engaging performance that resonated with both old and new fans. The collaboration between Nate Bergman and Chuck Ragan on this tour was a great example of creating gigs that bring people together – and their performance showcased their individual talents as well as their shared values of authenticity and storytelling.