Friday 20 February 2009

Ray LaMontagne

For my birthday this year Mary Anne bought me a ticket to see Ray LaMontagne at the Barbican. I don't even know where to begin when describing Ray, his music, or my love for said music. I guess, like with most things, I should begin at the beginning. The first time I heard Ray was in 2006 when I was in London for the summer. I was at the studio (where I was doing my internship) and the radio was on. This song called "Trouble" began to permeate through the corridors. I think I nearly stopped in my tracks. His voice was so soulful. The music was just so straightforward. And then he sang that line, "I've been saved by a woman". Something about that line was so powerful. And I don't just mean in that superficial, romantic way of a man talking about being saved by a woman. I guess it was just the honesty in his voice. It got me. Seeing him live just sealed it for me. He sounds just as good if not better live than on the cd. He also doesn't do a lot of talking between songs. Hardly anything really. He just comes out and plays with his band and that's the it of it. He leaves it all up to the music and he absolutely CAN leave it at that. It says it all. 

We couldn't take cameras in so I have no pics or footage of my own but I'm posting this youtube video incase you aren't familiar with him.