‘WE will be back,”

vowed Counting Crows’ tormented front man Adam Duritz, bidding farewell to a packed Newcastle crowd.

His promise followed a rousing finale, which included the upbeat Come Around, from their 2008 offering, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

It seemed a hint of hope from Duritz – not known for being overly upbeat – having battled a well-publicised dissociative disorder.

Sufferers experience disconnection from reality, time and place and – as underlining the fact – during one lengthy ramble he told how he woke up thinking he was in Nottingham.

He is quoted as saying most of his songs chart the disintegration of his life and that during the recording of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, he considered quitting.

Rambling exchanges – and the confession he is an ardent Tweeter – aside, Duritz confided he is now emerging from his downward spiral.

The random set contained a good “best of” selection from the band’s five studio albums released since their 1991 formation – a rich, but hardly prolific, output.

The self-absorbed offerings included the hit single Mr Jones, Holiday In Spain Goodnight Elisabeth, Hard Candy, Colorblind and the night’s outstanding highlight Rain King.

His favoured themes of regret, detachment, lost love and the struggle to belong means Duritz doesn’t simply sing songs, but almost re-lives the emotions which inspired him, leading to some original performances.

Seven days earlier I’d seen Morrissey at Hartlepool and compared with dreadlocked Duritz, Manchester’s finest is almost Kylie Minogue-like.

However, a generation have now turned to Counting Crows for their fine musicianship and emotional outpourings, and I, for one, hope they do return.

■ To see a gallery of images from Counting Crows’ performance, go to northernecho.co.uk/news/galleries/gigs and for listings go to o2academynewcastle.co.uk