Beth Hart is a singer-songwriter, storyteller and survivor all rolled into one.
Handpicked to play Byron Bay Bluesfest after director Peter Noble saw her earn multiple standing ovations supporting Stephen Stills, the Californian will help the festival mark its 25th year. “We put on an eclectic show,” she says.
“It has blues, jazz, soul, rock & roll and some singer-songwriter stuff. I'll usually play a couple of songs from all my past records and then focus on the last two or three. There'll be lots of energy and hopefully it'll be a good time.
“I do a different show every night anyway, so it's fun to play with it at a festival. I'll watch the audience a little bit and kind of get a feel for what the vibe is or what kind of festival it is. Then we'll work up a set before we go out and hope it works. It really drives some of my band members crazy when I change things around halfway through, but it's important to be in tune with what's going on, put on a good show and give people what they want.”
As she speaks candidly about her past battles with the addictions that sent her spiralling out of control and saw her spend a stint in jail, Hart remains pleasingly upbeat. “It's a one day at a time thing,” she says. “It's been a little over 13 years since I took drugs, thank God. I still have my little slip-ups here and there with alcohol but I'm healthy and married to a wonderful man, and I thank God I still get to make music and I'm still really excited about it.
“In the last couple of years I've gone in some different directions as a writer and that's been really challenging in a good way. When I was on drugs it had got so bad that I wasn't able to leave the house. When I was going through early recovery I had agoraphobia, so it was definitely a rough recovery, but I think that's what's kept me from ever going back. I would never survive it again.”
Beth Hart Tour Dates
Sat Apr 12 - The Basement (Sydney)Tue Apr 15 - The Corner (Melbourne)
Thu Apr 17 - Bluesfest (Byron Bay)
Fri Apr 18 - Bluesfest (Byron Bay)
Mon Apr 21 - Opera House (Sydney)
Tue Apr 22 - Hamer Hall (Melbourne)
