Gig Review: Beth Hart with Arielle, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK

Photo: Beth Hart by Laurence Harvey

Gig Review: Beth Hart with Arielle, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK

By Paul Monkhouse

If ever proof was needed that music is the universal language, you need look no further than how it has resonated around the globe during these most extraordinary times, pulling people together, uniting them in shared experiences that bring both tears of joy and of pain. With touring now resumed, the sense of relief has been palpable as thousands flock to venues to again feel that connection to not just the medium itself but to each other in a truly visceral sense.

It was no surprise then that when you get two extraordinary talents in one venue that the atmosphere is going to be something special. When Beth Hart and Arielle arrived in the famous English university city, its usually sleepy spires came alive with a crackle of electricity.

Opening, Arielle, with just her guitars as company, showed exactly why she is so feted. ‘Beautiful Rain,’ a gloriously subtle way to start, delicately drifting on Arielle’s sublime fretwork and vocals, the audience immediately transfixed. Switching from the acoustic to her Brian May inspired Two Tone, ‘Devil’s Disguise’ adds subtle, jazzy tones to proceedings before a breathtaking cover of the David Gates penned super hit for Bread ‘If,’ a truly magical three minutes.

Photo: Arielle by Laurence Harvey

‘A Love That Never Dies’ and ‘Magick Again’ make the cathedral-like space of the Corn Exchange seem like a select gathering in a small front parlor, Arielle’s ability to transport the audience from their seats to her world of enchantment effortless. From the soul deep power of the former and the Celtic wonder of the latter, it’s clear that here is an artist who will just keep on getting better and better, her skill as a singer, guitarist and song writer setting her on course to reach heady heights.

It was a tough act to follow but Beth Hart is no ordinary artist. Few people can touch her with regards to the true quality of her voice and the ability to bring an intimacy that reaches out from the stage to every person at her shows, irrespective of where they sit.

Hart eschewed her usual stroll through the auditorium for the opening number, instead emerging from the wings as Jon Nichols on guitar, bass player Tom Lilly and drummer Bill Ransom launched into the slow blues of ‘If I Tell You I Luv You’, her seductive vocal performance dripping with a smoky sensuality. Flipping things, the high-octane Gospel of LaVern Baker’s ‘Saved’ totally changes the mood and tempo, the attitude more of thunderous joy than heartbreak.

The darkly jangling guitar and call and response vocals at the start of ‘Waterfalls,’ herald the rolling maelstrom of the number, its spirit one of a feral Patti Smith at her most forceful as the band bring some heavy artillery. Moving to her piano, Hart brings a rhythm and swing to ‘Bang Bang Boom Boom’ and ‘Jazz Man’ is another sensual delight. Dipping into her work with Joe Bonamassa, the Brook Benton / Bobby Bland number ‘I’ll Take Care of You’ shone, Nichols’s solo suitably full of blues. ‘Rub Me for Luck’ followed and was confirmation that Hart should perform the next James Bond movie theme. Not only does the structure match some of the best songs from the franchises golden age but her vocals key perfectly with the orchestrally muscular and epic atmosphere required.

Whilst her ability to knock the big numbers out of the park is never in question, it’s when Hart gets down to the deeply personal that she’s at her most devastating. With a brutal honesty that both breaks and mends your heart, ‘War in My Mind’ was as raw as it comes, the description of her struggles with addiction and mental health incredibly powerful. Not only is the song itself an absolute killer but the genuine emotion that it’s played with cuts to the bone, the singer putting everything on the line. The effect was truly electrifying, the connection to the audience absolute with many in the auditorium brought to tears.

Photo: Beth Hart by Laurence Harvey

After this catharsis, the change of tempo and mood brought on by the funky and feelgood ‘Lifts You Up’ was a much-needed salve, the audience coming to their feet to shake away the blues as Lilly and Ransom lay down the canyon-deep groove. A magnetic ‘I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’ is a storming tour de force, Hart going from the sweetest whisper to a roar and Nichols pulling out another titanic solo before the quartet settled into a fun acoustic section. With Lilly on double bass and the whiplash percussion of Ransom driving things, the five-song romp comprised a beautiful ‘Without Words,’ the sexy sass of ‘Sugar Shack,’ a swinging ‘Fat Man’ and the darkly atmospheric ‘Boogie Man’, closing with the simmering seductive power of ‘Spanish Lullaby.’ Returning to electric instrumentation to finish the set, more emotions are laid bare in ‘Tell Her You Belong to Me,’ the song written for Hart’s father, the atmosphere could have been cut with a knife.

An encore was inevitable, and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Walking on stage on her own, Hart took her place at the piano to play a heart rending and beautiful ‘No Place Like Home’ and a wonderfully warm ‘My California,’ the song written about husband Scott, Hart being hugged by the man himself at the end of the song. When the evening closes with ‘Thankful’ you know that all four musicians mean every word, the appreciation and love between performers very much a two-way thing. There is no act here, just a pure display of passion for the material and a very human connection that has been one of the most vital and needed components in these challenging times as both musicians and audience join as one. Few can touch her, and Beth Hart may well be one of the biggest, brightest, and most honest and natural talents of our time.

Beth Hart website

Arielle website