Beth Hart // Connor Selby // Live Review // The Ulster Hall // Belfast

Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing the one, the only, Beth Hart live knows it is more than a gig, it Is a life-changing live-experience that will forever raise the bar of what your expectations should be when you next pay out your hard-earned money for a concert.

It was in this very venue just a few years ago when I got to experience Beth live in the flesh for the very first time and right there, right then, I got it, I totally understood why she is regarded so highly, why her fan-base is so invested and why so many of the best in the business are lining up to work with this Awe-inspiring musician. Last night I got to see her up-close and personal at Saxon who played here last night on their Seize The Day Tour, to my left just a few feet away a highly enthusiastic lover of music in the form of Beth Hart stood there in the shadows with a room filled with like-minded metalheads just rocking out.

In tow, Beth has brought the young Connor Selby, a fellow label mate with Mascot Records who has just released the self-titled deluxe edition of his album on Friday past. It will be interesting to see Connor in the flesh also, it offers up the opportunity to see a musician like Connor as a support act whilst he is on his own journey establishing himself as a blues artist. In five or ten years’ time, he could be headlining this very venue himself, and then we can all look back and remember an evening with Beth and that glorious setting of The Ulster Hall.

Selby has found himself up for UK Blues Award nominations for “Acoustic Act of the Year”, “Instrumentalist of the Year”, “Blues Vocalist of the Year” and “Blues Artist of the Year” 2023. One of the brightest talents on the UK blues scene. He has already been voted “Young Artist of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). He has an impressive venue checklist, including Wembley Stadium, where he opened for The Who in July 2019 and has since gone on to play BST Hyde Park, London, on a bill with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics and Johnny Marr in the summer of 2022.  So with all that in mind, I am looking forward to seeing how that translates to the live stage. Tonight he is playing a more subdued acoustic set, the quality just shines through, from his soulful voice to his emotive songwriting that envelopes the room it is understandable why he has been nominated for ‘Acoustic Act Of The Year’, the way he is able to translate his songwriting in the most simplistic form is to be admired, I have always found an artist who can truly shine in a stripped back form is one to keep an eye on and Connor will be one who will be on my radar moving forward.

Connor Selby Online

As a passionate music lover, it is a dream come true to see Beth Hart perform live at The Ulster Hall in Northern Ireland. Beth has been captivating audiences with her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics for over two decades. Her music is a powerful blend of blues, rock, and soul; her performances are always intense and emotionally charged.

The Ulster Hall is an iconic venue, steeped in history and tradition. It has hosted some of the biggest names in music over the years, including Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, and Van Morrison. It was the perfect setting for Beth Hart’s unique brand of music. As the lights dim a powerful RNB-esque track comes over the PA and whilst everyone is fixated on the stage, we have been tipped off that Beth is shaking things up tonight and entering the venue stage left from the back of the hall, so the four of us togs are lined up in by the front of house awaiting her to appear, boom! here comes that voice and she swaggers her way down the aisle, people are caught unaware as she does interacting with her fans, one lady gets up and grooves with her whilst another is content with a fist bump, Beth takes her time whipping her fans up into a frenzy as the first song comes and goes, then the realisation sets in I’ve only two songs to get any images I need of the lady herself and the band! Yikes!

Beth Hart is not your average musician. She’s a force of nature, a powerhouse of emotion and talent that leaves audiences stunned and breathless. Her music is a fusion of blues, rock, soul, and jazz, and her voice is nothing short of extraordinary. Her lyrics are raw and honest, often drawing from her own life experiences and struggles with addiction and mental illness.

As the band get into their groove, Beth Hart strides confidently with the microphone, dripped in attitude and a beaming smile. From the first notes, it was clear that this would be a performance to remember.

The setlist was a mix of old and new, spanning Beth Hart’s impressive career. Playing tracks from her substantial back catalogue and her more recent work,  War In My Mind, the energy in the room was immediately electrifying. The band was tight, the sound was pristine, and Beth Hart’s voice was, if anything, even more, powerful than it is on record.

From there, the concert was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Hart’s delivery can be heartbreaking and vulnerable, her voice full of pain and longing. She connects with her audience on so many levels she has the audience swaying and singing along, the lyrics resonating with anyone who’s ever experienced heartbreak. And then there were the moments of pure joy, the crowd just wants to get up on their feet dancing and singing as one.

But it was during the encore that Beth Hart truly showed us what she’s capable of. She started with “Sister Heroine,” a powerful song about addiction and recovery that had many in the audience in tears. And then, as the band left the stage, she sat down at the piano and began to play “Leave The Light On,” a song that has become her signature tune.

As she played, Hart poured every ounce of her soul into the music. Her voice was raw and unguarded, her fingers dancing across the keys with abandon. It was a moment of pure magic, and the audience was spellbound. When she finished, there was a stunned silence, followed by thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

As the audience leaves the Ulster Hall that night, you know you have witnessed something extraordinary. Beth Hart is not just a musician, she’s a force of nature. Her music is powerful, raw, and deeply personal, and her live performances are something to behold. If you ever get the chance to see her play, don’t miss it. You won’t regret it.

Photography: Mark McGrogan

@flashartmark #flashartmark 

https://markmcgrogan.com