Those who have been in concerts of Beth Hart speak of a particular mixture of endless energy and intense mystagogy. Indeed, the timeless American singer – performer, who was introduced to the international public in the late 1990s through the song "LA Song (Out of This Town)" and continued with strong collaborations, such as the one with Slash of Guns n’ Roses, Grammy nominations and concerts around the world, has never been a shallow stage star that chased the hit and easy success. On the contrary, she made sure that she constantly evolved her music self and also struggled with the personal demons by reaching the present most mature, powerful and honest version of it.
Greece is one of the countries that you include firmly in the programmes of your tours. What links you to our country and the Greek public?
Everyone feels somehow connected to Greece, not just musicians. Even those who have never visited her. I think everyone loves Greece and Greeks. Aren't you the one who invented the Republic? And we also love Greece because it is beautiful, unique. This year my husband and I are going to Mykonos for the first time. But we like to go mainly to islands that do not have too many tourists because we want to associate with the original Greek islanders. In Greece I feel like I can be myself.
How can the public affect an artist’s feelings and performance on stage? And in what ways are you trying to connect with your listeners?
Every time I get on stage, it's different. Otherwise I'm when I show up at a theater, or when I sing at a festival or on a field. The space certainly affects both the artist and the audience. It also plays a role if listeners are seated or standing, what their nationality and culture are, what their age is. My psychology and performance depend on many different factors. But along the way, I realized it's not the public's job to make me happy. They've paid some money. So it is my job to make them feel good and offer them, consciously, what they have come for. That was something I had to find out as I remember that when I was younger, I got really pissed when I was playing and people underneath didn't react, he was quiet. Like who I am depends on whether the public likes me or not. It was my drummer, Bill Ransom, who taught me it's not the world's job to make me feel good or not by telling me: "Better go up there and do your job and be grateful you have a chance to do what you love.".
So what will we hear and what will we see this time from you at your concert at the Lycabettus Theatre?
The truth is, in every country I present a different program which is made a few hours ago. The setlist is formed based on the preferences of the public of each country as they are expressed through social media. There is Roxani, the woman who scans social media and informs me what songs the audience wants to hear. Based on these songs, I make my schedule. So that's how it will be with my concert in Greece. I will expect to reach Athens, feel the vibe of the scene and Roxani ask you what you want to hear.
How is the everyday life of an artist who travels all the time? What do you like and what tires you in this way of life?
I don't find anything tiring about this as long as I'm disciplined and taking care of myself. Obviously if I use alcohol and drugs, if I don't take my medication, if I don't eat well and exercise, if I don't pray, if I don't show respect for people, if I'm not connected to positiveness, then I'll be a wreck, I won't last, I'll be exhausted and I won't be able to work. But the world that comes, being with such a band, having such a team, not being a hit artist, still being able to play for people my age, is like a miracle. So, yeah, it's treating it like a church, with respect. And while I do that, energy remains endless. It helps a lot and the partners who don't force me to work too much. Although I'm always on the road, I don't do six concerts a week. And I'm not doing this because I don't want to lose my voice or aggravate the bipolar disorder I suffer from. So I do three or four concerts a week and when I finish the tour I stay home for a month, I do gardening, writing, maybe recording or just relaxing.
What's music to you? Your work, your talent or an internal need?
There's all this together and a lot more. Music is something undefined to me. If I tried to describe in a word what it means to me, I'd lie because I don't know how to describe it. It's like they're asking me how much I love my husband. It's not definite. But I can say that music doesn't come first in my life. That is absolutely certain. People certainly come first. Love comes first. Talking to God a lot. Watching human stories. Watch a documentary. Go to meetings. Listen to all the news. False or not, just listen to everything that happens and try to take a stand on it. When I write music, I never, ever think of a record or a concert. It's like a prayer for me. It's being with God. I'm not even looking to finish the song. I don't care if it's over or not. At the same time, however, music is for me and work as I deal with it with discipline. As for talent? I see it reflected in the eyes of the spectators as beauty.
Also, music is an inner need in the sense that I loved it very much since I was little and promised God that I would always deal with it no matter what happens. I wasn't thinking of making a career. But apart from the fact that music is something completely personal to me, such as contact with God, it is also a collective thing as I feel the need to belong somewhere, to a group in which what we do creates a kind of hope, relief or just joy, laughter. When I see one of his listeners laugh or wipe a tear listening to a song that also thrills me, I say "Thank God, I am not alone." Many assume that artists are so narcissist that all they seek is to cheer them. I don't believe that. I think most artists want to belong somewhere. There is a deeply rooted insecurity within them. They want to have family. They want to have a band, an audience.
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