ShareBeth Hart with special guests Wille & The Bandit performs her You Still Got Me Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Monday 18th May 2026.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
American born musician, Beth Hart, returned to the Royal Concert Hall on Monday night in support of her latest album You Still Got Me and mesmerised from the start.
But to grab the audience’s attention was Wille & The Bandits, a duo who delivered a pared down acoustic set of their rough edged Delta Blues influenced rock which was well received by an attentive audience. Wille Edward’s ability to shred the lap steel guitar on Four Million Days was particularly impressive and with the endearing camaraderie and vocal harmonies between himself and Harry Mackaill, they had the crowd in the palm of their hands.
Bringing a dark, downtown bar in the Deep South to the Nottingham venue, songs such as the thumping Got To Do Better and the heartfelt passion of When The World Stood Still, left a big impression.
Such is Beth Hart’s reputation as a multiple award winning blues artist that the crowd know exactly what they are going to get. Opening with Tell ‘Em To Hold On from her 2015 album Better Than Home, she immediately set the bar very high. The jaw dropping Skin was enough to hold the crowd absolutely spellbound and holding their breath until the very last note, and then bordering on restlessness, she prowled the stage flitting between her piano and a stool before coming to sit at the front of the stage to deliver a cover of Melody Garlot’s Your Heart Is As Black As Night.
The semi acoustic bounce of Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash brought some country grit to a set list that appeared to be agreed upon as she went along before Connee Boswell’s Lullaby Of The Leaves slowed the momentum down and showcased her sultry and smokey voice as did If I Tell You I Love You.
Finishing her main set with Don’t Call The Police, Hart had spent a great deal of her time either sitting or laying on the floor at the front of the stage much to the delight of the front row. Ending the evening with Pimp Like That from her enthralling latest album, she showed that she is now very much at the top of her game both as a songwriter and performer and on Monday night it was not hard to be in awe of her raucous power, feral roars and perfectly controlled edge. She was truly phenomenal.
