The Beths
11th July 2020
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Madeleine Pasley. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
After a prolonged dry-spell of gigs thanks to lockdown, The Beths’ album launch was a great excuse to leave the house on one of the coldest nights of the year. Having sold out The Powerstation in just six days, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation to watch the beloved Auckland band headline a show for the first time since November last year – and so was I!
Opening was Phoebe Rings, a new band to the scene, playing only their second ever show. With Alex Freer of AC Freazy on the drums, Phoebe Rings brought a poppy, psychedelic, shoegazey six-song set, easing the crowd into a night of dancing. The members of the band looked effortlessly cool, while the endearing lead, Crystal, was a wonder to watch; singing while deftly knocking out melodies, airy soundscapes, and upbeat jazzy numbers on the keys.
When The Beths took to the stage not long after it was with the first song from their new album, ‘I’m Not Getting Excited’. Seamlessly blending spacey guitar riffs with sweeping vocals, the band seemed overjoyed to be finally sharing their new music with the crowd, who jumped along to the feistier than usual track. The group were clearly in their element, playing to a doting crowd who managed to sing along to every word, even though their album was only released yesterday.
We were also treated to some old favourites; songs from their debut album Future Me Hates Me and their EP Warm Blood – as Liz remarked, it was “a well-rounded set”. She took a moment to catch her breath, confessing how nervous and out of practice the band were after not playing any shows for several months, a humbly honest moment, that spoke to just how down to earth The Beths truly are. The always-endearing, slightly awkward band members took turns introducing each other (Jonathan Pearce, Tristan Deck, Ben Sinclair, and Liz Stokes) before they introduced the crowd to more new tracks; ‘Don’t Go Away’, reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk, is a quick hit, people swing their arms off the balcony as the crowd bounced along to the tune below, shaking the very foundations of the Powerstation.
The Beths new album Jump Rope Gazers has a more mellow feel – something that fans may not have expected after their previous releases – but these songs grab the crowd’s attention all the same with their catchy tunes and heartfelt lyrics. During a brief drum-filled intermission on the climactic last track ‘Dying to Believe’, local comedian Rose Matafeo wanders out on stage, beer in hand, to deliver her cameo speech as train conductor, much to the crowds amused delight. While on the topic of public transport, Rose announces another surprise guest, welcoming to the stage Chlöe Swarbrick, incumbent of the Green Party. Chlöe delivers a brief, impassioned speech over the crescendo of the song, reminding us all that in order to make the changes we want to see in the world, we must vote in the upcoming September elections.
The set closes and the crowd are hyped, still eager for more after the already hour-long set. The Beths return to the stage to the adoring audience’s applause, playing a single encore song – ‘You Wouldn’t Like Me’. The crowd claps in time to the upbeat tune, and the band end the night beaming ear-to-ear, standing with arms around each other, acknowledging the ecstatic audience. The Beths have a way of making you feel like you are onto something special, like their music was made just for you – and this concert was no different.
Were you there at the Powerstation for these Kiwi Indie sensations? Or have you seen The Beths perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- I’m Not Getting Excited
- Whatever
- Idea/Intent
- Future Me Hates Me
- Great No One
- Just Shy Of Sure
- Jump Rope Gazers
- Uptown Girl
- Don’t Go Away
- Happy Unhappy
- Out Of Sight
- Little Death
- Dying To Believe
- You Wouldn’t Like Me [encore]
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Have seen The Beths twice … in Austria and in Nuremberg (Bavaria)