The Beths
Meow Nui, Wellington
Friday, March 13th
The thing about a show with The Beths is that you can’t leave without a smile on your face.
Performing to a sweaty Wellington crowd of grinning faces of an impressive range of ages, the home-grown kings of joyful indie rock The Beths set a high bar on the first night of their Aotearoa tour. Opening with their recent album’s namesake, Straight Line was a Lie, from the onset they provide a euphoric and reflective tone which sets the pace for the evening.
Arriving ahead of the opener to an already crowded floor, Tāmaki Makaurau band Bub, immediately hit us. The ex-Salvation Army hall Meow Nui is fast earning its place in the hearts of Wellington gig-goers, with the mid-size semi-circle shape making you feel close to the performance no matter where you are in the space.
The Beths have an assurance to them as they ride the highs and lows of their discography with a casualness that comes only from confidence. From the beautiful tapestry they perform in front of to bass guitarist Benjamin Sinclair’s colour-coded water bottle matching their amp, there’s a sense of imperfect perfection to their performance which wraps around us and puts us at ease. We can tell they’ve performed on some of the biggest stages that the alternative music world has to offer, and that they’re still the same band from Tāmaki Makaurau that graced an Eyegum Wednesday ten years ago.
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This confidence is only reinforced by their vulnerability both lyrically and in their conversation, as guitarist Jonathan Pearce takes the pulpit to impart trivia about Lord of the Rings and to remark with playful trepidation about how their tight setlist leaves little room for talking between songs, and primary songwriter Elizabeth Stokes jokes, “In my dreams I’m always getting booed by Wellington’.
Fortunately, there is little danger of that, as their generous setlist leaves long-time and newer listeners satisfied with older songs, “Dying to Believe” and “Expert in Dying Field” lending continuity to a forward-facing show which is naturally centred around their most recent album.
With indie rock bands, there’s sometimes a risk of being a ‘lead singer et al’ show, but each member of the group has their time in the sun as Pearce and Sinclair lead a mob of beaming gig-goers bouncing to their more energetic songs, and drummer Tristan Deck holds down the show with an energy that feeds everyone in the room.
Back to back renditions of “No Joy”, “Silence is Golden” and “Future Me Hates Me” right off the bat promise to melt your heart immediately and have you pretending to resist the urge to dance with the person standing next to you and “Ark of the Covenant” and “Little Death” will make you want to run around in the rain until you can’t feel your feet.
The Beths will have you grinning and wondering if you’re living the life you planned as they toe the line expertly between the profound and the everyday. Lyrically masterful, Stokes is deeply poetic in her writing, and the result is something that grips the warm, soft parts of you and refuses to let go.
Stokes takes a solo turn for a melancholic rendition of “Mother Pray for Me”, which is a standout of the evening, juxtaposing beautifully with the bittersweetness more subtle in their more upbeat songs. Stokes has described this as an album that was crafted from a deep well of emotion, and that’s where The Beths thrive, with a tracklist that will have you booking road trips with your friends to the nearest swimming hole you can find and grieving all the summers you didn’t do just do that.
There’s a reason why The Beths are one of Aotearoa’s most successful artists and why they continually go from strength to strength, holding an identity that you can’t help but adore as their music moves your feet and your heart. The Beths want you to live a more beautiful life, and their show invites you to a true masterclass on how to do it.
The Beths 2026 New Zealand Tour
Ticket information available via thebeths.com
Friday, March 20th
Glenroy Auditorium, Dunedin
Sunday, March 22nd
James Hay Theatre, Christchurch
Monday, March 23rd
Theatre Royal, Nelson
Thursday, March 26th-Friday, March 27th
Powerstation, Auckland
