New Zealand indie rockers The Beths hit Melbourne’s Forum Theatre on Saturday night (April 25th), delivering a set that was as sharp as it was self aware.
From the jump, the band locked into their signature mix of bright guitars and quietly cutting lyrics, but the first real moment came just after it started. Frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes accidentally greeted the crowd with a ‘hello Sydney’, then spent the rest of the set laughing it off, repeatedly thanking punters for sticking around, it could’ve derailed things. Instead, it cracked the room open.
Womb and The Beths – Forum Melbourne
A band comfortable in the mess
That looseness carried through the night, The Beths have always thrived on contrast. Jangly, almost sweet instrumentation sitting under lyrics that spiral inward. Live, that push pull feels even sharper.
Guitarist Jonathan Pearce filled the gaps between songs with left field chatter, including a deep dive into researching the architect behind The Forum Theatre, it was oddly specific, slightly awkward, and completely on brand, the kind of detail that makes a gig feel human rather than rehearsed to death.
Opener Womb, also hailing from New Zealand and made up of siblings, set the tone early, no frills, just a steady warm-up that eased the crowd into the night.
Hooks that don’t let go
By the time ‘Future Me Hates Me’ and ‘Expert in a Dying Field’ rolled around, the room was fully locked in, these aren’t songs that rely on spectacle, they land because they’re tight, melodic, and just a little bit brutal if you actually listen.
Tracks like ‘Metal’ and ‘Silence Is Golden’ hit with more weight live, while ‘Jump Rope Gazers’ and ‘Little Death’ gave the set breathing room without losing momentum.
No gimmicks or overproduction, just a band that knows exactly what it’s doing, even when it pretends not to.
The Beths Setlist
- Straight Line Was a Lie
- No Joy
- Silence Is Golden
- Future Me Hates Me
- Metal
- Til My Heart Stops
- Mother, Pray for Me
- Your Side
- Ark of the Covenant
- Mars, the God of War
- Mosquitoes
- Roundabout
- Jump Rope Gazers
- Little Death
- I’m Not Getting Excited
- Expert in a Dying Field
- Encore: Take
Photo credit: Alexander Hallag
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