The Beta Band

Forum Melbourne subscriber pre-sale begins 9am 21 November. General public tickets on sale 9am 25 November. 

Frontman Steve Mason has pitched the reunion tour as “a chance to see one of the greatest British bands of the last 30 years – before they turn us into holograms.”

Known for tracks like Dry The Rain and Squares, The Beta Band have built a reputation for being uncategorizable. Their sound incorporated disparate influences like psychedelia, hip hop and ambient noise into their unique blend of indie rock. Their 1998 debut album The Three E.P.’s compiled the band’s first three EP releases - Champion Versions, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos. Met with critical acclaim, the album was placed at No. 23 on Pitchfork’s Top 100 Albums of the 1990s and listed by Q as No. 74 in The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. With A-list fans like Oasis and Radiohead, the band reached a new level of visibility and cult appeal when their song Dry The Rain was immortalised in a now-famous scene in the 2000 film High Fidelity.

The four-piece formed in Fife in 1996, bonding over a love of art and poetry in a time when toxic masculinity permeated mainstream culture The Beta Band were determined to create the music nobody else was making, rooted in innovation rather than nostalgia. Committed to their punk ethos, the group were known for their experimental films, music videos and wild stage shows - with stories ranging from light-up velcro suits to an accidental (and very expensive) gig in a scout hut. 

Following the success of their debut album The Three E.P.'s the band went on to release three more celebrated albums.  

After two decades, the iconic Scottish band wants to celebrate the music they’re so proud of by sharing it with the world again and will be making their Melbourne debut at Forum Melbourne performing The Three E.P.'s along with fan favourites. In response to their recent London show, a reviewer from Music News declared “As ground-breaking as they were two decades ago, The Beta Band still hold up. Even more so now, in an age where genre boundaries have all but disappeared.”