The Beths brought their best to the Forum

There are bands that instantly capture your heart on record but then blow your socks off in person - The Beths are that band.

It’s hard not to fall for their deliciously sweet signature indie rock style – whimsical, atmospheric, mood-altering melodic hooks, and stirring songwriting that makes you double take. Inside the glorious gathering space of Forum Melbourne, The Beths catalogue levitated far beyond the borders of an album.

The Beths

Where: Forum Melbourne

When: Saturday 25 April

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Supported by fellow New Zealand act, Womb the ambient atmosphere of the evening was set (with the obvious architectural scope of the heritage building playing into the mood). Womb wowed with soaring vocals, shapeshifting melodies, and body-pulsing beats driving their set. Their six track set, ending in a delightful cover of SOPHIE’s ‘Is It Cold In The Water?’, was a generous showcase of the three piece’s ability to instantly capture attention and transport an audience into their spell. Wellington certainly proved themselves tonight.

The Beths banners hangs from the back of the stage with standing lamps placed around the equipment, creating the comfort of a living room. They signal the start of The Beths set, pulsing in vibrant colours as the room blacks out.

The band walk on as the pulsing becomes more erratic, before launching into a dizzying ‘Straight Line Was a Lie’, the title of their 2025 album. The pub-rock punches of the instant charmer completely blanketed the audience, as the opening repeated line “I thought I was getting better, but I’m back to where I started, and the straight line was a circle, yeah the straight line was a lie” hit with impact. Bodies lifted, voices came together, and the good vibes were radiating.

The commanding punkier 90’s-nodded ‘No Joy’ followed, with ‘Silence Is Golden’, and favourite ‘Future Me Hates Me’ continuing the bands entry in the space. The interactions got off to a rough start – frontwoman and namesake Elizabeth Stokes greeted the crowd with a major faux pas “How are you doing Sydney…Melbourne?” She recovered quickly by disclosing that she was “super nervous” but had made the “biggest mistake you can make” so it actually calmed the nerves. The crowd were forgiving which says a lot about the likeability of this band. Throughout the night their stage presence, on stage banter, and segways were humorous, genuine, and at times rather adorable.

Stokes was in fine form on this front, stumbling on names for band members introductions, and the boys didn’t let her get away with it without some light-hearted teasing. There was a history less on the Florentine courtyard-inspired interior from guitarist Jonathan Pearce, and ongoing bit throughout that really captured the bands easy-going nature.

Back to the music, the set had moments of sweetness, moments of retrospect, moments that were purely wholesome. This next trio fell into this with ‘Metal’, the stirring ‘Til My Heart Stops’ and the intimate solo Stokes number ‘Mother, Pray For Me’. The delicacy with which these tracks were delivered brought a stillness over the crowd; goosebumps rose, and tears threatened. We weren’t even half way through the set, but the power of their considered songwriting, their thoughtful and masterful compositions, and their band comradery was palpable.

As the set continued tracks like ‘Ark of the Covenant’, ‘Mars, the God of War’, ‘Mosquitoes’, ‘Little Death’ further cemented this knowledge and displayed the bands versatility. From edgy solos, to ambient lifts, gut-punching kicks, dynamic melodies and groove-laden lines, The Beths are so comfortable in their catalogue that each track live gets the luxury jet treatment – taken to new heights with the unwavering attention to detail. ‘Jump Rope Gazers’ perhaps benefitted from this the most. It’s a sugar track – immediately liked for its sweetness and colourful palette. Live, ‘Jump Rope Gazers’ leapt with stunning, whole-body trembling harmonies, soaring solos and rhythm, and this heartfelt nuance to Stokes vocal performance. It was nothing short of stunning.

The main set closed on the banger ‘Expert In A Dying Field’ for a giant singalong that had every foot in the venue bouncing. The four-piece came back on to close out with the huge heavier and animalistic ‘Take’, partnered with red strobing lights, to finish out a perfect set.

The Beths are one of the most exciting bands coming out of New Zealand and also across the indie rock scene. Live they bring everything they have and more. We left full to the brim!