Gig Review: The Beths at the Hollywood Avondale

Gig Review: The Beths at the Hollywood Avondale 

Friday 20 September, 2024 

Full feature by Nicholas Lindstrom

Photography by Calum Dewsnap 

 

I have to be candid with you. I had already begun drafting my introduction to this review as I frantically searched for what seemed like the only free park in all of Avondale. In all fairness, the historic nature of this gig made the introduction seem as easy as tapping the right keys on my laptop. Few events ever come close to the glory of a farewell tour. But, a homecoming gig for The Beths in their beloved city seemed almost equivocal. However, It did not take long for my mental draft to be thrown in the metaphorical trash can. So, read along if you want to hear the story of a night that included an ode to Papakura; Jonathan Pearce threatening to throw someone in the Cook Strait; and an unreleased Beth’s song about Oakley Creek.

I will save you the obligatory spiel about why you should care about the band. The Beth’s resume speaks for itself; winners of the prestigious Silver Scroll, embarking on a successful United States Tour and being featured on NPR’s famous Tiny Desk series. This popularity was evidenced on the line leading out the front of the Hollywood Avondale. A line that I came to find out wasn’t even for entrance but was due to the sheer amount of people keen to get their hands on the latest Beth’s merch.

Greatsouth walked onto the stage at the Hollywood at around ten to nine. The artist formerly known as Fable is on a mission to bring Māori alt-rock to the mainstream; a mission that was symbolised by the combination of his beanie and He Whakaputanga T-Shirt. The band entered to the sound of taonga puoro. The five-piece consisted of a bass, drums, synths and extra electronic equipment. Over the course of the performance, it was heartening to see a reciprocation of warming, as the initial nerves of the frontman evolved into joking banter. At one point Geatsouth baptised the crowd as honorary Papakurans, a title I will not take lightly. It was refreshing to see someone who looks like me being embraced for his abilities in a genre that traditionally had little to no space for people of colour. Greatsouth’s performance was as compelling as it was exciting; it felt like we were witnessing that special moment in an artist's journey where they prove to themselves that they do indeed belong on a stage with a band that they idolise. Looking back in the crowd it was nice to spot members of The Beths taking in the performance from the same level as the fans. It was evident from Benjamin Sinclair’s blog that they enjoyed Greatsouth’s set just as much as I did. As he put it the performance was “sonic perfection, a polished performance with depth and intricacy decorated with the emotive singing of their frontman.”

(Great South / Photo: Calum Dewsnap) 

I don’t usually spend time in between the opening and main act surveying the stagehands. But as a friend pointed out to me the stagehands who were setting up in between sets looked oddly Beth’s shaped. Donning conspicuous-looking matching hoodies the various members of the band set about fine tuning before exiting the stage in anticipation of their first set back in Aotearoa 

 

 It had just gone ten when the lights of the Hollywood dimmed. There was a wave of hushing, ironically not too dissimilar to the sounds made at the start of a film. An 80s video game version of ‘Future Me Hates Me’ began to play as the silhouettes of the band filled the stage. In what felt like a sensory explosion the stage lights lit up and the band launched into the full force of ‘Future Me Hates Me’. Having seen The Beth’s multiple times this was by far the most explosive start to a Beth’s set I have ever borne witness to, and the roar from the crowd showed that I was not alone in my appreciation for this evolution in the band’s performance theatrics. The crowd let out a jeer of adoration as The Beth’s signature fish inflated in all its glory halfway through the opening song. The quartet of Elizabeth Stokes (Vocalist/Guitar), Jonathan Pearce (Guitar), Benjamin Sinclair (Bass), and Tristan Deck (Drums) were a polished outfit. They powered through the first three songs of their set; stopping only to thank the crowd and acknowledge how happy they were to be back in their hometown. It was around their fourth track that it happened.

It feels lazy to compare a loud noise to the sound of gunshots. But from my memory that is exactly what the booming sound that cut through the middle of The Beth’s set sounded like. It took me a minute to ascertain from the look on Elizabeth Stokes’ face that the booming explosion was definitely not intentional, but by the second iteration of the sound that was evidently clear. Every single time The Beth’s would attempt to begin a song the deafening sound would return, prompting Elizabeth Stokes to motion to the crowd to put their hands over their ears. It was truly surreal to see such a polished performance being interrupted by technical difficulties.Technical difficulties that Benjamin Sinclair described in his blog as being a “problem was the cable connecting the mixing desk with the PA system; this string of copper wire which had been functioning normally at soundcheck was now wreaking chaos inside our audio systems.”  However surreal the moment was, it would be reductive to focus solely on one portion of what was otherwise a truly wholesome evening. And, I must make mention of two particular groups that handled the situation with grace. Firstly, the FOH engineers and The Beths, who managed to not only remedy the situation expeditiously, but also provided the audience with some laughs amid all the chaos. Secondly, the crowd at the Hollywood Avondale. It could have turned ugly real quick, but the love and patience that the crowd showed was the key ingredient to shaping how the rest of the night went. It was impressive how the moment became a part of the night but not its defining moment. At one point Jonathan Pearce jokingly threatened to “find the person responsible and throw in the Cook Strait” After about twenty minutes, everything had been sorted and the band launched straight back into their set.  Just enough time for me to hear someone talk about how they love The Beth’s so much that they drove up from “Tao-wrong-ah” (During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori smh)

With the technical difficulties resolved, The Beth’s powered through their remaining songs, It was special to witness a home crowd react to songs written in the context that they live in. ‘I’m Not getting Excited’, ‘Silence is Golden’ and ‘Little Death’ received the biggest reactions from the adoring crowd. But it seemed as though each song was special to someone who was present. After about an hour Liz Stokes announced to the crowd that instead of doing the obligatory dance of going off stage and returning for a ‘surprise’ encore, the band would just play straight through. After finishing the last song before the encore tracks, a team huddle was held and another PSA was made. Instead of two more songs we would instead be blessed with three more; including a single that is unreleased and has never before performed live. The room filled with silence and curious focus the rest of the band left the stage and a solitary Liz took her place the mic. She proceeded to perform a mesmerizing ode to Oakley Creek. I will say no more about the track, because it feels selfish to rob you all of experiencing it for the first time. Liz was joined back on stage for the final two songs, bringing a fitting end to an eventful night. Leaving the Hollywood Avondale, I felt proud to be amongst a group of kiwi who had refused to engage in ‘tall-poppyish’ behaviour that is all too common. Although I usually cringe against the trite use of the word, the opening night of The Beth’s tour of Aotearoa was truly a wholesome event.

(The Beths / Photo: Calum Dewsnap) 

Setlist

Future me hates me

Knees deep

Not Running

Mars, the God of War

Your side

When you know you know

Head in the Clouds

Out of Sight

Best left

Little death

I’m Not Getting Excited

Jump Rope Gazers

Silence Is Golden

Expert in a Dying Field

Oakley Creek (Unreleased Track)

Dying to Believe

Uptown Girl

 

Thanks to 100% Good for having us! 

Watch the video for 'Expert In A Dying Field' by The Beths below! 

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