Scottish indie greats The Beta Band will reform for their first live shows in 20 years.
The band formed in 1996, blending psych-pop, indie, and beyond to create a remarkable brew. The Beta Band released three albums – and ‘The Three EPs’ compilation – during their initial span, having an outsize influence on culture around them in the process.
Hugely creative, The Beta Band won fans in Noel Gallagher and Thom Yorke, before splitting in 2004.
Since then, the various members have excelled in different fields – Steve Mason became a revered solo artist, while John Maclean has earned plaudits as a film maker.
Over the weekend, the band started to tease their return, and it seems the rumours are true – The Beta Band will reform this year for their first shows in 20 years.
The concerts will boast the classic line-up – Steve Mason (guitar / vocals), Richard Greentree (bass), John Maclean (samples / keyboard) and Robin Jones (drums) – with dates scheduled for the UK and North America.
In a note the group state…
The Beta Band, as everyone knows, is an institution, like Bedlam, or the RSPCA, and as such has its own indelible stain on the bedsheet of Western culture. It was the great John Noakes who said “you have to shake it out at least once every couple of decades, if you want to know what the moths did”. So with both those facts in mind, we realise the time has come to show the wall the Luminol, kill the lights and hit the UV.
The shows open in Glasgow on September 25th, before hitting Leeds, Bristol, Nottingham, and London’s Roundhouse on October 2nd.
Closing in Manchester’s beautiful Albert Hall on October 4th,
Tickets for the shows go on pre-sale at 10am, March 5th. Fans can sign up to the Beta Band
mailing list to access pre-sale tickets – https://thebetaband.com/signup/
General sale starts at 10am on 7th March.
Alongside this, The Beta Band have also confirmed a re-issue – seminal compilation ‘The Three EPs’ returns to vinyl on July 11th.
Catch The Beta Band at the following shows:
September
25 Glasgow Barrowland
27 Leeds O2 Academy
29 Bristol O2 Academy
30 Nottingham Rock City
October
2 London Roundhouse
4 Manchester Albert Hall
Related: Spotlight: The Beta Band – ‘The Three E.P.s’
Photo Credit: Neil Thomson
