The Beta Band, Death In Vegas (DJ Set) @ The Gov, Adelaide 3/6/2026
‘We’re a combination of Santana, Woodstock via Fife and dare I say it, prog rock’ Steve Mason, vocalist of Scots group The Beta Band describes himself when asked by an audience member tonight in Adelaide.
It’s devilishly ironic that they are playing their third show on Australian soil this tour on the third of the month. For this is a band that have released three E.P.’s, three albums, three compilation albums with one even titled The Three E.P.’s. The synchronicity of the number cosmic, the music other worldly and the vibe celestial.
The night started with a DJ set by Death In Vegas, who rolled out various dub and reggae instrumentals to set the ambiance for the evening. Time to turn on, tune in and drop out.
The Beta Band come out with a swagger and a smorgasbord of musical percussive instruments on stage. Two drum kits? Yes please! Opening track Inner Meet Me swaggers like a nice walk on a British summer’s day to the pub.
Mason has the rarity of singing with a Scottish accent – so many Scots in the past have adopted an American twang, which is criminal as the natural burr of the language is as close as you can get to the sound soul music in the UK.
The band move around instruments depending on the song, sometimes employing two drummers, or none at all. In fact, at one stage all four members are on drums and percussion but more of that later.
She’s The One, Assessment and Alleged have a distinctive Stone Roses late 80’s vibe. The sort of vibe the Roses should’ve have continued at the end of I Am The Resurrection. Fortunately, these guys took over and made that vibe their own.
Mason has time to dissect Scotland’s chances at the upcoming World Cup, giving a typical dry Scottish answer set in gallows humour, unlike their neighbours south of the border’ bi-yearly hysteria before bringing stories of the bands early years sleeping under stairs and cooking pasta in a kettle. Quite an achievement to be rocking The Gov halfway around the world then.
Summer vibes turn the heat up for Dog’s Got A Bone, a xylophone solo in Dr.Baker and the funk groove of B & A warms the crowd up like a dram of whiskey on a cold night.
Dry The Rain is a percussive dream that sways with a carefree attitude its lyrics deserve and the crowd are merry, grooving along content and happy.
The final part of the show features Squares and The House Song, which include a four-man persuasive masterclass, a whistle and I’m sure I saw a trumpet at some point in the show.
I didn’t really know what to expect tonight, which is the beauty of a band that experiment. Tonight was two hours of a great, chilled and underrated-in-talent performance by a band that just get better with age. Worth the venture out on a cold night.
Live Review By Iain McCallum