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The Beths are a beloved four-piece indie rock band formed in Auckland in 2014. Since their debut, they’ve achieved global success and performed shows in Australia, North America, the UK, and Europe. Now they’re back home in Aotearoa to celebrate their most recent album ‘Straight Line Was A Lie’.

I’ve been patiently waiting for The Beths to come back to the south island ever since I first saw a grainy video of them performing at The Church Pub in Christchurch on a friend’s instagram story, and finally getting to see them live was the best way to end to a long week of Uni.

The vibe at the Glenroy Auditorium was curated to a T, with soft colourful lighting and several fog machines (which rendered all of the videos I took almost unwatchable) creating a hazy dream-like atmosphere to accompany The Beths’ indie sound.

The opening act was another band hailing from Auckland by the name of BUB. I wasn't familiar with them going in, but as soon as I heard their first song I was enamoured with their slow guitar-heavy sound which had the whole crowd swaying along. It was the perfect intro for the main act of the night, who came out shortly after to kick off their setlist with the titular track ‘Straight Line Was A Lie’. This was a great choice to get the crowd hyped up, and Tristan Deck’s punchy drumming really stood out to me in this particular song. Towards the halfway point, the energy wound down with ‘mother, pray for me’, which places lead singer Elizabeth Stokes' gorgeous vocals front and centre. The night finished off with an encore consisting of some of my personal favourite tracks – ‘Take’, which features great backing vocals from the rest of the band and ‘Uptown girl’, which blends vulnerable lyricism with a catchy upbeat melody.

Both BUB and The Beths gave fantastic performances and I thoroughly recommend snagging some tickets next time they’re in town- or checking out what else the Glenroy Auditorium has got going on.

Now this was my first live Dunedin gig (lakehouse doesn’t count), so going in I was fizzing. And as I should’ve been, because I was about to have any and all expectations exceeded. The opening acts themselves were good enough to show up solely for them. The first band was fronted by Liam of Night Lunch. Despite being loosely established and without a name, they displayed amazing natural chemistry and raw power in the forms of shoegaze/post rock sound. Maxine Funke, and her accompanying guitarist and percussionist, performed these soothing, warm vocals that felt slow and methodical, but never boring or dragging. I don’t think I'll ever forget the tonal whiplash that I felt from the change in genre and atmosphere of the improv DJ duo Murdabike (kickass name). The ever-evolving house/ big beat “choon” that kept on building on top of itself flowed so seamlessly that I only realised the song had completely shifted from minutes ago once I stopped grooving to think. 

I must shamefully admit I had never heard of local legend Andrew Wilson or Ōtepoti’s own Die! Die! Die!, but perhaps I should’ve before I shook his hand, said “Hi”, and complimented his shirt, all without recognising him (fuck). Regardless, I DEFINITELY know who he is now, and consider me a follower. Sign me up for the fan club, give me a shirt, and I’ll wear it until it smells like the front row crowd of Murdabike. While AW’s ‘THE NERVE’ is definitely a more Lo-Fi, noise-pop sort of direction on streaming services (go listen), it’s a whole different beast live. Wilson brings so much energy to the performance, jumping off stage and interacting with the crowd (cheers uncle). And the Lo-Fi sound turns into a wall of beautiful punchy noise that you could just never recreate on your headphones. To experience this band for the first time, and live even, does feel like a privilege. You just can’t wait for next time.

Favourite Track:  THIEF OF JOY

Credit: Ethan Montañer

Credit: Ethan Montañer

A typical Ōtepoti student knows the ins and outs of each club and venue in town. They know the sticky floors, vape clouds hanging above the dance floor, and the sickly sweet smell of alcohol in the air. The overpriced drinks and pint specials lure us into coming out night after night, just for the notion that we might stop at that banging Kebab joint on our way back down George St. But UBar is different. Situated right here on campus, you may not first think that the nightlife is particularly rampant in this underground bar. But on Wednesday nights after 8pm, it becomes a hub for student activity and locally grown music. As an American international student, I’m not quite used to the bar atmosphere yet. But let me tell you about my experience at UBar’s Pint Night this last Wednesday, the perfect way to find local music and good pints. 

Pint Night is a draw for many tired students trying to make it to the end of the week, a sustaining night out that has you back in your flat or at your hall at a reasonable (enough) time to make it to your 9 am the next morning. Let's face it though, you were going to skip that class anyway. 

With its central location, UBar is a perfect starting point for many of Dunedin’s very own bands, musicians, and songwriters. The atmosphere is one that you can't help but want to create in, and the inspiration taken from students wanting to have fun is infectious. Many bands and singers start out their following at UBar, surrounded by peers who help to grow their following before they branch out into the wider Dunedin music scene. 

With a hazy atmosphere and brightly painted walls, UBar has the kind of energetic vibe that can only occur when young people gather. The mural-adorned, wooden paneled walls might be mistaken for a nice restaurant, but the high tables and sticky floors are undeniably those of a bar. The hipster mixed with dive-bar feel is unique to UBar, a more diverse vibe compared to Vault 21 or Catacombs. The music is loud, and the seating is spread out enough to accommodate the students who want to mingle with other groups. 

When you travel to the dance floor, the people there are piled up against the barricade, screaming for Purple Dog, Ammonita, or Monkey Do to ‘PLAY ONE MORE SONG!’. The air is electric, and you can just make out the silhouettes of people dancing in the neon blue lights rimming the walls. This is an honest-to-God bar dancefloor, where the ceiling is less than a meter above your head and occasionally drips on you. The determination of this many Otago students to fit into such a space is admirable. 

Whether you want a sober evening of fun or a more buzzed night that makes up for the clubs being closed, Pint Night at UBar has the vibes, and more importantly, the pints. Dunedin’s favourite bands and performers are booked and ready to entertain you and your friends, and the friendly staff and security are ready to make sure you have fun, all on campus property. After my first Pint Night at UBar, it's safe to say that I sure did. 

Follow UBar on Instagram - @ubarotago

Imagine my excitement when the now-legendary six-piece British rock band announced that they would be playing in my hometown. My bank account immediately hollowed out as I paid for a couple of tickets to see Black Country New Road and flights to Wellywood, but it’d be worth it; not just to escape the pits of despair (library lock-ins) for a couple of days, but to see if the sextet sounds as harmonic in person as they do in the studio recordings.

How did they stack up? In short, to quote the track Socks off from BCNR’s third album, Forever Howlong (2025), “I’m having a whale of a time”. In long, the band showed off their newest material in a passionate and operatic performance, oozing with skilled instrumentals and beautiful vocal performances.

I only caught the latter half of the opening act, Ringlets, a post-punk four-piece from Tāmaki Makarau, who performed at Laneway earlier this year. I ended up being a bit sad that I arrived near the end, because the second I made it into the pit, the energy was invigorating!

From what I gathered, they were mostly playing songs from their recent album, The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies), which is punchy and jangly and features some undoubtedly scuzzy yet refined songwriting. Leith Towers’ vocals were quite harrowing and were the perfect accoutrement to bassist Arabella Poulsen’s pronounced, driving basslines in the song Heavenly Wheel. Before the gig, I wasn’t aware of the fact that they existed, nor that they were performing before BCNR, but I think I’ve got a new favorite Tāmaki band.

After the departure of lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Woods in 2022, a few days before the release of their second album, Ants From Up There (2022), BCNR decided to only play music written after their sophomore album. Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t hear the rising, saxophone-led overture of Intro (you may recognize this from countless TikTok edits) as I was hoping for. We did, however, get treated to a killer cover of Wings’ Band on the Run, sung by Lewis Evans and May Kershaw. Meow Nui was instantly captured by Charlie Wayne’s punchy drumming, Luke Mark’s tight guitar riffs, Georgia Ellery’s nuanced backing vocals, and Tyler Hyde’s playful and experimental basslines.

I’m more of a recent fan of BCNR, having only really gotten into them just before the release of Forever Howlong. It never really entered my mind to do that much research into the band before the tour, which, in a way, was a blessing in disguise- there were tons of surprises to be had. The main surprise- which can’t be undersold- was how incredibly multitalented each member of the band was. It’s sort of hard to pin any of BCNR’s members as being primarily one instrument or another. There was a minimum of two instruments played by one person throughout the performance, reaching a shockingly high maximum of five. It would take an entire whiteboard to plot out who changed instruments, so I’ll have to spotlight the moments that most impressed me.

For the ethereal, vocal-heavy Mary, Wayne put down the drumsticks and picked up a banjo hidden behind the mass of equipment, allowing the crowd the opportunity to immerse themselves in the vocal harmonies of Hyde, Ellery, and Kershaw. In addition to their incredible vocals, they each used a multitude of instruments. Ellery masterfully swapped back and forth between the violin and the mandolin. The standout for me was Tyler Hyde, who effortlessly made use of the bass, the acoustic guitar, and the piano. The first moment that left me speechless was when Meow Nui’s acoustics filled with the sustained grandiose sound of her bowing the bass guitar while knelt on the edge of the stage during their powerful concert-like performance of Nancy Tries to Take the Night.

The second time that took my breath away was when the entire band dropped their instruments, and seemingly manifested tenor recorders into their hands for their penultimate song: Forever Howlong- the only exception being May Kershaw, who stood up from the keys that she had been stationed at for the greater part of the night, and picked up an accordion. Until then, I had only heard recorders from my (awful) primary school class recorder lessons and had no idea that they could sound good. The band played a 5-part recorder polyphony that was raw and sublime, which lifted Kershaw’s heartfelt and sensitive singing in a subtle but powerful way.

The band performed the song Strangers, which was recently released on the charity album Help(2), by War Child Records, which aims to raise funds for children living through war. Help(2) contains songs from artists such as Big Thief, Cameron Winter, Depeche Mode, Damon Albarn, and Fontaines D.C.

The gig was full of fun vibes and energy, and it seemed like practically every alternative person in Wellington had come to town to watch the band. The crowd’s energy peaked when we all heard the start of Forever Howlong’s catchy opening track, Besties, which kicked off the new era of Black Country New Road. At one point, the entire crowd joined in arms to sing Happy Birthday (not the song off of the album, just the classic, sing-it-at-a-party Happy Birthday) to Charlie Wayne, who played along for a bit before telling us all that we were 3 months away from his actual birthday and that we clapped 6 times too many for the years. They ended the set on a high note, with their song Happy Birthday (for real this time!), which was jazzy and showcased every member of BCNR’s instrumental expertise.

Black Country New Road was an utterly immersive and joyful experience, and I thoroughly recommend seeing them the next time they come back to Aotearoa.

ALBUM REVIEW: Shuv-it (Nelson) - Erode
review by Ethan Montañer Mar 9th 2026

Whakatū Nelson’s hardcore punk outfit Shuv-it have finally arrived with their debut full length, Erode.
The opening track “Shuv-it” is a mission statement, showcasing the band’s lyrical style that is unapologetically motivational and full of heart: “I’ll face this moment and then tower above it”. This combination of lyrics, riffs, mosh parts and sing-a-longs makes Erode feel like a hit of adrenaline that you can only get at a Shuv-it show.

Clocking in at just under 20 minutes, the band manages to pack a surprising amount of variety while staying laser focused, and Sam Edmonds’ striking vocal delivery seamlessly flows between melodic screams and almost rap-like yells. The album’s second half is an impressive showcase of features. Shuriken (WLG), Martial Law (Hamilton) and Sawnoff (Nelson) up the heaviness with some vocal contributions; post-rock band Distance (CHCH) provides a moody ambient interlude, and DJ MRD’s (US) scratching is a surprising but welcome addition.

Erode is a perfect showcase of Shuv-it’s live energy and impactful songwriting, and is ultimately just a fun listen. If you’re a fan of riffs, moshing, and having a good time, this album might be just the thing for you.