This Scottish band crammed more ideas into one EP than some bands have in their whole career. Radiohead loved them enough to take them on tour, Oasis and Blur (amongst others) have both had a shot at ripping off some of their finest moments. Their fans are devout in their appreciation of the band. They got a name check and even a song played (in the record shop scene) in the definitive arch-muso film High Fidelity. So why weren’t they huge? Well here is a shot in the dark…
Because (apparently) the cocksucker in charge of the music play-list at Radio 1 at the time didn’t like them. For the fate of such an innovative band to be in the hands of one man, a man with all that power and absolutely no ear for music; he should be hunted down and strung up by his own bootlaces!
And the regional stations don’t get off the hook. Radio Clyde notoriously do fuck all for Scottish Bands; as do Forth FM. As for the other national stations? The artery-hardening pyjama and slippers of Radio 2 (especially during the day) or the boring dad-rock of Virgin (we’ll still be playing Sweet Child of Mine every day in twenty years time) Radio.
Radio, especially Radio 1, failed The Beta Band – an indictment of a system which is flawed from top to bottom. Why play something interesting when they can play the latest Robbie Williams or Beyonce song five times in one day? As a result the majority of music fans know very little about them.
But word of mouth is a powerful thing. There was a band from America in the 60s who sold not too many records at the time but inspired loads of artists, including David Bowie and Talking Heads. They were of course The Velvet Underground.
Now The Beta Band are very different musically but their story is the same, their popularity stems from critical acclaim and word of mouth, not airplay. Word of mouth. That’s how I got into them - years too late, years after they split.
So that is my wish for The Beta Band; that they continue to attract new fans years after they split. Let’s make The Beta Band a kind of modern day Velvet Underground. God knows their music deserves it.
Here are two of my favourite moments of theirs. If you don’t know them have a listen. If you like it buy one of their albums… and spread the word.
Dry The Rain (Live)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0s5xnh6t-wE&feature=related
Simple
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz3kBDOL5Po
Singer/Songwriter Steve Mason still records music in new projects King Biscuit Time and Black Affair. The rest of the band perform together as The Aliens.
Posted In They Shoulda Been Huge, Nov 26 2009.
Words - Mark