Main content

Music, chat and The Beta Band’s Steve Mason

Mark and Stuart present a feast of great music, plus The Beta Band's Steve Mason shares his ‘First, Last and Everything’ tracks and chats about his recent autobiography.

Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie present a feast of great music and chat for weekend breakfast.

Today they are joined by Scottish singer, songwriter and founding member of The Beta Band, Steve Mason. Steve shares his ‘First, Last and Everything’ - that’s his first record, the most recent one he's enjoyed and the record that means ‘everything’ to him. He also chats about his recent autobiography ‘Failure Is Always An Option: Glorious Adventures On The Beta Band Front Line & Other Tales’.

Formed in 1996 the band were quickly embraced in the media and hailed by famous fans from Radiohead to Noel Gallagher. Following their 2004 break-up, Mason also recorded two EPs and an album as King Biscuit Time and has since had an incredible solo career, releasing six critically acclaimed albums, including his most recent in 2023 ‘Brothers & Sisters’. In 2025 The Beta Band reformed to play a series of live shows, with their Autumn UK tour rapidly selling out.

Also on the show ... long-running feature The Chain, which gives listeners the chance to pick a track that links in some way to the last. The list now contains over 8,700 songs.

With a selection of music old and new to get the weekend started.

Produced in Salford by Audio Always for BBC Radio 6 Music.

27 days left to listen

2 hours

Last on

Saturday08:00
BBC Radio 6 Music

More episodes

Previous

Summer solstice special

Next

An audio buffet of top tunes and chat

See all episodes from Radcliffe and Maconie

Music Played

  • The Beta Band

    Assessment

    • Regal.

  • Chloe Slater

    Ugly

    • AWAL.

  • Grace Jones

    My Jamaican Guy

    • Living My Life.
    • Universal-Island Records Limited.
    • 8.

  • Keith

    98.6

    • 98.6 / Ain't Gonna Lie.
    • Mercury Records.
    • 1.

  • Julia Holter

    Fantasy

    • Domino Recording Co.

  • Wild Beasts

    A Simple Beautiful Truth

    • Present Tense.
    • Domino.
    • 001.

  • The Source

    You Got The Love (feat. Candi Staton)

    • React.

  • Kurt Vile

    Zoom 97

    • Verve.

  • FKJ

    Soulmates

    • AWAL.

  • The Isley Brothers

    Summer Breeze

    • Polygram TV.

  • Maisy Owen

    The Rest of Me (6 Music Session, 24 Jun 2026)

  • Fleet Foxes

    Battery Kinzie

    • BELLA UNION.

  • DEVO

    Come Back Jonee

    • The Best Of.
    • Virgin.
    • 1.

  • Angine de Poitrine

    Sarniezz

    • Angine de Poitrine.

  • Superorganism

    Everybody Wants To Be Famous

    • Domino Recording Co. Ltd.

  • a‐ha

    The Sun Always Shines on TV

    • Fantastic 80's - 3 (Various Artists).
    • Sony Tv/Columbia.
    • 1.

  • Panic Shack

    grin & bear it

    • Brace Yourself Records.

  • The Beta Band

    Squares

    • Regal.

  • Rammellzee & K‐Rob

    Beat Bop

    • Beat Bop.
    • RCA/Legacy.

  • Fugazi

    Arpeggiator - Demo

    • Instrument Soundtrack.
    • Dischord Records.

  • Simple Minds

    I Travel

    • Arista.

  • Gretel

    Drive

    • VLF Records.

Broadcast

  • Saturday08:00
    BBC Radio 6 Music