Making their return to Australia with a string of headlining shows, The Hives arrive on stage at the Thebby Theatre, dressed in their trademark two-tone suits (now with added top hats to help the circus begin). The band flares up with their signature guitar-driven sound tonight, the energy high despite it being a Monday. It’s an evening of rock ‘n’ roll with the Hives, and the stage backdrop depicts our MC for the evening, front man, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, pulling puppet strings with a diabolical grin.
Like a true puppet master, Pelle incites screams and yells from the crowd. In combination with scissor kicks and microphone tricks, ‘Come on’ and ‘Main Offender’ begin the proceedings, and the crowd increases in volume after each track, charmingly encouraged by Pelle.
‘DO SOMETHING ADELAIDE, TOUCH ME, TOUCH ME ADELAIDE!!’
The Hives show why they are held in high regard in the live arena; the strong drumming by Chris Dangerous was further framed by the sharp two pronged guitar showcase of Vigilante Carlstroem and Nicholaus Arson, while Dr. Matt Destruction on bass likewise did not let the team down. And herein lies the strength of the band: the talented backing musicians show minimal interest in working the crowd, while Pelle’s theatrics show that he is more than comfortable being the centre of attention, the James Brown of the Swedish garage rock scene even.
‘This will be like Woodstock, 955,000 people will say they were here,’ he confidently asserts.
The reality is that The Hives are better than their competition and songs such as ‘Die Alright’ lift the energy a notch, ‘Idiot Walk’ is met with large fanfare and the crowd knows they are seeing a world class act. ‘No Pun Intended’ lifts the momentum further, and the crowd is now exactly where The Hives want them.
Pelle introduces new track ‘Go Right Ahead’ with the statement, ‘This is off our new album, it’s not out yet, but it’s pretty fucking good so it will be’. A notable highlight comes along in ‘Won’t Be Long’, displaying The Hives’ catchy pop hooks and encouraging the crowd to dance. The main set finishes with the popular single ‘Tick Tick Tick Boom’, a song essentially conceived for the live stage, and as the band exits, the crowd begins the process of getting the band back out for just 10 mins more of rock ‘n’ roll revelry.
And arrive they do. ‘The Hives Declare Nuclear War’ declares their encore, culminating in their modern classic, ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’: a song so good, they will find it hard, if not impossible, to top on their new album.
They finish on a high that leaves the audience with a smile because surprisingly, an evening with The Hives leaves you feeling good, wanting more and realising how much you can get away with when you have a Swedish accent.
-Dan Gruszecki
