Picture this: a high-octane garage band takes a wrong turn and ends up headlining a black-tie gala. That’s The Hives for you—strutting through the UK in their impeccable tuxedos, armed with the raw grit of garage rock that’s been polished till it shines. The Hives have been wrenching the bolts of garage rock for 20 solid years. But amid their UK stadium crusade alongside Arctic Monkeys, they did something special—an intimate, full-throttle gig celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Garage in north London.
Imagine a turbocharged engine roaring in a cosy living room, with the audience so close they could touch the tuxedo threads and practically get baptized by the band’s sweat—that was Tuesday night. This was The Hives paying homage to their roots while playing with the big league. They are the garage rock wizards who never forget the spell that started it all.
Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, The Hives’ magnetic frontman, storms the stage like a ’60s muscle car that just kicked in the nitrous amidst a fleet of elegant Euro classics. With Mick Jagger’s swagger loaded into a cannon and fired through blazing hoops, his theatrics are legendary. Commanding the band like a maestro gone rogue with a mic stand for a baton, it begs the question—is there a band that works harder than The Hives right now?
They stormed the stage, unloading an arsenal of hits right from the get-go. Opening with the sizzling “Bogus Operandi” from their forthcoming album, they wasted no time segueing into timeless favorites “Main Offender” and “Walk Idiot Walk.” The hits kept flying until, drenched in sweat, I wondered what knockout punches they had left. They answered with a thunderclap encore of “Tick Tick Boom” and “Come On.” How could I forget those juggernauts? Guess my sweat-soaked stupor cost me a memory stone.
The Hives have been perfecting this show for two decades now, and their alchemy is spot on. They have managed to straddle the line between radio-friendly earworms and hipster street cred, like the cool kids who manage to be the prom kings and the rebels at the same time. Their live performances are the epitome of this paradox. Banger after banger, no opening act just all Hives all the time—this was absolutely epic.
As we await in anticipation for the new album The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons due August 11, it’s clear that The Hives have crafted a niche that’s all their own. They are the garage band that didn’t just crash the party; they became the life of it. With their latest single, “Countdown to Shutdown,” The Hives are like your favorite garage band that discovered the treasure trove within a world-class recording studio. It’s garage rock with a valet service; raucous, unrestrained, yet meticulously crafted and slickly produced. Raise your garage door and your champagne flute. The Hives are back. Pre-order the new album here.
