The walls of Melbourne's Forum Theatre were rocked like never before on Saturday night (19 July) as Sweden's kings of garage rock, The Hives seized the stage.
After three decades of defying the industry, vapid trends, and artificial everything, The Hives haven't even begun to peak. This was evident from the introductory throng of 'Bogus Operandi', rising like Frankenstein's monster before exploding with monstrous caveman riffs.The electroshock therapy wouldn't stop there, with fans soon treated to Hives hits 'Main Offender' and 'Walk Idiot Walk'. These classics (among many of the night's 17-song set list) would see singer and frontman extraordinaire Howlin' Pelle Almqvist throw himself into the crowd, leaning on clamouring hands and adoring faces.
Next, 'Try It Again' smacked the Forum with vicious cool, a supercooled bottle of Jack Daniels hurled through the window of a cop car. Bodies hit the ground and bounced like jack-in-the-box toys to the simmering tight riffs and whip-cracking drums, with the tune's backing vocal hook dutifully supplemented by the screeching crowd.
The Hives - image © Chris Dy
As a long-time listener and first-time witness, I didn't expect the most impressive live songs to be the new material. It seemed as though the entire batch the group accumulated for both 2023's 'The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons' (and the singles so far from their upcoming LP) are imbued with the elemental, vein-bulging spirit of rock & roll.
In the wake of their kingmaker, I'm yet to find confirmation regarding the circumstances and writing process for their forthcoming sixth LP 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives'. However, if the three singles released thus far are anything to go by, this record has potential to be their magnum opus.
This was dreadfully obvious from the opening notes of 'Paint A Picture', a genius slice of pop songwriting with an unbelievably clever (and these days exceedingly rare) use of tempo changes.
The Hives - image © Chris Dy
Songs such as 'Stick Up', while phenomenally produced (and featuring a brass section on record), translate to the stage with un-conveyable vigour. The oozing slice of sleazy, speakeasy jazz-punk slunk like an underpaid and overworked neo-noir detective's theme tune.
When you're in the company of The Hives, it feels like you've been kidnapped, held captive and pistol-whipped for your own good. This band knows what we need far better than we do, and they show no intention of sugarcoating the medicine. 2023's 'Trapdoor Solution' – one of the band's fastest, rawest and most aggressive songs since 'Abra Cadaver' – was yet another defibrillator in song form.
Live, Howlin' Pelle miraculously summons dozens of the most throat-shreddingly intense screams, seamlessly shifting back and forth between demanding vocal registers. Forget Pavarotti – this 47-year-young singer spits shattered glass while tossing around like a human voodoo doll.
Closing the main set, 'Countdown To Shutdown' saw Pelle parting the crowd seas as the song's go-go dancer, slick verse basslines were shattered like glass by a horror movie wake-up-call chorus.
The Hives - image © Chris Dy
It was entirely satisfying to hear the entire A side of The Hives' 2023 comeback album in a live setting, and solidified the reality that they are truly back and better than ever.
If you've ever had the luxury of attending a Hives show, you'll know that – not unlike most of their 30-minute albums – it is a sprint and not a marathon. Lest they regret, Howlin' Pelle implores fans to keep up, jump, and scream while they can.
However, the show is anything but a blink-and-you'll-miss-it experience. After a brief pause, the band returned to a chorus of blown-out screams with a three-song encore.
Recent single 'Legalize Living' has its finger on the pulse, encapsulating feelings of oppression and paranoia shared by many in recent years:
'Leash is getting shorter, and the walls are closing in /
Anything you are into, they are saying it's a sin /
See them singing their songs /
But you won't see me singing along /
They say it can't be done /
But I say they are all wrong'
'Smoke & Mirrors' is among The Hives' most singable tunes, and not only in terms of syllables per bar. The track soars with a sense of heartbreaking sincerity, a well-placed tender moment before closing with their all-time classic, 'Tick Tick Boom'.
I'd heard via YouTube that The Hives operate in shifts when touring, ensuring that there are at least two members of the band awake 24/7. It was surreal to see that this was, in fact, completely true, having run into drummer Chris Dangerous and bassist Johan 'The Johan And Only' Gustafsson at Cherry Bar.
The Hives - image © Chris Dy
Being around 2am, I didn't expect to hear they'd be off for an "early night". They had hired Harleys for a Sunday morning ride to the coastal town of Lorne – a journey they'd previously undertaken together on pushbikes.
At this stage of their 30-plus year careers, it feels as though the band are fighting fit, revving up to write even more the best music in The Hives' discography.
Despite the death and unsuccessful exhumation of the group's long-standing songwriter/mentor Randy Fitzsimmons, it appears they've still got someone enchanting their tunes with the fountain of youth and righteousness.
To see The Hives in 2025 is to witness a triumph. We would all do well to remind ourselves – the world needs The Hives more than The Hives need the world.
More photos from the concert.
