THE HIVES – CHALK, BRIGHTON 16.8.23
To my knowledge it has been more than 7,000 days since Swedish rock band The Hives have performed live in Brighton. The previous encounter was at Brighton Dome on 16th April 2005, after their most successful album in the UK ‘Tyrannosaurus Hives’ had been released a few months earlier. It climbed to No.7 in the Official UK Album Charts here, but made the top spot in their homeland.
After a hiatus of just over a decade, The Hives are back at it. They are in town to promote their new 12 tune long player ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ which dropped last Friday, 11th August. Tonight they are appearing at Chalk in Pool Valley courtesy of Resident music. So we at Brighton & Hove News thought that we had better check out to see whether this collection of new 12 high-energy punk-ish songs are reminiscent of The Hives best work.
As with all Resident ‘outstores’ there is no support artist and so at 8:30pm we are graced by the presence of Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist (Per Almqvist) on lead vocals, Nicholaus Arson (Niklas Almqvist) on lead guitar and backing vocals, Vigilante Carlstroem (Mikael Karlsson) on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Chris Dangerous (Christian Grahn) on drums and percussion and The Johan and Only (Johan Gustafsson) on bass guitar.
Announced a mere 24 hours earlier, this special Resident instore of Sweden’s favourite rock n roll sons, The Hives, are set to grace the stage of Chalk. With over 800 tickets pre-sold and the few remaining on the door quickly snapped up, the venue’s more than a bit cosy.
The air is thick with anticipation as we watch the tech ninjas (yes, they are dressed in full-on ninja black costumes complete with balaclavas) tune and re-tune the guitars and bass, but finally, at 8.30pm, those fuzzed-up amps growl into life as the band members make their way onto the stage backs to the crowd and as the intro tape fades the show kicks off with ‘Bogus Operandi’, from the latest album and a clear nod to their earlier gritty guitar-driven tunes and could easily sit on their 2000 plater ‘Veni Vidi Vicious’.
The amps buzzing and Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s characteristic vocals lay the foundation for what was to be a riotous 42 minutes. From the moment they take the stage, The Hives command attention. Dressed in matching tailored black and white suits, they look as sharp as they sound.
Led by the charismatic frontman, they blast through the short 10-song setlist, which leans heavily in favour of the new album, and why wouldn’t it when you’ve just delivered arguably the best album of the year and the shameless self-promoters they are, they’re not going to let you forget it.
“What’s the name of our new album?” screams Pelle not once, twice, but at every opportunity he gets between and even during the songs; later on, he tries to make things more challenging by asking, “What’s the 3rd song on the new album?“.
Drummer Chris Dangerous keeps the pace relentless while guitarists Nicholaus Arson and Vigilante Carlstroem and bassist, The Johan and Only churn out the gritty yet polished sounds that are unmistakably The Hives.
The opening riff of ‘Main Offender’ signals the first of a few classic hits scattered throughout the set, and 20-plus years on this song still kicks major ass. ‘Rigor Mortis Radio’ has a ‘clappy’ start and drops the energy a little but soon picks up again with ‘Go Right Ahead’, a real Stooges-inspired track that gets the pit even more fired up.
‘Stick Up’ is another newbie, and it’s a real groover with its roots firmly in classic garage rock. Pelle is constantly off the stage and screaming into the faces of the crowd. They’re happy to sing back every word, especially when the band kick into a rip-snorting ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’, a swaggering rock ‘n’ roll hymn for the 00s and beyond the pit, is bouncing out of control. The temperature in the venue has just gone sky-high!
Pelle continues to electrify the audience with his over-the-top persona, combined with boundless energy, which sees him leaping, pacing, and dancing across the stage, all while belting out the band’s infectious songs with a passion. ‘Trapdoor Solution’ and ‘Countdown To Shutdown’ continue the tracks from the latest offering, the first a 100mph punk rocker and the latter a more of a shake your ass number; they follow this with an absolute belter in ‘Come On’ a two-fisted anthemic shout out that grabs hold and doesn’t let go and probably the easiest lyrics of any song to learn consisting of “Come on, Come on”.
They close with an almighty version of ‘Tick Tick Boom’, a staple and fan favourite and the highlight of the night. We are left spent but aching for more. For anyone attending a Hives concert, it’s not just a musical performance; it’s a full-on rock ‘n’ roll spectacle that’s not to be missed.
Tonight proves that The Hives remain a force to be reckoned with two decades into their career. The only grievance? The insatiable hunger they’ve left behind for even more high-octane live action. A genuinely stellar return for the garage-rock maestros.
The Hives setlist:
‘Bogus Operandi’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Main Offender’ (from 2000 ‘Veni Vidi Vicious’ album)
‘Rigor Mortis Radio’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Go Right Ahead’ (from 2012 ‘Lex Hives’ album)
‘Stick Up’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ (from 2000 ‘Veni Vidi Vicious’ album)
‘Trapdoor Solution’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Countdown To Shutdown’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Come On’ (from 2012 ‘Lex Hives’ album)
‘Tick Tick Boom’ ( from 2007 ‘The Black and White Album’ album)
Those that missed tonight’s performance at Chalk will get another chance to witness The Hives live in action in Brighton as they have announced that they will be returning to the city on Wednesday 3rd April as part of a 12-date tour which kicks off in Leeds at the Academy on 27th and then culminating with a date at London’s Eventim Apollo on 13th April. The full list of dates are as follows:
The Hives UK Tour Dates:
March 2024
Wed 27th Leeds, Leeds Academy
Thu 28th Newcastle, City Hall
Fri 29th Nottingham, Rock City
Sat 30th Wolverhampton, The Halls
April 2024
Mon 1st Glasgow, Barrowland
Tue 2nd Bristol, Academy
Wed 3rd Brighton, Brighton Dome
Fri 5th Cardiff, Great Hall
Sat 6th Manchester, Academy
Mon 8th Dublin, Olympia
Wed 10th Norwich, UEA
Sat 13th London, Eventim Apollo
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