THE HIVES + BAD NERVES – BRIGHTON DOME 3.4.24
The Hives returned for the first time in 19 years to the Brighton Dome for a sell-out show last Tuesday, following their gig at Chalk last August, (Review HERE) with support from Essex five-piece Bad Nerves. The Hives have been named one of the best live bands in the world, and this gig was no exception to their reputation, with both bands delivering highly energetic performances that got the crowd into a frenzy.
Bad Nerves thundered onto the stage just before the 8pm start time and got straight into their set, playing mainly tracks from their self-titled debut album plus some from their follow-up ‘Still Nervous’, out in May. The band is firmly in the vein of the post-Strokes 2000s garage rock revival that propelled The Hives to international fame after nearly a decade of performing, though also with a harder and faster edge reminiscent of power pop acts like the Exploding Hearts. After their uptempo track ‘Terminal Boy’, frontman Bobby Bird announced “They don’t make lineups like this anymore, folks – The Hives are here tonight, the REAL Hives, and we get to see them every night, for free!” which got a massive response from the audience. While their material is slightly pedestrian examples of its genre, the band gave a very strong performance full of stage moves and with seamless transitions between multiple of the songs, exiting the stage to thunderous applause.
Bad Nerves:
Bobby Bird – vocals
Will Power – guitar
George Berry – guitar
Jon Poulton – bass
Sam Thompson – drums
Bad Nerves probable setlist:
‘Don’t Stop’ (from forthcoming 2024 ‘Still Nervous’ album)
‘Baby Drummer’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘Palace’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘Terminal Boy’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘Radio Punk’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘USA’ (from forthcoming 2024 ‘Still Nervous’ album)
‘Electric 88’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘You’ve Got The Nerve’ (from forthcoming 2024 ‘Still Nervous’ album)
‘Can’t Be Mine’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘Mad Mind’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
‘Dreaming’ (from 2020 ‘Bad Nerves’ album)
The Hives then took to the stage at 9pm, all in their matching black-and-white suits with glow in the dark decals and aided by a couple of stagehands in all black with ninja masks, one of whom played percussion on a handful of the songs. The band played primarily songs from their new album ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’, opening with the raucous lead single ‘Bogus Operandi’, with guitarist Niklas Almqvist having already jumped up on the amp cabinet before the second song was even underway. Frontman Pelle Almqvist engaged the crowd with banter throughout, delivering an extended routine about fellow Swedes ABBA having won Eurovision at the Dome 50 years before and how the band needed to make the audience clap enough to surpass them. This level of chatter can be distracting at a gig but was delivered well and flowed with the band’s energy, getting a great reaction from the crowd, as did his later declaration that “This fabulous venue was built 160 years ago to be perfect for you to see the Hives tonight!”.
The band was mixed well but at a very loud volume; for the first time ever, I had to use earplugs, though it was in keeping with their all-out rock n roll style. Even with the frequent audience interaction, including the singer and guitarist walking over to the wing of the stage over the crowd, the band stayed tight throughout, especially on songs such as ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ with multiple changes in dynamics. A couple of songs later came the breakthrough hit ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’, which featured an extended breakdown with the crowd chanting the famous riff, before the band teared straight into the punky ‘Trapdoor Solution’.
After around an hour and ten minutes the band took a brief break before the encore. This saw the frontman stagediving and whipping the crowd into a frenzy for a couple of songs before finishing with their hit ‘Tick Tick Boom’, which was extended to nearly twice its length with band introductions and a massive mosh pit, with Almqvist directing everybody in the circle and balcony seats to stand and everyone in the stalls to get down for a massive finish. The band bowed and walked off to rapturous applause, which continued until well after they had left the stage.
The Hives:
Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist (Per Almqvist) – lead vocals (1993–present)
Nicholaus Arson (Niklas Almqvist) – lead guitar, backing vocals (1993–present)
Vigilante Carlstroem (Mikael Karlsson) – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1993–present)
Chris Dangerous (Christian Grahn) – drums, percussion (1993–present; hiatus 2019)
The Johan and Only (Johan Gustafsson) – bass guitar (2013–present)
The Hives setlist:
‘Bogus Operandi’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Main Offender’ (from 2000 ‘Veni Vidi Vicious’ album)
‘Take Back The Toys’ (from 2012 ‘Lex Hives’ album)
‘Two Kinds Of Trouble’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Rigor Mortis Radio’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Walk Idiot Walk’ (from 2004 ‘Tyrannosaurus Hives’ album)
‘Good Samaritan’ (a 2019 single)
‘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)
‘I’m Alive’ (a 2019 single)
‘Bigger Hole To Fill’ (from 2007 ‘The Black and White Album’ album)
‘Die, All Right!’ (from 2000 ‘Veni Vidi Vicious’ album)
‘Won’t Be Long’ (from 2007 ‘The Black and White Album’ album)
‘Try It Again’ (from 2007 ‘The Black and White Album’ album)
‘Countdown To Shutdown’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
(encore)
‘Come On!’ (from 2012 ‘Lex Hives’ album)
‘Smoke & Mirrors’ (from 2023 ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ album)
‘Tick Tick Boom’ (from 2007 ‘The Black and White Album’ album)
