Earlier this year, it seems The Hives yet again gained traction in the U.S. and are taking full advantage of it. In the early days of the Swedish rockers, their home country was already parading the band as the next big thing but it wasn’t until the garage rock revival of the 2000s in the U.S. that their frantic guitar rock made its way to the States. Since then, the band has built a reputation for high-energy live performances that have shocked and amazed fans across the globe for the better half of 20 years. Their unique take on the garage rock movement instantly put them next to the golden children of the New York scene and allowed them to separate themselves from their counterparts with lively vocals and even more cartoonishly hyper arrangements. The translation from studio recording to live performance only elevates their energy on stage as their live shows sound even more unhinged and endlessly fun than their five studio albums.
Recently, The Hives have been back out on the road. With their upcoming LP, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, set to be released today on August 11, their frenetic live performances have taken over 2023. Throughout the year the band has been performing at festivals across the globe along with a string of headlining shows to come following the release of their sixth LP.
Their live performances are even felt through video. In 2005 they welcomed any who hadn’t seen them live into the chaos of their shows with the “Tussles in Brussels” DVD. This DVD was some people’s first introduction to the infectious energy of a Hives live performance, they’re captivating and uncontrollable and wouldn’t want to have it any other way. Thanks to the internet, there is no need to dig up a physical copy of Tussles in Brussels. Glide has done the heavy lifting o digging some of The Hives’ best live moments from their decades of tearing apart venues. Check out some of The Hives’ craziest performance moments available on the internet below.
Song: “A.K.A I-D-I-O-T”
Date: 2001
Location: Hultsfred, Sweden
This electric performance comes before The Hives made their way over to the States. Here you can see the impact the band had locally before they made it big. You can see the beginning stages of what would become their iconic stage outfits with the whole band wearing matching white t-shirts with some literature scribbled across.
Song: “Main Offender”
Date: July 14, 2002
Location: T in the Park, Scotland
This is prime Hives. You can really feel the passion of the vocals as Pelle Almqvist explains the song is coming from a place of rage. “This number is about me and what an asshole people say I am” just might be one of the best intros to a live performance ever spoken into a microphone. The band quickly launches into “Main Offender” from Veni Vidi Vicious.
Song: “Here We Go”
Date: 2003
“Here We Go” was already a stand-out in The Hives’ discography but seeing it come to life like this only adds to the pure energy of the record. This performance is lifted from 2003, a year before the band released their Tyrannosaurus Hives LP. While the exact location of this video is unknown, the band only played a handful of festival spots that year.
Song: “Die, All Right!”
Date: June 26, 2004
Location: Hurricane Festival, Germany
Arguably one of the most infectious songs in their discography, The Hives’ treat the people of Hurricane Festival to a timeless classic. Before the band dives into a high-energy performance of “Die, All Right”, they explain how they haven’t been to Germany in quite some time. The tension built up between shows in the country and it was all let out this night in 2004.
Song: “Antidote”
Date: 2006
Location: Hurricane Festival, Germany
Ironically, one of the better performances of this underrated Hives track comes from the same festival as the aforementioned “Die, All Right” entry on our list, it must be something about the love Germany has for The Hives. Hearing the cascading “woos” of “Antidote” come to live before such a massive artist sends chills down your spine.
Song: “A Little More for Little You”
Date: 2008
This performance of the 2004 cut shows the band’s crowd control and charisma on stage. The video starts off with frontman Pelle Almqvist preparing the crowd for what has become expected from a Hives performance. After a quick yet captivating speech, the band launches into “A Little More for Little You”, a frantic track that gets a facelift when the band adds in flailing limbs.
Song: “Hate To Say I Told You So”
Date: January 6, 2009
Location: Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia
“Hate To Say I Told You So” is arguably The Hives’ biggest song to date. Originally released on their essential 2000 release, Veni Vidi Vicious, the song was a massive success and once you see it performed live, the success adds up. This performance is nine years after the track was released and they’re delivering it with the signature Hives gusto.
Song: “1000 Answers”
Date: 2012
Taken from a live TV performance circa 2012, The Hives’ debut is a highlight from their Lex Hives LP. Here you can see the band dressed in their signature suites but why this performance is special goes beyond coordinated outfits. Considering the size of the stage on a TV talk show and the fact the audience may not be there to see them perform, the band put it out there as if they were at a sold-out headlining gig. Their energy radiates throughout the performance and the crowd is quick to catch on to that classic Hives’ charisma.
Song: “Tick Tick Boom”
Date: 2014
Location: Reading Festival, England
Something from a more recent performance comes from The Hives’ electric performance at the 2014 Reading Festival. The band performs another massive hit of theirs, “Tick Tick Boom”, a track that is no stranger to a setlist from the band. What’s special about this performance is the energy of the crowd and how it penetrates time and technology.
Song: “Rigor Mortis Radio”
Date: May 10, 2023
Location: Los Angeles, California
Let’s bring everything full circle shall we? This performance is from The Hives’ recent trip to the States where they seemed to be thrown a curve ball. The band performs from what looks like a front porch of an average suburban home. Despite the confines of the space, the band provides a delightful energy for a small crowd that got to hear a single from the band’s upcoming LP before anyone else.
