Huck goes to The Hives
I recently saw The Hives perform live for the first time. Here is what I thought. Welcome to Monday, by the way. I have the first week of work under my belt. I am getting used to this new lifestyle. Thankfully, I am in a positive mindset about everything thus far. Today, I will review The Hives live at The Olympia Theatre. Here goes nothing.
The Hives have missed Ireland several times before and after the release of their long-awaited album, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. After waiting 11 years and throwing a pandemic into the mix, it didn’t seem like The Hives would be doing a headline show here soon. Thankfully, we can say that they have headlined in Dublin for the first time in a while.
So, how were The Hives as a live band? In a word, captivating. Having watched countless live footage videos, I only hoped it would be as good in person. It was. Being the last on the tour, the Dublin show was a bit worrying as fatigue may have set in at some point for both The Hives and their support band, Bad Nerves (more on them later). Being a band for 30 years must teach you how to stay on your game all night every night, though, as there was no letting up with the energy they brought.
Arriving onstage to the funeral march and immediately going into the lead single for the latest album, Bogus Operandi, there isn’t a better song in their discography to show you what they are all about. Interspersed with audience banter courtesy of frontman Howlin’ Pelle, we were both entertained comedically and musically. There was, thankfully, time to take a breather, albeit not for very long. With a set of 18 songs (including the encore), the majority in the classic garage punk high energy that The Hives are known for, I now understand why they are considered by many to be one of the best live bands today.
You know a band are good when they play arguably their best-known song Hate to Say I Told You So in the middle of their set. It proves that they don’t need to rely on their most famous song to either get the crowd going or to end the set. The Hives have not changed their sound dramatically since day one, which is a testament to their belief in the music they play. It’s music that only works in a live setting of a moshing crowd, screaming fans and excellent showmanship from every band member.
Their support, Bad Nerves, was not on my radar before the announcement of their involvement with the tour. They are a self-proclaimed power pop band from Essex, UK, with a punk attitude. With a set of 10 songs (none of which run for over 3 minutes), I have never seen such a young band who have figured themselves out so quickly. They have their second studio album coming out soon, and I recommend you listen to the music they have already released. It’s quite something.
That’s enough from me. The Hives live review has finally gone live, and I can relax for a bit. I hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend. Thank you for reading and for your time.
