“Are you having FUUUUUUUUN with the HIIIIIIVES!” screeches Howlin' Pelle Almqvist, and it’s startling to realise that, yes, we really really are.
Because, while younger readers raised on the joyless posing of most modern pop and the self-conscious shuffling of indie may find it difficult to believe, once upon a time pop music was the most fun thing in the world. Not just the music, but the whole business of being a pop star, of dressing up and performing, of prancing on "Top Of The Pops". From Jagger to Morrissey, pop stars made it obvious they had the most absurd, enjoyable job in the world. As one of the greats sang, “ridicule is nothing to be scared of”.
How times change. With the battle lines between “serious rock” and “frivolous pop” ever more clearly drawn, those who find themselves on the rock side often seem crippled by fear of ridicule. Which makes The Hives – along with Franz Ferdinand – such an entertaining throwback to more carefree days. Taking to the stage in their immaculately snazzy uniforms, The Hives look like the glorious gang you always wanted to belong to at school. And like all the best gangs, they really know how to enjoy themselves.
And while it's almost impossible to listen to a whole Hives album without tiring of the relentless pace and the songwriting blueprint, that same discipline and single-minded approach makes their live performances exhilarating. Opening with the short, sharp, shock of “Main Offender”, tonight is a blur of punk guitars and monster choruses, all piling gloriously on top of each other. And Almqvist's tongue-in-cheek arrogance, combined with his speaker climbing, scissor-kicking showmanship, makes it as enjoyable to watch as it is to hear.
So what we get is a set that alternates between very fast indeed (“Die Alright”) and light speed (“Two Timing Touch And Broken Bones”), with the occasional shift in dynamic (a swaggering “Walk Idiot Walk”). And of course there’s their one cast iron classic, the lean, mean, punk-pop machine of “Hate To Say I Told You So”, a jolt of pure adrenaline in an already hyperactive performance.
They won’t change anyone’s life, but they will make your night. In these unambitious times, that’s a lot more than most.
