Seeing The Hives live is an experience that won’t let you sit still. The black and white that characterizes them is not only an aesthetic choice, but a perfect reflection of the essence of a band that gives everything, without nuances or half measures. From the first chord, it is impossible not to be completely immersed in the frenzy of the show.
The evening started with “Bogus Operandi”, and immediately dozens of glasses began to fly through the air, creating an electric and rock atmosphere. If you were lucky enough to watch from above, you could see the crowd jumping in unison, fueled by the band’s energy.
“Dear friends, come on!” exclaimed Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist (Per Almqvist), the vocalist, as the audience erupted in screams. By the second song, Main Offender, it seemed like no one in the general area was safe from being doused in beer, and amidst the chaos, the first few brave souls began crowd surfing. The energy was contagious, and although there were fans of all ages, there was not a single spectator who sat still.
“Dear Mexican friends, how are you? Good? Fantastic? Welcome to Los Hives! Do you like Los Hives? Me too,” said the vocalist, mixing English and Spanish between laughs before starting the third song.
The Hives, a Swedish rock band formed in 1993 in Fagersta, achieved worldwide fame in the 2000s with the garage rock revival. And although Pelle does not speak Spanish, that did not stop him from connecting with the Mexican public. On several occasions, he came off the stage to sing directly to the lucky people in the front rows.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally at the Palacio de los Deportes. We waited a long time for this! Are you happy to see us? We are happy to see you. Now everyone let’s dance!” he shouted with enthusiasm as the band continued with Rigor Mortis Radio and Walk Idiot Walk. There was no respite. The energy continued to rise with each song.
During “Good Samaritan”, the band took an unexpected pause in the middle of the song, while the audience, far from stopping, continued shouting euphorically. The vocalist took the opportunity to joke: “The biggest Los Hives concert in the history of Los Hives. Any problem? Why is there silence? Silence is not invited to the Los Hives concert!”
OCESA COURTESY: Liliana Estrada.
The songs “Go Right Ahead” and “Stick Up” kept the intensity at its peak. Between laughter and applause, Pelle thanked the fans: “Thank you very much for all the Los Hives concerts in CDMX. All my people, thank you and you’re welcome!” he joked, making his audience laugh. Their humor kept the audience hooked, but the peak moment came with “Hate to Say I Told You So”, the band’s undisputed classic. The chords of their garage rock anthem made the entire Palace jump to the rhythm of the song.
Almqvist came off the stage several times, playing with the microphone like a true rockstar. He spun it, threw it, and caught it expertly, while climbing a bench to make sure everyone in the stands saw it on the big screens. Furthermore, not even he was spared from the beer baths that were splashed in each song. A born showman, he interacted with the audience and kept the energy high.
The venue, with a capacity of 13,800 people, was not full, but it did not matter. The audience couldn’t stop chanting the classic “Oe, oe, oe, The Hives!” at every pause. In “Take Back the Toys”, cell phone lights illuminated the Palace as they moved from side to side. Despite Pelle’s constant interactions, the concert went by at a fairly fast pace, as if the band was in a hurry to make the most of every second.
Featuring drummer Chris Dangerous (Christian Grahn) as “half man, half machine, half animal,” Almqvist kicked off the song “I’m Alive.” At another point, he took a Mexican flag thrown by the audience and placed a Mexican hat on his microphone, in a gesture that provoked even more screams of excitement.
The night continued with songs like Trapdoor Solution, Bigger Hole to Fill and Countdown to Shutdown. After a brief encore that kept the expectation in the air, Come On!, Smoke & Mirrors and finally Tick Tick Boom put an end to “the best concert in the history of the Hives.”
rad
