It helps no end that a packed Academy has been prepared well for a night of frenetic, fun rock action by the two supports. The D4 may have disappeared off the radar a bit over the past year, but are showing a more tuneful edge to their songs these days. Blues Explosion, meanwhile, were knocking out gloriously grungy blues riffs long before anyone knew what a White Stripe was, and they rattle through their set with aplomb. It's perhaps disappointing to see them as only a support act these days, but they have a good swell of fans out in force.
Arriving onstage in their trademark white jackets and cravats, the Hives launch into a frantic 45-minute set, getting through most of the better parts of their back catalogue at breakneck speed. Their material's hardly the most diverse, but in their case that's actually quite a comforting fact. The newly-moustachioed Pelle Almqvist is on top form; his voice is nowhere near as strong live as on record, but he makes up for it with the way he works the crowd, bantering in his compelling accented bark, posturing with his mic or inserting "Liverpool" into the lyrics of "Walk, Idiot, Walk". The band, meanwhile, have tightened up their live performance considerably since the early days. They're still completely mental, of course, but the sound's sharper and they play with an assured confidence. | "They certainly know how to entertain, and they're impossible to watch without a smile on your face." | | Seb Patrick |
As expected, it's "Hate To Say I Told You So" that works the crowd up into the biggest frenzy, although Chris Dangerous seems nonplussed, calmly puffing on a cigarette as he pounds the drums. It's only with the encore that things flag a little, going through a few lesser tracks before picking it up at the end with the anthemic "A.K.A. I.D.I.O.T". You can't help but wonder if a show as theatrical as this might not be better suited to a venue like the Royal Court, rather than the slightly boxy Academy. Still, while the Hives may never win any "best band in the world" accolades, they certainly know how to entertain, and they're impossible to watch without a smile on your face. |
