The Hives @ Enmore Theatre: 00s Nostalgia By A Band With Unbeatable Showmanship

Sydney’s really being treated to a bit of mid-2000’s nostalgia at the moment. Jack White of the White Stripes was here last December, Franz Ferdinand are here this December, and Bloc Party are here next week. On Wednesday July 23, Swedish rockers The Hives have a show lined up for the Enmore Theatre.

Back in the mid-2000s to early 2010s their music was used everywhere, from video games to  massive films like Taken and Get Smart. I first remember hearing them as a kid when watching a 2007 WWE event with ‘Tick Tick Boom’ as its theme song.

Andre 3000 from Outkast has even said “I wouldn’t have written ‘Hey Ya!’ if it weren’t for the Hives” after he saw them perform live in 2002.

The Hives’ sound is inspired by hard-rocking bands like the Ramones and the Stooges, with a lead singer known for commanding crowds with instructions like when to clap and cheer.

The last time they were in Sydney was when they opened for AC/DC’s 2015 Australian tour, one of the first concerts I ever went to as a 17 year old. Back then, I marvelled at how they inspired a crowd of AC/DC fans to get so involved in an opening act. The crowd were following the frontman’s commands with pleasure.

They’re definitely more known for their live performances than for any albums in particular.

The crowd tonight as you’d expect leans toward a middle-aged majority, with smatterings of younger fans who’ve discovered the band years after their commercial peak.

The Hives open with Bogus Operandi, the opening track from their 2023 album, before treating us with raucous classic ‘Main Offender’.

It’s not long before lead singer, ‘Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’ as he’s known, begins moulding the crowd like play-doh.

“Everyone put their arms in the air”, which the crowd does.

“Now start clapping”, Almqvist commands, as the entire Enmore Theatre does so in unison.

His crowdwork and showmanship is virtually second to none across all of the live bands I’ve ever seen. He continually says remarks throughout the show to get a rise and response from the crowd like a pantomime villain. He compliments Melbourne to get boos, before complimenting Sydney to get cheers.

The crowd itself, where I am at the front of the moshpit, is incredibly lively, with mosh circles opening up and people running into one another. Crowd favourites like Walk Idiot Walk, Hate to Say I Told You So and Come On! are incredibly well-received.

As a nice tribute to Ozzy Osbourne who’d passed away hours before, drummer Chris Dangerous opened one of their own songs with the classic hi-hat pattern from War Pigs.

The grand finale of showmanship happens late when Almqvist gets the crowd to split in half, creating a channel to the sound booth that he walks down with his microphone. He comically runs back through it to the stage, microphone in hand, as the next song begins and the crowd closes back in together.

10 years after I last saw them on their most recent trip to Australia, they’re still undoubtedly one of the best live bands in the world. There’s something, or several things about them, that just makes you want to follow along with every instruction. Maybe it’s the brash faux-arrogance from the lead singer. Maybe it’s the matching suits they all wear in tandem.

Whatever the secret, The Hives are a must-see for any rock fan and way more than just a bit of nostalgia.