Words and Photos by Desirea Corbett
The Hives bring Chaos, Charisma, and Thunder to the Fillmore
The Hives didn’t just bring the Swedish weather with them to Philadelphia this past rainy Monday — they shook the Fillmore so violently that they channeled the Viking gods and brought a whole thunderstorm. For fans who have followed the band for decades, the night was a sigh of relief—a reminder that this is how rock is supposed to sound, look and feel. This is how it’s done. Few bands inspire the kind of long-term devotion that filled the venue, not only due to the music but also to their electrifying frontman, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist. Often cited as one of the greatest frontmen in rock, he commands the crowd with razor-sharp wit, theatrical flair, and relentless charisma.
Almqvist has this remarkable ability to lock eyes with individual fans in a way that makes each person feel like the only one in the room — all while dancing, leaping and flying across the stage. Its one of the reasons why so many keep coming back show after show. As he boasts in “Rigor Mortis Radio,” he truly has these people eating out of the palm of his hand.
The evening started with Australian punk band The Chats, who delivered a high-energy set to an already packed room — a rarity for an opening act. Many in attendance appeared just as excited to see them as the headliners, shouting along to many of the songs. The band even welcomed a special guest, Sarah from the Rhode Island-based group Gymsorts, who joined them for several songs.
When it was time for the Hives, the room dipped into darkness as a piercing, sonar-like tone filled the air. As the band took the stage all you could see was the glow of their custom LED suits. Following the dramatic intro of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the lights came up and they launched right into “Enough is Enough” off their latest album, followed by “Walk Idiot Walk” from Tyrannosaurus Hives. During the latter, Almqvist paced the barricade, clasping hands with fans who leaned forward in excitement. One fan could be heard saying that she would never wash that hand again.
Between songs, Almqvist address the crowd: “It feels so good that you are Philadelphia doesn’t it? Feels so good that it’s Saturday doesn’t it? I heard somebody say that it’s Monday but Fuck that. I know what a Monday feels like and this ain’t it!”
The band powered through a 13-song set plus a three-song encore, drawing heavily from their two most recent albums while peppering in some older favorites. One of the night’s standout moments came during “Paint a Picture,” when the band executed their signature mid-song freeze, holding perfectly still for a full 90 seconds before detonating back into motion. The energy never dwindled, with the band and audience feeding off each other in a constant feedback loop of adrenaline.
Almqvist remained in constant motion, engaging the crowd at every opportunity. At one point he declared, “Ladies and Gentlemen we are a foreign import. We are the Hives. We have braved oceans, flights and tariffs to be here, I feel unstoppable.” And they were absolutely unstoppable. During “Tick Tick Boom,” he parted the crowd like Moses and made his way to the back of audience so that he could run at the stage. Some people inevitably got in the way and he playfully called them out: “Who are you calling? You calling mom to say goodby because you are in the death zone? Get out of there!”
All five members of the Hives display the agility and ferocity of a band just beginning their career rather than one that has been at this for over 30 years. Yet three decades on, they show no signs of slowing down. They just keep getting better and better. Watching them makes one think that their latest album title isn’t just a title. Maybe the Hives really are forever… Forever the Hives.
Loudspeaker Collective 