The Hives? At Barrowland? How could we possibly say no to this?! Dreaming of exploring this infamous venue for years, us French gals quickly purchased tickets to witness everyone’s favorite live band and promptly made our way to Scotland. The rest, as they say, is history.
For years, the iconic Barrowland Ballroom was in the top position on our concert bucket list. On a recent evening, we finally stepped foot into its historical halls. Little did we know that the evening would be elevated to the rank of legendary, thanks to an outstanding performance of The Hives.
Who are The Hives?
If you’ve been following this blog, you’re aware that The Hives rank high among our favorite bands. As a matter of fact, we credit the launching of Sound Eaters to these five guys from Fagerstä, Sweden. Seeing them perform seven years ago gave us the energy to move forward in our lives and make our own creations.
Each year, as a tribute to those formative days, we consider it a personal duty to honor this beast of a band. The Hives are, indeed, renowned worldwide for their incendiary live shows, distinctive humor, flawless rhythm section, infectious guitar riffs, and their incomparable frontman, the extraordinary Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist.
How was the opening act?
When we arrived at the venue, the neon letters that have become synonymous with Barrowland greeted us. But the lights were turned off and we had to wait until the evening to see the legendary façade come to life. Serving as a backdrop for Franz Ferdinand during their Always Ascending tour, it was, nonetheless, a nice introduction to Barrowland’s rich history. While we were queuing up to secure a nice spot, Glasgow was freezing cold. The things we’d do for live music!
The evening started with a bang with Bad Nerves taking the stage. Coming straight from East London, this punk band made quite the entrance, in clothes reminiscent of The Ramones: jeans, leather jackets, sunglasses, and yes, Ramones shirts! The tone was set.
Known for their catchy, raw sound, the boys made the audience sweat in no time. Heavily influenced by their classic rock ancestors, they delivered a highly energetic performance, filled with loud punk-infused songs, but unfortunately, a bit repetitive and with few breaks to catch one’s breath.
How was The Hives’ Concert?
Finally, Chopin’s Funeral March filled the space and The Hives appeared, starting with the frantic tune “Bogus Operandi”. The audience, already warmed up by Bad Nerves’ fiery performance, erupted in a total frenzy, especially when Pelle entered the room and went straight into the pit, punching his torso with pride.
Thanks to The Hives’ recent touring with Arctic Monkeys, the audience was a mix of longtime fans and newcomers. The presence of numerous teenage girls added an extra layer of excitement, pheromones, and vitality to the atmosphere. It’s a massive change when you know the usual attendees consist in sobbing 40-something bearded men (true story).
Frontman Pelle Almqvist’s charismatic speeches punctuated the night, adding humor and well-deserved breaks to the show. To everyone’s shock, the man declared his departure from the band before, of course, announcing “April’s fool, bitches!”.
As usual, the band delivered nothing but bangers, many from their last album, the impeccable The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. For this special occasion, the setlist was longer than usual, and the show lasted an hour and a half, quite a change considering The Hives are one of the most intense live bands out there.
We were glad to hear tracks from previous albums that hadn’t graced the stage for a long time: “Bigger Hole to Fill”, Take Back The Toys”, “Die, Alright”, “Try It Again”… Our heads exploded.
SETLIST:
Bogus Operandi
Main Offender
Take Back The Toys
Two Kinds of Trouble
Rigor Mortis Radio
Walk Idiot Walk
Good Samaritan
Go Right Ahead
Stick Up
Hate To Say I Told You So
Trapdoor Solution
I’m Alive
Bigger Hole To Fill
Die, Allright
Won’t Be Long
Try It Again
Countdown to Shutdown
ENCORE:
Come On!
Smoke & Mirrors
Tick Tick Boom
The Hives – Barrowland, April 1st, 2024
We got out from the venue sweaty and awestruck, marveling at how this band manages to outperform itself with each performance. The lights of the Barrowland illuminated the scene, adding a touch of magic to the experience. Undoubtedly, we will cherish the memory of this pure night of rock ‘n’ roll for a long time to come.
Do you travel to see bands you love? If not, it’s time to start: moments like these waiting are surely to be discovered in the most unexpected places!
Our review now on video
Check out the awesome Vlog we made about that concert on YouTube!
