Spotify and the internet have benefitted so many bands by introducing them to new fans who may never have discovered them. When I discover a new band, one of the first things I do is check to see if they are touring. I can’t count the number of times that I check a newly discovered bands tour schedule, and they just played my city less than a month ago. It’s infuriating to know I just missed them. However, once in a blue moon a new band is discovered, and they are about to play my city. This happened when Spotify radio introduced me to The Hives. The band is currently on tour opening for the Foo Fighters, but instead of taking a day off to rest, The Hives decided to put on a headlining show at the Observatory in Santa Ana, CA. This show took place only three weeks after I discovered the band, and I knew I had to be at this headlining show to truly experience the Hives proper.

People were already packing in the house when the opening band, Spiritual Cramp kicked off this one off show. The band attacked the crowd with a controlled chaos of energy. During the opening song “Blowback” vocalist Michael Bingham jokingly stopped the band because guitarist Jacob Freeze “missed” his guitar solo. Instead, this helped amp the crowd up for the shredding Freeze was about to unleash upon us. The fans ate up the solo, and though it was so packed that a mosh pit couldn’t find the room to open, people none the less were bouncing on top of each other rocking out. Spiritual Cramps mixed the sounds of The Ramones with the Clash but had the stage presence of Black Flag. Their songs were ladened with catchy hooks, and fast paced guitar riffs, but then the band members themselves appeared to be on the verge of jumping into the audience to sing right in the faces of the crowd. They kept this energy up through their set which included songs “Earth to Mike,” “Talking on the Internet,” “Herberts on Holiday,” “Catch a Hot One,” “Dog in a Cage,” “Slick Rick,” “City on Fire,” “Tenderloin,” and ending with “Better Off This Way.” Spiritual Cramps was the best way to pump up the crowd with energy, and we were not ready to let it die down.

The Observatory was packed in tighter than I have probably ever seen it. Five giant LED letters that spelled out HIVES was loaded onto the backline of the stage as the crowd screamed with anticipation. Kicking things right into high gear with “Bogus Operandi,” the barricade could barely hold back the crowd as everyone was rocking out. Vocalist Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist was at the foot of the stage the entire night, singing right into the faces of the crowd. The Observatory’s stage setup has two elevated platforms on the sides of the stage, that’s basically in the crowd. Almqvist and lead guitarist Nicholaus Arson often found themselves standing on these platforms with fans worshipping the band members at their feet. Rhythm guitarist Vigilante Carlstroem and bassist The Johan and Only found themselves being a bit more planted in their positions on stage. Instead channeled their energy into their instrument and facial expressions as they played. Drummer Chris Dangerous, trapped behind his kit, still played up and gestured to the crowd as much as he could.

Something that heightened the Hives performance was that you could see how much the band loves and appreciates their fans, as Almqvist specifically was often on those elevated platforms, or just jumping onto the barricade to be closer to fans. Though the mosh pit had a hard time opening up, it didn’t stop fans from crowd surfing over the barricade, with the band acknowledging each person crashing over the barricade. The Hives kept this energy up through their entire set, never letting it dip for even a moment with songs like “Main Offender,” “Rigor Mortis Radio,” “Walk Idiot Walk,” “Good Samaritan,” “Go Right Ahead,” “Stick Up,” “Try it Again,” “Hate to Say I Told You So,” “I’m Alive,” “Bigger Hole to Fill,” and “Countdown to Shutdown.” Before the band could begin their encore, drummer Chris Dangerous strutted on stage smoking a cigarette and just taking in the cheers from the crowd, acting like the coolest cat in the place. Finishing off the night with “Come On!,” “Smoke & Mirrors,” and truly ending with “Tick Tick Boom.” With the final song, Almqvist couldn’t hold back anymore and jumped into the crowd, surfing over the tops of fans while still performing the song.

This was one of those rare moments where everything fell into place. I found a new band, they happened to have a live show coming up that I was able to attend, and then they blew any expectations I might have had through the roof. The Hives have earned the title of the Greatest Live Band from many sources, and Hunnypot may have to bestow them with that title as well. The band have been going strong for three decades, and from talking with fans, this is what you can expect from every show they put on. The Hives are touring with the Foo Fighters currently, before heading off to Europe for a headlining tour. Don’t do yourself a disservice by sitting on this band and make your way out to a Hives show the next chance you get!