| The Hives |  |  |
| The Hives Biography | ||
| They come from Sweden armed with sharp suits and sharper tunes. They are THE HIVES and you love them. Even though you don’t know it yet. Virtually everyone (on any Continent) who has heard The Hives has been completely blown away by this 5 piece from the small town of Fagersta, Sweden. Their sound is so explosive, so original, and so totally new that comparisons to other bands are useless. Every so often something truly unique emerges and The Hives have found the perfect formula. Punk, Hardcore, Garage and new wave all are keys to their wicked brew, but truly, they must be heard to be believed. The sounds of The Hives are like a velvet glove with brass knuckles; Brutal and sophisticated at the same time. Based on youth, energy, taste and a bag of tricks borrowed from 50’s rock’n’roll, 60’s garage-rock, 70’s punk rock and new wave and everything after. All this is then molded into a sound that is approximately 100% The Hives. Punk rock music avec ka-boom... Ahh... The Hives, dressed in black and white, cardinals of cool and modern day purveyors of small town, big time punk rock...where did it all begin...? In 1993, 5 adolescents in the small industrial town of FAGERSTA, SWEDEN each receive a letter with a time and place. A year later they, led by the genius of a Mr. RANDY FITZSIMMONS, begin to appear in various public places in and around Fagersta. The response is one of confusion, excitement and contempt. In the year 1995 word had spread throughout the middle part of Sweden. These kids with strange haircuts play really fast and short sets that sometimes just fall apart in arguments and sometimes are pure magic to witness. Record company exec. PETER AHLQVIST hears of this. He is intrigued but a bit uncertain, as he doesn¹t really know what to make of them. He decides however that he can release them on a side label to minimize damage to his own label BURNING HEART, if these young men would enter the studio on one of their infamous bad days. Said and done, in 1996 a mini-CD aptly titled OH LORD! WHEN?HOW? is released and the smell of talent happening is in the air. People all over the world are overwhelmed and startled by how fresh and exciting this sounds. Meanwhile, the Hives and Mr. Fitzsimmons are already looking for a new sound and find it. They begin to plan a debut album. Peter Ahlqvist, impressed with the Hives and everything around them decide to move them up a notch to BURNING HEART. |
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| In 1997 BARELY LEGAL is recorded and is a record blistering with an untouchable energy and teenage cockiness. People all over the world are speechless. The ones who are not talk of a new cool, the best thing in 20 years and so on. This record sees the Hives touring all over the continent and also a trip to the States. Witnesses say it is amazing. In 1998 the EP a.k.a. I-D-I-O-T is released containing 4 new brilliant songs. This is followed in 1999 when their universally acclaimed album VENI, VIDI, VICIOUS is released on BHR. The Hives are out of their teens and apparently out of their minds as praise is heaped on the album by just about anyone who listens to it. In Sweden the band are nominated for a Grammy Award, and receive serious airplay on Swedish National Radio, as well as winning Best Live Act 2000. Elsewhere, their videos achieve heavy rotation on Nordic MTV and Germany’s biggest music channel VIVA II. In November 2000 The Hives are persuaded by the people of Poptones to forego their day off and play a semi-secret show at their club radio4, causing a near-riot as the place breaks out in a Hives induced frenzy. Alan McGee returns from his trip to Germany - where he has seen the video for ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ on Viva II - to find his staff decked out in Hives t-shirts and raving about the show. Which takes us to here and now : the release of ‘Your New Favourite Band: Poptones present The Hives’, a compilation of select album tracks and hard-to-find b-sides. Soon the UK too will know what mainland Europe already knows - that The Hives are the best rock’n’roll band on the planet right now. Hate to say I told you so. The Hives are : Vigilante Carlstroem/ Dr Matt Destruction/ Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist/ Chris Dangerous/Nicholaus Arson |
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