The Hives
Location: OVO Hydro
The Hives are a Swedish neo-garage rockers who lean heavily on punk. Coming to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on 26th November 2025.
Formed in Fagersta, Sweden, The Hives were initially a garage rock band. The five-piece released the demo Sounds Like Sushi as well as two EPs (Oh Lord! When? How? and A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T) and their debut studio album Barely Legal during the ’90s.
Comprised of Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, Nicholaus Arson, Chris Dangerous, Vigilante Carlstroem and Dr. Matt Destruction. Their profile skyrocketed in the ’00s. Clad in ever-changing monochrome outfits. They transformed from garage stalwarts to leaders of the post-punk/indie rock revival scene along with bands like The White Stripes(Opens in new tab) and The Strokes(Opens in new tab).
When The Hives released their sophomore album Veni Vidi Vicious in 2000, it boasted a more multi-faceted sound and peaked at No.7 on the UK albums chart. Plus, their hit song ‘Main Offender’ was featured in Rock Band. While ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ appeared in the 2002 film Spider-Man.
Over the next few years, The Hives produced more defiant, raucous hits. Many of which popped up in video games and films. The lead single ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ from their third album, 2004’s Tyrannosaurus Hives, reached No.13 on the UK singles chart. The tracks ‘B Is For Brutus’ and ‘Uptight’ were used in the racing video game Gran Turismo 4. While No Pun Intended was in MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.
Working with The Neptunes
The Hives recorded nearly 30 songs with acclaimed producers The Neptunes (Justin Timberlake(Opens in new tab), Beyoncé(Opens in new tab)), Jacknife Lee (U2(Opens in new tab), The Killers(Opens in new tab), Snow Patrol(Opens in new tab)) and Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello(Opens in new tab), Counting Crows(Opens in new tab)), choosing the best for 2007’s The Black And White Album. Its lead single ‘Tick Tock Boom’ received exposure in the films Baby Driver and Taken as well as on TV series such as CSI: Miami and Friday Night Lights.
In early 2012, the band unveiled the album Lex Hives containing 12 self-produced tracks on their own Disque Hives label, plus they performed at Coachella that summer. The following year, Dr. Matt Destruction left due to health issues, with bassist Johan Gustafsson coming on board under the stage name The Johan And Only.
The Hives released the single Blood Red Moon in 2015 and I’m Alive and Good Samaritan in 2019. Their first live album, Live At Third Man Records, came out in 2020.
In January 2021, The Hives performed a series of live-stream sets for specific cities, which they dubbed as the “World’s First World Wide Web World Tour”. The band also announced they’d be supporting The Offspring(Opens in new tab) on a UK tour in November followed by a pair of headline shows in Nottingham and Portsmouth in December 2021. In 2023, the band announced that their sixth studio album and first in a decade, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, would be released 11 Augus, followed by a spring 2024 tour.
Accompanied by lead single ‘Enough Is Enough’, in spring 2025 came news of the band’s forthcoming seventh studio album, The Hives Forever Forever The Hives. The Hives return to the UK with headline shows in Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and London in November 2025.
