The Hives Electrify Glastonbury

The Hives have ignited Friday’s Glastonbury proceedings with a spectacular set.

The band have been on the road this summer, supporting Arctic Monkeys on their stadium run. New album – their first in a decade, in fact – ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ is out in August, and the Swedish garage punks clearly have a point to prove.

Besuited in tailoring decked out with lightning stripes, The Hives stormed The Other Stage, offering a lesson in prime rock ‘n’ roll thrills. A ‘Best Of’ set that dipped into their archives, the band also flourished with a run of new material.

Naturally, those golden hits resonated most deeply. Asking the crowd “if someone died” – “what’s with this moment of silence?” – Howlin’ Pelle dived into a lengthy take on ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’.

Joking with the crowd, the frontman said “I have no idea what song we’re playing next but I’m sure it’s pretty good”. Classics like ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ and ‘Cmon’ were nestled alongside cuts from the incoming album, a terrific performance that blended comedy, rock ‘n’ roll, and fine tailoring.

“I have no idea what song we’re playing next but I’m sure it’s pretty good” What a crowd for The Hives on The Other Stage KG pic.twitter.com/h6SzxzCYax

— Glastonbury Live (@GlastoLive) June 23, 2023

At one point demanding the entire crowd at the Other Stage kneel down, Howlin’ Pelle got his wish – departing to huge cheers, it’s the least they deserve.

The Hives will release new album ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ on August 11th.

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