All talk, little walk.
The Hives are back, although after the way their star waned on the release of their last album, it can only be hoped that the band have raised their game this time around. It certainly hasn't affected Pelle's confidence or showmanship in any noticeable way. By the second track, the frontman was in the crowd and was then to be found swinging from a ladder at the side of the stage. At times the constant references to The Hives being the greatest band in the world grates but its impossible to ignore the frontman. At times the lead guitarist indulges in crowd interaction but the rest of the band remains firmly out of the spotlight.
'Walk Idiot Walk' sounded every inch the early Who steal it would proudly claim to be but its no more than that. Given it was a major comeback single the last time around, is it any wonder the bands stalled?
To be fair to Pelle, he made great efforts to communicate in Spanish and after some great banter about the success of this or not, it was time for a new song, 'Tick Tick Boom', a song about what happens when you do not obey.
It was the exact same as the rest of The Hives material and if its indicative of the new albums sound, its hard to imagine the future holding much success for the band. This suggestion was re-enforced by another new one, 'Well Alright', which was aptly names as it was certainly not brilliant. The breakdown bit was dire; the rest of it was standard chug-along rock.
The crowd needed reminded of why The Hives came to the fore and 'Hate To Say I Told You So' did just that, the sound of The Hives at their peak. The rest of the set continued in the same vein with the most notable incident being when the drummer threw a stick into the air and fell off his stool trying to catch it. This kinda summed the set up and when Pelle bellows "Ask not what The Hives can do for you but ask what you can for The Hives", the natural reaction may be to put them out of their misery.