has gone all adult and sour and shit . You need a band like The Ramones or The Cramps or The Hives or Sex Pistols to come in and sort of save the day and remind people that rock n roll is fun shit . Don ' t make it too complicated .”
This mantra has kept the band going for nearly 30 years . And there ’ s no sign of them stopping . The Hives started as a way to make music , hang out with friends , and live out their rock and roll dreams . Now , they ’ re actually living the dream , something that often leaves Almqvist in disbelief . “ We started the band when we were 14 years old . We never thought we ' d live past 25 . When you ' re a kid , you can ' t see that far ahead . We thought people who were 30 were so fucking old ; they shouldn ' t even be out in the streets . So , no , we never pictured this . Maybe it was a dream to be where we are now . We always dreamt of being a touring band . We have older bands in our hometown who got to tour the US , Australia , Europe , and Japan , and we wanted to do what they were doing . I never expected
to be where we are now . Never expected to have this as a job . We never expected to do it for so long and for so many records , but it ' s great . It ' s one of the best jobs you can have in the world .”
Now that The Hives have made their grand return , what ’ s next for the band ? Shows and even more shows . The band will spend the rest of the year touring and will probably be back on the road next year in support of the album . Otherwise , Almqvist doesn ’ t have an answer . “ We ' re coming back rejuvenated like children , so we ' re not thinking that far ahead ,” he says . The only thing he ’ s thinking about is kicking ass on stage . “ As a live band , we ’ ve only got better over the years . We ' re in the best shape we ' ve ever been . We sound great . We play great . It ' s a good rock show . The hour and 15 minutes we ' re on stage is the most fun we have all day . I mean it hurts and all , but it ' s fun . It ' s the best part of the day .”
The Hives appear November 5th at Bottom Lounge , Chicago . november 2023 illinoisentertainer . com 23