The Hives follow up their 2004 album, Tyrannosaurus Hives with the DVD Tussles in Brussels. The DVD was filmed earlier this year in Belgium and it features 19 songs from that show.  Recently, I had the chance to speak with Howling Pelle (aka Pete) Almqvist lead singer of the Hives about touring, analog vs. digital and learning how to drive.

The Hives emerged in the US from Sweden (Fagersta to be specific) in the early 2000’s and hit it very big with the song, Hate to say I told you so. From there the band was touring, releasing another album while their fans were discovering their older (like, Barely Legal) albums from the late 1990's.

The Hives have been on the road for quite some time, after doing a lot of touring Pelle said that he was ready to get in to the studio and start recording. When it comes to recording, Pelle says the band does their recording in analog and not digital.

Sweden seems to be a heaven for great rock music. Bands like Turbonegro, The Hellacopters, International Noise Conspiracy and Sahara Hotnights all hail from Sweden. I asked Pelle what it was about Sweden that seems to foster all this talent. Howling Pelle said that Sweden’s social environment allowed musicians to work on their music while basically staying unemployed. The music scene also was very nurturing for artists, which leads to a lot of creativity.

Readers of the blog on the Hives site may be wondering if Pelle ever got around to learning how to drive. Pelle did get his license and is currently taking suggestions on what car would best for him. I had no suggestions, a Fiat maybe?

The Hives asked fans via their website (http://www.hivesmusic.com/) to send in pictures of the band, pictures of fans with the band or pictures of the fans themselves for the DVD. What they got were some nude pictures and tons of other pictures that they could not use. The band mainly wound up using photos that they already had. The Hives selected some of the extras on the disc based on what they could get the rights to, like their appearance on the UK show, Top of the Pops.

The DVD Tussles in Brussels, will be released on November 22, 2005 in the US and November 14 in Europe and Canada.

DVD Main Features

Tussles in Brussels concert, tracklisting.

Abra Cadaver * Antidote * Missing Link * Main Offender * State Control * Walk Idiot Walk * Outsmarted * A Little More for Little You * Die All Right * Declare Guerre Nuclaire * No Pun Intended * Hate To Say I Told You So * Born To Cry
Supply and Demand * Diabolic Scheme * Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones
B Is for Bonus * Dead Quote Olympics * AKA I-D-I-O-T *

DVD Extra features

Never-before-seen videos for: A Little more for little you and Abra Cadaver TV .

Live performances: Main Offender (Top Of The Pops), Walk Idiot Walk (Top Of The Pops) Supply And Demand, Die All Right and Hate To Say I Told You So.

The short film, DW Johnson’s The Hives, Hinduism & Me (narrated by E Street band’s, Little Steven Van Zandt) is included on the DVD as well.


Ahmad T. Childress