The Hives
Fillmore Detroit
March 24, 2026
In the hands of the Hives, rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well.
And there’s quite a bit of punk energy mixed in for good measure, too.
A hive of musical activity, if you will.
That’s the type of joke Hives lead singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist would appreciate. He’s one of the most dynamic frontmen in rock. That was on full display at their Detroit date at the Fillmore Detroit, which was packed (youth in the mosh pit in the front; the aging fanbase hanging near the bar).
Based out of Sweden, the Hives have been performing and touring since the early 1990s and still going strong. They’ve opened for the Rolling Stones; they’ve sold out plenty of theaters on their own.
But it’s AC/DC that first fueled their inspiration as young musicians. You could hear it in their opening track “Enough Is Enough,” a blistering yet basic punk track from their latest album released last summer, “The Hives Forever Forever the Hives.”
The second track showcased how they’ve punkified those mega AC/DC riffs. “Walk Idiot Walk” takes those arena riffs and brings them down to human scale; something more digestible to mosh to. Guitarist Nicholaus Arson is truly an underrated architect of punk and rock riffs. I wouldn’t put him up there with the technical ability of Jack White, but he certainly understands his way around formulating an earworm.
The Hives bill themselves, at times, as a parody of rock ‘n’ roll. Like a cover band sounding way too good for what they’re doing. And in some ways, it’s interesting to watch them age on stage. The energy was up, but the band is certainly getting older. The music still hits, but you could hear the bones creak a bit – even from all the way back in the venue by the bar.
That’s not taking anything away from what the Hives brought to Detroit last night. If anything, it’s a beautiful thing to watch these rockers age gracefully, even if they might be missing a step from their legendary days in the late 90s and into the 2000s.
I’d love to see them in a smaller venue. I’d love to be younger and to join the mosh pit again. But, just like the Hives, I’m getting a little older, too. Still sounds great, though, even to these aging ears. Can’t wait to see them again.
