GIG NUMBER THIRTY-SIX
Who
The band logo flashed on and off appropriately in time to the best bits, which was a very nice touch. Massive credit must also be given to the moustached guy Dr Matt Destruction: a presence which every band would be better off with! The well-rehearsed banter was also outstanding, "peace on, piss off" for example and asking us to applaud the first four songs and pointing out that, unlike most other bands, they had no intention on slowing things down in the middle! They also did a lengthy mid-song freeze, which further showed their similarity with Soulwax (who are a white suited band, heroes in their native Belgium and with massive emphasis on the stage show). Generally I'd say the Hives rock harder but with less melody. The crowd were quite refreshing as, although being mostly male, we got a broad mix of age. Only one or two of the songs really stood out though and I wish I'd taken some effort to learn them beforehand. But this was a good night out, seeing probably the best new band around. They had some great song titles, quite good tunes and amazing emphasis on the show. They only played for one hour but who'd want it dragged out? They never changed your life but I believed at least some of the hype!
Mark: 8.0/10
The Hives
Support
Randy
Sahara Hotnights
Where
Manchester Academy
When
9th February 2002
Price
£8.00
Who with
The A-Team
Position
In the moshpit
Comments
This was very much the hottest ticket in town! Captivated by their NME On interview, their image, their names and, most crucially, the fact that they bridged the impossible gap between Kerrang and John Peel, I caught onto them early, far before the hype machine moved the gig up to the huge Academy and easily sold it out. I ventured out with a fairly large group of mates who independently of me had purchased tickets. Although I normally get to gigs early, this time I came in late when the support band were already playing. They were Sahara Hotnights. They were OK, most notably female, but didn't excel musically at all when put against the likes of Elastica or Catatonia. Next up were Randy, introducing themselves as a punk rock band. They were very much one trick ponies as each and every song was identical, punctuated by silly talking bits and 30-second rock-outs. They spent most of the gig shouting at the crowd for some reaction but they didn't deserve any as they were quite dull. Very dull in fact and the last thing the world needs are more bands like them. The biggest cheer of the night so far came when The Hives logo was put up above the stage. There was also a very good row of lights but the set was quite minimalist. They arrived to a mad reception in typical attire and proceeded to play very loud and very fast. The moshpit was bad (or good depending on your perspective!) and it came as no surprise that my V2000 injuries came back on me after a while. However, I actually made a recovery for once and rejoined the moshpit properly later on!
