The Hives / Yard Act - O2 Glasgow 26th November 2025

First up, for me, were Yard Act. Unfortunately, I had not arrived at the venue in time to catch Spiritual Camp.

Yard Act are a four piece from Leeds whose star is very much on the rise. They are two albums into their career and have caused a few waves on the indie-rock scene. How well they’d fit onto this bill was something that had me thinking as I listened to their first album, The Overload, on the way through from Edinburgh. Kicking off with a new song, Tall Tales, I found myself more interested than enjoying this start to the night. However, as the set moved on, I thought the band relaxed and their sound found its place and space in the auditorium.

Yard Act were a bit rapy, a bit heavy and a bit gangly and I liked all of that. The crowd loved them too. Any concerns I had about how they’d fit the bill evaporated by the end of their second song, ‘Dead Horses’ one of the stick outs from the debut album. Singer, James Smith hinted at a gig at Barrowlands in 2026. If you can be there, get there, Yard Act will certainly rock the house.

Just after 9:30 the lights dipped and on came The Hives. Tonight, they were bedecked in black suits complete with lighting stirps and white ascot ties. As always, they set a standard in sartorial garage punk.

Boom, ‘Enough is Enough’, the opening volley from this year’s album The Hives Forever Forever the Hives, kicked off the night; it is quickly followed by crowd favourite ‘Walk Idiot Walk’. ‘Rigor Mortis Radio’ keeps the mosh pit moving until that wee moment when rigor mortis comes over the band and they freeze mid chord. Despite his best efforts, singer Pelle Almqvist can’t keep his smile suppressed as the volume of the crowd just keeps rising. And they are off again, ‘Paint a Picture’ another from the new album is next.

That half a minute of stillness and silence in Rigor Mortis Radio was the only break in the 90 minutes the band are on the stage. The best word I can think of to describe a Hives show is “unremitting”. They just keep the tempo, the momentum and sheer pace at a solid 10 out of 10 for the whole show. As a band of musicians, they are tight as two coats of paint. Playing at that speed, that well, is a challenge few bands consistently manage, The Hives nail it every time and with every song.

Front man, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist leads the charge. Looking sharp in a suit throughout the night - he doesn’t even loosen the necktie, he covers every inch of the stage, climbs the speakers and, at one point, jumps into the crown. If there is a better frontman in rock, I am yet to see him. He controls and captivates the crowd with all the presence and authority of a Baptist preacher lifting and quietening his congregation as he wishes. If he wanted an alleluia or two, he’d get it! Pelle is approaching 50, singers 35+ years younger than him should see him and what he does as a blueprint for rock and roll presence and they should learn.

Back to the music, ten of the cuts from this 18-song set are drawn from the last two albums, that still leaves room for ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’, ‘Main Offender’ and ‘I’m Alive’ from previous long players.

The main set crashes to an end with ‘Tick Tick Boom’ and I am surrounded by happy, sweaty moshers.

After a quick break, three more to finish and they begin where they started, with the title track of the new album The Hives Forever Forever the Hives which I suspect will be the closer for a while.

What The Hives don’t lack is a self-confidence and that works for them. Carley Simon’s Nobody Does it Better starts to belt out the PA as the band take their final bows. That is a sentiment that is certainly shared by this capacity crowd.

The Hives, go see them while they are still around, if you don’t there will be something missing from your life!