The Hives have announced the first UK tour of their first-ever “franchised” cover bands.
The Swedish five-piece shared a statement last year encouraging fans to sign up to put on their own tribute shows and uncover “rewards”. “THE HIVES FRANCHISE NEEDS YOU,” they began. “We have arrived at a point where The Hives can no longer keep up with public demand for concerts.”
They continued: “This is where you come in. Help us create a world where The Hives are playing in every city, all the time. Let’s make business together and rock’n’roll. Sign up now and register your interest. Many rewards wait in store. We have spoken”
Today (March 19), the band have shared news of their first “Franch-Hives” shows comprised of The Hives tribute bands. “The Hives have Franchised! As the very first band in the world we have spawned off into several because of the eternal and insatiable demand for Hives shows,” began their post on their official Facebook account.
The Hives have Franchised! As the very first band in the world we have spawned off into several because of the eternal…
Posted by The Hives on Tuesday, March 19, 2024
“We are delighted to share news of our first Franch-Hives shows,” they continued. “Prepare for this Hives-but-other-people fantasticness, those attending our shows in Nottingham, Brighton and Manchester. You, the public, have come forth to play pre and post The Hives shows as a start of what will surely be a worldwide eternally successful business model.”
The Hives also noted that the real band – comprised of Pelle Almqvist, Nicholaus Arson, Vigilante Carlstroem, Chris Dangerous and The Johan and Only – will not be playing at these shows. They will only be playing their normal shows which are currently sold out.
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The “Franch-Hives” shows will commence at the Saltbox in Nottingham on March 29 as a pre-party. Tickets to that show will be £8 in advance and £10 at the door. The Main Offenders are set to play that date.
The following two gigs will take place on April 3 at Brighton’s The Hope & Ruin and April 6 at Manchester’s Disorder. They will both be free of charge. The Hive Fives will play at Brighton’s gig and The B Hives will play in Manchester.
The Hives have previously performed with their own cover bands. Last August, frontman Pelle Almqvist joined Lancashire stoner rock band Sky Valley Mistress as they performed some of The Hives’ greatest hits at a signing session in Lancashire – watch footage of the moment here.
They also spoke to NME earlier this year, with Almqvist calling Arctic Monkeys “the only good really popular band.” “We toured with them in South America about 10 years ago and had a great time, so I’m really happy they wanted us back,” he said. “It’s a really great tour to be on; it’s really fun. I think Arctic Monkeys are fucking amazing. They’re the only good really popular band – and that’s not easy to do.”
Elsewhere, the band were announced as a support act for both Green Day and Foo Fighters‘ upcoming stadium tours. They are also set to kick off their UK and Ireland tour later this month. Find all dates below and get your tickets here:
The Hives 2024 tour dates are:
MARCH
27 – Leeds, Leeds Academy
28 – Newcastle, City Hall
29 – Nottingham, Rock City
30 – Wolverhampton, The Halls
APRIL
1 – Glasgow, Barrowland
2 – Bristol, Academy
3 – Brighton, Brighton Dome
5 – Cardiff, Great Hall
6 – Manchester, Academy
8 – Dublin, Olympia
10 – Norwich, UEA
13 – London, Eventim Apollo
Their latest release was ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’ which marked their first new music after an eleven-year hiatus.
It received four stars from NME upon release: “The Hives zapped straight back into the only mode they know: pure pandemonium. It’s about time new generations received this healthy dose of old school Hives, packed with the same intensity, goofiness – and of course, the matching black and white suits.”