experience. but one that's grudgingly enjoyable. What's certain is that the opening couplet of singles, ‘Hate to Say I Told you So' (monolithic bandbreaker anthem) and ‘Main Offender' (riff— monster soundtrack to Kylie—in—skimpies). are more then enough to satisfy, but there are more gems throughout, with a strong diversity for such a limited field.
It's a good album. But live is where the Hives are truly great. Songs hurtle past at roughly doub|e~ time, yet everything remains supertight. in shape and choreographed to the last. Howlin' Pelle is a frontman par excellence, all snake—hips, snarls and bug—eyes with poker—faced egotism: 'Ladies and gentlemen. you love the Hives!‘ he often yells between songs. Critics are almost unanimous in billing them as the most exciting live band today. This is translating into an adoring fanbase in Europe and America; in the UK Your New Favourite Band has already gone gold.
It's all a long way from the gloomy mining town of Fagersta. Sweden. where five teenagers met. played and somehow made their debut in 1993. thrashing out songs they thought only aped their heroes. ‘Sometimes we had only seen bands in pictures or on a record cover.‘ guitarist Nicholaus Arson recalls. ‘So we had to try and figure out. "What does that haircut sound like?"' As their sonic barnets got faster and tighter. word about their breakneck shows soon spread throughout Sweden and led to a deal with Burning Heart Records in 1996.
Since then the Hives have been gradually
introducing themselves to the world. aided by
two musical svengalis. The first you‘ll know. a wee ginger called Alan McGee who proved he
occasionally still has that know—how by releasing Your New Favourite Band on his floundering Poptones label. The other is a mysterious background man, dubiously named Randy Fitzsimmons. who may or may not be a product of the Hives wicked sense of imagination and humour. Apparently this essential sixth member writes most of the songs. assumes a managerial role. and is credited with unifying the Hives into a workable concept shortly after their inception. Leg—pull or not. Fit7simmons' shadowy authority has added another. more mysterious layer of depth to the Hives' growing legend. 80 beware the rash this summer as hives become rife and the band tour Europe in a further attempt to neutralise all opposition in favour of their three—chord garage—rock onslaught.
The Hives play the Main Stage on Sunday
THE DANDY WARHOLS Wh0?.'""‘:,,'-;".'i.,..-,L.
' »- ' And that bloody Vodafone ad? “ iii
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a break With tradition
You may not be able to predict the weather but you can rely on the best newcomers in the T Break stage. Words: Stuart McHugh
"‘(ve f;;ll)f;f£i'ttl£t‘ ‘.'.’lll(j'li makes old-skool Britpop and giving it
a well-deserved kick up the arse. The Day I Snapped
: 7’ -.;:i am: tested sounds of assembles the best bits of
: " I.."‘;i’l’il‘(?fll(}" a'iri l‘tl metal and several long-established
bands who have pooled
resources for a blend of
punkpop and grunge. last
'."-" ect-xe earhole. year's big T Break surprise
i'"§ll"£t"<lt}t'53 Jetstar. far from was that the Grim Northern
‘sr‘er‘e' at the central belt. Social weren't there. but
twelve months on. their epic
: 1. the" ix-t: set all the were 'i T" :""i;e|?”‘.g. Cholo take the
~;:"“e't<>'.'. tt‘lX up the two. 3; )fl"‘{t a barrage of smart ‘Uln‘lilt'fi ‘or a sound to grab
" zil’l‘ influences of Frank
i :3 "(it"i’i and the Beach Boys. guitar—based pomp will Surer nigh ll‘.(1‘ they should go attract even more interest. . 2' .' ft’)‘.'."i *.'.'el| ‘.'/ltlt the punk emo Eclectic is T Breaks
Siii‘ilarly. the world has watchword and perhaps With "all. <‘£tll(_tlli up ‘.‘/|ill Kain this in mind Workshy .'."ti>f;(3 "eti‘o mix of the Faces revamped their seiind. a v : 1- .ivvi' {Us (tiétll‘ suddenly looks knack for pop still apparent but bringing dance beats to their tunes. The name Degrassi is being shouted Out from the highest outcrops tlztltt'twlh newborn Sonic as then dark and intriguing \r<:.i'_ivi also plauiig the festival mangle of post-everyth'ng '~ :. . 'J'i-c- hattle tor kings of Dirty guitar rock action is causing a ' a -' : : : i ' Pei» could be a hard-fought healthy stir. Finally. X-Tigers August 81 -- one, Odeon Beat Club like to make a bit of a racket ‘ ' ' ' ‘ ‘ " 4 : 't‘idltl ‘."./e|l turn out to be the but their finely-crafted songs . ‘ 2' .2 "lllllllttl‘i of the festival. never are never casualties in the explosmn of sound.
So come in. discover a few great bands. and feel smug when this year's Glass Onion -~ aka Trams. of course — are
urine" happening. . Major Major make a 1“ Volcano .- w tux/ed lll) feedback-
' M‘- ":ir‘ket and \‘Jltll a
"med the l' break tent. A :giifdiing set ‘.'.'itli songs With tilt} hooks; even their verses Cannon" :' " 'i’T-‘l f;x‘illlt(l like choruses. N. Snodgrass are tight and
'r l have a bunch of tunes. taking playing stadiums.
YOU'D BE A DAMN FOOL TO MISS THE POLYPHONIC SPREE
Who? A 2:") iiieiiiber-strong choral Symphonic pop band kitted out in white robes and led by bewitching frontman. Tim
bet aughter. What? Think gospel choruses. horns. strings and guitars in a gorgeous homage to the Flaming Lips. Spiritualized and the Beatles . . . all Sung by your local psychiatric ward's choir. HOW? Check out dcbut album The Beginning Stages of. . . and go worship them in person. May the Spree be with you . . . And also With you.
I lhe / )(xlt/t/tttlllt,‘ Spree play the Main Stage on Saturday.
"4 .l.;' We? THE LIST 31