Meet The Hives

As performers, the Almqvists have more than a little Blues Brothers in them. Their music is by no means a joke, but entertaining the audience is as much a part of their ethic as writing songs. "Music for us was always about excitement," says Nicholaus. "It's not supposed to be about getting a crappy childhood out of your system. It's about having a crazy time." Almost 50 years after Bill Haley, rock audiences have had lots of crazy times, but they long to repeat the great experiences of the past — hence the interest in classic-rock radio, Woodstock '99 and Lenny Kravitz — without feeling like a bunch of retro losers. The Hives' reckless, joyful punk evokes nostalgia for an era the band's young listeners missed out on, while the suits, T shirts and the best ironic song titles in recent memory — The Hives Are Law You Are Crime and Hail Hail Spit n' Drool — are an innovation that gives them a legitimate claim of ownership on something new.

The best way to catch the Hives is in concert. Pelle, who has the slender androgynous look of the young Mick Jagger, oozes star power, while Nicholaus dances like a madman and plays flawless guitar. Their stage banter is hysterical. Pelle cranks up his Swedish accent to explain to the audience why the Hives' sets are so short: "We have been told by the government of the U.S.A. that we cannot play for more than 45 minutes. It would be dangerous to the youth." After a particularly slick guitar performance, Nicholaus grabs the mike and, in full-on Swedish tourist mode, says, "Don't be shy, Shee-cago! You know I'm the forgking best!" They're just a couple of wild and crazy guys.