The hives - punk group - Interview

Thrasher Magazine, June, 2002

The hives have been around for a while, you just haven't heard of them until recently because they have been festering away in a small town in Sweden, ice fishing and eating lutefisk and lingonberries. Well, that and honing their high-test rock act. In the last year they've exploded on America and elsewhere, their record went gold in the UK (?!), and they set many heads t turning. Their tunes are short, sharp, and catchy as all get out, and their live show is fun to watch as singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist works the crowd, Their bass player Dr Matt Destruction has a mustache! Mustaches are so un-punk that they're punk! Only the guy from White Flag was previously allowed to have a mustach, and he's a cop! Nicolaus Arson an Vigilante Carlstroem play guitars, and Chris Dangerous rounds out the lineup on skins. All their stuff is worth getting, from their singles to their recent LPs on Gearhead and Epitaph.

-Wez Lundry

I have some really bad questions for you.

Pelle: We are used to that.

Why are quite a few good bands coming out of Sweden and the whole region?

Pell: Well, there have always been goo bands from there. I suppose because there is not much to do there in he winter. Maybe the increase in communication between here and there? Or at least between labels. Over there is Burning Heart Records and all the Swedish bands on Epitaph are on Burning Heart in Sweden.

OK, now the questions get good. Lutefisk or lingonberry?

Dr Matt: Lingonberry.

Pelle: I prefer lingonberry. Lutefisk--it's fish, and it's dead, and then you bury it and then you dig it up and you eat it.

I've never had it, but it doesn't sound appealing to me.

Pelle: It's supposed to be very good. I am sure if you ask our other guitar player he would probably say that he likes it.

Anthrax, the band or the powder?

Pelle: I haven't had that much contact with the powder. Not that much contact with the band either, for that matter. I'd take the band, though, it's a lot easier to deal with. Just press "stop."

Love, peace and hair grease.

Pelle: What? Is that a question? That's n t really a question!

Dr Matt: Is that "love, peace or hair grease?"

It's not "or," just love, peace and hair grease.

Pelle: And we are supposed to say yes or no? I'll say yes to hair grease. And love too, I guess. But if you put peace and love together it starts to bring some bad associations.

Who would win in a fight, Turbonegro or the Hellapcopters?

Pelle: Turbonegro, definitely. Turbonegro are fat Norwegian guys, and the Hellacopters are skinny guys.

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?

Pelle: I prefer Captain Kirk.

But who would win in a fight?

Pelle: Well, obviously Captain Kirk has the hair, Picard is bald. Which means he is older, but his ship is more modern.

I am talking hand to hand combat.

Pelle: Captain Kirk.

Dr Matt: Captain Kirk.

Are there any Swedish superheroes?

Pelle: Yes, there are five. The Hives.

Ice fishing or making snow angels?

Dr Matt: Ice fishing.

Pelle: Ice fishing. You gotta dress up too much to do both.

I told you these are stupid questions. Did the Swedes invent gummi bears?

Dr Matt: I have no idea.

How about Swedish fish?

Dr Matt: What is a Swedish fish?

A candy.

Pelle: What does it taste like?

A gummi bear. But it's shaped like a fish.

Pelle: Isn't it licorice? That might be Swedish. Licorice fish. We don't call them Swedish fish for obvious reasons.

Like "french" fries.

Pelle...

Pelle: Yes?

Or Pele?

Pelle: I will go with Pelle. A different sport, but equally good.

What kind of gigs do you like, all ages shows or bars?

Dr. Matt: It some states it's good that you can come see the show and drink beer, but if you're a minor you can still come and see the show. That's nice.

In some states, not all.

Pelle: In Europe you've got to be 18 to drink and see the show. But we did some shows where all the people were between 12 and 15 that were really great, because they were between 12 and 15. But then again, some of our best shows have been at bars too. It's two different things, you can't say which one is best. It's just show to show, whether it's good or bad.

A lower drinking age is a bit more civilized. Americans get uptight over the stupidest shit sometimes. What's the driving age in Sweden?

Pelle: Eighteen. It's hard to get. It's like getting a Ph D.

OK, I have a Swedish car joke for you. Do you know who Ed Gem was?

Pelle: A mass murderer.

Right, do you know what he did with his victims?

Pelle: He ate them.

Yeah, but he also made clothes out of them. He skinned them and made nipple belts and body suits. What kind of car did Ed Gein drive?

Pelle: What?

A vulva.