The Hives | BAD NERVES
“When you get to watch bands at this level, you know you’re experiencing some of the best shows in the world.”
Almost a year ago, we saw Bad Nerves live for the first time, supporting Royal Blood at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It was one of the first “bigger” shows we ever had the opportunity to photograph. We knew they’d be back, and this time it was with rock and roll legends The Hives at History. This is a band that has shaped the music scene, inspiring many of the bands we love today. We were certain we could not miss the opportunity to document their visit to Toronto, especially at one of our favorite venues, with one of our favorite bands.
We started our day with Bad Nerves and The Hives on heavy playlist rotation, getting pumped and ready for the show. If you’ve ever asked us which bands to check out, 100% of the time, we will tell you to listen to Bad Nerves, and that’s exactly what we did with our friend Sota, who bought tickets to this show because we got him hooked on Bad Nerves. We picked up some food at one of our favorite spots on the Danforth, Tacos Moras, and then made our way to History.
The show was sold out and packed by the time we arrived. It was the first date of The Hives' North American tour. The merch lines were flowing, and we ended up purchasing a vinyl of the last Bad Nerves album, “Still Nervous” in the limited red pressing, too. We made our way to the front and waited in anticipation for the night to kick off with Bad Nerves.
Bad Nerves finally took the stage, and the band made the room explode with their energy. The last time we saw them, there were only a few Bad Nerves fans, but this time was different—everyone in the pit was singing along, dancing, moshing, and going crazy in general. How could you not? The band's energy is extremely contagious! We got to hear many gems from their latest record, like "Jimmy The Punk," "Antidote," and "You’ve Got The Nerve," as well as songs from the first record.
They are one of the tightest bands we’ve seen live. The vocals had a slick delay effect, the guitars and bass roared through the PA, and the drums can only be described as fast and crazy, if you don’t believe us, watch clips of the band playing Antidote on YouTube, you’ll be blown away. Bad Nerves has a very commanding stage presence, and their entire visual aesthetic is on point. They got the crowd involved, and their positive energy spread throughout the room. We’ll say it again: check out Bad Nerves, and when they come back to Toronto, we’ll be there—and so will you.
In between sets, we grabbed a quick drink and saw a lot of familiar faces. Many people from the Toronto music scene were there, and it goes to show that no matter how big the show, you’ll always find the local music community. The audience were wearing some amazing outfits, everything from Teen Mortgage tees to the iconic tuxedo shirt from The Hives. The band has their merch and marketing spot on and the fans dig it. The stage was now set with giant letters spelling out "HIVES," the backdrop was raised, fog machines were going, and the anticipation was rising. It was time for The Hives!
A soft piano intro played, and the big "HIVES" letters on stage lit up in sync with the music. Their crew, wearing ski masks, stood on stage holding their gear, and then the band jumped on stage, sending Toronto into a state of madness. This audience was wild—people were moshing and crowdsurfing by the second song. The band embraced this and fed off the crowd’s energy, going even harder. At one point, the singer Pelle flipped a stage monitor on its side and stood on top of it to sing. He went down to the audience to sing face-to-face multiple times during the show, and ran side to side during every song. This was all made possible with the help of their ski mask-wearing crew—wow, do they help run the show! They were constantly moving mic cords out of the way, running back and forth on and off stage, and at one point, one of the crew members even played tambourine—the ultimate crew!
The banter was some of the best I’ve ever heard at a show. Pelle controls the crowd like a conductor leading an orchestra. Only he could tell the crowd to “Shut the f**k up” and still be loved! The rest of the band was equally amazing, with jumps, guitar and drum solos, and the most incredible vibes. They looked like they were having the greatest time on stage, and they were all wearing matching glow-in-the-dark outfits. One of the coolest things we’ve seen at a show lately was during the last song, "Tick Tick Boom," when Pelle made the crowd take five steps away from the center of the stage. He then walked the line in the middle of the crowd and made everyone sit down so he was the only one standing, then he sang the lyrics as the band got loud and ran back to the stage with the crowd jumping behind him! Keep in mind, this was History, a 2,500-capacity venue, so to have the confidence and power to do this is one of the most badass things you can see at a live show.
When you get to watch bands at this level, you know you’re experiencing some of the best shows in the world. The Hives are where they are because of their high level of performance and intensity. It’s a treat to watch bands like this, and in Toronto, we are spoiled for choice. A huge thanks to Bad Nerves, History, and their teams for giving us the opportunity to document the show, as well as massive thanks to the venue History for being so welcoming and to all the staff.
