THE HIVES / THE CHATS – LIVE AT TOAD’S PLACE – NEW HAVEN
By Joe Perusse
Punk rock took over Toad’s Place as The Hives rolled into New Haven with The Chats, and the sold-out crowd knew they were in for a loud night.
The Chats wasted no time, shouting out New Haven and mentioning it was their first time playing Connecticut before ripping straight into a rapid-fire set. In true punk fashion, they blasted through 18 songs in about 45 minutes with barely any downtime between them. They opened with “Billy Backwash’s Day,” “Dead on Site,” “Casualty,” “Nazi March,” and “Identity Theft” before taking a quick breather where singer/bassist Eamon Sandwith kissed both his biceps and thanked the crowd.
A new song, “Half Arsed,” came next, and guitarist Josh Hardy had a killer tone all night, especially on the intro to “6L GTR.” The crowd was already chanting lyrics back and the floor was bouncing. “Out on the Street” led into a round of raised drinks and Sandwith joking about how freezing it was outside before playing “Stinker.”
They kept flying through the set with “Drinking for Two,” “Ross River,” and “Ticket Inspector,” which they dedicated to public transportation workers. At one point Sandwith said they had to cut a song because they weren’t moving through the setlist fast enough — very on brand. They closed the run with “Struck by Lightning,” “Smoko,” “Better Than You,” and finished strong with “Pub Feed” to big applause. Matt Boggis held everything together on drums, and overall they were the perfect opener — loud, fast, and fun.
Then it was time for The Hives, and this is where the night really took off. I had seen them before opening in big arenas, but seeing them at Toad’s was a completely different experience — and honestly, the perfect venue for them.
Frontman Howlin ’Pelle Almqvist is one of the best frontmen in rock right now, no question. The band came out in their signature matching suits — this time with light-up fringe — and opened with “Enough Is Enough” followed by “Walk Idiot Walk,” with Almqvist swinging the microphone around like a maniac. He immediately started working the crowd, repeatedly shouting variations of “Ladies! Gentlemen! Everybody else!” and getting everyone clapping along.
He joked about the stage being small because huge stars are playing there and told the crowd if they were cold they needed to start moving. “Rigor Mortis Radio” and “Paint a Picture” kept the energy up, and at one point he literally stopped the show until the applause was loud enough before continuing. Total showman move — and it worked.
“Main Offender” had him blowing kisses to the crowd, and when talking about New Haven he said the only things he knew were pizza — or apizza — and smart people, which is why the show was sold out. That got a big reaction. They rolled into “Born a Real” and then pulled out “Roll Out the Red Carpet,” joking that they don’t play it much and don’t practice either, but the band would figure it out.
At one point he asked the crowd if they should play a song again or try a new one, then joked, “Do we look stupid? We only play good songs,” before launching into “Stick Up.” Nicholas Arson shredded the intro to “Bogus Operandi,” and the crowd sang the chorus loud.
Before “Hate to Say I Told You So,” the band actually stopped to sign a poster someone in the audience had drawn in lipstick while drummer Chris Dangerous stood on top of his drum kit and bassist The Johan and Only got introduced. Almqvist then told the band they sounded great and asked if they’d been practicing without him.
“Countdown to Shutdown,” “Come On!,” and “Tick Tick Boom” followed, with band introductions, Vigilante Carlstroem on rhythm guitar rounding out the band and even three random audience members being introduced as members of The Hives. Almqvist walked all the way back to the soundboard and sprinted back to the stage like it was part of the show — which it probably was.
For the encore, drummer Chris Dangerous held up fingers to let the crowd decide how many songs they should play — three won. They finished the night with “Legalize Living,” “Bigger Hole to Fill,” and closed with “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives,” promising the crowd they would hear The Hives forever.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or barely know their music, The Hives are absolutely a band you should see live at least once. They don’t just play songs — they put on a show, and in a place like Toad’s Place, it feels like organized chaos in the best possible way. Always a fun night when they’re in town.
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