If any of the news venue downsizes on The Hives‘ current tour has left you worried, don’t be. Perhaps it was a bit optimistic to assume that now was the right moment for an arena tour, but that’s the kind of audacity that makes The Hives who they are, right? ‘Larger than life’ is their whole deal; it’s the reason they broke out of the 2000s’ garage-rock holding pen to begin with. And besides, a knock back clearly hasn’t gotten them down, not when they’re still in huge rooms like Manchester’s Aviva Studios, continuing to build on a status of rock’s most unflappable lifers. And with Yard Act supporting—a band who could believably headline this venue all on their own—you’ve got a pretty great Friday night out right there. Ben Whitehurst headed down to catch the action.
Yard Act









The Hives























Photos by Ben Whitehurst (Instagram)






