SPILL LIVE REVIEW: THE HIVES w/ THE CHATS @ HISTORY, TORONTO

THE HIVES w/ THE CHATS

@ HISTORY, TORONTO

MARCH 23, 2026

Swedish garage rock band The Hives stormed History for the second night of their back-to-back shows, delivering another explosive takeover. Rising to prominence during the garage rock revival of the early 2000’s, they have since cemented themselves as one of the most electrifying live bands of all time.

Opening for them was Australian punk band The Chats, who ripped through their setlist with fury, getting the blood pumping immediately. They opened with “Billy Backwash’s Day,” “Dead on Site,” and “Casualty.” Known for songs that bring Australian culture into the limelight, lead singer Eamon Sandwith never missed an opportunity to give a shoutout to the sunshine state: Queensland, Australia. The 3-piece band had the crowd head banging and crowd surfing for 45 minutes straight. Songs like “6L GTR,” “Ticket Inspector,” and “The Price of Smokes” absolutely killed. They ended their set with the viral sensation “Smoko” and “Pub Feed.” If you’re a classic punk fan, do yourself a favour and check these guys out if you haven’t heard of them before.

THE HIVES FOREVER FOREVER THE HIVES ALBUM REVIEW

The Hives took to the stage and promptly turned History into a gigantic house party. Dressed in their iconic Tiger of Sweden tuxedos, which were encrusted in LED lights, it was clear that the festivities were only just beginning, with lead singer Pelle Almqvist successfully convincing the audience that it was in fact a Saturday night, and that nobody had to go to work tomorrow. The Swedish quintet opened with “Enough Is Enough,” “Walk Idiot Walk,” and “Rigor Mortis Radio,” before diving into material off of their latest two albums The Hives Forever Forever The Hives and The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons.

The showmanship of this band is truly unmatched, they never let the energy die for a single moment, “Bogus Operandi” and “O.C.D.O.D.” really had the crowd going, especially with Almqvist getting off stage and singing amongst the audience. The venue erupted in cheers at the opening of “Hate to Say I Told You So,” one of the nights defining moments. They ended the show with the classic “Tick Tick Boom,” and being the crowd pleasers that they are, came back for an encore which included “Legalize Living,” “Bigger Hole to Fill” and “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives.”

Whether or not the audience went back to their day jobs the next day remains unseen, but The Hives prove yet again why they’re known as the best live band in music.

(Photography by Cory Barter)

The Hives Photos

The Chats Photos

The Hives Links

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