Concerts Reviews
The Hives Turn the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver Into a Garage-Rock Circus
The Swedish rock ’n’ roll circus that is The Hives stormed into the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC on September 16, leaving no doubt that their reputation as one of the most electrifying live bands on the planet is still intact. What unfolded over the course of their 90-minute set was a full-contact spectacle, equal parts chaos and choreography, all wrapped in black suits that looked absurdly sharp for how sweaty things got.
First on the bill was Nashville’s Snooper, a punk band with a chaotic edge and plenty of energy. Their set was fast and noisy, perfect for waking up the crowd. With a mash-up of garage riffs, breakneck drumming, and a lead singer who couldn’t stop bouncing around the stage, they gave the room a jolt of raw adrenaline.
Shortly after 9pm, The Hives kicked off their set with “Enough Is Enough” before slamming straight into “Walk Idiot Walk” and “Rigor Mortis Radio.” The opening trio alone set the pace: relentless, fast, and loud. Frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist wasted no time scaling the barricade, leaning into the crowd like a rock preacher daring his congregation to scream louder. Spoiler: they did.
By the fourth song, “Paint a Picture,” the band pulled one of their signature tricks: freezing mid-song, standing motionless for what felt like a full minute before detonating back into the riff. It’s part theatre, part prank, and exactly the kind of chaos that keeps a Hives set from ever feeling routine.
The crowd lost it for “Main Offender,” one of their oldest and most enduring anthems. Almqvist, drenched in sweat but still impossibly charming, decided this was the moment to poke fun at Vancouver’s reputation. “You’re too Canadian, too polite,” he teased, before demanding more volume. Later in the night, with sweat dripping from his brow, he deadpanned: “I didn’t know Vancouver was in the tropics!” The joke landed, because honestly, the Commodore felt like a sauna.
That back-and-forth between Almqvist and the audience is the lifeblood of a Hives show. He doesn’t just sing at people, he works them, like a carnival barker crossed with a punk-rock dictator. He ordered people to clap louder, scream harder, even sit down on the floor during “Tick Tick Boom” and jump at his command. And the fans obeyed, grinning the whole time.
The setlist leaned heavily on classics, with “Born A Rebel,” “Stick Up,” “Bogus Operandi,” and the ever-explosive “Hate to Say I Told You So.” Each song was delivered with the kind of precision that makes you forget how chaotic it all looks. The guitars were jagged, the basslines growled, and drummer Chris Dangerous lived up to his name, driving everything with a beat that never let up.
But the chaos wasn’t just sonic. Guitarist Nicholaus Arson was a spectacle all his own, twitching across the stage like he was possessed, tossing guitar picks, and at one point smearing one across his face before flicking it into the crowd like some holy relic. If you caught it, congratulations. You’re now blessed.
And then there are the “ninjas.” Yes, actual black-clad stagehands who scurried across the stage, swapping guitars, untangling cords, and disappearing into the shadows like roadie assassins. Only The Hives would turn basic stage logistics into a theatrical bit.
The crowd was already drenched and breathless by the time the band hit “OCDOD,” “I’m Alive,” and “Countdown to Shutdown.” Each landed like a shot of adrenaline. By the time they reached “Come On,” the audience was basically singing the entire track themselves.
The main set closed, as it almost always does, with “Tick Tick Boom.” Almqvist drew every ounce of drama out of it, stretching the intro, taunting the crowd, then unleashing absolute bedlam when the riff hit. The Ballroom floor shook as hundreds of people jumped in unison.
Of course, that wasn’t the end. The encore brought “Legalize Living,” “Bigger Hole to Fill,” and finally “The Hives Forever,” a self-mythologizing closer that doubles as a mission statement. It’s bold to end a set by declaring your own permanence, but after witnessing the mayhem they conjured, it didn’t feel like bragging. It felt like prophecy.
What makes The Hives different from so many other bands still coasting on 20-year-old hits is that their live show hasn’t dulled with age. If anything, it’s sharper. They’ve figured out how to take the raw spirit of garage rock and turn it into pure theatre without losing its edge. Every freeze, every kick, every mic swing feels chaotic in the moment but lands with perfect timing.
And Almqvist himself remains one of rock’s great frontmen: funny, commanding, and just unhinged enough to make you believe anything could happen. When he ordered the Vancouver crowd to scream louder, they did. When he told them to sit, they sat. When he demanded chaos, they delivered. Few singers can control the audience that way without pyrotechnics or elaborate stage sets. The Hives do it with charisma, sweat, and sheer nerve.
By the time the final chords of “The Hives Forever” rang out, the Commodore Ballroom was a mess of bodies sticky from heat, and ears ringing. Which is exactly how a Hives show is supposed to end.
Long live The Hives. Forever, forever The Hives.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
09/19 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
09/20 San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
09/22 Del Mar, CA – The Sound
09/25 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
10/16 Oslo, Norway – Sentrume Scene
10/18 Copenhagen, Denmark – KB Hall
10/21 Berlin, Germany – Colombia Halle
10/24 Munich, Germany – Zenith
10/25 Leipzig, Germany – Haus Auensee
10/26 Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
10/28 Zurich, Switzerland – Xtra
10/29 Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
10/31 Barcelona, Spain – Sant Jordi Club
11/02 Madrid, Spain – Wizink
11/04 Lisbon, Portugal – Sagres Campo Pequeno
11/19 Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
11/20 Paris, France – Le Zenith
11/22 Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS
11/24 Cardiff, UK – Utilitia Arena
11/26 Glasgow, UK – Ovo Hydro
11/28 Manchester, UK – Aviva Studios
11/29 London, UK – Alexandra Palace
12/01 Cologne, Germany – Palladium
12/02 Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
12/03 Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
12/06 Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena
More info on their website.
THE HIVES
SNOOPER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: LP Brings ‘All Is Not Lost’ Tour to Vancouver
On September 5, multi platinum singer-songwriter LP brought the All Is Not Lost Tour to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, delivering a performance that moved effortlessly between vulnerability, power, and pure rock-and-roll energy. The night also carried a special significance: the tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of Lost on You, the record that helped transform LP from a respected songwriter into a global phenomenon.
Known professionally as LP, Laura Pergolizzi has spent years carving out a space that is uniquely their own. Before becoming internationally recognized as a recording artist, LP established themselves as a songwriter for major artists including Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Celine Dion. Their own breakthrough came with “Lost on You,” which went to No. 1 in 18 countries and eventually surpassed one billion Spotify streams.
Inside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, LP’s music felt much more immediate. Their unmistakable voice moved from restrained and intimate to explosive within moments, giving songs such as “Muddy Waters,” “The One That You Love,” and “Lost on You” a sense of urgency that is difficult to recreate outside of a live setting.
The evening’s setlist reflected both sides of LP’s career. The first part moved through newer material and familiar favourites, including “Shelly,” “Tokyo Sunrise,” “Love Is All I Have,” and “Chasing & Waiting.” Later, the performance shifted toward the Lost on You celebration, bringing some of LP’s most recognizable songs into the spotlight.
It was the kind of moment that makes a concert feel bigger than the room. The song that introduced LP’s voice to millions became a shared experience between artist and audience, with the theatre singing along to every familiar line. After nearly a decade of the song living its own life around the world, hearing it performed in a packed Vancouver theatre gave it a renewed sense of intimacy.
From behind the camera, there was another layer to the experience. Photographing LP meant constantly watching for the moments between the obvious ones. The dramatic poses and powerful vocals naturally create striking frames, but some of the strongest images came from the quieter details, the concentration before a verse, a hand wrapped around the microphone, a fleeting expression beneath the stage lights.
LP is an artist who gives a photographer plenty to work with. Their movement across the stage feels instinctive rather than choreographed, and their performance style carries the same unpredictability as their voice. One moment can feel completely still; the next can explode into movement.
That contrast became one of the defining visual elements of the Vancouver show. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre also suited the performance. Rather than feeling distant or oversized, the venue allowed the audience to remain close to the emotional centre of the show. LP could command the room without having to overwhelm it.
There was also a sense of celebration throughout the night. Ten years after Lost on You, LP is still performing the songs that changed the trajectory of their career while continuing to introduce audiences to what’s next. The tour combines material from the upcoming album with a special presentation of Lost on You in its entirety, making the show feel like both a look backward and a step forward.
That balance is what made the Vancouver performance so compelling. LP isn’t simply revisiting an old record. They are showing how those songs have evolved with them and how they continue to resonate with an audience that has grown alongside their music.
By the final moments of the night, the feeling in the theatre was less like watching an artist celebrate an anniversary and more like witnessing a career still in motion.
For me, photographing LP in Vancouver was an opportunity to capture that evolution in real time: the voice, the movement, the vulnerability, and the electricity that has made LP such a distinctive live performer.
Ten years after Lost on You, the LP still has something to say and judging by the way Vancouver listened, people are still more than willing to hear it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LP
All Photo Credit: Raphael Arthur
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Icons Deep Purple & Kansas Bring A Legendary Celebratory Night of Surprises To Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum
I don’t say this lightly, but both Deep Purple and Kansas absolutely put on a hell of a show. Since 1968, Deep Purple have basically been the godfathers of live rock performance. Don’t believe me? Go look up their Guinness World Record for “loudest concert,” which they snagged back in 1972. That same energy, that same wall of sound, made the trip across five decades and landed right here for the band’s headlining North American tour stop in Abbotsford. Original drummer Ian Paice is still holding it down, now joined by guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Don Airey, and vocalist Ian Gillan. Sure, only one original member remains, but somehow the whole group still nails the spirit of what made Deep Purple, well, Deep Purple.
They tore through 16 tracks that night. “Smoke on the Water” got the loudest reaction of the evening, no surprise there. “Diablo” and “Perfect Strangers” also landed big, and “Highway Star” kicked the whole thing off on an absolute high. And when I say the crowd was into it, I mean it. Fans who’ve followed this band for almost fifty years were pressed right up against the barrier trying to get as close as possible. That closeness paid off too, with an incredible light show and Simon McBride ripping through solo after solo. Honestly, McBride was the highlight more than once, stepping up so Gillan could catch his breath between songs. Given how much those vocals demand, that rest was more than earned.
Like I said, “Smoke on the Water” was the main event for Abbotsford. It’s one thing to describe it, but actually watching the buildup, seeing the bandmates grinning at each other because they knew exactly what was coming, that was priceless. Then those notes kicked in. You know the ones. Every Guitar Center employee’s nightmare. The whole arena became one voice, singing along to a guitar riff like it was a chorus. It was the moment of the night, the kind of thing every rock fan dreams about experiencing live. That wave of energy carried all the way through to the final song, “Hush.” If you were a millennial who spent way too much time on Guitar Hero 2, hearing this one live gave you full goosebumps. This was the band’s first big hit back in 1968, and in 2026 it still hits just as hard. The crowd treated it like more than an encore. It felt like everyone in that room knew they might not get another chance to see Deep Purple live, and they soaked in every second of it. When the house lights finally came up, Abbotsford just stood there in awe. Deep Purple‘s legendary status was on full display, and nobody in that crowd wanted the night to end.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DEEP PURPLE
KANSAS
All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno