The Hives call Arctic Monkeys “the only good really popular band”

The Hives have called their recent tour mates Arctic Monkeys “the only good really popular band” in a new interview with NME.

The Swedish group supported the Sheffield band on their recent UK stadium tour, with drummer Matt Helders calling them “so much fun to watch” last year.

Speaking to NME for the latest interview in the In Conversation video series, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist responded to other comments from Helders, in which he cited The Hives as one of Arctic Monkeys first real inspirations. “They told us that the first week or month that they started the band, they saw The Hives and The Strokes and that was the thing that really started it off for them,” the frontman said.

“We toured with them in South America about 10 years ago and had a great time, so I’m really happy they wanted us back. It’s a really great tour to be on; it’s really fun. I think Arctic Monkeys are fucking amazing. They’re the only good really popular band – and that’s not easy to do.”

Echoing the Swedish band’s comments, Blur’s Damon Albarn has also praised the Alex Turner-led act. “For me, the last great guitar band would have been Arctic Monkeys and I don’t really know if there’s anything as good as that since,” he said during an appearance on the Broken Record podcast.

Elsewhere in The Hives interview, Almqvist and guitarist Nicholaus Arson discussed making their return with a new album 11 years after their last. ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ will arrive in August 11.

“You want to come back with a bang, you don’t want to come back with ‘adult rock’,” Arson said of the high-energy approach the band took on the new record.

“Imagine ‘The Hives have been away from 10 years and now they’ve matured’,” Almqvist explained. “It was important to go the opposite way. This has to be fucking stupid and childish, even worse than we’ve been before!”