At first, it surprised me that The Hives have recorded their DVD at the venue in Brussels, because they’ve performed in such bigger venues and festivals before, that it could be way more impressive to watch.

 

Let’s be just simple now. ‘Tussles from Brussels’ is by far the best live DVD I’ve ever seen. And that’s not because The Hives is a great live band, not because the venue is simply wonderful, but due to the fact that ‘Tussles in Brussels’ actually shows me that live performances can be somehow experienced at home, when watching TV.

 

The venue is empty, except for the fans of course. The excitation is clearly present as hell and the venue is so perfect matching towards the colours of the band. Now I’d like to quote some guy named D.W. Johnson: ‘Everyone was ready now. We all wanted the same thing—to see five young undisputed masters of rock ‘n roll in full uniform ignite their monochromatic mayhem. Was I finally going to find the answers I so badly needed? Finally find truth and peace of mind? A slight pause in my line of thought and…..- The place went black…… They were a universe unto themselves. They lived black and white in a world of colour.’

The show contains just everything. Make sure to notice that The Hives is not my favourite band, but it’s punk rock ‘n roll all over the place. As if he was born this way, frontman Howlin Pelle Almqvist plays with the crowd as if it was his favourite baby toy. And although the crowd is filled with mainly young people, the songs are shouted along as if it was a place filled with Japanese karaoke fans. Songs from all the albums pass by, including ‘Walk Idiot Walk’, ‘A Little More for Little You’ and ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ of course.

No doubt, the hour of ass kicking music is way too short for a DVD performance but it is the only thing that I can make remarks on. (Besides the fact that I personally think the structure of the songs get a little bored after a while) The spirit and energy of those guys on stage are of a kind that is unknown to many other bands out there, yet friendly and not intimidating, as certain metal bands may could. In this way, watching this live performance is a real experience just at home. 

 

In this feature, we see a little history of the band, combined in a small film. I’m not going to go into the details with you; you just have to see it for yourself. But I do like to mention that the artwork for this film is just brilliant and that the true fan of the band would certainly love this film. It’s just different than all the other documentaries where you get interviews with band members and some dull guy taking you into places ‘you’ve never seen before’. In this way, it really gives something extra you hope for. 

And of course, how predictable, but not certainly dumb, we get to see some music video’s of live performances (mainly Top Of The Pops) and never-before-seen videos for ‘A Little more for little you’ and ‘Abra Cadaver TV’. Besides that, ‘Main Offender’, ‘Walk Idiot Walk’, ‘Supply and Demand’, ‘Die All Right’ and ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ are also included. Although this feature is kind of basic, it’s nice to have some material you can just put on your television and watch it for a minute of ten or so. And because there are quite some songs on it, I can only say it’s a good feature.

So, for my conclusion I would like to say that ‘Tussles in Brussels’ is a really good DVD and it comes very close to the best meaning for making a music DVD. The concert is great and the extra features are a real addition to the fan’s collection. Because, out of principal, I do not score DVD’s higher than 90 (there is no way you should really spend 25 euros for something like a DVD) and for the fact that the DVD is a little short in time, you’ll get this score.

DVD Main Features

Tussles in Brussels concert, track listing.

1. Abra Cadaver

16. Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones
17. B Is for Bonus

19. AKA I-D-I-O-T

Extra:

Never-before-seen videos for: A Little more for little you and Abra Cadaver TV.

Live performances: Main Offender, Walk Idiot Walk, Supply And Demand, Die All Right and Hate To Say I Told You So.

The short film, DW Johnson’s The Hives, Hinduism & Me