Before They Knew Better welcomes latest guest Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist of The Hives

This week on Before They Knew Better, we welcome the inimitable frontman of The Hives - known to their legions of adoring fans as Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist - to chat about a photo, a song, and an object from his youth (which, by all accounts, sounded pretty wild).

Following the band’s first album in ten years, ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’, our co-hosts Lisa Wright and Giles Bidder catch up with Pelle to hear about his early days as a Swedish punk, touring stadiums with Arctic Monkeys, and a couple of notable onstage mishaps.

Speaking on the podcast about one such incident, Pelle explains: “I tried to jump around a corner and then I fell offstage, landed on my head, and passed out. But I didn’t know I passed out… you know in Star Wars when they get out of hyperspace? I felt like ‘zoom!’ and then I was in reality again. Our guitar player was shaking me by the shoulders going ‘are you okay?’, which if I’d hurt my neck would have been a very bad move. I finished the show, but if you’re concussed you should avoid loud noises and bright lights… and I’d done an hour of a rock’n’roll show with full strobes at one million decibels.”

Before They Knew Better - available to listen now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and all major podcast platforms - is DIY’s new podcast digging into the wins, woes and wtfs of your favourite musicians’ early years, with a new episode landing every Tuesday morning.

Tune into the new episode with Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist now, and remember to like and subscribe on your chosen platform!