The Hives, Southampton Guildhall

THE tone is somewhat different but this band is the greatest Swedish export since ABBA.

Judging by the reaction of their hardened followers, they are proving to be real crowd-pleasers.

Five-piece The Hives took the Southampton Guildhall crowd by storm as they brought their very own brand of rock and roll to town.

They were a big draw for the sell-out audience and clearly love the reception they receive each time they visit the city, recounting their last gig here 18 months ago.

Tipped to be the next big thing in band land, I reckon they could reach the top even sooner than expected with a playlist packed with rock classics.

Howlin' Pelle Almqvist on vocals lived up to his name as he belted out one track after another with style and showmanship.

He barely broke into a sweat during an energetic set, unlike every single member of the drenched crowd, soaked with bottles of water.

The pick of the hour-long music-fest was Olympic anthem Hate to Say I Told You So, a banging number, which had the already animated crowd going absolutely wild.

Normally more accustomed to live music you can sing along to, it was great to be somewhere where I could indulge in a little bit of jumping around.

The band's countrymen Cdoass provided an excellent warm-up to a very hot evening.