Randy Fitzsimmons
Encyclopedia
Randy Fitzsimmons is the supposed sixth member of The Hives
. He is said to have formed the band in the band members' adolescence in 1993 by sending all five members—Howlin' Pelle Almqvist
(real name Pelle Almqvist), Nicholaus Arson (real name Niklas Almqvist), Vigilante Carlstroem (real name Mikael Karlsson Åström), Dr. Matt Destruction (real name Mattias Bernvall), and Chris Dangerous (real name Christian Grahn)—a letter giving a time and place to meet. According to The Hives, Randy is the brains behind the band; he writes the songs and manages the band, while never being seen in public.
All songwriting except covers on the band's albums are credited to "Randy Fitzsimmons." The band claims Fitzsimmons is an honorary "sixth Hive", who along with writing their music, discovered and manages the band. However it was revealed in NME
that Randy Fitzsimmons is a registered pseudonym belonging to Nicholaus Arson. This has led many to believe that Randy Fitzsimmons is in fact a myth, and that it is Arson who writes the songs. Arson and the rest of the band deny this and insist on the existence of Randy Fitzsimmons as the band's songwriter. In the same NME article, Arson was quoted as saying that having "Randy Fitzsimmons" as a registered pseudonym was so that he could pick up the checks addressed to Randy, and deliver them to him - a privacy measure using a legal loophole. This argument has yet to be either proven or disproven.
In the DVD Tussels in Brussels, there is a live performance by The Hives on Top of the Pops
where Pelle denies that Nicholas Arson is Randy Fitzsimmons. Also, in the film part of the DVD, there is mention of Randy Fitzsimmons.
In the closing credits
of the 2008 film Taken
, Fitzsimmons is listed as the writer of The Hives' single Tick Tick Boom
and the same thing was done in the 2006 movie Frostbiten
with the song Diabolic Scheme.
The band often makes allusions to his existence; for example if the back of Tyrannosaurus Hives
is lined up with the front, it is noticeable that there are 12 legs, when there are only the five band members pictured. In the video for "Main Offender", his hand is seen signing some sort of contract.
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
. He is said to have formed the band in the band members' adolescence in 1993 by sending all five members—Howlin' Pelle Almqvist
Pelle Almqvist
Howlin' Pelle Almqvist is the lead singer of Swedish garage rock band The Hives. Like the rest of the band, Almqvist hails from Fagersta, a small town in central Sweden with about 11,000 residents....
(real name Pelle Almqvist), Nicholaus Arson (real name Niklas Almqvist), Vigilante Carlstroem (real name Mikael Karlsson Åström), Dr. Matt Destruction (real name Mattias Bernvall), and Chris Dangerous (real name Christian Grahn)—a letter giving a time and place to meet. According to The Hives, Randy is the brains behind the band; he writes the songs and manages the band, while never being seen in public.
All songwriting except covers on the band's albums are credited to "Randy Fitzsimmons." The band claims Fitzsimmons is an honorary "sixth Hive", who along with writing their music, discovered and manages the band. However it was revealed in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
that Randy Fitzsimmons is a registered pseudonym belonging to Nicholaus Arson. This has led many to believe that Randy Fitzsimmons is in fact a myth, and that it is Arson who writes the songs. Arson and the rest of the band deny this and insist on the existence of Randy Fitzsimmons as the band's songwriter. In the same NME article, Arson was quoted as saying that having "Randy Fitzsimmons" as a registered pseudonym was so that he could pick up the checks addressed to Randy, and deliver them to him - a privacy measure using a legal loophole. This argument has yet to be either proven or disproven.
In the DVD Tussels in Brussels, there is a live performance by The Hives on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
where Pelle denies that Nicholas Arson is Randy Fitzsimmons. Also, in the film part of the DVD, there is mention of Randy Fitzsimmons.
In the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of the 2008 film Taken
Taken (film)
Taken is a 2008 action thriller film produced by Luc Besson, starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen. The screenplay is written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and was directed by Pierre Morel...
, Fitzsimmons is listed as the writer of The Hives' single Tick Tick Boom
Tick Tick Boom (song)
"Tick Tick Boom" is a single by Swedish rock band The Hives, released in 2007. It is the opening track to The Black and White Album and is the first single taken from that album. "Tick Tick Boom" was released on 8 October 2007...
and the same thing was done in the 2006 movie Frostbiten
Frostbiten
Frostbite is a Swedish comedy horror film from 2006 directed by Anders Banke.The film was produced outside the bigger Swedish films studios, which would be considered an independent film in America...
with the song Diabolic Scheme.
The band often makes allusions to his existence; for example if the back of Tyrannosaurus Hives
Tyrannosaurus Hives
Tyrannosaurus Hives is the third full-length album by The Hives, released on 20 July 2004. It is their first album since Veni Vidi Vicious from 2000....
is lined up with the front, it is noticeable that there are 12 legs, when there are only the five band members pictured. In the video for "Main Offender", his hand is seen signing some sort of contract.