The man who wasn’t there

In an unprecedentedly candid moment, Swedish neo-garage band The Hives have shed some light on the status of mysterious "sixth member" Randy Fitzsimons this week, in a new interview with Hot Press.

"He’s real," Hives singer Howlin’ Pelle insisted to Hot Press when asked whether Mr Fitzsimons was a fictitious svengali, their imaginary equivalent to the Sex Pistols’ Malcolm McLaren. "He’s a guy we know who’s like the sixth member of the band, but who doesn’t want to be in the photos. He comes up with ideas that we make into songs. He doesn’t really play an instrument, so he describes the sounds and we translate them for him."

Reckoned by many to be an ideas man rather than a proper member – a contributor of sounds and concepts, like sometime U2 co-conspirators Gavin Friday or Brian Eno - the uncontested most hyped band of 2002 nonetheless remained coy about his real name, his specific role and contribution - and his age.

"The British music press have turned it into a big deal," continued Pelle, "but it isn’t, really."

Read more about the sense of their sixth – as well as about their love for 1950s-style debauchery, the forests of Fagersta, the (apparently very rock’n’roll) sport of curling and truly dreadful Norwegian jokes – in the latest issue of Hot Press, on newsstands January 17th.