Puma are putting on a party. Which would be pretty lame music news if it weren't for The Hives playing it.

The Swedish arse kickers are bringing their rock spectacle to Australia at the end of the year, playing the Southbound, Sunset Sounds and Falls Festivals. They also have a couple of sideshows booked, the Forum in Melbourne on December 29th and The Metro theatre in Sydney on January 6th.

Now add one date to that itinerary.

The band are headlining a party hosted by the Puma clothing label. Wha? Apparently Puma are releasing a bunch of clothes and sneakers called the Archive collection. So they've asked a bunch of bands to play sets consisting entirely of covers, the kind of tunes that inspired them to start playing music in the first place. Considering The Hives oscillate between say, The Clash and Kraftwerk, their set should be more than a whole lot of awesome.

The show is coming to two cities only, with the line-up shifting in between the two. The catch to fuel interstate rivalry? The Hives are playing the Sydney date only.

Line-up:

The Hives (Sydney only)
Cassette Kids (Melbourne only)
Children Collide (Both cities)
Boy + Girl (Both cities)
Hot Little Hands (Melbourne only)

Melbourne
December 28, The Hi Fi Bar & Ballroom

Sydney
January 5, The Metro Theatre

Tickets are not on sale. They're free, dummy. Instead there are three ways to get in:

Get free tickets when you buy Puma Archive from PUMA, Hype DC and Glue stores* (while they last)
Win tickets online at pumaarchive.com.au
Get lucky with one of the giveaways around town

Considering that last point is a little light on information, we've conveniently bagged a bunch of double passes to giveaway. Head yourself in this direction to get tix asap.