BAD NERVES // O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH, LONDON
Bad Nerves Blow the Roof Off Shepherd’s Bush with punk chaos
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)
BAD NERVES AT THE 02 SHEPHERDS BUSH, LONDON
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
Are you ready to party? Because Bad Nerves are not your average Tuesday night gig. If we could say in one sentence how a Bad Nerves gig feels like, it would be like a cartoon being hit by an anvil of distortion pedals, jumps and punk energy in the best, most life-affirming way. Housing the power-punk chaos, London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush became the place to host a stacked line-up that is not for the weak of heart or the ones who have a strong sense of personal space. And for someone who spends most of the year in large arena shows and giant festivals where you need binoculars to confirm that the headliner is human and not an AI hologram, the sweaty and intimate room was were I felt the most alive.
Opening the night was Split Dogs, the entree to the three-course meal of chaos we were all in for. They came out swinging like they were trying to win a bar fight, with raw punk energy, fast and aggressive vocals and an unpolished, unhinged set that made them get the room primed up for what was to come. By the third track, the crowd had snapped out of the ‘I just arrived’-mood and starting behaving like a proper audience again, whilst the band kept screaming and jumping on stage in response. It is always a good sign to see the crowd engaging and pushing themselves forward to an opener, and Split Dogs proved that they were more than the right choice to open the bill.
Next up was Balancing Act, who brought a more melodic and indie-leaning bite to the evening. Channelling Arctic Monkeys energy, they had big choruses, slower guitars and emotional melodies as well as a lot of hypnotic stage-dancing. Very different from Split Dogs, they cooled down the room with chilled out tones and melancholic vocals that felt like the calm before the imminent storm - tight, charming and clearly aware that they were the final barrier between the atmosphere shifting and the audience exploding. They performed an array of songs, including “Had Another Mare”, “Sunshine”, “The Plays Theremin” and “All Yours”, having the audience sway and nod. It is a tough act to warm up the crowd, but it is even tougher to keep people engaged when the music changes, yet Balancing Act managed to do both successfully.
Bad Nerves - Bobby, Will, Jon, Ben and Sam - have built their name on a brand of high-voltage pop punk music that feels like the Ramones got electrocuted or had too much speed. Their self-titled debut album carved out a very loyal following for them, and their constant (aka relentless) touring earned them a reputation as one of UK’s wildest acts to catch live. So if you ever wondered what it is like to have a band comprised of sugar rush and punk attitude then congratulations, you have discovered Bad Nerves.
In contrast to their predecessors, Bad Nerves have zero balance, zero brakes and zero chance of letting you catch your breath. They hit the stage with the energy of a freshly fired bullet, opening the night with “Television” straight into “Non Stop” - and from that point on the entire show stayed at the same frantic tempo you’d expect from a band whose motto seems to be ‘slowing down is for cowards’. Other highlight songs were “Baby Drummer” and “Radio Punk”, which ignited the crowd and brought guitars to the forefront of the performance, “Electric 88” and “Antidote”, that brought the crowd-surfers over the barrier at 200mph, and “You’ve got the Nerve” that felt like indie rock warmth meets jet-engine velocity.
Bad Nerves delivered every track with precision, energy and charm. They pinballed across the stage like maniacs, sounding both effortless and unhinged. Closing off their set with “Can’t Be Mine” and “Dreaming”, they showed that they are loud, tight and well-oiled to deliver high velocity, high speed and high pacing performances that keep the crowd engaged, entertained and possibly aiming to break a land-speed record. They are one of the funnest acts to watch live judging by how people danced, shoved, pogoed and crowd-surfed, they are a great act to get your punk cardio in!
This is exactly the magic of medium sized shows - that everyone is smiling and everyone is drenched, yet you are not just watching a band but you are part of the chaos they created. Whilst the support acts built the foundation perfectly, Bad Nerves blew the roof off the building. They were punchy, messy and deliriously fun.
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
