It warms the cockles of my heart to hear the songs played between bands Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, Dead Boys, Clash, Damned, and New York Dolls hopefully this is like subliminal indoctrinating of the kids and they’ll kickstart a new youf culture movement, or not and it’s just a band with impeccable taste. Just about all the good and the greats and whilst Santa is only a couple of days away the good ship Thekla fills up to capacity and beyond I would wager. It’s an excellent reception for Bad Nerves European tour pals Ultra Q who open tentatively before relaxing and cutting loose with a pretty impressive set of bristling modern Californian noise/modern punk rock.

But Tonight was all about Bad Nerves wrapping up a monumental year for these Essex Boys who released an excellent album, toured the USA also toured decent venues with The Hives, before zig-zagging around the globe honing their craft and spreading the word that indie punk rock n roll isn’t dead but in bloody good health and it’s bands like Bad Nerves who are up for the task and not afraid to put in the hard yards schlepping it around the toilet circuit of the UK and beyond knocking out a catchy tuneful buzz saw brand of rock and roll with equal measures of Buzzcocks and Ramones melodies and speed with a chirpy early Supergrass for the indie kids to jump on board with.

The Thekla is heaving, and the hull of this riverboat is full to bursting with anticipation for what we’re about to receive. Without further ado, the five-piece gets down to business with a verve and excitement that’s eaten up by a passionate audience welcoming every song like the Beatles have reformed and we’ve been invited to the first knocking of the comeback.

The band feeds off the energy and proceeds to spend the next sixty minutes rattling through their repertoire, showing the fans exactly why they’re currently at the top of their game. They have a hunger for more and a tightness that comes from a band that’s pushed out almost every other night of the last twelve months—impressive stuff indeed.

It’s awesome to see punk rock n roll in such capable hands. ‘Baby Drummer’ sets the pace and it’s a race through their catalogue of Songs like The Ramones fucking with the uptempo Supergrass material of their beginnings Bad Nerves have tunes, plenty of memorable tunes. ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Radio Pink’ ‘Bad Kid’ and the excellent ‘USA’ are all dispatched with much aplomb. ‘Antidote’ and ‘The Kids Will Always Have Their Say’ close off a frantic set before the inevitable and much-deserved encore. The band are constantly on the move giving it everything they have and this is the final night of a seven-week Euro haul but you’d think it was the first.

‘You Got The Nerce’  ‘Can’t Be Mine’ and ‘Dreaming’ are the sound of a band who are bristling with confidence for an audience rabid for more Bad Nerves. 2025 will be a year where this band take the next step up the ladder and move on to bigger venues with more satisfied fans coming on board this crazy train isn’t slowing down any day soon and these boys are determined and capable of bigger and better things.

Punk as fuck, Bad Nerves are on the march and a more impressive live rock n roll band currently bursting out of the UK you will not find. Gimme, gimme more, more, more. Roll on 2025 and bigger and better things for Bad Nerves.

Author: Dom Daley