WORDS AND IMAGES GOSIA CZYZNIEWSKA
The night at Manchester’s Gorilla on the 19th of December was one to remember, with Bad Nerves bringing their ferocious energy to one of the last stops of their European and UK tour.
Californians Ultra Q had the honor of opening the show, and despite the cold and a slowly gathering crowd, they quickly won the audience over with their high-octane, feel-good performance. It was only their third European gig since joining the Bad Nerves tour, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the way they interacted with the crowd. The band was visibly thrilled to be in Manchester, pleasantly surprised to see fans singing along, and some even waving small banners in support. By the end of their set, Ultra Q had left a lasting impression, with nodding heads of approval in the crowd indicating that they had successfully warmed up the room.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for—Bad Nerves. Fresh off their US headline tour promoting their second album Still Nervous, and with praise from none other than Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong as “the best band in England right now,” the quintet hit the stage with full force. Right from the first minute, their feral riffs and relentless drum beats sent the audience into a frenzy. The front of the venue transformed into a whirlpool of mosh pits and crowd surfers, making it impossible to photograph the chaos up close. I retreated to the back to witness the exhilarating scenes from a safer distance, where fans continued to crash toward the stage with unbridled enthusiasm.
“Hello Manchester, are you having a good time? I can’t hear ya!” Bobby, the band’s energetic frontman, shouted into the microphone. He shared some insight into their relentless schedule—over 160 gigs to date—and the toll it had taken on their health, but declared, “Nothing can f-king stop us!” His defiant energy was infectious, and the crowd roared back in approval.
Bobby gave a heartfelt shoutout to Ultra Q, who had been supporting them throughout the tour, calling them “one of the best bands Nerves ever toured with—great band, great people, great songs.” The crowd erupted once again as Bobby, with his signature self-deprecating humor, joked about the band’s “incredible productivity” of releasing two albums in ten years, before diving into fan favorite “Radio Punk.”
Throughout the night, Bobby made sure everyone was having a blast, frequently engaging with both the pit and the balcony. He even dedicated “Bad Kid” to a lucky fan in the crowd, undoubtedly making her night. As the set approached its climax, Bobby announced, “The whole show was a warm-up to this very moment, are you warmed up??” With that, they launched into “The Antidote,” promising it would be the “world’s fastest song with a catchy melody that will stick with you for the whole year.” As the first notes rang out, the entire room exploded into a mosh pit, a fittingly chaotic end to a night full of high energy and crowd-surfing mayhem.
Bad Nerves briefly left the stage, testing the crowd’s hunger for an encore, and they were not disappointed. Fans demanded the band’s return, and they obliged, delivering a mix of fan favorites, new material, and even a few unreleased tracks. Bobby’s infectious energy and relentless positivity made the show feel like a celebration, and by the end, everyone in the room was lifted—some literally, thanks to the relentless crowd-surfing.
In all, Bad Nerves delivered an exhilarating and wildly entertaining performance, leaving the Manchester crowd buzzing long after the final notes had faded. This was a gig that embodied everything live music should be—unpredictable, thrilling, and full of raw, unfiltered joy.
SET LIST
1/ BABY DRUMMER
2/ PALACE
3/ DON’T STOP
4/ TERMINAL BOYPLASTIC REBEL
5/ RADIO PUNK
6/ TELEVISION
7/ MAD MIND
8/ BAD KID
9/ U.S.A
10/ LAST BEAT
11/ ELECTRIC 88
12/ TOO LAZY TO LOVE
13/ NEW SHAPES
14/ YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW
15/ ANTIDOTE
16/ THE KIDS WILL NEVER HAVE THEIR SAY
ENCORE
17/ YOU’VE GOT THE NERVE
18/ CAN’T BE MINE
19/ DREAMING
FOLLOW BAD NERVES
FOLLOW ULTA Q
