Bad Nerves – Buffalo, NY

Bad Nerves did not need much stage banter to make their presence felt at Buffalo Iron Works. The British punk quintet ripped through 17 songs with garage rock grit, power pop hooks and plenty of chaos, giving Buffalo a taste of the band currently touring with The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter.

There was little easing into the night when Bad Nerves took the stage at Buffalo Iron Works. The Essex, England quintet launched into a 17 song set with “Don’t Stop” and “Baby Drummer,” moving quickly between songs and leaving little space between them. Currently touring as the opening act for The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, the band brought their mix of punk, garage rock and power pop to the Buffalo stage.

At the center was vocalist Bobby Bird, who arrived in sunglasses and told the crowd he was sick enough that he would rather cough up blood than cancel the show. He also warned everyone that he would be standing still for the night. For the rest of the set, Bird remained mostly planted at the microphone, creating a striking contrast with the intensity coming from the band behind him.

Bird’s vocals came from the very top of his range, cutting through the guitars with a sharp, almost abrasive quality. There was little conversation between songs. An occasional glance over the rims of his sunglasses or a fixed stare toward the audience was enough to make his presence felt.

Guitarists William Phillipson and George Berry repeatedly bounced around, while bassist Jonathan Poulton filled out the low end on the cramped stage. Behind them, drummer Samuel Thompson attacked the kit with a steady intensity that kept the songs tightly wound.

The band’s garage rock, power pop and punk influences were evident throughout the set. “Palace,” “New Shapes” and “Electric 88” paired distorted guitars with hooks that remained clear beneath the volume. Even at their loudest, the songs retained a defined structure, giving the noise somewhere to land.

“Got the Nerve” brought their Ramones influence directly into the conversation. “You guys like the Ramones, right?” Bird asked the crowd. “Well this isn’t a Ramones song. But it is a ripoff of a Ramones song, and we’re proud of that.”

A countdown of “1, 2, 3, 4” sent the band into the song, with a mosh pit forming near the front of the stage. Its fast tempo and stripped down guitar attack recall the punk of the 1980s, while the vocal melodies and harmonies give it the familiar Bad Nerves stamp.

On “USA,” Bird directed the audience through repeated chants, his voice carrying over the guitars as the song built around the call and response. It was one of the few moments when Bird directly addressed the room at length.

“Dreaming” closed the 17 song set without an encore. Bird repeated the line “I don’t wanna be dead like you” as the band finished the song and looked out across the room.

For a singer who spent most of the night standing in one place, Bird was difficult to ignore. His voice gave Bad Nerves their sharpest edge, while Phillipson, Berry, Poulton and Thompson provided the dense guitar, bass and drum attack underneath it. The result was a set that leaned into the band’s punk influences without sacrificing the hooks that run through their songs. Their combination of punk urgency, power pop melody and garage rock grit gives the band a sound that feels rooted in the genre while still distinctly their own.

After a set like this, seeing Bad Nerves again is an easy decision.

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