Bad Nerves ? What Nerves ?!
A power pop rock ’ n ’ roll band with praise from NME , Kerrang and dubbed the “ crowned princes of power pop ” by Radio 1 DJ Daniel P . Carter are sat in exciting times . We sat down with them to learn more - Archie Palmer reports
Arriving relaxed merely an hour before a support slot at the Roundhouse in London , bassist Jon Poulton and singer Bobby Bird showed that behind the leather jackets and sunglasses lie humble individuals making dirty garage rock music because , more than anything else , they want to . And they don ’ t really care what you think of it .
“ We only started this band because we wanted to make music we liked . If somebody you don ’ t know says this is shit , who gives a fuck ?” Bird chimes in talking about reviews . Despite this , their debut album , 2020 ’ s self-titled release , was critically acclaimed , with big names such as NME and Kerrang , hailing it as a return to form for punk music . “ I mean it ’ s nice when you have people that really connected with it ” Poulton elaborates , having been in numerous bands before Bad Nerves , the fact they have taken off to the extent they have clearly surprises them and means a lot to the band , even as they ’ re only making the music for themselves . “ Basically good reviews ; we ’ re all about , bad reviews can fuck off !” Bird summarises . A classic rock ’ n ’ roll attitude , but one that clearly comes from a humble place of simply wanting to have a good time , something Bad Nerves are experts at .
“ We ’ re not onstage to play these songs perfectly , I wouldn ’ t do it if we had to !”
This sense of fun is best experienced face-to-face with the band , Bird now infamous for his onstage presence , performing with the energy of The Ramones , leaping around stage , jumping into the crowd , riling up even the quietest of audiences . “ We come from the school of just watching bands go out there and be relentless , we don ’ t want to be the band that goes out there and does an hour-long speech in between each song . It ’ s just a release for everyone ” says Poulton . This is an energy each band-member embodies , whether it ’ s the drummer moving around his kit like Animal from the Muppets on steroids , or any of the guitarists , leaping around like every song is their last , this is a band that doesn ’ t care about perfection , they ’ re just having a good time .
“ We ’ re not onstage to play these songs perfectly , I wouldn ’ t do it if we had to !” laughs Poulton , embodying their DIY attitude to just about everything , their debut album coming out of their bedrooms and garages , primarily produced by Bird . “ We don ’ t have time to be nervous , we ’ re usually late , after this interview we have maybe 5 minutes to get nervous ” jokes Bird . Their attitude is in every aspect of the band , right down to their interviews , coming up for hugs before we sat down it ’ s impossible not to notice how much they love every aspect of what they do , and it ’ s infectious . “ Our crowds vibe off our energy , it ’ s wicked ” continues Bird .
Photo Credits ; Jazz Hodge . Bad Nerves PR Manager