Sunday and Monday night concerts can be a challenge for concert goers and bands alike. The grind of a 9-to-5 job and everyday life can sometimes dampen the spirit of concertgoers.
Essex’s roots punk rock quintet, The Bad Nerves, brought their high-octane, NYC-style punk pop to the Lou at Delmar Hall on their “Still Nervous USA 2025 Tour” for another power-packed thrill ride. They are currently touring North America in support of their 2024 release, Still Nervous.
After a very raucous, hard-hitting set from handpicked openers, Spirit Cramp, from San Francisco, the eager crowd was ready for the UK’s latest post-punk export.
Donning black wraparound shades and dressed in all black, lead singer and heartthrob Bobby Nerves is a classic British frontman filtered through New York City. Bobby bounced out onto the stage, grabbed the microphone, and got down to business. The rest of the band, William Phillipson and George Berry on guitars, bassist Jonathan Poulton, and Samuel Thompson on drums, were full throttle from note one.
They kicked off with “Baby Drummer,” “Radio Punk,” and ripped through “USA” in their 17-song set, plus a few encores. Lead singer and frontman Bobby Nerves loves interacting with the fans, and he kept encouraging the crowd to dance, sing along, and have a good time, even if their collective energy was flagging at times.
Bobby Nerves said that the band was happy to be back in “Saint Louie.” He then promised to pronounce it correctly this time (Saint Louis). At another point during the middle half of the show, he said to the crowd: “Why are you folding your arms? Let’s unfold those arms. Are you up for this?” Always the optimist, he also said that this show reminded them of playing smaller gigs in the UK during their formative years. The band had been to St. Louis before, including opening for the sold-out Royal Blood show in 2023 next door at the Pageant.
Not only was the band up against the Monday night factor, but the Pageant was hosting a sold-out show for Mayday Parade next door. Despite the headwinds, The Bad Nerves soldiered on and did their level best to rock the Lou. Ultimately, they succeeded.
