BAD NERVES AT O2 ACADEMY LIVERPOOL: A PUNK-FUELLED, BARRIER-BENDING RIOT
LIVE REVIEW | BAD NERVES w/ BALANCING ACT | O2 ACADEMY LIVERPOOL 23/11/2025 by Michaela Roper
Bad Nerves brought their boisterous flair to Liverpool’s O2 Academy for an evening brimming with attitude, zeal, and infectiously raw soundwaves that threw a pulsating crowd into a state of ruckus. The punk powerhouses channelled their energetic charm into a thrashing 19 song set that saw fingertips touching ceilings, floorboards wobbling, and barriers bending as die-hard fans gave it their all for the band’s penultimate show of their November tour.
A touch of Mancunian grit provided by support act Balancing Act got the crowd rearing to go before the Essex rockers exploded onto an amped out stage, launching into ‘Television’ and ‘Baby Drummer’ without uttering a single word. It took mere seconds before anticipation turned to exhilaration, with dedicated fans riding the waves of flapping arms just to fly over the barriers and throw themselves straight back in again. With beads of sweat already flying around the room, Bad Nerves tucked into ‘Palace’ – a drum-fuelled headbanger of a track you couldn’t help but move your feet to.
Frontman Bobby Nerves settled into his flamboyant stage persona to offer up a dynamic visual tale, if you could catch his movements amongst the flailing arms of chaos around you. The tune’s climactic breakdowns and wailing guitar efforts ramped up the intensity as pints seemed to teleport from the back of the room in the form of lager-infused vapour. ‘Plastic Rebel’ and ‘Don’t Stop’ left the confines of the band’s latest album Still Nervous to become playfully mature odes to their new soundscape, a welcome addition to their discography.
Bad Nerves’ presence ignited a spark from the second they entered the venue as they promised confident pageantry and guitars flying left, right and centre, in true punk fashion. The middle section of the set, populated by fan favourites like ‘Radio Punk’ and hits from their debut record flowed flawlessly, sending vibrant sonic injections into the darkness, each drum beat and bassline reverberating amongst sweaty bodies. The five-piece moved effortlessly around each other in a trance-inducing choreography, merely reinforcing their dedication to the cause as dynamic performers.
A sharp exit following the final strums of ‘Antidote’ and ‘Kids’ was a welcome breather after a solid session spent launching yourself into the centre of it all. The crowd managed to wipe the sweat from their brows and sink the last remnants of their pints before the band made their second grand entrance of the evening; a four-song encore to polish off an impeccable effort thus far.
Bad Nerves upped the ante for their closing stint, rallying up their troops to give one last push as they thrashed around to the tune of ‘Loner’ and ‘You’ve Got The Nerve’. The formidable coolness of Bobby Nerve didn’t reach the backburner for a single second of the show – ‘Can’t Be Mine’ and ‘Dreaming’ echoed around the O2 Academy as a final farewell, two hits from the band’s debut album that struck a perfect chord with the crowd. As the band bowed out, the venue breathed a sigh of relief after the hour-long madness. The Essex power-punk rioters bid farewell to their sweaty followers; still pulsating with energy and raw adoration.
Bad Nerves blew the socks off the O2 Academy with no shame at all, providing the perfect set to celebrate Still Nervous, their first release in over four years. Their UK tour came to an end in London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush last tonight – leaving us all with a Bad Nerves shaped hole in our winter gig line ups this year.
