Dubbed the “best band in England right now” by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (right before he was spotted wearing Bad Nerves merch at the Grammy Gala), Bad Nerves return with their highly anticipated second album Still Nervous. Following critical acclaim for previous singles ‘USA’, ‘You’ve Got The Nerve’ and ‘You Should Know By Now’, the band recently joined The Hives on their sell-out UK tour, as well as sell out their biggest headlining show yet. The band will accompany The Hives again during their US tour in September.
Written and recorded in the same spider-infested garage that birthed their self-titled debut, “Still Nervous” is destined to become the “greatest second record in the entire history of recording second records.” It’s a record that was simmering in the background even as Bad Nerves took their devastating live show around the world. A second album that should never have existed, a loaded album full of sing-along moments, a record that will outlast anyone reading this.
Speaking about the track “Sorry”, frontman Bobby says: “‘Sorry’ was a song that came to me early one morning, ready to record. The lead guitar riff and drum beat fell from the sky. That day I went to the studio and recorded everything. The final version was recorded at the same tempo I played it that day. I was bored with writing Bad Nerves songs, so this was supposed to be a break from all that, but once it was done, I felt like it might actually give the new record some variety that the first record didn’t have.”
Bastard children of a one-night stand with the Ramones and the Strokes, Bad Nerves gained acclaim with their debuts “Dreaming,” “Baby Drummer” and “Can’t Be Mine.” It would seem to be in the DNA of rock music, particularly punk music, that their self-released debut put them in the hearts and minds of the alternative niche; from British-flavored artists like Dan P Carter, Alyx Holcombe and Jack Saunders, to rock legends like Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard (labeling them one of his favorite bands). Compared to Supergrass, Ramones and Jay Reatard, the band has been widely supported by Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, BBC Radio 1, BBC 6music, Radio X, Classic Rock, Kerrang! and Dork.
Shortly after recording the single “USA” (mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios), the band was invited to America to open for Royal Blood, a perfect opportunity to introduce the song to American audiences. The band were then personally invited by The Darkness to join them as special guests on their sell-out UK tour in December. Special slots for the band over the last year have also seen them tour alongside Black Honey, Creeper, Salem, Tigercub and The Struts while this year they played an unforgettable show at BST Hyde Park with rock legends Guns’n ‘Roses.
Opening
Ultra Q
(USA – post punk revival – Gargoth)
One of the most fascinating things a music lover can do is witness the growth of a young artist. It begins as a glimmer of natural talent and expands into something vast and formidable. Jakob Armstrong, the youngest son of Green Day frontman Billie Joe, began playing guitar at seven and honed his craft privately until he was about sixteen; then he played in bands in and around Oakland after meeting friends with similar musical tastes. Soon, with memories of Ultraman action figures fighting in his head, he and a group of friends he had cultivated over the years by playing and studying records formed Ultra Q. The name was inspired by an Ultraman prequel series; a serious reference for lovers of imported action series. Fusing the intensity of Interpol, the Strokes’ clever use of guitars, the Cure’s saccharine romanticism and the songwriting of Arctic Monkeys, Ultra Q’s growth since their 2019 EP “We’re Starting to Get Along” (and the its 2020 follow-up “In a Cave in a Video Game”) was exponential. A traditional alt-rock sound was cooked by the California heat, spanning the distance from Berkeley to Rodeo Drive. Over screeching guitars and thunderous drums, Armstrong’s voice is carried in a very familiar cadence.
Ultra Q’s early work marked the synthesis of a songwriter’s vision and his band’s skill, forged through an invisible existential threat and an ever-changing world, eager to show what they found while we were all in it. But the new album “My Guardian Angel” soars to heights unimaginable for us humble, earthly beings. Produced by Chris Coady, who has helmed the likes of TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beach House, “My Guardian Angel” offers a deep sonic palette to match Armstrong’s artistic ambition. Oscillating wildly between widescreen pop-punk (“Klepto,” “VR Sex”), romantic new-wave (“Rocket,” “I Wanna Lose”) and shimmering synth-pop (“I Watched Them Go”), the album showcases Armstrong’s songwriting talent, along with the musicianship of Kevin Judd and brothers Chris and Enzo Malaspina, conceived and recorded for maximum impact.
HOW TO GET HERE
NEW NIGHT BUSES
During the weekend there the new night lines are available, to move around Bologna and its surroundings throughout the night (with departures every half hour!).
Get on board the N3 line and arrive at Covo (and go home!) whenever you want, wherever you live.
IF YOU ARRIVE BY CAR...
In this period (and for a long time) it is possible that in this area there'll be construction work that limit the availability of parking spots nearby. If you cannot find a parking space in viale Zagabria, we recommend looking in the following streets: Kharkov, della Campagna, Francoforte, Machiavelli.