The first song began about two seconds ago, and there are crowd-surfers everywhere you look. At most other gigs this would be the encore climax. It’s that kind of night. “This could be the last show you ever see!” Bad Nerves frontman Bobby Bird declares, as the multi-generational masses roar their approval and beer fireworks shoot for the ceiling. “This could be the last show we ever play!”
Spoiler alert: it’s not (they’ve got tours with Green Day and Weezer coming up) but there’s a real crackle of excitement to this sold-out night – less than three years after Bad Nerves played to a similarly devout hoard at the tiny Sebright Arms across town. Billie Joe Armstrong, Iggy Pop and Radio One have since declared their admiration. The Darkness and The Hives brought them on extensive tours, the lessons of which have clearly stayed with them. To say they've stepped up a gear is kind of an understatement.
