We caught up with Bobby and Jon from Bad Nerves after their electrifying set at Leeds Festival 2024! Bad Nerves embody the spirit of modern punk, and we couldn't wait to dive into their world. Here's what they had to say!
Tell us about the wildest thing you’ve ever taken from a tour or gig?
Bobby: This might not be super wild, but there was this flea market in the Netherlands where I bought a lot of taxidermy. Well, when I say a lot, I mean just one—but it was the ugliest ferret I’ve ever seen in my life!
Jon: Not that crazy, but once we took a sign off a wall and used it for our merch stand. It wasn’t until later that we realised it was a picture of someone’s kid! We drew all this punk stuff on it, gave the kid a nose ring, and named him Jimmy the Punk. That moment even inspired a song we wrote!
What’s your favourite memory from Leeds Festival?
Jon: Definitely this year—the crowd was incredible! I remember the first year we played, there was literally just one man and his dog in the audience, but now it’s grown along with us.
Bobby: And for the record, we love dogs! The guy could leave for all we care—we just want to play for a whole crowd of dogs. I think we’ve found our niche!
Jon: There was a gig we played in the U.S. where a guy brought his dog wearing ear defenders, and he takes that dog to gigs all the time!
Bobby: Yeah, that dog listens to our album on repeat. I’m pretty sure he rated it 10/10—loved it, speaks perfect English too! Five woofs, would woof again!
What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever autographed?
Bobby: We tend to stick to the basics, like pieces of paper, but we’ve signed a few arms too.
Jon: A kid once asked us to sign his cap, and then years later, he showed up at another gig wearing the same cap!
Bobby: We signed a kid’s arm in the U.S., and he said he was going to get it tattooed. We were like, “No, don’t do that!”—especially since we could’ve signed it a lot neater!
What’s the most DIY project you’ve undertaken for your home?
Bobby: You think we’ve got homes?!
Jon: A while back, I built a skate ramp in a garage. We spent ages on it, but when we finally tried it, it was awful! Still, it looked cool.
Bobby: I tried building shelves once for a clothing company my friend and I were starting. We never actually bought any clothes, just built some truly terrible shelves. People would come over and literally laugh at them.
If your home could speak, what do you think it would say about you?
Jon: It’d probably say, “Get a life! You’re still in a band? How old are you?!”
Bobby: Mine would say, “Get outside and get some vitamins from the sunshine!”
When you’re on tour, how do you make your tour bus or hotel room feel like home? Do you take anything special with you?
Bobby: Not really. The van feels like sleeping in a coffin. But I always make sure to have eggs on toast on the road; it reminds me of home.
Jon: We had a tour bus twice, and I struggled to sleep on it. There’s this thing where you can convert the upstairs lounge into a ‘star room,’ and the second time, I got to sleep there. It felt like having my own private hotel room!
Bobby: Jon’s been driving us around for years, so when we finally got a tour bus, we were like, “Jon, you deserve the star room!”
Jon: The bass player, in a star room—who’d have thought it?
Bobby: We’ve officially broken the hierarchy!
Do you have any collections or hobbies that you showcase in your home?
Jon: I collect everything—records, 70s/80s horror VHS tapes, weird occult stuff from around the world.
Bobby: Shelves? And maybe books on how to build them properly?
What’s your favourite swear word?
Bobby: I’ve been trying to cut down on swearing, especially on stage, but “fuck” is the go-to.
Jon: We’re from Essex, so swearing is almost second nature—unintentional, of course!
Bobby: Sometimes, when I listen back to our shows, I cringe and wonder why I swear so much. I’m changing my answer to none—I’m over swearing! I thought it made me sound cool, but now I just sound like my mum. I can’t build shelves, I sound like my mum—my life’s a disaster!
Jon: I don’t think you’re you anymore, Bobby. Maybe you’ve turned into AI!
"Bad Nerves' new album Still Nervous is out now. You can listen here. They are also currently on tour around the U.S. and will be kicking off their UK and EU tour from 5th November with a headline show at London's Electric Ballroom on January 17th. All tickets can be found here
