PUNK’S NOT DEAD—IT JUST GOT KICKED IN THE TEETH BY BAD NERVES AT THE REGENT
If you're looking for polished, safe, and predictable, Bad Nerves at The Regent was anything but. Nearing the end of their Still Nervous USA tour, the UK punks detonated a high-energy explosion in Downtown LA that left no one unscathed—including me.
The night cracked open with Spider, a band that doesn’t walk onstage so much as detonate. Their set was a full-frontal assault—razor-edged riffs, pounding rhythms, and vocals that spat like a lit fuse. Think old-school punk dragged through an oil-soaked alley and left to howl. Following them, Spiritual Cramp oozed in with a gritty swagger that felt part street sermon, part basement breakdown. Their sound danced the line between groove and menace, shaking loose any remaining hesitation in the crowd. By the time Bad Nerves were due, the room was already on edge—charged, twitching, and ready to snap.
Then came the main event.
With no barricade and no pit, I had only one option: dive straight into the war zone. Mosh pits spun like whirlpools. Stage divers launched themselves into a crowd that didn’t always catch them—one unlucky guy misjudged the timing and kissed the concrete instead. Bodies slammed, chaos reigned, and the unspoken code of punk camaraderie kicked in when someone hit the floor. No one stayed down. They were pulled back up, dusted off, and thrown right back into the storm.
I wasn’t just a witness—I was in it. Cameras in hand, I got the shots while taking hits from every direction. It was violent, visceral, and absolutely alive.
When it came time to process the images, color didn't do justice to most of Bad Nerves’ photos. Their set needed to be shown raw, unfiltered, and stripped of anything unnecessary. Black and white gave the photos the edge they needed—grainy truth that mirrored the sheer grit of the night.
This wasn’t just a concert. It was a riot disguised as a rock show. And if that was one of the final stops of the Still Nervous Tour, it ended like it lived—loud, fast, and dangerous.
