Jason Hensel
BAD NERVES
w/ Spiritual Cramp and The Wee-Beasties
5/16/25 – House of Blues Cambridge Room – Dallas, TX
©Jason Hensel
The UK’s high-octane punk rockers Bad Nerves tore through the House of Blues Cambridge Room in Dallas, TX, marking their first-ever stop in the Lone Star State….and holy hell, what a debut.
The Wee-Beasties started off this high-energy night with “Look Mommy I’m a Rockstar.” And lead singer, Richard Haskins, is undoubtedly a rockstar in his element during the band’s shows. He engages with the crowd, unafraid to make eye contact, his shirtless, sweaty chest mesmerizing.
This Denton, TX, band has been bringing the party for 25 years. They had the crowd singing along to their song, “I Wish My Mom Would Smoke Pot With Me,” and when it came time for “Shotgunning Beers In The Parking Lot,” well, there was some shotgunning of Lone Stars with the audience.
Check out The Wee-Beasties concert photo gallery below:
The Wee-Beasties left the stage on a high note with “Got Something to Show You,” and they showed us, alright, that they’re a force on stage and one of the area’s best live shows.
San Francisco’s Spiritual Cramp took the stage second and immediately shattered the crowd with “Blowback.” With The Wee-Beasties, you got a lot of horn solos. With Spiritual Cramp, you’re getting a lot of guitar solos. The good kind, though. The sweaty, garage-rock, thumping kind of guitars that are appropriate for a 70’s b-movie flick.
Throughout their 12-song set, they engaged the audience with well-thought-out melodies and riffs that offered variety to their songs. Sometimes with garage rock or punk, the songs start to sound the same. Not with Spiritual Cramp. These musicians know how to craft a song, and it shows.
Check out the Spiritual Cramp concert photo gallery below:
They’re definitely a band to see when they come through your town. Much like the lead singer’s high kicks, you’ll kick yourself if you sleep on Spiritual Cramp.
The Bad Nerves set kicked off with a punch to the face in the form of “Baby Drummer”, off their explosive 2020 self-titled album, a record that put them on the global punk radar for their no-frills, speed-freak rock ‘n’ roll. From the first chord, the room was electric, like someone had dropped a live wire in a crowd soaked in gasoline.
The chaos only escalated when they launched into “Antidote”, a blistering track from their 2024 follow-up Still Nervous. The crowd exploded with bodies flying, fists pumping, and sweat dripping from the ceiling. But it was the opening chord of “You’ve Got the Nerve” that triggered absolute bedlam. Think Beatles-in-’64 hysteria, but with more ripped denim, Doc Martens, and beer showers.
People in the front row looked like they’d just seen the face of punk godhood. Moshing? Nonstop. Crowd surfing? Like waves at a stormy beach. Bad Nerves weren’t just playing, they were detonating 19 tracks at breakneck speed, turning the Cambridge Room into a punk rock warzone.
With influences from The Ramones, The Clash, and a serious case of ADHD, Bad Nerves don’t mess around. Their sound? Feral garage punk fused with Britpop swagger and enough energy to power a small country.
Check out the Bad Nerves concert photo gallery below:
Dallas got the full dose, and if this was Texas’ first taste, they’re gonna need a second helping real soon.
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