Crystal Buchberger 
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
Royal Blood + Bad Nerves
5/17/24 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI
Review + Photos © Crystal Buchberger
It was a warm and sunny day in Madison as The Sylvee hosted tonight’s concert. Walking up to the venue you can see two vans parked in front wrapped in local radio station designs for 94.1 WJJO and The Resistance 106.7. The line was wrapped around the block with an excited crowd as the doors opened for the show. Security moved swiftly to hustle everyone inside. Many fans ran straight to the headliner’s merch booth, Royal Blood, conveniently located directly to the right of the entrance, while others stood in line to purchase an ice-cold beer before taking their place in the pit. As soon as the lights started to dim, everyone knew it was showtime!
The crowd cheered as the only opening band, Bad Nerves, took the stage. Their witty banter and free-flowing attitude set the tone for their show. “That shirt has my face on it!” Bobby Nerves, lead vocalist, proclaimed while pointing to a member in the crowd.
Their sound hit hard and made you feel like you were in a friend’s garage, watching them play punk music. “We’re going to be playing this song for the rest of our lives,” Bobby exclaimed right before they played the intro to their hit song, ‘Can’t Be Mine.’ You can tell that the band was there to have a good time.
Between sets, the lines to the bar were long. Madison is a city known for drinking and partying hard. You can take a short walk in any direction of The Sylvee and easily find a unique place to drink.
As the lights dimmed for Royal Blood’s opening song, ‘Out of the Black,’ people abandoned their spots in line to watch the show. Royal Blood consists of two life-long friends, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher. Mike takes control of the vocals and bass guitar while Ben takes his throne on the drums. Both members shared the stage, with the drums in front and slightly offset to the right, instead of the typical back and to the center.
Royal Blood played fiercely and confidently. Their smooth, metallic sound radiated throughout the venue. By song two, ‘Come On Over,’ Ben had already decided to amp up the crowd another level by jumping off the stage and making his way into the pit to high-five all of the fans. There were even a few crowdsurfers that emerged.
After “Loose Change” and a short break, the guys reappeared to his us with ‘Waves,’ and ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton.’ Many crowd favorites were mixed into their set but of course, they saved their most popular song for last. Many fangirl screams filled the room within seconds of the opening riffs of ‘Figure It Out.’
“Madison! We fucking love you!” Mike yelled out as he bowed with Ben Thatcher before walking off the stage. The lights brightened and many people started to make their way outside, while several front-row fans stayed behind for a chance to get a memento from tonight’s show, “I got the setlist!” a woman screamed as she ran to her friend to show it off. Walking outside, the sun was gone and the cooler breeze was refreshing. Royal Blood and Bad Nerves set the perfect tone for music enthusiasts looking for a great Friday night in Madison.
Check out our concert photo gallery for Royal Blood below:
Check out our concert photo gallery for Bad Nerves below:
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