Big Time!

Unstoppable and unapologetic, Spiritual Cramp has hit the road again to cement their place as one of this generation's leading voices in the mod punk scene. Coming off the 2025 release of their sophomore album, RUDE, the band hit 2026 in full stride with a month-long 24 city tour across the US and Canada. On March 18th, San Francisco’s notorious bad-boys, Spiritual Cramp, brought their Rudest Band in the World Tour to headline Neumos in Seattle. 

Nearing the end of the tour, the Seattle show featured support from fellow San Francisco hardcore band Fentanyl, which includes Spiritual Cramp guitarist Nate Punty, and Mississippi garage-punks Bass Drum of Death. While these bands differ sonically from Spiritual Cramp’s 70’s inspired mod-indie punk, their inclusion on the bill felt personal. This curated lineup spoke to the band’s hardcore and garage roots as many members cut their teeth in these scenes. Having these two bands on tour with them pays homage to the scenes that shaped the members and the band as a whole. 

After high energy performances from the opening bands injected with high jumps and kicks, the fans in Seattle shouted as the six members of Spiritual Cramp’s ensemble took the stage: Mike Bingham (vocals), Nate Punty (guitar), Mike Fenton (bass), Jose Luna (keys, programming, tambourine), Orville Neely III (guitar), and Julian Smith (drums). 

The room fell silent as the band stood in position, all eyes locked on Bingham’s silhouette, awaiting his move to ignite the stage. He barked “Big Time” and the band erupted straight into the fast-paced, Ramones inspired song “Go Back Home.” Driven by speed and precision, “Go Back Home” embodies everything you’d want out of a rock’n’roll song: catchy chorus, an electrifying guitar solo by Punty, and an anthemic “Hey Ho!” chant to top it off. 

From that point on, the set was a never ending crescendo of energy as the band’s aura oozed out of them. Every moment radiated confidence and every note landed with such arrogance as they ripped through a setlist stacked with tracks from RUDE and self-titled Spiritual Cramp, tossing in a few rippers from their 2018 EP Television. When the band launched into “At My Funeral,” their energy and charisma overtook the room. The crowd, consumed by the essence the song demands, shouted the chorus back to Bingham in unison. I too was swept up in the frenzy, neglecting my photography duties, and embraced the man next to me in the pit as we all sang “At my funeral, nobody came, Everybody knew my sh*t was lame!” 

No member of Spiritual Cramp out shadows the other and every member perfectly embodies their role and persona on stage. Throughout the evening, Punty and Neely performed a tag team attack of guitar solos and gritty riffs. Luna, the most commanding keys player I've ever witnessed, effortlessly flowed across stage as he would do split jumps while playing the tambourine. Fenton’s bass and Smith’s drums steered the ship, the propulsive engine that provided the relentless backbone that fuels the band's danceable post-punk energy. The band held the entire room in the palm of their hands. No corner of Neumos was left unscathed by the intoxicating swagger these showmen commanded. 

From start to finish, whether the band was tearing through a newly released song or nailing a fan favorite from the past, the crowd never missed a beat. With unrelenting energy, they moved, danced, jumped, and sang as the band played highlights like “Upset Stomach,” “Dog in a Cage,” and “Talkin’ on the Internet.” Towards the end of the set, the band covered “Jerk It Out” by Caesars, serving as a reminder that Spiritual Cramp thrives on their heavily rooted indie influences.

Spiritual Cramp has one date remaining on their Rudest Band in the World Tour. If you missed the gig the other night or any of the other dates on this tour cycle, there is no doubt that their final date of tour, Saturday night in Los Angeles, will be an epic conclusion to a tour of a band on fire. 

Photos and review by Matt Campbell