Live: Nova Twins at Melkweg Up, Amsterdam

Two girls, one galactic mission: Nova Twins brought their bass-heavy songwriting to a packed, sweaty Melkweg in Amsterdam. With the success of their latest genre-bending album Supernova and a European tour under their belt, the duo is quickly becoming one of the most exciting acts to look out for live and on record.

Nova Twins at Melkweg Up, Amsterdam (Picture by Jordanka Waiyaki)

After a long delay due to Covid-19, Nova Twins have brought their unique sound to the European mainland on their first headline tour outside of the UK. Following up a previous support slot for Yungblud, singer Amy Love and bassist Georgia South were now able to showcase their punk approach to live shows in more intimate venues.

The support act Dream Nails does not join the Amsterdam tour date, resulting in a longer waiting period before Nova Twins enter the stage armed with killer tracks. 'Fire and Ice' opens the show with a general introduction to their sound: Georgia South serves as the key element to Nova Twin's songwriting, providing punchy bass lines which equally act as foundation as well as grimy synth noise you might ascribe to artists such as Skepta or even Tom Morello. South's pedalboard takes a good beating during the show as she integrates octave wobble effects into her groovy playing. On top of this thick layer of sound, Amy Love joins in with fuzz riffs, vocally swiftly switching between distorted delivery, rapped verses and melodic choruses as seen in 'Taxi' or 'Puzzles'.

Nova Twins playing 'Undertaker'

The duo runs through the set seamlessly with an arsenal of effects up their sleeves and smiles all-round. For this tour run, tracks from 'Supernova' hold center stage, peaking in songs like 'Cleopatra' or the mosh-inducing 'K.M.B.'. The crowd also goes haywire to the older fan favourite 'Losing Sleep', which captures the essence of the band's love for riff-based songwriting and heaviness. In one of the quieter moments on the setlist, 'Sleep Paralysis' serves as a more eerie track that leaves the audience longing for more before the group leaves the stage.

The three song encore of 'Antagonist', 'Undertaker' and 'Choose Your Fighter' highlights the duo's talent for punishing grooves and anthemic singalongs with a rough edge. The refreshingly non-binary and female dominated crowd makes for an absolute safe space filled with dance-offs and crowdsurfing rather than bloody noses.

After this tight-knit and energetic set, Love mentions a new tour for March on the horizon. With the badass prowess the band brings to the table, it is only a matter of time until Nova Twins truly explode in Europe. Those new to the band now have the chance to hop on the fuming missile this band is hurtling towards the world, or get blown away by remaining a naysayer to their power.

Rating: 4/5 feathers

Nova Twins played:

1. Fire & Ice

2. Cleopatra

3. Toolbox

4. Wave

5. Puzzles

6. Taxi

7. K.M.B.

8. Losing Sleep

9. Bullet

10. Play Fair

11. Sleep Paralysis
    

12. Antagonist

13. Undertaker

14. Choose Your Fighter