Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
With a ‘Kerpow’ Spidey himself would be rightfully proud of the latest portion of the hotly rated Nova Twins’ ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ tour hits up Cardiff. With most able support from Bex and Venus Grrrls there’s more than enough kinetic Riot grrrl energy about to be generated herein to power the Welsh Capital for a good few weeks.
Striking out with a similar sort of anarchic anti-establishment slap that The Young Ones achieved in the 1980’s jaded comedic scene this is a tour that brings the future to the present day. An approaching fulcrum point most appropriate as the much-awaited spring equinox, and the subsequent crossover into longer daylight hours, nears.
It’s the sort of evening that the misogynistic dinosaurs that sadly continue to lurk in the industry in all probability won’t like. Neither will the self-appointed archaic gatekeepers of the metal scene who oft-declare such like that ‘festival such and such isn’t metal nowadays as it once was’. For ourselves, and nigh on a thousand folks, this is what makes this all the more exhilarating. Afterall, it’s all about being ‘a bit more John Peel’ about what matters.
Darwin was bang on the money regarding evolution and I have no doubt that he would cast a discerning and knowing eye upon this evening as he once did on the Galápagos Islands and draw similar conclusions to what he did back in the 19th century. Opening up proceedings it’s a swift one-two from the supporting cast; the initial strike being struck by pocket dynamo BEX.
Feisty and impish Bex, flanked by a drummer and bassist, storms the Tramshed stage with apparent impunity. Bright and exuberant she kicks out and lays a marker with the energetic opener ‘Taste Better’. Ramparts are stormed from the off. In part Lene Lovich she makes a nod towards Courtney Love too. If Kurt Cobain and Shirley Manson had a lovechild Bex would have been the outcome.
There’s punk attitude aplenty in ‘90s Superstar’ whilst the frontal assault of the street-savvy ‘Sum Kinda Syko’ gets the Tramshed bouncing along. The Sunday evening is hotting up nicely as Bex announces “We’re gonna try something new for you” with the whimsical offerings of ‘Fairies’. “That was scary” she quips, “I don’t normally sing like that!” Evidently there’s much depth to this young musician.
Spellbinding ‘Slave 2 The Grind’ is hypnosis in punk form before the momentary quiet is despatched by the ironically titled and hyper-paced ‘silence’. “Do you know what I think of the silence?” enquires Bex; all gathered inside the Tramshed do. Short, sharp, and ultra-precise, much like the set in its entirety, ‘crybaby’ possesses sleek elvish lines leading up to the set-closing rampage of ‘SPYD4 K1NG’.
Endearing herself to the Cardiff audience by requesting their best Welsh accent her punchy approach and overriding effervescent character has charmed. As the band collapse to the stage at the end of a swift half set it’s a safe bet that the ranks of BEX’s Scum Club have swelled.
Tearing up the stages, over the last couple of years, at the likes of Leeds, Reading, Download, and Isle of Wight gothic grunge outfit Venus Grrrls have deservedly earned a burgeoning reputation. Whilst somewhat subtler in their despatch than their opening colleagues this quintet, nonetheless, deliver a weighty thrust.
Entering the fray to a droning keyed intro the band zone in with bewitching vocalist Grace Kelly roars the battlecry “Make some fucking noise Cardiff!!” Eliza Lee’s SG howls to a full lunar presence as the mooring ropes are slipped as the five-piece launch into the goth-powerage of ‘3 x 3’. Cardiff rapidly understands the Grrr that this outfit put into Grrrls.
Kelly is absolute power, melding Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush with compelling ease. The band tread the diverse trails of both in the crystalline airs of ‘Divine’ ahead of the gothic shimmering sparkles (yes, the Cimmerian atmosphere can take this form) of the fury of ‘Ivy Tree’. Lee’s six-stringing taps into the driving essence of The Cure as the pagan vitality uplifts.
Underpinned by the secure percussive elements of Alannagh Doherty (drums). ‘Mother Knows’ roars. Ever wonder what Zeppelin gone goth would’ve sounded like? Ponder no more. Cogent incantations are woven within the gothic ethereal depths of ‘Bloodsick’ like darkened sirens calling luringly from their perilous rocks. Surging forth ‘Hex’ rasps with unerring accuracy leading into new offering ‘Eve’ that summons a seismic presence with a haunting essence within.
Corvids cackle raucously as they settle upon their sombre roosts as Cardiff is immersed in an aphotic mood with the soaring excellence of ‘Eighteen Crows’ that brings the allotted 30 minutes to a triumphant denouement. Two opening acts, two swift half hour sets and two quite different examples of where the future of metal is heading towards. Safe to say that future is in good, competent hands.
Further bolstering, and indeed signing off upon, the documentation proving the advancement of metal into realms new headliners Nova Twins stride out to a packed Tramshed. Whilst not quite full the healthily sized end of the weekend ensemble buzz with expectancy and erupt volcanically upon the trio’s entrance.
Ice white strobes flicker ultra-rapidly as they tear right into the raw and unapologetically loud ‘Antagonist’ sets the mood. Rapid-fire with a gritty urbaneness the heavy fuzzed-up destructive starter lights the touch paper. In a switch about from the previous couple of dates this track has traded places from encore opener to set opener with ‘Black Roses’. It’s the same effect with a fervent crowd lapping up the Nova Twins’ very own brand of chaos.
The earthquake-inducing ‘Sandman’ follows, the first foray into last year’s breakout album ‘Parasites & Butterflies’. With all bar one of its twelve tracks played during their 90 minutes onstage it’s an output they’re rightfully proud of. It’s despatched with a hyper-caffeinated livewire energy that is prominent throughout. Amy Love’s soaring cathedral-dwelling vocals shine amidst a granular urbanity that is generated by bassist extraordinaire Georgia South.
The rumbling of ‘Cleopatra’ tears Cardiff asunder; the Tramshed are right onside. Sirens wail for the approach of ‘Taxi’ and the Welsh capital, once again, erupts on a Vesuvian scale. Genres are blurred and bent one way and the next with the truly diverse crowd readily swept along in the headiness of it all. Amongst the rage and fuzz there’s a subtle leaning, that I detect, towards the mid-90s Bristol trip-hop scene. Massive Attack and Portishead flicker and shimmer.
‘Soprano’ is 100% dynamo but tech gremlins creep in resulting in guitar tech Jordan affecting a running repair with South having to transfer from wireless to a cabled connection. The tech’s efforts are rewarded with a cheer and an impromptu birthday singsong in Welsh. Back on track ‘Hide & Seek’ bounces and whirls dervishly with the hyperactivity phasing into the sorcery of ‘Parallel Universe’.
The fuzzy pugilism of ‘N.O.V.A’ is wired with the Tramshed chanting and singing to this anthemic offering. The surging contagion of ‘K.M.B’ picks up the baton as this corner of Cardiff heats up even further. The innovation within shines coruscant in ‘Drip’; whilst a completely different realm I lean towards thinking that this is what Hendrix must have been perceived as when initially ripping up the fabric of the 60s.
The thumping tremors of ‘Choose Your Fighter’ sees Love dive into the midst of the crowd sending the venue’s security into a frenzy of attentive action. South, somewhat ‘tethered’ by her cable ventures into the pit seemingly wishing to get into the thick of things herself. Growling and snapping ‘Piranha’ follows with Love motioning for, and generating, a circle pit as the Tramshed boils and seethes. The haunting vibrancy of ‘Hummingbird’ draws the main set to a close with trip-hop elements gleaming. With a lengthy buildup the track detonates wildly with a strongarm climax to bring the house down.
The venue’s interior echoes to the volumes of demand for “One more song”, the gathering aren’t going to let go quietly and the Nova Twins naturally respond. With a three-track encore the crowd is satiated. The fireworks of ‘Black Roses’ are incendiary whilst the hurricane forces of ‘Monsters’ goes down an absolute storm. Hip-hop and grime meet metal head-on in the set-closing eruption of Glory’.
This evening has been a memorable one and one I strongly suspect that will morph into ‘I was there’ kind of moment. One I passionately believe that will live as strong in the memory as witnessing Portishead, at the very height of their powers, utterly decimate the Acoustic Tent at Glastonbury 1995. As I wrote earlier the dinosaurs and gatekeepers probably won’t like it but no-one inside the Tramshed tonight will give a damn. It’s been a wondrous two-fingered salute to the ‘establishment’ and as my esteemed colleague Paul Hutchings wrote in his review for Metal Talk the Nova Twins are going to be huge!
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
