Nova Twins | Venus Grrrls | BEX
Chalk, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
13th March 2026
Nova Twins kicked off their 2026 Butterflies and Parasites UK and EU Headline Tour with an exhilarating performance at Brighton’s Chalk. Amy Love and Georgia South said ahead of the gig that “[we] can’t wait to get feral,” and they were not kidding as they acutely demonstrated on the first night of their ten-date tour.
It was an early start down on the south coast with Chalk’s doors opening at 6pm for the first of three live performances commencing at 6:45pm. The lengthy queue that assembled well before time indicated the anticipation and excitement among the eager crowd. Clearly, they’d all got the support act memo and were embracing the Nova Twins mantra of: “Feel seen…be immersed in a safe space…be authentically yourself”.
BEX, the woman and the three-piece band, were first up on the Chalk stage, much to the delight of her well-established fans and those who were just about to be adopted into her growing community, The Scum Club. The petite pocket rocket, with “Double the bass, Triple The Bubbles”, could have powered a small village with the energy she had; it was incredible. During her and her band’s, incendiary eight-track set, she was barely still, aside from when she sang her new, slower track – Fairies. “I don’t normally sing like that she said, it was scary”.
Starting with Taste Better, through SOS Superstar, Sum Kinda Syko and finishing off with Crybaby and SPYD4 K1NG, BEX stomped and kicked her way through an unforgettable opening set. She took time out to wave to her Mum, Teresa, with whom she’d made her own merch (Bex does like to sew and crochet apparently) and even had time for a slow dance with bassist Josh. Crowd instructions for vocal participation were issued ahead of the final track, SPYD4 K1NG, as BEX rounded off her quite extraordinary punk performance with a stage dive. “Are you gonna catch me? Don’t let me fall….this is my favourite part,” she said, as she finished off her very well received set.
Next up were Leeds-based Goth-Grunge five-piece, Venus Grrrls. Grace Kelly (vocals/guitar), Jess Ayres (lead guitar), Hannah Barraclough (bass), Grace Stubbings (synth), and Gabby Cooke (drums) had a hard act to follow, and to be honest for much of their set, they didn’t seem fully committed. Grace thanked the crowd for “getting down early to catch us” before sharing the band’s new song – Eve, a set highlight. Grace’s powerful vocal and Jess Ayres standout guitar performance combined to showcase a likely future favourite.
Although they played many of their best known tracks, including their latest single 3×3, their biggest single to date – Hex, as well as The Ivy Tree and closer Eighteen Crows, Venus Grrrls lacked a little of their Riot Grrrl fight, whether it was the energy of the opening act, or the anticipation of what was to come, Venus Grrrls found it harder to make a connections with their more subdued performance.
The departure of Venus Grrrls saw the stage cleared for the evening headliner, Nova Twins. Support band drums were removed, and three huge white crepe paper flower stands were installed to compliment the black roses adorning the two mic stands. If the congested photo pit was representative of how hotly anticipated this show was, then Nova Twins are clearly a must see act.
Nova Twins 90 minute, 16 track, sold-out Butterflies and Parasites headline set started just after 8:30pm. The only track from last year’s album of the same name not to make the cut was Hurricane as Nova Twins played through 11 of B&P’s 12 tracks in blistering fashion. The album’s closing track, Black Roses, opened the show in spectacular style. As Love sang out, “Black roses, black roses. So deadly, pure poison”, and the squall of beautiful noise rang out across the darkened room, you already knew it was going to be a special night. “Thank God for live music” Amy said, clearly enjoying the band’s return to the stage. “Respect to you, respect to the venue”.
Taxi, the only track played from the Twins debut album Who are The Girls?, followed Cleopatra and Sandman as the intensity grew and grew further into the set. By the time Parallel Universe arrived mid-set, Love and South were cooking on gas and loving, along with the pumped up crowd, every minute. Strobe lights lit up the room to every drum beat as the ferocity of the show built through N.O.V.A, and then K.M.B from 2022’s Supernova. “Emergency, I think I just killed my boyfriend” sang Amy with a theatrical bent.
The excitable and frenzied mosh pit had already been dialled up to 11 as Georgia shredded her bass and Amy strutted and shimmied her way across the stage. For set highlight, Choose Your Fighter Love, and South decided to join the mosh pit, guitars and all, as they both jumped off the stage and into the sweaty crowd. The song continued as the mosh pit whirled around the Nova Twins in the centre of the venue. The ear splitting, thunderous noise whipped the crowd up still further with the Twins fuelling a willing fire.
The scuzzy licks of Piranha, and far gentler harmonies of Hummingbird closed out the main set before the Twins returned for a three track encore that included Antagonist, Monsters and finally Parasites & Butterflies’ magnificent opening track – Glory. It was an opening night to remember as the band thanked the crowd, took a bow, and took some photos.
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You can find Nova Twins online here: They’re also on
Facebook and X as @NovaTwinsMusic
You can find Venus Grrrls online here: They’re also on
Instagram
You can find BEX online here: They’re also on Instagram
All words by Andrew Lockwood. More writing by Andrew Lockwood can be found at his author’s archive.
All photos by Aaron Thompson. AMP Photography
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