Nova Twins Return to Germany
Powerhouse duo Nova Twins stormed Europe for the second time in a row following the release of their third studio album, ‘Parasites & Butterflies’. After we got to see them at Luxor in Cologne last year, we were excited to go check them out a second time – at Zeche Carl in Essen. With no regrets!
Support was the alternative rap artist Native James who took to the stage with the track ‘Raise The Alarm’, bridging the gap between metal and hip-hop effortlessly. With his band, he performed several more songs from his recent EP ‘Confessions of a sinner’, which was released in October 2025, such as ‘Fallen’ and ‘GTFU’. The singer asked the crowd to repeat the line “Do what you want, do what you want” after him as practice for the next track. “This song is called ‘Do What You Want’”, he quipped, “Surprise!” This led to a round of laughter from the attentive crowd. Native James captivated with his energetic stage presence and intricate lyrics during his eight-track setlist, firing up the concert hall at Zeche Carl for headliners Nova Twins.
The crowd was brimming with anticipation during the short break in which the stage was being set up for Amy Love and Georgia South. I, too, was excited to see them again, knowing what fire and passion they have, and what obvious talent lies in every single one of their performances. We did not have to wait too long until the intro started playing and the duo went straight into the first track of the night – the ever popular ‘Antagonist’. Singer and guitarist Amy Love’s final line “I bet you never met someone like me” set the expectation for the night (or even just in general: I promise, you will never find another band like Nova Twins).
They immediately followed up with ‘Sandman’ and ‘Cleopatra’ from the ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ and ‘Supernova’ albums, respectively. On ‘Soprano’, Amy Love proved her prowess hitting incredibly beautiful high notes. With ‘N.O.V.A’, the duo might have written a setlist staple that always gets the crowd going. One or two mosh pits followed after – my favourite kind, the one where you can stand outside of and not get hit because the fans of Nova Twins are nothing but respectful. As I said last time, the duo have built a real community in which everyone has their place and is allowed to simply enjoy the performance. If you want to jump into the mosh pit and dance? Great news – there’s no stopping the crowd at a Nova Twins gig. If you just want to sway and bop your head and scream along? You are just as welcome.
Bassist Georgia South contributed to the spirited performance not just by providing the bass-heavy sound but also by jumping all over the stage. The duo's sound is known for South’s talent on bass but also their electronic additions which seem to come from the 20+ pedals both her and Love have set up in front of them. It made sense that the only rule I got as a photographer was not to take any detailed pedalboard shots. You can tell their talent and high musical intelligence just by imagining their setup. I’m not actually exaggerating when I say that there had to be at least 20 pedals per band member. Additionally, Georgia South used a wireless effects controller she was wearing on her finger on certain songs. With it, she created synth sounds by moving her hand to and away from the bass strings. Nothing you would hear at their live shows comes from a track, which is astounding and worth any standing ovation. It is incredible how much these two performers seem to move and dance while being able to control every single sound and note of their set.
Nova Twins ended their main setlist on ‘Hummingbird’, which always manages to give me goosebumps. Amy Love has a truly amazing, one-of-a-kind voice.
After we got to yell for them to (please, please, please) play some more, the duo performed the triple treat that is ‘Black Roses’, ‘Monsters’ and ‘Glory’. As on the last tour run, ‘Glory’ was the perfect ending to another incredible show by Nova Twins. I went back home in love with them and their musical talents. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for another banging album and tour.
