NOVA TWINS + VENUS GRRRLS + BEX – CHALK, BRIGHTON 13.3.26
Nova Twins kicked off the opening night of their 2026 UK and EU tour with a sold‑out show at Brighton’s Chalk venue courtesy of LOUT promoters. This was in support of their new album ‘Parasites & Butterflies’. The London duo of Amy Love and Georgia South have become one of the most inventive and influential forces in modern rock, and the sense of anticipation in the room made that clear. Chalk felt primed for a night that would showcase exactly why Nova Twins continue to push boundaries and pull crowds wherever they go.
Before Nova Twins took to the stage the venue was energised by two fierce support sets from BEX and Venus Grrrls.
Bex stylized as BEX opened the night with a jolt of bass‑driven punk energy that immediately set Chalk buzzing. Backed by a drummer and an additional bassist, the Brighton artist launched straight into ‘Taste Better’, a fast, furious burst of alt‑rock grit. From the outset she was working the room, crouching at the edge of the stage to meet the front row eye‑to‑eye and pulling the early crowd into the moment.
After the punchy ‘90s Superstar’, she grinned and promised, “Brighton, we’re going to have fun tonight,” and the room responded in kind. ‘Sum Kinda Syko’ pushed things further into upbeat punk‑pop, complete with BEX’s eerie mid‑song laughter adding a playful, theatrical edge.
A brief shift in pace followed with the new track ‘Fairies’, introduced as “one to sway to,” and the emo‑leaning ‘Slave 2 The Grind’, framed as “one to slow dance.” The punkier side snapped back into focus with ‘Silence’ and the crowd‑clapping momentum of ‘Crybaby’.
Before the finale she asked, “Can you catch me? I have a wireless mic now.” Seconds later she was surfing across the Chalk crowd, a chaotic, joyful end to a high‑voltage opening set that set the tone for the night ahead.
Bex:
Bex – vocals
? – bass
? – drums
Bex setlist:
‘Taste Better’ (a 2024 single release)
‘90s Superstar’ (unreleased)
‘Sum Kinda Syko’ (a 2024 single release)
‘Fairies’ (unreleased)
‘Slave 2 The Grind’ (a 2023 single release)
‘Silence’ (a 2025 single release)
‘Crybaby’ (a 2025 single release)
‘SpyD4 K1ng’ (from 2023 ‘Scum’ EP)
Second on the bill were Leeds outfit Venus Grrrls, bringing a dark alt‑rock sound steeped in goth‑grunge textures and an unmistakable early riot grrrl undercurrent. The five‑piece of Grace Kelly (vocals, guitar), Jess Ayres (guitar), Hannah Barraclough (bass), Grace Stubbings (synth) and Gabby Cooke (drums) were commanding from the moment they stepped onstage, shifting between brooding tension and explosive release with real precision.
They opened with ‘3 X 3’, their recent single, a driving rock track laced with gothic tones. When Grace leaned into the mic and declared, “Let’s make some f*ing noise,” the room rose to meet her. Across ‘Divine’ and the early part of the set, her vocal range stood out with screamed lines often softening at the end, as if drawing the listener closer rather than pushing them back.
A drop in pace followed as the lighting dimmed. ‘Ivy Tree’ arrived with a spookier intro and a gentler touch, while ‘Mother Knows’ carried a new‑wave shimmer, its quieter passages punctured by sharp bursts of guitar. ‘Bloodsick’ shifted gears again, opening with spoken lines before erupting into frantic, urgent vocals.
The atmosphere darkened further for ‘Hex’, lit in deep red and delivered with whispered menace. The Brighton crowd was then treated to a new track, ‘Eve’, a heavier piece balancing sung and spoken sections. Venus Grrrls closed with ‘Crows’, introduced by a horror‑film‑style sound clip, with Grace singing from the photo‑pit barrier, a final, commanding flourish to a set that steadily built the room’s energy.
Venus Grrrls:
Grace Kelly – vocals, rhythm guitar
Jess Ayres – lead guitar
Hannah Barraclough – bass
Grace Stubbings – synth
Gabby Cooke – drums
Venus Grrrls setlist:
‘3 X 3’ (a 2025 single)
‘Divine’ (a 2024 single)
‘Ivy Tree’ (a 2025 single)
‘Mother Knows’ (unreleased)
‘Bloodsick’ (a 2024 single)
‘Hex’ (a 2023 single)
‘Eve’ (unreleased)
‘Crows’ (unreleased)
Nova Twins arrived to a room already buzzing from two fierce support sets, the stage dressed with giant paper flowers and the air thick with anticipation. As an apocalyptic‑sounding backing track rolled out, Amy Love and Georgia South stepped into huge cheers, joined by their drummer, ready to deliver the kind of genre‑smashing performance that has made them one of the most celebrated forces in modern rock.
The London duo, fusing bass‑heavy grime and alt‑rock, wasted no time, launching into ‘Black Roses’, a track with real punch and a grime‑edged swagger that set the tone for the stunning set to follow.
‘Sandman’ brought a more electronic feel, its playful effects and higher‑pitched vocals showing the breadth of their sound. Amy shifted vocal styles with ease throughout the night, with the urban rap inflections of ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Taxi’, the soaring high notes of ‘Soprano’. Whatever direction she took, the crowd sang every line back with full‑throated enthusiasm. The energy onstage was relentless: Amy covering almost every inch of space, Georgia often airborne as she attacked her bass lines.
‘Parallel Universe’ was introduced as “one to jump around to,” though the crowd had been doing exactly that since the first song. The set moved fluidly between styles, the rock‑leaning ‘N.O.V.A’, the R&B‑tinged edges of ‘K.M.B.’, before the pounding rhythms of ‘Drip’ sent the room surging again. Mid‑set, the duo took the show into the crowd itself, a circle forming around them as fans danced and shouted along.
Back onstage, the thumping intro of ‘Piranha’, faintly reminiscent of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ , hit with real force. Then came a complete shift: ‘Hummingbird’, almost mystical in its opening, dropped the pace to something tender and reflective. Its soaring vocal rise and near‑solo ending earned one of the loudest cheers of the night.
A brief pause led into a three‑song encore. ‘Antagonist’ reignited the rock‑grime fire, ‘Monsters’ landed like a full‑blown anthem, and ‘Glory’ closed the night with a choral shimmer before erupting back into noise, Amy singing on her knees as Georgia played over her. Chalk was left buzzing, many fans raising a rock salute in appreciation of a truly electrifying headline set.
Nova Twins:
Amy Love – vocals, guitar
Georgia South – bass
? – drums
Nova Twins setlist:
‘Black Roses’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Sandman’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Cleopatra’ (from 2022 ‘Supernova’ album)
‘Taxi’ (from 2020 ‘Who Are the Girls?’ album)
‘Soprano’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Hide & Seek’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Parallel Universe’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘N.O.V.A’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘K.M.B.’ (from 2022 ‘Supernova’ album)
‘Drip’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Choose Your Fighter’ (from 2022 ‘Supernova’ album)
‘Piranha’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Hummingbird’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
(encore)
‘Antagonist’ (from 2022 ‘Supernova’ album)
‘Monsters’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
‘Glory’ (from 2025 ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ album)
