The Parasites & Butterflies EU & UK Tour by Nova Twins started with two days in The Netherlands, making their way to Tilburg’s 013 for the second stop, on Thursday, September 18.
The evening gets its start with the trio of HotWax, hailing from the UK. The alternative band released their debut Hot Shock in March this year. Their grunge sound sets the mood for the evening, with vocalist Tallulah Sim-Savage and bassist Lola Sam completely in sync with each other, with drummer Alfie Sayers as their anchor. The raw emotion is matched in spirit, the unpolished nature of their set a part of the charm of the young band. The two women find each other on stage to play next to each other quite a lot. When a band is visibly having fun on stage, it positively affects everyone in the crowd as well, making for a thoroughly warmed up crowd.
It’s been two and a half years since Nova Twins played a show in The Netherlands and you can tell by the growingly anxious crowd before their start, that it’s been way too long since they saw Nova Twins live. There’s a good mix of older and younger fans of the band attending tonight, making for an interesting vibe on the floor, but the fans all have at least one thing in common: they will listen to every command the band makes.
Amy Love and Georgia South have every single person in the venue wrapped around their fingers. They interact with the crowd a lot, asking for the names of people in the front row and bonding a little. During “N.O.V.A.” they divide the crowd between Parasites (Amy’s half) and Butterflies (Georgia’s), testing which half is loudest. The butterflies win in Tilburg. The two women also climb down to the floor during “Choose Your Fighter” to get down and jump with everyone else.
Musically, Nova Twins always goes above and beyond. Vocalist Love switches between her regular microphone and a retro/vintage one to distort her voice during the more experimental songs, like in the extended outro of “Drip.” The way bassist South carries most songs on her bass is honestly just awe-inspiring, and the duo creates wild effects through their huge pedalboards (with Love on guitar every now and then) to get to their very distinct signature sound.
They show excellence in literally every area they can, refusing to cut corners. The band insists on doing everything live by themselves on the aforementioned pedalboards, true to their DIY roots. The attention to detail doesn’t just come into play for the music, but can also be found in the set theme, with huge paper flowers all over the stage, and the iconic matching fashion of the pair. It feels like there’s nothing they can’t do. Drummer Jake Woodward ironically plays the quietest role on stage, supporting the two women from the back, as Amy and Georgia naturally command the spotlight.
The inimitable Georgia and Amy have a style and energy you’ll be hard pressed to find in any other band. All the new songs from Parasites & Butterflies hit even harder live. Playing with distortion and effects in both (bass) guitars and vocals, the band keeps evolving their unique style, staying miles ahead of the curve.
The tour continues on through Europe and the UK for the next month, with a last stop in London on October 18. If the start of this tour proved anything, it’s that these shows are not to be missed. Tickets are still available for most shows on https://novatwins.co.uk/.
GALLERY: Nova Twins with Hot Wax at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands (September 18, 2025)
