NOVA TWINS, VENUS GIRLS & PRECIOUS PEPALA
A mixed bag where Pavlis enjoyed both supports but was less moved by the headliners than the rest of the crowd.
’Twas a mixed evening at Epic. With technical issues delaying admittance and this idiot having left his coat at home, there was a somewhat chilly wait of half an hour on the Magdalene Street pavement. On making it in to the venue, both Precious Pepala and Venus Grrrls played slightly truncated sets.
PRECIOUS PEPALA is a singer-songwriter from Sheffield who, reportedly in her own words, plays dark pop, rock and soul. She has 15 singles (plus a remix) to her name, the first of which was released in 2021, when she was just 17, and three EPs. Precious herself has a superb voice and is engaging between songs. Owen and John providing powerful guitars, bass and drums, with keys and backing vocals courtesy of a backing track. It is a little overwrought and powerballady for my tastes and the sound was not great – somewhat surprisingly a common thread throughout the evening – but very enjoyable nonetheless. Love Bombs is a massive pop-rock banger and Be Careful What You Wish For rocks out with a Latin swing.
The first and last time I saw VENUS GRRRLS was in 2024, when they headlined the Waterfront Studio. I was rather impressed. Tonight was also impressive, if somewhat neutered by a less than perfect sound (and a trio behind me who thought it appropriate to chunter almost all the way through the set). This time out, they were more glam-punk than the post-rock/goth that I remember but still dark and intriguing. Eliza Lee played some cracking glam-punk riffs and solos. Think Johnny Thunders, Mick (Spiders from Mars/Mott) Ronson and even Dave (Slade) Hill with a dash of Keith (PiL) Lavene and you won’t be far away. GK is a great performer, throwing in plentiful theatrical moves. Alannagh Doherty is an absolute dynamo on drums. Hannah Barraclough and Grace Stubbings – on bass and keys, respectively – fill things out to fine effect.
It has been over four years since I last saw Nova Twins, when they too headlined the Waterfront Studio. In that time, they have toured extensively, release their second and third albums, and been nominated for numerous awards. Whilst the music is undoubtedly rooted in hard and heavy rock, vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South use batteries of pedals to break out of any boundaries that may imply. The sound takes in metal, industrial, rap, soul, alternative and, without using a single synth, electronica.
The duo can play – oh man, can they PLAY – and are undoubtedly enjoying themselves. They put on a proper, old school rock show full of showmanship and the audience absolutely love it. Despite this, I just did not feel it. The sound – again – just lacked clarity and just felt like I was being run over by a steamroller. Maybe I just never fully warmed up after the wait outside. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe it was the fact that I had seen my all-time favourite band (Cardiacs, if anyone cares) just eight days before and nothing could match that. Maybe it was that Precious Pepala and Venus Grrrls both displayed more variety in their performances. Maybe it was that Nova Twins were about 15 dB louder than the supports. Or maybe I was just not in the mood. Whatever, Nova Twins just didn’t do it for me. Not for the first time, I suspect I was alone in feeling a bit underwhelmed and I will certainly see Nova Twins again given the chance but I made my excuses and left before the end.
