Bristol O2 Academy – 9/12/21
Nova Twins
We fell in love with Amy & Georgie after they were recommended to us more than two years ago by @handsoffgretel & instantly became one of our most loved bands. However, Thursday was the first opportunity we’d had to experience NT live! We were not disappointed!
It has to be said Bristol crowds can be notoriously fickle when it comes to opening acts. I’ve seen crowds rudely chat amongst themselves as if the band on stage were background music. I’ve also seen them go harder than they ended up for the headliner .I was however pretty confident that NT had the energy & the tracks to rip this lot a new one.
The first evidence that the crowd were loving it was as early as track 2 “Vortex” the hard barge/shove in my back enough to bring a smile to my face. Sure enough I turned around to see the crowd moshing hard behind me. Amy also seeing this & acknowledging that’s why they love coming to Bristol.
Nova Twins are in so many ways the perfect live band. A raw, visceral sound. Coupled with a double act oozing charisma & stage presence. Georgia, either has calf muscles of steel or they have been replaced with industrial springs, man that lady can BOUNCE … literally full on energy the whole set. Amy owns whatever space she is accommodated by the stage & delivers with a confidence that means she never loses eye contact with the crowd. Shrinking the large venue to that of a small, intimate gig as she sinks to sing directly at the front row…. before exploding back to her feet & causing the floor of the main hall to bounce with her in unison.
The 7 song set was smashed in true NT style. With performances of “play fair”, “wave” & “taxi” standing out. Before a crowd swirling finale of “undertaker” brought about the close. Nova Twins return to Bristol in March to quite rightly headline in their own right at The Thekla. We urge you to grab a ticket because you won’t be seeing NT play venues of this size much longer. They are destined for much bigger things.
Tickets
https://www.alttickets.com/nova-twins-tickets/bristol-thekla/2022-03-18-19-30
DINOSAUR PILE UP
The effects of Covid seem to be casting a dark shadow again over the music industry. Becoming all too apparent again on Thursday with two of the three bands missing key members of their line ups. However, DPU were determined that the show in Bristol would take place no matter what …
We’re glad it did as they produced a strong set drawing on the bands four studio albums that kept the pre Enter Shikari crowd momentum at the required level.
DPU are staples of the British festival seen for more than a decade now. Part of that success is their cross range appeal. Morphing their sound between Weezer, The Foos, Nirvana and more effortlessly, to end up with something that is unmistakably their own.
The set started strongly enough with “Arizona Warning” from 2013s “Nature Nurture ” (was it really that long ago 
) and building steadily in pace & volume until Lead vocalist Matt Bigland stopped the show to explain how drummer Mike Sheils had caught Covid & DPU had to drop out of the previous two shows. However an emergency call to old mate, Blake Davies, from Bristol’s own @turbowolfband had saved the day. Blake racing back from Belgium and learning the set in just 3 hours meaning tonight’s show could go ahead. This received major props from the crowd & seemed to energise the band into really cranking up the second half of their set with beautifully dirty versions of “11:11” & “Thrash Metal Cassette” and finishing up with 2019s “Backfoot”
A great band that put everything into making sure the show went ahead. And we all wish Mike a speedy recovery
Enter Shakira
It’s a lesser known scientific fact that nuclear fusion generates less energy than Enter Shikari.
So it should come as no surprise that the only thing the gig at a sold out Bristol O2 Academy was missing was a mushroom cloud.
Enter Shikari just BRING it… they always have, they always will. And it’s that guaranteed energy that means the crowd were always on the edge of exploding whilst awaiting the bands arrival.
Shikari arrived on stage a man down, bassist Chris Batten recovering from Covid, but still hilariously played his part in the show with synthesised sound bites. The rest of the band Rou Reynolds, Rob Rolfe & Rory Clewlow cranked up their levels to somewhere above maximum & delivered the astonishing set we’ve become accustomed too.
Starting with the Great Unknown and projecting us like a missile through 19 tracks (5 in the encore alone) that charted every part of the groups 20 year history.
The crowd at times were deafening as they strained everything they had to be a part of the band, the moment, the memory.
The positivity Enter Shikari generate at a show, if bottled, could change the world. Every person in that venue will a-test to feeling a sense of euphoria & feeling of being able to change things for the better just for being in the presence of one of the most iconic British acts of the past two decades.
Tour or festival Enter Shikari are a absolute must see live band.
@thebristolnomad 
@matt.captures
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