Family bands just got cool again, and punk just got younger. Yee Loi (“two girls” in Cantonese) are a trio of siblings bringing life back into the rock scene, touring as the supporting acts for multiple artists, but oftentimes stealing the show. The other week Leeds was blessed with a double whammy of Transvision Vamp opened by Yee Loi’s fantastically energetic set, and it takes super levels of talent to pull off what they do on stage.
All no older than 20, Rose, Matilda and Don Don have fantastic flair for their age: as if they’d all come out of the womb able to give a mean electric solo. Rose definitely did her share of those on the night, all the while throwing in scissor kick jumps and spins and making her layered hair swoosh majestically. Matilda took the lead on vocals, not too far in the back on drums that people couldn’t see the mastery with their own eyes, while Don Don humbly got his money’s worth off his bass guitar.
The trio are distinctive in their skills and personalities, and show them on stage well. Natural banter occurred between the sisters when Matilda, exuding all of us annoying younger siblings out there, announced Rose’s upcoming lead vocals on the next song. “I personally think it gets a bit squeaky though, let me know what you think,” she told the crowd, to which the oldest replied: “Very supportive, thank you.”
Infused with an upbringing spanning California and Northern England, the music is delightfully punky, and the trio’s performance of which will make even the rock avoider like what they’re cooking. At Leeds they performed a generous mix of covers and originals, the latter of which included their most popular: “Dad’s Money”, “Be Like Johnny”, and their latest single “Social Suicide”. “Poor Girl” had Rose warning the crowd to hold onto their hats, before she put on her own coonskin cap.
Three instruments, two voices, and nothing beyond is enough for Yee Loi to create awesome things on stage and in studio. Rose put it straight: “We don’t do any of that backing tracks malarkey. And we definitely don’t use AI.”
They’re an excellent choice for music lovers’ playlists; Yee Loi have a long career ahead of them, and what they’ve already done so far is enough to reignite the fire in rockheads’ hearts. We’ll be on the lookout for the next venture from the siblings bringing punk back to life.
Yee Loi are on Instagram and all major streaming platforms.