Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall is best known for hosting the Hallé Orchestra and international classical stars, but on an icy cold Friday night – 21st November, 2025 – it became the unlikely home of punk rebellion. As Adam Ant’s Antmusic Tour rolled into town, support act Yee Loi — the Wirral trio of sisters Rose and Matilda with bassist Don Don — took the stage, and totally stole the show! For those unfamiliar, Yee Loi is one of the UK’s youngest punk outfits, signed to Modern Sky UK. Rose and Matilda began playing Ramones songs in their family barn at ages ten and eight, uploading videos to YouTube that quickly caught the attention of punk veterans. Their reputation grew through raw covers of Blitzkrieg Bop and Sheena is a Punk Rocker, before they developed their own material and released their debut album No One Eats For Free.
Behind the scenes, Modern Sky UK has provided the guidance and infrastructure that a young band needs. Acting as both label and management, the company has co-ordinated the trio’s promotion, distribution, and touring opportunities — including this high‑profile support slot with Adam Ant. For a group still in their teens, that backing has been crucial in turning grassroots energy into national exposure. Now, with reviews from earlier tour stops hailing them as “the future of punk” and “full of fury, full of energy, full of fun,” Manchester offered a chance to see whether that hype holds true, and whether a band born from barnyard covers could command one of the city’s most prestigious venues.
Punk Energy, Classical Venue, Originals and Covers
Yee Loi’s set balanced their own material with carefully chosen covers. Their originals — Poor Girl, Ghosts of Vegas, Dad’s Money, and others from debut album No One Eats For Free — showed grit and confidence. Ghosts of Vegas in particular stood out, its swaggering riffs and snarling vocals hinting at a band ready to carve its own identity. Ghosts of Vegas carried a style that felt cinematic, its riffs echoing like neon lights flickering in the desert night. Matilda’s vocals are second to none, supported expertly by older sister, Rose, whilst the young starlet’s drumming generates a relentless pulse throughout the entire set. Mystery Train is a special cover, as well, originally recorded by Junior Parker in 1953 and made famous by Elvis Presley in 1955.
Yee Loi’s version strips away the rockabilly polish and now it has been rebuilt as a punk anthem. With Rose’s guitar snarling and Matilda’s intense beats, the song became a bridge between eras — a nod to heritage and a declaration of intent. Where Elvis’s version rolled with rockabilly swing, Yee Loi’s interpretation delivered an urgency, turning the train into a runaway engine of punk power. Covers of other genre-staples rounded out the set. Blitzkrieg Bop and Sheena is a Punk Rocker paid homage to the Ramones, while Search and Destroy brought Iggy Pop’s chaos to life. These choices weren’t just filler; they were statements. By placing their own songs alongside punk’s canon, Yee Loi positioned themselves as heirs to that tradition, while proving they could stand shoulder to shoulder with it.
Performance and Crowd Reaction
What stood out most in Manchester was the individuality each member brought to the stage. Matilda’s was the centrepiece of the triumvirate, channelling a seemingly endless supply of strength and expertise beyond her years, whilst her voice – developing in maturity with each showcase – has such a clarity and bite that audience members who hadn’t even heard of Yee Loi before were proclaiming their newfound love of them! Rose regularly danced across the stage with infectious zest, at one point taking lead vocals herself, proving she’s as comfortable fronting as she is riffing. Don Don, cool and composed on guitar, provided the steady backbone that allowed the chaos to flourish, yet exuding a charm and vibe that will serve him very well as the years go by. Together, they created a dynamic that felt both tight and spontaneous — the kind of chemistry that only comes from years of playing together since childhood. At first, the audience seemed curious rather than committed, many waiting for Adam Ant’s theatrics, many not even turning up until almost the end of the set.
However, as Yee Loi’s hits blasted out and unfolded before everyone, the mood shifted. By the time the final few tracks rang out, heads were nodding, voices joined in, and the trio had won over a crowd that hadn’t come expecting punk. People were being drawn into the main auditorium earlier than they had perhaps desired based purely on the aural delights pumping from the main stage. That ability to convert scepticism into enthusiasm is perhaps Yee Loi’s greatest strength. Harking back to the days when Maximo Park came to Manchester as an unknown support for Kaiserchiefs, yet totally upstaged the more established act, Yee Loi well and truly did the same on that cold Mancunian night, leaving the aged Prince Charming himself in their wake. Many of Manchester’s crowd may have missed out on the real spectacle of the evening, but those that ventured in saw these siblings Stand and Deliver a rip-roaring performance that will not soon be forgotten.
Tour Context and Significance
Across the tour, Yee Loi has played to audiences in Stockton, York, and Glasgow, each time delivering a compact set of songs. That consistency has helped them build recognition, with fans beginning to anticipate their blend of originals and punk standards. Manchester was no exception, but the grandeur of Bridgewater Hall gave their performance an added sense of occasion. Past shows have seen critics heaping praise on Yee Loi, and this Manchester pre-Christmas treat lived up to the billing and more. They didn’t just play songs; they embodied punk’s ethos of rebellion, fun, and immediacy. With further support slots lined up, including Spike and the Gimme Gimmes in Nottingham this December, Yee Loi is positioning itself as one of the UK’s most exciting young punk acts.
Great up & coming band & a worthy review.
Great review!