YES AND MAYBE - 26 May - The Waiting Room London

Pinstriped Suits In The Height Of A Heatwave

Story by Chloe Liston

03/06/2026

On one of the hottest days of the year, it was surprising to arrive at a delightfully air-conditioned, but empty basement. Both YES AND MAYBE, and their support band Parlay could be seen milling around the upstairs and downstairs bars - jovial and happy to have a chat or a drink, but with a nervous preshow energy.

A couple of dedicated Parlay fans showed up before they kicked off. They remained confident and in high spirits, playing to what must have been a disappointingly small crowd. They’d have been easily placed on stage at The Bronze (IYKYK), delivering a late ‘90s-early ‘00s cheeky chappy vibe. Bassist Giles Webb McNamee Jr., in particular, with his white Lolita sunnies (in a basement at 8pm), was sandwiched between the two vocalists, delivering a middle-child energy. Parlay were a laugh, and more than that, they were really good, if only they’d had the turnout to support it. The quartet was quickly replaced with headliners YES AND MAYBE, sporting their signature pinstriped suits in spite of the heat. YES appearing calm and confident with guitar in hand, while Scotsman MAYBE, commented a couple of times in jest that he wasn’t ready for such intense summer weather. Playing a 13-song set before the release of their 15-track debut album (July 31st, mark your calendar), meant they must be trialling the material live. Online, aside from their released singles, the tracklist is only numbered, so it seems like they’re keeping some surprises for us. They kicked off with Train To Nowhere. I was surprised to hear that this, and every track played, had a bespoke, pre-recorded intro. A nice little touch suggesting a band that belonged on a much bigger stage. By this time the room had filled out a little, but was by no means packed, many ticketholders opting to stay home with an ice lolly rather than turn up to a sweaty basement, I’m sure.

YES AND MAYBE matched and elevated their tracks in a way that’s very rare on stage. From the intros to the instruments right through to the vocals, they keep everything tight. I always think of them as a reincarnation of MGMT with a splash of Neon Trees, so seeing them described as The Strokes-inspired has always had me confused. However, upon hearing them live I was delighted to recognise an Is This It-like quality. Their first couple of releases, God Isn’t Real and Bloody Madness bookended the rest of the set, fan favourites that are steeped in social commentary, an increasingly important factor in catching the attention of listeners. I was thrilled to hear that social commentary return in Groupthinking, an unreleased track that will no doubt take pride of place on their debut album Train To Nowhere. The set had a great energy and quality throughout, and afterwards most of the audience milled around, not wanting the night to end. Both bands spoke to everyone they could, remembering names and taking a real interest in what people had to say to them. I was blown away by both Parlay and YES AND MAYBE. They’re each on the precipice of becoming something big. Each just waiting to land a juicy support spot to catapult them into the mainstream.