S.L.R. Magazine

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LIVE REVIEW AND PHOTO GALLERY: THE SOAP GIRLS PERFORMING LIVE AT TRANSPLANTS BREWING COMPANY IN PALMDALE, CA, MONDAY JULY 28, 2025, PART OF THEIR NORTH AMERICAN U.S. TOUR, BY DON MARCELO

For me as a music photographer, there is nothing more exciting to photograph than a band who is visually stunning; a band who is dynamic, creative, and fierce on stage; a band who can actually sing, perform, rock out loud and hard, and play their instruments without missing a beat; and a band who can…

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For me as a music photographer, there is nothing more exciting to photograph than a band who is visually stunning; a band who is dynamic, creative, and fierce on stage; a band who can actually sing, perform, rock out loud and hard, and play their instruments without missing a beat; and a band who can engage authentically with their fans and the audience and have a meaningful conversation and discussion on what is right and what is wrong in today’s society. On this night, that band was The Soap Girls, a post alternative rock, grunge, and punk band with hints of pop-punk who pushes the boundaries of the norm, unapologetically. They came to California and stopped by in The City of Palmdale at Transplants Brewing Company as part of their North American U.S. Tour.

Written by Don Marcelo

The Soap Girls consists of two sisters from South Africa who are French-born, Noemie or “Mie” Debray and Camille or “Mille” Debray. The sisters are the only true members of the band who uses different drummers when they are touring and when they are recording. Mie is the guitarist and Mille is the bassist and they both share and take turns as lead vocals.

There are times (like on this night) when I like to check out a band and see them perform without me knowing anything about them because I like to discover new music and new acts with an open mind, open eyes, and open ears. It was no exception on this night. The Soap Girls were unfamiliar to me except for the fact that I was introduced to The Soap Girls by one of my followers from Japan on Instagram, Mr. Ko Watanabe, where I saw a photo of Mille bending backwards while playing her bass guitar (a signature pose from what I understand). I said to myself when I saw that photograph, “Man, I would love to photograph her performance on stage someday. I bet she could do other things besides bending backwards.” Despite that fact, I really didn’t know anything else about The Soap Girls. So that someday came into fruition on this night because my friend David Hannah found out that they were in California and invited me to go see them who was willing to drive up to Palmdale from Pasadena, a good 40-50 mile drive up. So of course I said yes.

We got to the venue 10 minutes before The Soap Girls got on stage. As soon as the first note was played, the audience immediately roared and cheered enthusiastically for The Soap Girls. The music was loud and fun. The stage lights of the venue were beautiful and pristine which often created an atmosphere of mystery. People danced and pranced around and sang to their songs. The energy of the audience was electrifying. And The Soap Girls’ stage presence was eclectic, dynamic, fun, thought-provoking, and balanced where one of the sisters, Mille, delivered a non-stop action performance who was often seen playing and singing and doing contortion acts with her body from jumping to high flying kicks to bending backwards to doing splits even while standing up; while the other sister, Mie, was a little more on the reserved side the first half of the show who didn’t show any type of theatrics whatsoever. But during the 2nd half of the show, Mie brought in a performance that I have never seen anyone do on stage. She showed us the beauty and importance of her (their) beliefs and what it’s meant to be an artist free from the rules of the norm by taking off her top and showing her skin to the audience while performing. “If men can take off their shirts, like our drummer, and perform on stage showing off his body and skin, why can’t women do it too.” So she too took off her top as well and challenged us to think outside the norm and question the double standards that society has given us. She is the epitome of a free thinker (they both are actually) and she and her sister are what I call true artists. Despite all of these great and beautiful theatrics that push the boundaries of the norm as part of their act, their music is actually great and rocks hard and catchy and fun. I often caught myself head banging a little bit while I was shooting and working and capturing fleeting moments of their performance. David even bought their CD and played it going back home. That’s how good their music is.

Overall, I was so glad to see The Soap Girls who performed a fantastic set. A great surprise for me since I didn’t know anything about them until this night. The sisters were so kind and generous of their time that they even talked to all the fans who stayed late and even got their selfies taken with them, that includes myself as well. I can’t wait for their return back to Los Angeles and hopefully I can be in the photo pit capturing moments of their set again. Thank you for visiting us in California, Mie and Mille. See you in 2026 :).

The Soap Girls social links

Photo Gallery of the performance by © Don Marcelo Photography 2025

The Soap Girls

The Soap Girls performing energetically on stage, with vibrant lights and dramatic poses, showcasing their dynamic presence.
The Soap Girls performing on stage, featuring one sister playing the guitar and the other playing the bass, with vibrant stage lights and a banner in the background displaying the band's name.
The Soap Girls performing live on stage with dynamic energy, one sister playing guitar while the other showcases a high kick, displaying the band's vibrant performance atmosphere.
The Soap Girls performing on stage with dynamic energy, featuring two sisters playing guitar and bass under vibrant stage lights.
A drummer performing energetically on stage with a drum set featuring The Soap Girls logo in the foreground.
The Soap Girls performing on stage with dynamic energy; one sister playing electric guitar and the other playing bass, both wearing vibrant costumes against a colorful backdrop.
Two female musicians perform on stage, one playing a guitar while the other lays on the ground with a bass guitar, surrounded by stage lights and fog.

Camille Debray

A dynamic performance by a band member from The Soap Girls, characterized by vibrant stage presence and dramatic attire, with a drummer in the background and illuminated venue lights.
A performer from The Soap Girls band bending backwards while playing a decorated bass guitar on stage, showcasing dynamic energy and stage presence.
A female musician with blonde hair performs on stage, holding a distinctive guitar with a checkered design, while expressing energy and enthusiasm during a live band performance.
A dynamic performance by a female guitarist jumping mid-air while playing a guitar in front of a colorful backdrop with the band's name 'Girls'.
A female musician with long hair performs on stage, passionately playing an electric bass guitar with a unique, eye-catching design, in a smoky atmosphere.
A female musician performing on stage with a checkered bass guitar, illuminated by dramatic stage lighting, engaging with the audience.
A female musician passionately performing on stage with a unique checkered bass guitar, dressed in an eclectic outfit, under vibrant stage lights.
Mille Debray of The Soap Girls performs on stage, playing an electric bass guitar while sitting in a split position. The background features vibrant stage lights and a drum set.
A female musician passionately performing on stage with a bass guitar, surrounded by colorful stage lights and a vibrant atmosphere.
A performer from The Soap Girls band passionately singing into a microphone while playing a uniquely designed bass guitar during a live concert, with vibrant stage lighting and a colorful mural in the background.

Noemie Debray

A female musician with long blonde hair performs on stage, wearing a sparkling outfit and playing a white guitar, with colorful stage lights illuminating her face.
A female band member of The Soap Girls performs on stage with a guitar, energetic and dynamic under vibrant stage lighting, while a large banner with their logo is displayed behind.
A female musician performs energetically on stage with a guitar, dressed in a sparkling outfit. The background features colorful stage lights and a large mural. The band's name, 'The Soap Girls,' is prominently displayed behind her.
A female musician from The Soap Girls band performs on stage, wearing a sparkly outfit while holding an electric guitar, with vibrant stage lighting in the background.
A female musician from The Soap Girls performs on stage, wearing a sparkling outfit and playing a pink guitar, with colorful stage lights in the background.
A female musician with long, wavy hair is performing on stage, playing a white electric guitar. She is wearing a shimmering outfit and is singing into a microphone, with the stage lights creating a dynamic atmosphere behind her.
A female musician from The Soap Girls performing on stage with a guitar, set against a backdrop featuring their band name in stylized lettering.
A female musician with long blonde hair performing on stage with an electric guitar, wearing a sparkling outfit, against a backdrop featuring the band's name, 'The Soap'.
A female musician with long, wavy hair, wearing a sparkly outfit, performs on stage while singing into a microphone and playing an electric guitar. The background features artistic decorations that enhance the vibrant concert atmosphere.
A female musician performing on stage with an electric guitar, wearing a sparkling outfit and smiling, with a colorful backdrop featuring the band's name.

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