Plastic Mermaids Make Triumphant Isle Of Wight Return At Northwood House

Isle of Wight homegrown heroes Plastic Mermaids performed for the first time in more than a year when they took to the stage at Northwood House earlier this month.

With a set broken into two halves, the local band closed out a week’s worth of Cowes Week celebrations, headlining the final day after appearances from BBC Radio 2’s Vernon Kay and Red Dwarf star Craig Charles.

Audience members travelled from around the UK to catch the ultimately rare performance from Plastic Mermaids, and a popular point in the setlist came early on in the show as they launched into their 2015 single Painted Lady.

With two albums to their name, Plastic Mermaids have become known for their experimental psych-pop, and over the years have attracted famous fans, from The Smiths’ Mike Joyce to the BBC’s Marc Riley.

The concert showcased the band’s extensive back-catalogue, and in the second half, backing singers joined the group on stage to add yet another layer to the performance.

From bassist Tom Farren in a suit (having just been to a wedding) to each member taking it in turns to sing lead vocals, the performance was eccentrically creative, but the audience would have expected nothing less.

Closing out the evening with an encore like no other, guitarist Chris Newnham asked the audience to step back in order to welcome the Downland Movement Collective to the floor, who then proceeded to dance to Elastic Time as the now-sitting crowd watched in awe.

Plastic Mermaids might not perform too often, but their homecoming performances always prove why they can be found on stages around the world.