Wandering Oak: Plantoid

Name: Wandering Oak: Plantoid
Start: 2026-02-20T19:30:00+00:00
Location: The Central Bar

Schedule

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026 at 07:30 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

The Central Bar | Gateshead, EN

Wandering Oak brings you:
Plantoid
plus Crescent
at The Central Bar
• Plantoid • (Bella Union)
“This Brighton-based prog-jazz-rock outfit sound alive to the sheer joy of music making, coming on like an unholy union between Khruangbin, Deerhoof and Tame Impala”
- Uncut
Musically, Plantoid’s cauldron harnesses multiple subgenres at once to concoct a sort of primordial soup, the molecules of which are built as much from progressive rock as they are jazz, fusion, folk, and even a bit of ‘70s hard rock for good measure. The band began as the brainchild of Chloe and Tom Coyne, who met while pursuing music courses at Lincoln College in their teens. Quickly united by a passion for eclectic psychedelic rock, and far-out, emotionally charged songwriting, they relocated to Brighton and were ready to dig even deeper into their shared influences, ranging from Miles Davis to Todd Rundgren, to Jeff Buckley, all the way around to the more acute experimental fare that gives Plantoid their razor-sharp edge.
After the runaway success of their debut album Terrapath, which cemented their status as stewards of the UK’s prog-rock scene, Plantoid return with their sophomore release: the enigmatic, arresting, and at times downright catchy Flare. Staying true to the band's math-rock roots, the album is awash in heavy, reverberated guitar licks, tempo changes, and mind-altering chord progressions—all while expanding Plantoid’s signature sound towards new horizons, like wall-of-sound shoegaze and vocal-forward rock-pop. It does what all second albums do best; retain the core DNA that set its predecessor apart from the fray, yet evolve enough to excite old fans and new listeners alike.
If you’re here for the time changes, long track durations, and jazzy mid-song freakouts, don’t you worry, you’ll still find plenty across the album’s nine sprawling tracks. It’s just that Plantoid have been able to tap into something deeper, more lived-in. With the help of producer/sometimes live member Nathan Ridley, who has helped the band craft their sonic identity since Terrapath, they’ve sought to indulge their groovier side, dissecting their songs further and letting their ingredients properly ferment into something new. “We wanted to sit in the music for a while, make a mood out of it rather than like changing it up so quickly,” says Chloe. “We wanted to see ideas to their fullest extent.”
Progress, clearly, is the name of Plantoid’s game. Not just in terms of progressive rock, but leaning into the urge of always pushing forward, always discovering something new, excavating the layers and layers of stratified sediment between them until only a gleaming, polished stone remains. It’s this dedication to the expansion of their craft that makes them both endlessly fascinating, and one of those most intensely imaginative rock bands in the UK today.
FFO White Denim / Jefferson Airplane / King Crimson / much prog / a fair bit of psych
https://www.plantoid.co.uk/
• Crescent •
Crescent are a four piece band based in Hartlepool, County Durham, taking big inspiration from the signature sound of the 70s with their own twist: fusions of mainly prog rock and blues but also with hints of garage rock and grunge. Crescent keeps a sound alive that isn’t heard amongst modern music with guitar driven progressive music influenced by blues legends and strong cutting-edge vocals amongst the band.
FFO Rory Gallagher / Free / The Groundhogs / Jefferson Airplane
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553759167046
Tickets on sale 9am, Thursday 1st October via See Tickets:
https://www.seetickets.com/event/plantoid/the-central/3510425
via DICE:
https://link.dice.fm/Feccc738b688
and in person from Reflex CD Vinyl Newcastle.
The Central Bar
Half Moon Lane
Gateshead
NE8 2AN
For ages 18+ only, from 7:30pm