PLANTOID
PLANTOID
VENUE OPORTO, LEEDS
DATE 18/02/2026
Plantoid describe themselves as “stewards of the UK’s prog rock scene” on their Bandcamp page. It’s a bold claim, but we’ll wager that the combination of sounds performed tonight by the band at the vibrant Oporto are of a nature rarely heard by many Prog readers.
They add new elements to the mélange of styles showcased on their debut album, Terrapath: an unruly blend of new wave spikiness, gorgeous vocal harmonies and the beguiling slink jazz medley of Wander Wonder and Insomniac (Don’t Worry). There’s also material from their second album, Flare, the title of which embodies their ambiguity. Does it refer to a hippie accoutrement, or a series of incendiary outbursts? Highpoint Dozer similarly confuses: the title could be seen as either a reference to the guitars that noisily propel the track along, or the ambient reverie mid-piece where the listener is encouraged to drift off before a rude re-awakening.