Reviews

Mimi Rae hits Portsmouth with a headline show at the Edge of Wedge, with support from Winter Gardens.

This was probably the coldest I’ve ever felt in the Edge Of The Wedge, not taking off my jacket until just after Mimi Rae’s first song. A cold winter Monday evening, but people still came out to support Mimi Rae’s first-ever headline show, a fantastic sight to see. I even saw other local artists there supporting her. Such as singer-songwriter Eloise Carter and Beth, the bass player from Southampton indie band ‘Mega Sun Machine’

Even Mimi Rae was feeling the cold, as I heard her say she’s decided to keep her new merch top on while performing to keep warm. It’s always fantastic to see a great merch stand for a small local artist. She had limited-edition tops, posters and art prints of her single for Deep End; these were limited and numbered, only thirty-five in total. I bought a lovely big laminated poster for only five pounds. It showcased every gig Mimi Rae played in 2025 – a lovely touch, as I went to a few of these gigs. I saw someone snap a photo of me holding the poster, which perhaps could be a proud family member. 

The band started the set before Mimi was even on stage. This looked like a very fun planned entrance for an energetic smiley Mimi, who was soon on stage ready for vocals for the first song. I found the set to be very varied with a mixture of different-paced songs. Suffocating, out in March 2025, is a much slower vibe than her new song Matter Of Time, out in December 2025. I very much enjoyed her upbeat songs, with the band all smiling and really enjoying the moment. It was awesome to hear songs I haven’t heard her play before. 

Mimi and her band give off very chilled indie vibes, which I enjoyed. The last song showcased Mimi Rae’s high vocal ability, which was fantastic to witness. The band had top banter with Mimi Rae throughout the set, especially the bass player and piano player. It was a joy to be there surrounded by Mimi Rae’s family, friends and fans like myself supporting her. I wasn’t expecting it to be very busy on a Monday evening, but a fair amount of people did turn up to support, which is fantastic. Even a brilliant local photographer called Alana came, who took some amazing shots of both bands. I first saw Mimi Rae performing at the Road To Victorious competition at the Wedgewood Rooms and really enjoyed her set, so I was excited to see more gigs from her. 

Mimi Rae has just been announced to play at the next Ice Breaker Festival, a fantastic Southsea local music festival I go to every year.

I’m looking forward to what next year holds for Mimi Rae. I’m sure there are many more gigs and festivals to come for her and her brilliant band.

Matter Of Time is out now on all streaming platforms:

Words By: Liam Thomson

Image: Mimi Rae