Musicians performed a digital music and image show on a board a Cold War submarine berthed on the River Medway.

Patrons of the nearby Boat House pub in Strood had prime seats for the performance on the deck of the Soviet-era Black Widow.

Two showings of "Sirens of the Deep", which is part of the 10-day Electric Medway Festival, were held last night.

They were arranged by composers Anna Braithwaite and Phil Self, who describe themselves as "experimental musicians".

Event stewards guided audiences to and from the venue for the 20-minute shows with glow sticks.

Submarine manager John Sutton said: "It is the first live performance of its kind from the deck of our submarine and probably in the world."

Bar manager Chad Davies said: "It's the first time we've done anything like this and it's certainly something different.

"We have had people come in and ask about it. It's good for us and good for Strood and good for the submarine.

"So many people don't even know it's there. If it takes off, we'd look to do similar events."

Electric Medway, which runs until Sunday, has presented events on land, river and online.

It features metaverse stories, projected light, electronic music, artificial intelligence and interactive games.

Kevin Grist, artistic director of Electric Medway, said there was a "magical atmosphere" at the gig.

He said:"The festival is now in its third year having evolved out of lockdown.

"Our ethos is to re-animate the potential of venues like the submarine.

"I used to live in Strood so I knew it has been there for a long time.

"I just contacted the owner and said 'I've got this mad idea', and he said 'why not'? We'd certainly look to use it again."

Earlier this year, a Ukrainian flag was spotted flying above the submarine as a show of solidarity by Mr Sutton.

He said: "I think people appreciate the gesture. It is probably the only Russian sub in the world flying an Ukrainian flag."

The U-475 sub, which has been on the river for almost two decades, was used as a filming location for music videos, documentaries, PlayStation adverts and the movie Black Sea starring Jude Law.

Built at Sudomekh shipyard in Leningrad and commissioned in 1967, the Black Widow served with the Soviet Baltic Fleet before being used as a training vessel until it was decommissioned in 1994.

After passing into private hands it was moored near the Thames Barrier in Woolwich and opened as a museum ship.

In 1998 it moved to Folkestone, where it was again opened to the public, before it was moved to Strood in 2004.

Mr Sutton, who looks after the submarine for a property company, says the sub has been used for all sorts of filming and photography shoots since being on the River Medway.

The most recent visitors were filming a rap video and before that it was used by Italian Vogue for a David Bowie-inspired photo shoot when the sub featured as a spaceship.