Latest News

We have a limited amount of 1 day tickets and 2 day tickets left over for Desertfest…they are prcied £35 for the Day tickets and £65 for the 2 day tickets…If you wish to buy tickets please visit the black heart pub where you will find the ticket exchange.

——URGENT NEWS ABOUT DESERTFEST—-

PLEASE NOTE – TICKET TOUTS ARE SELLING FAKE WRISTBANDS OUTSIDE THE UNDERWORLD / WORLDS END / AND CAMDEN TOWN AREA. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE A WRISTBANDS FROM ANYONE SELLING AS THESE ARE FAKES..WE WILL HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF 2 DAY TICKETS AND DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BLACK HEART TOMORROW.

We are pleased to add another stage. We are lucky enough to take over the Vans Store over the weekend .The shop will have bands playing stripped down sets and will also feature a signing session with Unida, Fatso Jetson and Pentagram. Times are available via the pic below.

In the Hot Seat this week we have Ufomammut, giving us an slight insite into them and what to expect at this years festival:

   

Who is biggest influence on your band, past or present?

Lots of different bands and music.
We all agree on Pink Floyd and The Beatles.
 

Whats Your Ultimate Band Line Up:

There’s been a lot of good bands that were already ultimate band line up, like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and so on

Any bands you want to see at Desertfest?

Curious about Kadavar.

What Can Fans expect from your set at Desertfest?

The same we expect from our fans: share loud vibes

What do you see for the future of underground rock music

  The scene is growing, heavy underground rock music will become more mainstream..

“The group’s clearly inspired by the sound of 70s soundtracks – and maybe a bit of 80s, too – especially the John Carpenter-type of film score that was often heavy on keyboards, used in really spare and spooky ways! Moogy moments mix with Yamaha, Juno, Jupiter, and other electrified lines and recorded beautifully with just the right sort of vintage sound!” (Dusty Groove)

“There is a malicious, bass-driven undertone to the band’s work which works hand in hand with Zoltan’s higher, more ambitious orchestrations, the moods of which link quite often with the jazzier end of 70s film scores, a la Alain Goraguer’s Planete Sauvage, for example.

Indeed, while shades of Halloween certainly permeate Zoltan’s electronic symphonies, there exists a certain depth to the band’s composition which lifts them above mere homage and plagiarism into the upper echelon of their field; deserved praise for a band so relatively new to the scene, yet utterly deserved: Zoltan totally rules.” (Boston Examiner)

Skeleton Gong is a bong gonging, cyder abusing, wychfinding four-piece based in Glasgow, Scotland. A mix of heavy sludge-doom with clean psychedelic intervals and a love for 70′s rock, loud guitars, pounding drums, analogue synths and gongs.

A musical group based on archetypal understanding & following instinct. Ricky Tomb-Basher (Ex-Daemonolith)& Cyderabuser began working on the project in 2007. Writing & recording finally began in the summer or 2011 resulting in their first album/demo, “Eskimo Wizards & The Louisiana Swamp Priests”. A 6 track, mainly instrumental, 54 minute epic based on archetypal understanding & following instinct.

Matte Black (Ex-Daemonolith) joined the band in 2012 alongside Richard Brass (Wodensthrone) on drums. Skeleton Gong are now preparing to enter the studio to work on their next release.

Here at DesertFest HQ, we’ve got some good news and some bad news. Due to us jumping the gun a little and not being able to schedule with the band, The Machine will no longer be playing the festival. We will do our upmost to make sure the band are on the next edition and sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing them. The good news is that we’re extremely chuffed to announce Finnish doom-folk experimentalists Hexvessel as their replacement!

Hexvessel are a six, sometimes seven, piece band from the Helsinki and Tampere areas. Formed by English musician Mat ‘Kvohst’ McNerney, who recruited several well-established comrades from the likes of Dark Buddha Rising and Galacticka, they set about to realise the frontman’s vision of setting ‘60s and ‘70s acid rock into a mould of puritanical Scandinavian mysticism. The band’s two albums to date, the occultist 2011 debut ‘Dawnbearer’ and the 2012 underground phenomenon ‘No Holier Temple’, have established this psychedelic, transcendental act as one of the great folk-rock forces in world music.

By fusing atmospheric vocals with guitars which abandon all aggression, yet retain the heavily weighted vibes of Amon Düül, The Beatles and Pink Floyd, and throwing non-electric instruments like trumpet and violin into the mix, Hexvessel capture a primitive form of rich enchantment very few can match. Lyrically, McNerney repeatedly approaches themes surrounding the preservation of Finland’s natural woodlands, terrains and forestry, and it’s the understanding of this environmental ethos alongside an esoteric outlook on the darker sides of rock music which holds the key to understanding his band’s inner beauty.

Make sure you’re on the right side of the hex this year at DesertFest 2013, and join us to witness these acid-fried sorcerers perform their magic on a dark Friday night in Camden Town.

Words Courtesy of Pete Green

Continuing on from the interview with Mario from Fatso, next in the firing line is the riff monster Arthur Seay, guitarist with Unida and House Of Broken Promises:

 

We are creating a poll for the Desertfest fans to vote for a potential song with in your set, choose 4 songs that you may play at this years Desertfest?

 

Who is biggest influence on your band, past or present?

LIFE!! going to work and busting your ass all day and then getting into that hot sweaty rehearsal room and sweating out the riff’s
 

Name 3 other bands you would love to play with at your ultimate festival?

Buffalo circa 1970’s
Leaf Hound circa 1972
Down circa 1999
 

Whats Your Ultimate Band Line Up:

Drums: Mike Cancino – UNIDA / House of Broken Promises
Bass: Geezer Butler -Black Sabbath
Guitars: Arthur Seay – UNIDA / House of Broken Promises
Vocals: Ian Astbury -The Cult

Any bands you want to see at Desertfest?

Looking forward to seeing as much as possible & TURBOWOLF!

What do you see for the future of underground rock music

  Hopefully supporting itself and continuing to thrive and build itself and become profitable for alot of hard working bands out there that get off their ass’s and put out records and tour and tour and play show’s everywhere and anywhere they can!and supporting one another with out becoming hipster cocksuckers!! there needs to more support between bands and all of us helping each other out,we’re all trying to achieve the common goal

Dÿse are a dynamic due, a German pairing who were friends before-hand, playing in bands which frequently toured together across Germany; drummer Jari van Gohl was in Rodeo Queen and guitarist André Dietrich was in Volt. Through their commitment and dedication to touring, Dÿse have established a reputation as an electrifying live act and have only released two LP’s since forming in 2005, preferring to keep the momentum with frequent EP releases.

Their sound is an experimental stoner-toner melange that draws heavily on post-hardcore, which is what Jari’s roots were in when he began as a guitarist before switching to drums for stoner rockers Rodeo Queen. André brings the unsettling, unpredictable vocal assault along with his convulsive, frenzied riffing. Jari’s galvanic tub thumping seals the deal and a Dÿse performance is renowned for being as exhausting to watch as it is to play.

Having appeared with the likes of similarly-minded Desertscene faves Beehoover, those who particularly like bathing in the intensity that no-limit two-pieces can generate are in for a real spectacle and the welcome announcement of Dÿse adds yet another exciting element to this year’s unbelievable lineup!

Word Courtesy of Rich After Sabbath

Due to constant requests about additional saturday tickets we have decided to release 50 more.On Sale Now!
You can purchase tickets via the normal link here

We recently fired some questions over the pond to the Legendary Mario Lalli, front man of the awesome Fatso Jetson. Read on to find out his ultimate band line, festivals and much more..

 

What can fans expect from your set at Desertfest?

Rocking with are whole desert family, jamming and bringing the vibe of the desert parties to London ! We have made a self released split EP vinyl of Fatso and Yawning Man to commemorate the special event!

We are creating a poll for the Desertfest fans to vote for a potential song with in your set, choose 4 songs that you may play at this years Desertfest?

 

Who is biggest influence on your band, past or present?

Pell Mell
DEVO
Black Flag
Captain Beefheart
Howling Wolf
Richard Hell
Dick Dale
Jimi Hendrix
 

Name 3 other bands you would love to play with at your ultimate festival?

ZZ Top
Red Fang
CAN
 

Whats Your Ultimate Band Line Up:

Drums: John French (Captain Beefheart)
Bass: Lemmy
Guitars: James Cotton (Captain Beefheart) & Billy Gibbons
Vocals: Don Van Vliet / Richard Thompson

Any bands you want to see at Desertfest?

Pentagram
Ufomammut
Yawning Sons
Colorhaze
Truckfighters

What do you see for the future of underground rock music

  There are so many diverse influences inspiring musicians now…it can only get rad…keep it fun and creative.

Vans sell rad shoes, they also back rad festivals.

The new Desertfest sponsor is getting involved and Desertfest will not only be taking over 4 venues across Camden but will also be blowing out the windows of the Vans stores in both Camden and Carnaby Street over the festival 3 days.

Stripped down sets from the likes of Fatso Jetson, House Of Broken Promises, Crystal Head and Trippy Wicked along with signings from Unida and Penatgram will make the stores rock like never before. The store adds another venue for the festival and Rock and Roll really will be taking back Camden from 26th April

More Vans store announcements to come and just when you though you had worked out all the clashes!

Here at DesertFest HQ we’ve been doing some experiments. We ain’t messing around here – there are Bunsen burners, SPSS datasets and white lab coats lying around all over the place! So what have we learned from this cactus-tax funded piece of analysis? Well, during our careful dissection of a certain infamous British hard rock band, we have successfully proven the hypothesis that Groan are, in fact, 67% TRUE DOOM.

So what does this mean for the remaining 33% I hear you exclaim? Well, you can fill out the rest of that pie-chart with righteous segments of HARD rock, THUNDER BOOGIE heavy metal, INSANE trouser choices and a significant quantity of FACIAL hair. Groan were formed roughly around 1967 by guitarist The Riff Wizard who then met lead singer Lord Mazzereth in a field of frolicking, opium-fuelled virgin pagans; such fields as I’m told were in abundance at that time. Soon however the initial line-up became a forgotten myth confined to Celtic folklore and the rarest of parchment inscriptions sealed in a series of long lost mountain caves. Yet in 2009, Groan were resurrected and rose like a phoenix silhouetted by several glow-sticks from their tomb of rock. Lord Mazzereth, who some say is older than Jesus, had forgotten all of the old hymns, but a new line-up of devout worshippers to the altar of the noble ryffe were nonetheless recruited and they wrote some new, better gospels together in haste. Now rounded out as a well-drilled five-piece with the addition of former Invasion and Pettybone drummer Zel Kaute, plus Trippy Wicked drummer Chris West and Mike Pilat (ex-Ocean Collective) on guitars joining frontman Mazzereth and corduroy comedian Leigh Jones on bass, the time to Groan is now!

Here to rock your life out of control with the likes of ‘Witchy Woman’, ‘Throne of Weed’ and ‘Gods of Fire’, this is one party train of David Coverdale fanatics, playing the best riffs that Sabbath threw away, that you’d be a fool to miss. A FOOL I TELL YOU! And if that’s not enough for you, the last time I saw this band, they were all dressed as bananas. Be there, or be somewhere sensible.

Words by Pete Green

London’s answer to Goatsnake is ready to get the Desertfest crowd bouncing with their Stoner sludge stomp. LIMB have been on the scene for little over a year and have already managed to tour up and down the UK as well as securing releases out on both Witch Hunter Records and New Heavy Sounds which is testament to their hard working attitude and damn catching riffery.

The tunes have the evil brooding quality of some of the finest doom and sludge bands and the fun and vitality of some of the greatest stoner bands a near perfect mix for all tastes at this years festival. They have lots of plans for 2013 and one of them is to tear your faces off at this year’s Desertfest, make sure you go out on a limb and avoid missing them at all costs.

Words by Gareth Kelly

We are pleased to bring you our first batch of Desertfest patches.They are now available online and will be on sale at the festival over 26-28th April.The dimensions for the patches are W3″ x H4″ and priced at £3.99. They are made on the highest quality black and white embroidery thread known to man.
To buy a patch please click here
Our patches were produced by the fine fellows over at Embroided Patches whos customer service was top notch and the final product looks immense…We thought we’d give them a shout out and thank Pawel and the team for their cooperation in getting the patches lookin so dam good. . If you or your band are looking for any custom patches and embroidered badges then please contact them by clicking here. they offer a range of services:

National Flag Patches
Military Patches for Army
Insignia Patches
Martial Art Patches
Motorcycle/Biker Patches
Sports Patches
Company Logo Patches
Cartoon Patches
Club Patches

the good thing is there is no minimum order, set up is free and the ship all over the world

We are pleased to announce that we have released a limited amount of tickets for Fridays Desertfest. Dont miss out on seeing Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man, Kadavar, The Machine and many more rip up Camden on the 26th April 2013.
Day Tickets Are £35.
Tickets are available via the link below.

Desertfest Friday Tickets

Welcome to The Machine……..a three-piece from Rotterdam who specialise in extended jams and improvisation. The best way to describe them is to go into detail on their live skills as that is really what they are all about. Using the base of their album tracks, every Machine show becomes a brand new experience and it’s own entity. Even though their sound is rooted in modern stoner rock, they channel the spirit of the late 1960s and as you sink into the performance you get some idea of what feelings may have been aroused in a tripping hippy standing aghast at The Grateful Dead on one of their acid-fuelled excursions.

David Eering is shamanistic in his position as the frontman, he dials-in the controls with his pulsating riffs and astronomic solos. The rhythm section of Davy Boogaard and Hans van Heemst are right behind supplying the propulsion to David’s showcase and together the band weaves a seamlessly holistic experience.

Since their conception in 2007 they have released 4 albums, the last two on the esteemed Elektrohasch label, and played at many of Europe’s premier psych festivals including a captivating performance at last year’s DunaJam. They have just completed a successful European tour with Sungrazer, and you are invited to explore new psychedelic realms with them at Desertfest 2013, you won’t forget it.

Words Courtesy of Rich After Sabbath

After many an hour spent listening to the 100s of bands we have had enter the competition, we have finally made the decision and the lucky winners are…Drum Roll Please!

Canadian Rockers CHRON GOBLIN

You can hear the winning entry below.



For more on Chron Goblin Please click the links below
Facebook Page
Website 

Thanks to all those that entered the competition. We’ve been overwhelmed with the response we have had.
6 weeks till it kicks off. See you at the front!

Tickets available here  

Formed in 2009, San Francisco’s Castle have created two albums thus far; “In Witch Order” (2011) and last year’s “Blacklands”, which was produced by the legendary Billy Anderson. The lineup consists of Mat Davis (guitar), Elizabeth Blackwell (bass, vocals) and Al McCartney (drums). Together they mix the best elements of classic doom with early black and thrash metal into a tumultuous and inventive maelstrom of oppressive sonic excess, a power trio touched by the hand of the the opposer himself.

In the short time since they started, they have supported such luminaries as Kylesa, Witch Mountain and Hammers of Misfortune. Those three bands combined give a neat, but by no means comprehensive, indication of what you can expect from their sound, on stage and record.

While undoubtedly giving a big nod (or should that be head bang?) to the old-school, they also make an effort to out-stretch their talents into technically demanding territories, exploring realms that you may not expect of them. This gives their stage show an unpredictable, and at times mystical ambiance. All this is taken further on it’s way by Elizabeth Blackwell’s fearsome vocals, ranging from plaintive despair to blood-curdling desperation. A band that will stand out a little from the rest of the fuzzy, stoned crowd of Desertfest, make sure to catch them this year for something refreshingly different, and decidedly more metal!

Words Courtesy of Rich After Sabbath

“Monolithic and intensely captivating are just 2 descriptions that don’t even come close to representing the immense sound of LATITUDES, who have been hand picked by human_disease_promo to be the latest addition to the bill for DesertFest 2013. Huge, soaring riffs layered in a masterful fashion, cut into with spacey atmospheric synth, create a sound hovering somewhere in the realms of part shoegazer / post metal, part hammering sludge, part dark prog. Latitudes have never been a band tied to a stringent set of rules which has enabled their sound to flourish into the cacophony of noise and ethereal influences found within the latest release Individuation (2012), an album which has received much praise from press though to peers and fans alike, finding its way quite justifiably into Terrorizer’s top 50 albums of the year segment. This latest offering follows on from previous album – Agonist, a piece of work held in particularly high regard for its versatile heaviness and powerful melodic crescendos that saw the band likened to the much missed Capricorns and also the likes of Isis and Cult Of Luna. Latitudes are certainly not newcomers though to writing deep steamrollering riffs. Debut EP ‘Bleak Epiphanies In Slow Motion’ saw them hone in on a powerfully driving sound back in 2007, a direction the band had been working towards for a time prior to this too. A well balanced, yet monstrously heavy live show, known for demanding the attention of all ears (and the and the nodding in unison of every head in the room) sought to give the band a strong reputation and respect all over the UK, solidified further by shows over the years with Kruger, Minsk, A Storm Of Light, Nachtmystium, Baroness, and even Cathedral. Latitudes are most definitely worth taking the time to catch when they play The Black Heart stage on the final day of this year’s DesertFest here in London town, as they’ll be certain to create a colossal tide of swirling and dynamic heaviness.” Words – Staggerin’ Matt

Hastings Bastard sons ROTS will be delievered from the wilderness for Desertfest 2013. Formerly known as Rise of the Simians they begun their journey into the vaults of blackened Doom back in 2006, they are Sloan on guitar, Luke Bolton on vox/guitar, Roger on drums and due to original bass player Mark Poole’s exit from the band, they have welcomed replacement Dave Moschini into the cult. If your not aware of this filthy foursome then expect Atmospheric Doom with weighed down groove ‘n’ riffs with a good dose of out right Black Metal. The south coast 4 piece are currently working on a new album but they have had a few releases over the past few years most notable ROTS (demo) in 2007 and The Cursed law of Thelma in 2008. So take your chance to see ROTS before they disintergrate into the Desertfest Dust!

Words courtesy of the FAT Wizard

We are pleased to announce that day tickets are now available for Desertfest 2013.There are a limited amount available and we are offering you 3 more options:

Saturday Ticket – £35 Featuring Unida, Dozer, Lowrider, Turbowolf, Ufomammut plus many more

Sunday Ticket – £35 Featuring Pentagram, Colourhaze, Truckfighters, Bongripper plus many more

2 Day ticket ( Saturday and Sunday) – £65

There will be no Friday only tickets available for the festival.
Tickets available here

Smashing their way straight into Desertfest, L.A. young bloods The Shrine are set to bring their in-your-face and to-the-point brand of hardcore desert rock. Not many bands out their can claim to mix the tripped-out echoes of fuzz with the rough and ready aggressiveness of early punk, but the upcoming three piece of Josh Landau (guitar/vocals), Courtland Murphy (bass) and Jeff Murray (Drums) make it effortless.

Last year’s Tee Pee Records debut, the appropriately titled Primitive Blast, is a lightning paced wall of sound that blows off your ears. Traces of almost everyone, from Truckfighters, to Misfits, to MC5, are there to find within an all too short 35 minutes of raw, chugging stomp.

It’s no surprise to see that they’ve already notched up some impressive support slots with, among others, Kyuss Lives!, Graveyard and Desertfest headliners Pentagram. No doubt at Desertfest The Shrine will be some of the heaviest fuzz you’ll ever hear.

We have had loads and loads of requests for day tickets…are you guys crazy? It means you will be missing two awesome days of the festival!! But we understand that people have work, some have family, some short of funds, some horrible bosses and all that bullshit.

So in respect the people mentioned above, we are releasing a limited number of day and two day tickets this Friday (29th Feb) at 10am via Leeds tickets.

Saturday Day Ticket – £35

Sunday Day Ticket – £35

Saturday and Sunday (2 day Ticket) – £65

There is no Friday day tickets being released at this point.

You asked, you got… now go get and see you at the festival!

We are please to announce Wodensthrone will be playing the Seven Churches stage at Desertfest. Wodensthrone was formed in Winterfylleð of 2005, in the Sundered Lands of North Eastern England, by founding members Brunwulf, Wildeþrýð, Gerádwine, and Hréowsian.

In these formative days, the clan’s sound was raw and primitive, but still hinted at a sense of sorrow, with lyrics focusing on the darker aspects of England’s history.However, by Eostremonað of 2006, the clan’s music had developed both technically and melodically, and so Æðelwalh was recruited on synths. It was at this point that Wodensthrone truly began to resemble their current incarnation, growing both musically and conceptually.

However, the clan still felt incomplete, and so comrade Eldbeorn joined the clan on guitar in the Blotmonað of 2006, completing the line-up and adding further depths of melody and savagery to the clan’s sound.

The final band to be added for the HDP/WPC stage are the mighty Brighton rifflords BLACKSTORM. Like the most powerful and destructive of storms this hardened troop of musicians rarely appear and this will be the 2nd ever London show since their creation, but when they have made an appearance it has been with powerful intent alongside the likes of Cancer Bats, Kruger, Lesbian, Saviours, & Orange Goblin. Featuring the amazingly talented vocalist Karl Middleton (of Earthtone9 fame) alongside side a fair few other familiar faces of the Brighton Music scene including guitarists Neil Kingsbury (ex- fall of Efafra) and Gez Walton (ex The Ghost of a Thousand, This is Menace).

They have been described as combining elements of drone, stoner, down-tuned sludge with classic rock and the vitality of hardcore and punk, Blackstorm combines crushingly heavy, catchy-as hell riffs with juggernaut proportioned rhythmic grooves and killer hook laden vocals. And their most recent release ‘The Darkness is Getting Closer’ was released in November last year showing a much more melodic and groove driven beast. If you like you your riffs served up with a nice juicy sing-along chorus then these guys are for you, just remember that rumble you hear is the sound of an oncoming storm, a BLACKSTORM!!

Words Courtesy of Gareth Kelly

Oxfordshire’s Mother Corona began their mission to eclipse the UK stoner rock scene in 2008 and have made two records to date. The most recent was last year’s “Out Of The Dust” LP. If we suggested “, and Into The Void” would be a good adjunct to that title, you’d be getting a good idea of where these guys are coming from.

If Ozzie’s mob had stayed on that rocket for longer they’d probably have reached the vicinity of where Mother Corona are now; fat riffs and cosmic doom of the highest order. They also add a welcome soupcon of psychedelic shimmer into the sound which helps to give it that all-important element of individuality, as do the melodious flanged croons of singer Daveo.

Come join the crew at Desertfest 2013 while they set the controls for you. Mother Corona have played with a host of scene favourites like Trippy Wicked, Enos, Alunha and fellow Oxfordians Desert Storm so you know you’ll be in good company during your travels to the outer-reaches.

Words Courtesy of Rich After Sabbath

What’s better than having one of the all-time grand masters of desert rock, head-honchos of stoner-metal, chief cactus-cultivators of the underground, Unida playing live on our humble little island as part of

DesertFest 2013? Well, how’s about three quarters of them playing AGAIN as part of their ‘other’ band in House of Broken Promises for a start!!

Formed during Unida’s many years of inactivity, HOBP are simply the urban coyotes very own guitarist Arthur Seay, bassist/vocalist Joe Mora and drummer Mike Cancino, and collectively they kick more ass with their crunching, metallic hard rock than Chuck Norris surrounded by a strikeforce of ninja donkeys. Although igniting their flame as far back as 2004, the band’s debut album Using the Useless didn’t rupture out of the outer-Californian consciousness until 2009 via (who else!) Small Stone Records. Although not as widely celebrated as their peers in COC, Fu Manchu, Clutch and Monster Magnet, HOBP blaze their own trail whilst at the same time encapsulating the best of desert rock, sledgehammer blues, swaggering hard rock and grooving biker-punk into their offer of purist, unadulterated, riffed-up fury. With Arthur’s E-string-butchering chops and solos hot enough to cause a mirage, Mike’s metronomic tub-thumping, and new guys Joes Vocals, there are few power trios who could match this tour-de-force of heavy metal thunder.

When it comes to the sounds of the sand, it’s the guys who made it happen in the first place back at Sky Valley HQ who still play it harder and louder than anyone else on earth, and HOBP are no exception to The Law. So don’t just write them off as “just another side-project”, get down the front, soak your shirt in beer and party like you’re on Dave Wyndorf’s stag-do on Jupiter in 1995. And if nothing else, just go check them out simply as a way to get a second glimpse of Arthur’s beard! Seriously, have you seen that beard?!! It’s fucking righteous!

Words courtesy Pete Green

Coming from a long line of successful Devilles (C.C. DeVille, the Cadillac Coupe deVille, Cruella DeVil, and many many more), Malmo, Sweden’s finest new purveyors of good-time groove are here to simply rock your spots off!

Having been picked up and added to Small Stone Records’ outstanding roster of stoner, retro and hard rock outfits, Deville fit the SS template in every department. Their mammoth, driving surges of riffage blend the simple textbook grooves of Fu Manchu, the biker-punk fury of Unida or Orange Goblin and weld it to the chassis of the new generation of Swedish desert rock that’s thrust the likes of Truckfighters and Fireball Ministry to prominence. A dynamic fourpiece with crunching dual guitar action, Deville boast a debut of catchy choruses amid slabs of steel in ‘Come Heavy Sleep’ and a brooding, smoke-billowing sophomore follow-up record in ‘Hail the Black Sky’. The best is yet to come though and I assure you that if you haven’t already heard the tracks available online from their up-coming album no.3 ‘Hydra’, then you need to wrap your ears around this killer March-released record, pronto!

We’re chuffed to the very edges of our cacti fields to have Deville perform live in the UK for the very first time as part of DesertFest 2013. So grab your Poison shirt, your dalmatian-print fur coat and hop in your favourite 1960s Caddie and rock out Deville style this coming March in Camden! Woof!

Words courtesy of Pete Green

More Gargantuan than the Kraken and noisier than Cthulhu himself, Sea Bastard unleash their aquatic Doom upon Desertfest 2013.

Featuring 3 members of the much missed Funeral Hag and Oli from the equally missed Jovian this Brighton troop proved that once their efforts were combined the greatest of things can happen, their recent self titled album has been unleashed to resounding praised and has secured itself a vinyl release on local indie label ‘Headless Guru Records’ which will hopefully be due out in time for the festivities.

The songs are heavy as hell and frontman Monty sings of Wizards and Orcs galore, this truly is one band that will bring an earth shattering start to a incredibly heavy day at the HDP/WPC stage on the Sunday of the Festival!

Watch the Underworld crumble or as the Dark lord himself would say “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn”.

Words by Gareth Kelly

Manchester’s dark hardcore behemoth HAMMERS make their Desertfest debut this year at the Black Heart, courtesy of Seven Churches.

No strangers to sticking out like the proverbial sore thumbs on lineups, this trio will destroy your tiny human world with their relentlessly fast and unnervingly heavy hardcore. Still riding the coat-tails of the Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise) produced ‘Vardøgr’ LP, these understated veterans return to Camden for the first time in almost a year. Ear-plugs in, brace yourselves, Hammer time!

As if Pentagram wasn’t enough for you lucky devils, along comes an extra slab of US doom classicism! Having respectfully stepped down from his recent two-year stint with Bobby Liebling’s rabble, Victor Griffin has rounded up a US doom super-group in support of his new album, ‘In-Graved’, which has been in gestation since 2011 and will be released in March.

Desertfest 2013 is honoured to play host to the London round of his exclusive tour and there’s plenty to look forward to; along for the ride is Guy Pinhas (The Obsessed, Acid King, Goatsnake), Pete Campbell (60 Watt Shaman, Mighty Nimbus, Place Of Skulls) and Jeff ‘Oly’ Olson (founding member of Trouble). These names, and a lot of others, contributed to recording the album which also includes the skills of Ron Holzner of Trouble fame, Marty Swaney (Death Row, Pentagram) and Dan Lively (Sweet Cicada).

Watch out for a new addition to Vic’s sound, with In-Graved he has pursued a long-held ambition to add the dynamic of keyboards. After involving Orodruin’s keys-man Mike Puleo in recording, live hammond-organ duties are to be carried out by Jeff Olson and are sure to add a welcome classic rock element to proceedings! It’s early days for Vic’s latest project, but with pedigree’s such as those that are involved, a memorable performance is guaranteed. Don’t you dare miss out!

Words Courtesy of Rich after Sabbath

As far removed from the ‘desert’ as you could possibly get comes the two pronged bass attack of Belfast’s War Iron. A tortured band for tortured souls. The bands second release ‘The Fifth and Final Sun’ is set to be released on Punkarama Records in October 2012.

Many bands profess to be heavy but War Iron are a band that can truly defend there moniker. Fuzzed up bass lines downtuned to sonic defying lows and pounding neanderthalic drums provide the concrete slab to the wretched vocals of Andrew Bagwell.

Fans of Iron Monkey, Burning Witch and other equally audio challenging artists can soak up the misery at the Black Heart for the 2013 edition of Desert Fest. Not the faint hearted or weak willed. Prepare

We’re incredibly happy to announce TONER LOW, Holland’s mighty bearers of super-heavy stoner-psych riffs, who are set to destroy the HDP/WPC stage at Desertfest this year. Despite their first album not seeing the light of day until 2005, Toner Low have been making smoke inspired rumblings since their formation back in 1998. Shifting from a 5-piece down to 4 members and then eventually down to a trio Toner Low honed their sound from straight up stoner rocking into a sonically heavy fuzzed doom force, playing shows with the likes of Karma To Burn, Orange Sunshine and Dozer along the way.

Their self-titled first album featuring tracks like the stomping opener ‘Evil Machinery On The Rise’ received glowing reviews and was followed by a string of tour dates / festival apperances across Europe, including their only 2 UK shows to date in 2007. Much in the same pattern, although be it with a lineup change, 2008′s follow up full length – simply named ‘Toner Low II’ – saw the band perfecting their arsenal of enormously heavy minimalist riff repetition across 4 tracks and led to a continuation of multiple European live shows / festival dates. Following this route has led in more recent years to an intensely amped slab of space-drone riff-ery, reminiscent in places of everything from the ambiences maintained on certain Om / Sleep records, through to the more crushing drone-doom orientation of bands like Monarch! and Pombagira.

The band have followed a steady path to reach the overwhelming heaviness that they now radiate with ease, occasionally self releasing via their own Roadkill Recordz label, and playing various shows / festivals alongside some of the biggest names in stoner / doom circles (e.g. Boris, Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Acid King to name but a few).

With a new album expected in a few months time Toner Low will be one not to miss at The Underworld on the final day of the festival as they return to the UK for only the second time in their 15 year history.

Words – Staggerin’ Matt

After crashing the Berlin leg of Desertfest last year, French ‘psychédélique’ trio Glowsun are heading to Camden and completing the double. Already strong contender for any best French band of all time awards, Glowsun are masters of mixing powerful, ambient psychedelia with raw, crushing groove.

Debut full length, The Sundering, put Glowsun on the stoner map in 2008 thanks to its expertly crafted, hooky jams. Last year’s follow up, Eternal Season, shoved drone more to the centre of the sound as well as pushing through heavier, crunchier guitars. The result was an equally atmospheric, but much darker album with more strut and swagger.

Sitting halfway between Sleep and Sungrazer, Glowsun’s appearance at the Camden leg this year is bound to be a thunderous, apocalyptic journey into a psychedelic waste ground.

words courtesy of Tom Geddes

Mentioning the very concept of Mars Red Sky in the UK brings to mind the bizarre combination of tasty chocolate, caramel and nougat with a high quality brand of potato crisps. En France however we’re talking only about the psyche-tripping, outer galaxy meanderings of Bordeaux’s finest retro rockers, known to their fans as MRS.

Taking in influences as broad as Hendrix, Kyuss, Cream, Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, these meteor-bothering cosmonauts create a thick, fuzzy, yet delicate sound, memorably topped off by frontman Julien Pras’ startlingly soulful bluesy rasps behind the mic. With just a singular, though poignant, self-titled debut record and a split with Year of No Light out to date, MRS have quickly built an impressive résumé which includes guest spots at Roadburn, Les Eurockennes and Incubate festivals as well as opening slots with the likes of Sleepy Sun and Killing Joke. A groovy, acid-frying three piece rounded out by Jimmy Kinast on bass and Benoit Busser behind the kit, MRS bring brooding basslines, triumphant drumbeats and a megaton of big-muffled guitar riffs together with a dark and haunting sense of melody, seldom heard in the cactus fields of classic stoner rock.

If you dig the likes of Colour Haze, Tweak Bird, Witchcraft and Earthless then get your shovel back out and prepare to get crater-making with yet another astounding addition to our line-up here at DesertFest 2013.

Words courtesy of Pete Green

For the first time ever in the UK, Desertfest presents the ultra-heavy norwegian three-piece; TOMBSTONES.

Although Norway is more famous for its beastly blasting Black Metal, TOMBSTONES turn this musical concept upside down: slow, downtuned, stoned and buzzed out doom is on the menu. TOMBSTONES have two albums under their belt. “Volume II” was released in 2010 by Transubstans Recors, and their latest piece “Year of the Burial” was dropped spring 2012 by Soulseller Records. The norwegian doomsters toured Europe with their new album last fall, and have played Mudfest, Death Doomed The Age and Robustfest.

This time it’s Camden and Desertfest who will shiver from their loud and crushing, trance-indulging heaviness. Light you your bongs, and worship the riff!

Swedish Fuzz royalty return to Desertfest after last years epic apperance to a packed out Underworld. Neck breaking riffs, leaping guitarists and dripping wet crowds are all standard when Truckfighters roll into town. The rocking threesome recently hit UK shores for a rip roaring tour which ended in another rammed show at the Underworld. Vocals, heavy bass lines and whipping the crowd into a mouth foaming frenzy is supplied by Ozo, guitar licks, insane eyes and wild leaping comes from Dango and they are now joined on drums by former Mustach drummer Danne McKenzie.

Formed way back in 2001, the band have released 3 studio albums Gravity X, Phi and Mania. It has been 4 years since Mania and they are due to release a new album this year. In that time the band have toured extensively, twice to the States, South America, UK and Europe not forgetting the eagerly awaited Fuzzomentry which featured words from the mighty Josh Homme. So if you feel the need to jump around like a lunatic to some mighty licks then climb aboard the ten ton Fuzz machine that is Truckfighters.

This London band’s ascension to the seat of power started out in 2011 and the immediate demand they created for themselves has enabled them to hone their sound at a diverse range of shows; everything from small underground gigs, to support for UK doominaries like Serpent Venom, to internationally renowned festivals. Throne’s remarkably self-assured debut release was the recent double a-sider “Heavy Lies The Crown / The Loser Must Bow” and on hearing it you’d be forgiven for thinking that they’ve been dealing out the doom for a lot longer than they have.

Together, singer/guitarist Nicos Livesey, bassist Will Michael and drummer Julia Owen summon the dense smog of 70′s doom riff worship with just that hint of shuffling swagger to keep the hips gyrating. It has been pointed out elsewhere that they have an unmistakably British sound. It’s true, Nicos’ soulful clean vocals see to that, along with a sonic assault which is slowly and deliberately drawn out from a classic tube-driven back line in thick layers of mesmerising groove.

Desertfest attendees looking forward to some doom casting it’s shadow over Camden will most definitely want to be front and center for Throne’s well deserved second Desertfest appearance, see you there!

WORDS COURTESY OF RICH AFTERSABBATH

“We’re completely stoked to announce the return to London of Richmond, Virginia’s purveyors of ultimate doom-filth, the mighty COUGH, for the HDP/WPC stage at DesertFest this year.

Cough smashed into worldwide acclaim within doom / sludge circles with the crushing 2008 début album Sigillum Luciferi, followed in 2010 with the fully engulfing psyche-sludge of Ritual Abuse (available on Relapse Records) and a split with the UK’s own doom titans The Wounded Kings. Encompassing monolithically pounding, horror-raising, weed-tuned riffs and vocals stylings ranging from classic occult doom to downright demonic, blackened screams of desperation, the band have proven they are a force to be reckoned with both in this realm and beyond.

Having played across the U.S. in the last few years with the likes of Buzzov-en / Weedeater / Eyehategod, as well as even reaching to play a 2011 tour in Australia, Cough will most definitely be a must for any devotees of the heaviest tone with their appearance at The Underworld at DesertFest 2013″

Words – Staggerin’ Matt

Colour Haze don’t really need much of a ‘get to know the band’ introduction here. By now they are surely the most revered German stoner rockers there are. They have been building upon their legacy with increasingly ambitious albums for what is approaching twenty years now, and still, a new Colour Haze album is not ‘just another new release’. For them it is their next contribution to the history of psychedelic rock, and for the fans another shining standard by which other bands will yet again be measured.

This is due to the attitude and dedication they put into everything they do, and the same level of commitment is put into every live show too. If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing them yet, you can expect guitarist Stefan Koglek, bassist Philipp Rasthofer and drummer Manfred Merwald, one of the tightest trios around, to begin by delicately weaving their magic upon a speechless audience. Then, slowly and intently, sculpting the warm tones and euphoric atmosphere with a fine control over every nuance until they crescendo in swirling mantras which speak directly to the soul.

With last years’s long-awaited ‘She Said’ LP released on Stefan Koglek’s own Elektrohasch label, plus it’s introduction of adventurous new instrumentation, the band stretched their sonic arsenal further than ever before and honed it to perfection with and extensive european tour of 3-hour sets. Do yourself a favour and ‘Come on feel the Haze’ at Desertfest 2013!

words courtesy of Rich AfterSabbath

Humanfly begun their journey way back in 2000, after the break up of John and Andy Sutcliffe’s old band, Canvas. Two became four when joined by Mat Dale on Bass and Dave Jones on Drums.

Hailing from Leeds, UK, the four-piece have developed their sound over the years from super fast and very brief into ‘Impossibly long’ tunes where the riff has a chance to progress organically. Truly gut-wrenching vocals, heavy layered riffs that penetrate your mind, amazing constant drums driving the music forth at a steady pace whilst the music grows and grows into a uncontrolable tidal wave of sound.

Signed to Brew Records, they are due to release their 4th studio album next month called ‘Awesome Science’. Fans of Isis take note: you will dig this, so catch them at Deserfest before they buzz off!

Yippee-ki-yay motherfuckers! St. Albans’ premier exponents of bluesy sludge are back for a second bite at the DesertFest cherry after packing out the WPC/h_d_p stage earlier in 2012.

Trippy’s exciting blend of grungy wrecking-ball riffage, thunderous drumming, sing-a-long-able choruses and all with a swaggering bluesy twang, has won them a strong following across the South of England and beyond. Sure to be showcasing tracks from latest release Going Home, along with fans’ favourites from their debut proper Movin’ On, get ready to chow down on equal helpings of both mosh-pit and ho-down with these modern-age masters of the groove. Like QOTSA? Like Soundgarden? Like Hank3? Get ready to rock with your new favourite band. Dig it!

words courtesy of Pete Green

Though young as a band, Angist have been proving they are a titanic force to be reckoned with ever since their inception in 2009. Now, they are prepared to hit Desertfest via Seven Churches at the Black Heart on Saturday 27th April. All this with an impact stronger than any volcano eruption which their native Iceland is famous for.

With a fiercely old-school approach to their anguished, dissonant and insanely raging death metal anthems, they combine the all the best things the genre has to offer in one tight and furious package. With only a 5-song EP to their name so far, the four-piece led by the talented axe-slinging duo of Gyða Hrund Þorvaldsdóttir and Edda Tegeder Óskarsdóttir, with the latter also providing some of the most chillingly blood-curdling roars you’ll ever hear (the rumbling rhythm section of Haraldur Ingi Shoshan and Ophidian I’s drummer Tumi Snær Gíslason complete the line-up), is expected to lay down a motherload of a debut full-length at some point later this year… but not without first making themselves very well known to the Desertfest crowd by delivering a kick in the guts through massive cuts like ‘Godless’ or ‘Silence’. Be prepared.

With the late, and very great, astrologer Sir Patrick Moore now having sadly departed us, the remaining mere mortals of this world are each going to need to get to grips with star-gazing in our own unique and special ways. Thankfully, as always, doom-metal is on hand to help, and when it comes to sounding like the lift-off of some giant alien mothership, producing otherworldly displays of hypnotic, space-dusted art and being constantly referred to under the banner of all things “cosmic”, the human race need look no further than the mighty Italians Ufomammut.

Taking their cues from the Jedi knights of Sleep, Electric Wizard, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind and King Crimson, the ‘Mammut are heavier than a thousand Hubble telescopes, each lined with the mass of its own internal black hole. They’re also the masters of the long-player format; recent voyage Oro Opus was so vast that it could not be confined to a single LP, and its two disks bolt together to form one glorious 94-minute riff labyrinth. Past conquests ‘Eve’, ‘Idolum’, ‘Lucifer’s Songs’, ‘Godlike Snake’ and ‘Snailking’ all spawned marauding, psychedelic orgies of aggressive, yet graceful and pace-varied prog-doom which set these Tortona natives up as one of Europe’s premier heavy music acts.

Backed by the Malleus Rock Lab, their one-of-a-kind art-visuals project, Signors Vito, Urlo and Poia have set the controls for the heart of Camden and are preparing their battery of equipment to hurl you into another dimension this coming April at DesertFest 2013.

courtesy of Pete Green

The Greek Stoners were formed way back in the year of 2000 in Athens, and are made up by four demigods, Babis/Vox & Guitars, Yog/Guitars, JayVee/Bass and Syke/Drums.

It was 8 years until the they released their debut album ‘Eleven the Hard Way’ this was followed up in 2011 with ‘Macho Libre’. If you haven’t already experienced Planet of Zeus then expect plenty of stoner fuzz riding heavy on plenty of riff.

They have shared the stage with many of the biggest bands on the scene like Monster Magnet, Karma to Burn, Hermano and not forgetting their apperance at Stoned from The Underground in Germany. By the power of Zeus do not miss your chance to see these heavy rock gods!

Veterans of 20 years by now, Canvey Island’s Whoremoan have been kicking out the jams since 1992 and working hard at it ever since. Having released a series of EPs and LPs, they keep the DIY punk ethic alive and stick it to the man by recording, producing and selling it all themselves. An ideal gig for Whoremoan drummer Simon Foote is one where “we have played well and there are people there who appreciate what we are doing and show that they are enjoying it.”

You’ll enjoy it OK……what they deliver live is the noise-rock, violence-above-all-else approach; Here’s a riff, we like it, you’ll love it, and we’re gonna hammer it home until it’s ingrained in your DNA.

If you dig the relentless concrete-block barrage of bands like Helmet, a side-order of stoner groove and even a shot of Clutch-lovin’ southern rock, these guys will be just the ticket to a sore neck, a few whoremoans no doubt, and a delierously good time at Desertfest 2013!

Desertfest are stoked to announce that Monster Energy are back supporting the festival for 2013.

Following a hugely successful partnership in the festival’s first year, the mean green energy drink are coming back on board to to make sure everyone has that extra bit to keep you going through the show. The next edition will consist of 3 days of what can only be described as a monstrous onslaught of the finest bands in stoner, doom, and the heaviest riffage the world has seen.

Monster will also be hosting the festival closing party on Sunday 28th to kiss Desertfest 2013 goodbye, so keep an eye out for Monster Energy closing party offers over the weekend.

Happy New Year one and all, we hope you had a good one…Over the past few weeks we’ve consumed our own bodyweight  in food and booze whilst watching Back To The Future and now its back to what we love, putting on Londons ultimate underground festival. During the festive period we shared a jar or 2 with some music savvy dudes over at Ave Satanas and next thing you know we have joined forces for this years Desertfest 2013.

Ave Satanas ® is a British independent, underground clothing brand created by Satanists for Satanists, Rebels, Heretics, and those that dare to wear it! Ave Satanas represents the rebellious and individualistic values of LaVeyan Satanism and is a company fast becoming recognized and respected as a heavy duty brand with a dark empowering edge; already worn by some of the biggest names in both metal and tattooing.

Gareth the Managing Director of Ave Satanas had these kind words to say: ” As an underground clothing brand specialising in Satanic Clothing it is an honour to co-sponsor Desertfest 2013 and to contribute to such a respected festival. Sharing similar values and a dedication and commitment to underground genres such as doom and stoner, such a collaboration between Ave Satanas and Desertfest was destined. Support your independent festivals and keep music EVIL!

Find us at the ‘Stand of Satanas’ in the merchandise area and check out our latest Pure Rebel Hellwear range! Rege Satanas, Ave Satanas, Hail Satan!”    

Parisians set to romance Desertfesters with riffs, licks and pounding grooves. Abrahma was formed in Paris, back in 2005 under the original moniker Alchosonic. The French 4-piece are made up by Seb Bismuth:on Guitar/Vox, Nicolas Heller on Guitar and they are joined by the Colin brothers Guillaume on Bass and Benjamin on Drums. Signed to Small Stone Records, the Psych Rockers have recently released ‘Through the dusty paths of our lives’ which features a guest appearance by the legend that is Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet/Atomic Bitchwax). Very Heavy Rock is very much on the menu, with large amounts of psychdelia running throughout their music, so don’t miss out on the French invasion at Desertfest 2013.

DISCOUNTED TICKET DESERTFEST XMAS PRESENT OFFER Save yourself from the last minute Christmas shopping. We have a Christmas ticket offer! Follow this link and you can buy a limited number of discounted tickets and guarantee that the ticket will arrive before Christmas. There is no better gift! Offer stops on Wednesday at 3pm or when limited tickets are sold out. Get em ere  

Desertfest are proud to welcome Indesinence to the festival playing the Seven Churches Stage. New album Vessels Of Light is finally upon us after a 6 year wait. Boy was it worth it!

Atmospheric Death/Doom at it’s finest. In an overcrowded scene it’s extremely refreshing to hear elements forged from other genres. In their own words influences range from Celtic Frost, My Dying Bride, Swans and Barclay James Harvest. Live they are simply pumelling, expect lengthy songs that suck you in, culminating in an intense conclusion. Hypnotising. Prepare yourself for a neck brace after!

The Seven Churches Stage really is taking shape with Bong, Black Magician and now Indesinence already announced.

We are pleased to announce North Easterners Bong to play on the Severn Churches Stage at Desertfest!

With a plethora of releases under their belts, Bong play slow moving eastern tinged drone, with heavy Hawkwind influences.

Recent album Mana-Yood-Sushay based on Lord Dunsany’s “Gods Of Pagana” pushed the boundaries further. Their hypnotic live experience is like no other, transferring you back to the great age of 60′s/70′s improvisation with added Shahi Baaja an electrified Indian Zither/ drone harp with typewriter keys! A fitting end to an eclectic day at the Black Heart.

You certainly didn’t see that coming did you!! Well, it’s true. Not only have DesertFest already reunited both the mighty Dozer and Lowrider for 2013, but we are now proud to announce that desert rock royalty Unida are Camden-bound this coming April to headline Desertfest 2013.

I’m sure you all already know the story, but that isn’t going to stop it being told over again… Upon the dissolution of Kyuss and Slo Burn, the voice of the Californian sands John Garcia (vocals) hooked up with Dave Dinsmore (bass), Arthur Seay (guitar) and Miguel Cancino (drums) to add their biker punk-metal rhythms to his unmistakable, paint-stripping bluesy grooves behind the mic. Despite huge early promise, a glorious debut album in 1999’s ‘Coping with the Urban Coyote’, a storming split with Swedes Dozer and a follow-up record due with American Recordings in 2001, the band stalled and sank back behind the cacti’ shadows. The long-awaited second album, reportedly entitled ‘The Great Divide’, was never released; Dinsmore left the band to be replaced initially by Scott Reeder and then later Eddie Plascencia whilst Garcia concentrated more exclusively on his new band Hermano and some solo work. Unida was certainly left in-need-a’ something… until now!

Back to blow us all away with the likes of ‘Wet Pussycat’, ‘Human Tornado’ and ‘Black Woman’ plus a whole lot more, this is one pick-up truck full of hulking riffs, fuzzed up overdrive and classic vocal majestics that you simply can’t afford to miss. Get ready to cope with the triumphant return of the urban coyotes themselves at DesertFest 2013!

Chicago’s Bongripper play their own unique brand of steam-rolling stoner doom. They specialize in extended instrumental trips that investigate the far-reaches of gut-wrenching heaviness. Post-rock fans should take note, they also know the importance of using melody and atmosphere to bring their records into a cohesive whole.

Since 2005 they have been building a steady reputation with five albums to date, their most notorious being ‘Heroin’ which was released in very limited quantities and came with a heroin kit, complete with a lighter, rubber band, and spoon.

They have supported masters of menace such as EyeHateGod and Cough. On-stage they are something to behold, heads-down with the volume at 11, the ebb and flow of their soundscapes conjures up scenes of destruction, desolation and absolution.

This is a rare chance to see a band that do not play live often, especially outside of the US, so count yourselves lucky for this for great opportunity laid-on by Desertfest 2013!

words courtesy of Rich AfterSabbath

Inspired by a broad variety of musical influences including punk, blues and jazz, this experimental stoner rock band from Palm Desert, California and are producing one of the most original sound the desert ever sent to us!

Since 1995, FATSO JETSON released not less than 7 full-length albums. The last one, “Archaic Volumes” brought out in April 2010 on Cobraside Records, has been followed by a tour started at Holland’s “RoadBurn Festival”.

This year, FATSO JETSON just concluded a very successful European tour with highlights shows like “Duna Jam” and “Stoned From the Underground” festivals. They are expected to come back in Europe in 2013 with new material!

YAWNING MAN is one of the most influential bands in the desert rock scene. Born in 1986 in La Quinta, California, the band made a name for itself by organising the first marathon jams in the desert, called “generator parties”. Their music mutate into strange loops with an almost dark / free-jazz punk sound.

In spite of that, they did not release an official album until 2005 entitled “Rock Formations” released on Alone Records. After that, they released EP ‘Pot Head’, and the second LP “Nomadic Pursuits”. This summer, they recorded a new one, to be released by Cobraside Distribution, with new tour dates to come.

YAWNING SONS are a unique collaboration between musicians from different sides of the Atlantic. When Gary Arce from YAWNING MAN first hooked up with SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI and a special magic was cast from the first day of working in the studio. YAWNING SONS went on to record an album that made the top 10 lists of numerous magazines of 2009 and featured vocals from Scott Reeder (KYUSS), Mario Lalli, & Wendy Rae Fowler (QOTSA).

YAWNING SONS have since released a 7” vinyl mastered at Abbey Road Studios. Expect a return to the ambient improvisations of ‘Ceremony to the Sunset’ and perhaps, a glimpse at some of the new material!

DesertFest UK are exceptionally proud to announce ‘The GODFATHER’S’ of desert rock FATSO JETSON & YAWNING MAN will be headlining this years DesertFest on the Friday night at the Underworld. They will be accompanied by an EXCLUSIVE performance of THE ultimate desert stoner US / UK collaboration that is YAWNING SONS. That’s right – YAWNING SONS, YAWNING MAN & FATSO JETSON all on the same stage, all on the same night – only at DesertFest UK 2013!!

This promises to be one of the most special and intimate nights ever conceived with the history of desert rock laid out in front of audiences. Yawning Man founded the desert generator parties with both their music and Lalli’s band Across the River being covered by Kyuss. Lalli has contributed to the Desert Sessions with Fatso Jetson and co-written songs with Josh Homme. Gary Arce remains one of the influential artists of the genre founding acts such as Dark Tooth Encounter, Ten East (with Brant Bjork), WaterWays (also featuring Mario Lalli) and of course the legendary collaboration with Sons of Alpha Centauri known as Yawning Sons.

This never before seen line up will deliver an amazing opening night to DesertFest and from the mainstage will set the tone for the entire festival. Expect exclusive guest appearances, specially designed memorial merchandise and most of all – the music of the desert from the people who created and the crafted the genre to which this festival is now a testament!!

South Wales threesome Prosperina are the latest band to join Desertfest 2013. Not many can straddle genres but the experimental trio manage it from the off. Having released their self-produced debut, Faith in Sleep, this month, Prosperina are relatively young guns but pack a mean punch. The power-trio’s sound lies somewhere between Isis and Tool, though draws from vastly wide reaching influences. In equal parts proggy, experimental, melodic and etheral, Prosperina pull you in, but can just as powerfully drop down and hit you with deep, droning doom. Bassist Owen Street has a particular Desertfest pedigree as a veteran of California’s Waxy and Vic Du Monte’s persona non grata sharing vinyl (and live space) with John Garcia, Alfredo Hernandez and Mario Lalli amongst other stoner icons. Having supported Gonga recently, and due to play with Astrohenge in the new year, Prosperina are set to stroll into Desertfest having shared the stage with two of the best bands on the scene right now. And no doubt, they’ll want to show us all how it’s done.

Words courtesy of Tom Geddes

Hear the howl of the wolf; or the Turbowolf that is. The Bristol four-piece, fronted by the gravel tongued Chris Georgiadis, have stormed into the world over the last few years with an all out assault of noise. Honing their frantic sets enough to earn support slots with Black Spiders and Monster Magnet, the ‘wolf’s sets are always deafening and in your face. Last year’s self-titled debut earned well deserved praise across the board, probably for being an angry, demented album that thrashed out snappy hooks, howling vocals, thunderous drums and a fair amount of synth. Having just completed a heroic UK tour with fellow Desertfesters Black Moth, Turbowolf will bring one of the most fast-paced shows of the weekend. Crushingly heavy for the most part, with that ever psychedelic synth thrown in to the mix, Turbowolf’s Desertfest debut is sure to shake the whole of Camden to the ground.

London 4-piece Gurt join us for Desertfest 2013. Take a pinch of groovy blues straight out of the 70′s and a handful of gut wrenching sludgy filth, mix together and you get Gurt. The band began their journey in 2010 and originally comprised of Gareth on vocals, Simon/Drums, Jamie/guitar, and John/Bass. Jamie and John have since departed and been replaced by Sedulus guitarist Rich Williams and Dave Blakemore on bass. Despite their urban UK origins, this is a band you could imagine being spawned in the Swamps of Louisanna and Gareth’s high-pitched growling and grunting combined with the band’s down-tuned, down-tempo groove make for a fine blend of southern sludge. Strong influences such as Iron Monkey, Eyehategod, Weedeater can be clearly detected throughout their early releases, ‘Volume 1′, ‘First Steps’, ‘Redwin’, a 7″ split with the much missed Dopefight and November’s release of ‘You ain’t from around these parts?’

Never Attend Aviation Meetings? No Adam Ant Mementos? Neil Armstrong Ate Mice? Nazi Aims At Midget?

What in Bobby Leibling’s boxer-shorts does NAAM stand for anyway? I’ve absolutely no idea, but what I do know is that if I want a generous side-order of psychy trip-out with my entree of skull-rattling doom, then I tend to give this badass American four-piece yet another whirl on my cosmic gramophone. NAAM are certainly no strangers to DesertScene regulars after their earth-tremoring set last year in Camden with The Atomic Bitchwax, and we’re again delighted to welcome these innovative New Yoickers back to our humble shores. Approaching stoner-doom from the mantra-summoning Krautrock end of it’s enchanting universe, NAAM have already wowed us across their ‘Kingdom’ EP and a self-titled LP both out on TeePee Records. Now they’re back once again to swirl London up into a vortex of equilibrium-challenging prayer whilst boogie-ing us all senseless in the process with brand spanking new material in tow from ‘The Ballad of the Starchild’ EP. If you like your heaviness rich, vast and devastatingly groovy, grow a beard and get down to stroke it with us and NAAM at DesertFest 2013. Just leave Bobby Leibling’s boxers alone, yeah?!

Words courtesy of Pete Green

We are pleased to announce that Black Magician will is the first name to be added to the Seven Churches Stage at The Black Heart on Saturday 27th April. As anyone can attest to hearing the debut “Nature Is The Devils Church”, Black Magician have produced “the” best British Doom album this year. A cacophony of swirling Hammond, Dorrianesque vocals, fascinating Dark Folklore inspired lyrical themes and let’s not forget huuuuge riffs and plenty of em! Add a sprinkle of quintessentially British Folk/Prog and of course, heavy DOOOOM. Please prepare yourself for a flared trousered, kerchief wearing, flowery shirt love in!

Thanks Jack Dickinson

Desertfest is pleased to announce that Seven Churches will be curating the Black Heart on Saturday 27th.

Grief, torture, riffs and sorcery will be taking over the Black Heart on the Saturday of the 2013 edition. Set to the same tune but a little bit more blurred around the edges, Seven Churches aims to bring the other, more evil side of the United Kingdoms underground. Psychedelia, Death, Black Doom, Abrasion and good old fashioned Rock n Roll for those that the Church permits.

“Seven Prayers, Seven Bells, Seven Churches rise from Hell!”<

Before these times of online enlightenment they were one of the archetypal ‘lost originators that never made it’, and “When the Screams Come” is probably the best song Black Sabbath never wrote. Pentagram’s long and tumultuous career has scaled every peek and suffered every pit-fall that the Spinal Tap dimension can offer and these events were played out in back-stage obscurity, with the few devout proto-doom fans surviving only on which ever retrospectives, bootlegs or sporadic low-key album releases they could lay their hands on.

Luckily there is such a thing as karma, Pentagram is back with a vengeance. With the strongest lineup since the seventies, a movie about his life that was instrumental in cleaning him up, and 2011’s “Last Rites” LP under his belt, the inscrutable showman Bobby Liebling has now travelled over 30 countries, having previously never travelled more than five US states during half a life half locked in a drug addiction wilderness. He has achieved one of the most life-affirming reincarnations and redemptions in our times, not just in rock.

Be forewarned, Desertfest 2013 gives you the chance to come and live rock and roll history in Liebling’s mercurial presence, stalking the stage with maniacal eyes. With an offer like that you shouldn’t have to spend too long reviewing your choices.

Words courtesy of Rich AfterSabbath

“All right, Tinkerbell. You’re nicked!”. Welcome back to a time when Jack Regan had the scum on the run, and gaggles of disgruntled scantily-clad Ladieswear assistants had Benny Hill on the run. Luckily for us running isn’t so easy in flares and platform shoes, and sideburns cause even more drag, so this debauched admiral of the fleet will not be escaping the Desertfest crowds hungry for groovin’ power-trio rock perfection. Hastings’ own Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell (try saying that after 9 pints of Double Diamond) have been belting out their honest, no-nonsense swagger-filled rock ‘n‘ roll for a few years now and the world is taking notice. They played a storming set at Roadburn last year, which this devout scribe was more than happy to suffer ‘Sleep’ deprivation to experience, and their debut album “Don’t Hear it… Fear it!!” is just out on Rise Above Records. ASCS are Louis Comfort -Wiggett, Bill Darlington and Johnny Gorilla. Many of you will know Johnny’s other band Gorilla (of which Bill is a former member), who have been pumping out their Blue Cheerful vibes since the late nineties. If 70’s proto-metal is your thing; Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie and Buffalo get you all hot under your giant flappy collar, and you can handle a big psychedelic dose of garage punk into the bargain, then make sure you dig The Shovell at Desertfest 2013! Rich AfterSabbath

You thought Godflesh were heavy. You thought Neurosis were heavy. You thought Sunn0))) were heavier still. But you certainly didn’t count on three darkness-drenched barbarians from Liverpool plugging into a fortress of amps, tuning down to drop-F and drone-riffing you even further into the void.

Conan have been re-defining the verb “to doom” since 2006 across two critic-crushing records, ‘Horseback Battle Hammer’ and ‘Monnos’, plus a truly bulldozing split with Slomatics. Having played with everyone from Ramesses to Sleep and Eyehategod (and usually at the headliners’ requests), Conan bring their tales of swamp battles, slain minotaurs, mutant snails and dying giants to London’s DesertFest for the very first time. Bring your ear-plugs and your shit-eating grins to hail the mighty Conan… We ain’t kiddin’ about those ear-plugs.

Conan is another addition to the Human Disease/ When Planets Collide stage on Sunday 28th April, which is looking pretty mean already.

Words courtsey of Pete Green

The meaty might of Steak has seen them steadily rising through the ranks of the British underground scene following their debut e.p release ‘Disastronaught’ earlier this year. The London based ‘stoner rock and proud’ super heroes are becoming well known for their rocking live performances, meaty riffs and super fuzzy sound!

These prime cuts will be touring the UK in December with Swedish fuzz rockers Truckfighters and release their second e.p in the Steak saga ‘Corned Beef Colossus’ in May with a limited number available at Desertfest. The new release is to be recorded by Truckfighters at their studio in Sweden and the artwork will again come from south American D.C comic artist Eduardo Ferigato. Don’t miss out on grabbing a Steak at Desertfest.

It’s been 3 years since they last stepped on the stage and to say we are happy they have reformed for Desertfest 2013, well that would be an understatement. We caught up with Tommi and asked him a few questions..  

Dozer have been on a self imposed break, what have all you guys been up to during this hiatus?

Well i have been busy with making music. I started a new band called Dahli with Daniel lidén (previous dozer drummer) don’t know when this will see the light of day but i pretty sure we will release something sooner or later. The past couple of years i have been busy with writing and recording(and now touring) with Greenleaf. Greenleaf is my baby:-) when i’m not doing the Dozer stuff Greenleaf is my main band. The rest of the Dozer guys have also been involved with the latest greenleaf album a bit but other than that they have been busy with working their day jobs and going to school and last but not least making babies.  

What can we expect from your set at Desertfest 2013?

  We will come to Desertfest and kick ass! We haven’t played live in 3 years so we are ready to explode! I’m pretty sure we will try to do some kind of “greatest hits ” set.  

It’s been 4 years since ‘Beyond Colossal’, is there anything in the pipeline to release anymore studio albums or EP’s?

  There’s no plans at the moment to record something new but we have been thinking about releasing an E.P or something with some unreleased stuff that we have lying around. We have some pretty good stuff in our vaults that no one has ever heard.  

Will Dozer be reforming permanently at some point and go back on tour?

  I don’t know. We will just do the Desertfest shows and after that we will see what happens.  

Did you enjoy playing at the first Desertfest last year with Greenleaf?

  We loved the Desertfest shows! The great crowds and awesome shows!  

What band impressed you the most at Desertfest and why?

  Hmmmm…thats a hard question! But i think i have to say the show in Berlin with Brain Police was awesome!  

Greenleaf are currently touring with Brain Police + The Graviators and you recently released ‘Nest Of Vipers’, how’s the tour going and what’s next for the band?

  The tour has been a blast! Our first real Greenleaf tour and we are blown away by the response we have been getting! Next up after the tour we will go back home and start writing new material and hopefully next summer do some festival gigs and after that release a new album. And then start all over again:  

And finally, do you have any habits/rituals when on tour?

  No real rituals but it’s hard to stay away from all the free beer!

We are super psyched to announce that stoner giants Dozer will stir from their deep self-imposed sleep to shake London to it’s foundations. Way back in ’95, whilst lovers of the down-tuned lick were in mourning at the split of Kyuss, another band was being formed far away in Borlange, Sweden, simply called Dozer. The titan 4-piece are made up of Fredrik Nordin (vocals, guitar), Tommi Holappa (guitar) Johna Rockner (bass) and Olle ‘Bull’ Marthans (drums) and the Swedes released five studio albums, the last being 2008′s ‘Beyond Colossal’ which featured guest vocals from Clutch’s Neil Fallon on ‘Empire’s End’. They went into hibernation in 2009, with Nordin returning to education while the other members worked on side projects, notably Tommi who joined up with Greenleaf once more and released ‘Nest Of Vipers’ earlier this year. So slumber they do no more! Dozer are back and ready for Desertfest 2013.

Take one German band, add the influences of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind and Led Zepplin, mix in a blend of musical genres such as doom, stoner, psych and classic rock, not forgetting a heavy pinch of the 70′s and you have Kadavar. The contemporary trio have made a meteoric rise following their debut S/T album, which was released through Tee Pee + This Charming Man Records this year. Hailing from Berlin, the hairy three are Lindermann, Mammut and Tiger and, reflecting on their modern slant of a by-gone musical era, we can’t beat one reviewer’s quote: ‘You can’t reinvent the wheel but you can roll it’. Flares, beards and undulating hair is not a requirement to experience Kadavar at Desertfest 2013.

Desertfest is proud to welcome Leeds’ very own, and very unique, Black Moth to the line-up. Currently wrapping up a tour as support for Turbowolf, the 5-piece are fast capturing the attention of the British underground scene. And rightly so. The band’s debut full length, The Killing Jar, is a twisted, reverberating, occult haze of an album that pierces deep into your skull, rattles around for a while and makes itself heard. Truly capturing a sound of their own with crushing guitars that often verge on sludge, the haunting, melodic vocals of Harriet Bevan and even occasional organs that ring in your ears, fully expect to be drawn in to the mayhem. Black Moth are sure to leave an impression on all those who catch their blistering set at Desertfest.

Words courtesy of Tom Geddes

Things are shaping up nicely for Desertfest 2013 and we are now proud to welcome Texan psychedelic fuzzsters Wo Fat to the bill. Proving themselves over the last half of the decade to be one of the greatest fuzz bands in the US today, the Dallas three-piece are simply getting better with every stride they take. Last year’s Noche del Chupacabra smashed us in the face with swampy jams and foot stomping hooks; this year’s follow up, The Black Code, returns to finish the job, ironing out all the kinks and blowing us away in the process with an increasingly confident swagger. Tied together with Kent Stump’s ever so slightly gravelly twang, Wo Fat are at the front of the pack of up-and-coming American fuzz merchants that are storming the planet, taking their distorted tones along with them. Next stop, Camden. Words courtesy of Tom Geddes

Well the weekend is nearly here once again and, yes, it’s time for another Desertfest announcement. And they don’t come much better than the Doom legends that are Pagan Altar. They are one of the few bands from the NWOBHM explosion that played doom metal, the notable other being Witchfinder General. Formed by Alan and Terry Jones back in ’76, the band disbanded in ’82 to reform again in ’04 and since then they have added to their debut album Volume 1 with releases of Lords of Hypocrisy, Mythical and Magical and Never Quite Dead. Their music can be described as epic and moody with occult-istic overtones. The UK 5-piece were originally set to play last years inaugural Desertfest but, due to unforeseen circumstances, they couldn’t make it, so we are very pleased to have them on the bill again for 2013. So no need to worry, sacrifices won’t be necessary to witness the Doom of Pagan Altar.

We Recently caught up with Metalgigs.co.uk and had a chat about the coming Festival and what to expect from Desertfest 2013. You can read the full interview via the link below. Metal gigs talk to Desertfest

Check out the extensive coverage captured by Virus 6 for Desertfest 2012, plenty of live footage via their page. Below is a tune of Greanleafs set..   If you want to see more click here.

The good people of www.absurdhistory.com covered the 2012 festival in a lot of detail,infact a hell of a lot, covering each venue day by day. Well worth the read and thanks to the guys for the in depth report. To Read More Click Here

Fuzzed Out Radio recorded a one off special show in honour of this years festival.You can hear the show in its entirety via the player below.

Happy Wednesday to you all and good news, its time for our third announcement and we are glad to bring heavy weight Doomsters Belzebong over for Desertfest 2013.
You would think that Belzebong were forged in the bowels of hell, but you would be mistaken – it was actually Poland. The heavy doomfuzzed licks of these mammoth riff conjurors, have been destroying mortal souls since 2008. Their debut album ‘Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves’ needs not much explaining, it’s an epic journey through the hazy weed induced trip that they have created for your aural pleasures.

Prepare yourselves to worship the beast that is Belzebong.

We are proud to announce that Human Disease Promo and When Planets Collide have teamed up to curate The Underworld on what will be heavy as f@^k Sunday at Desertfest 2013. After the success of The Human Disease Promo stage at Desertfest 2012 in which both Matt and Gareth worked together on we are chuffed to have them back. Both these guys have worked with bands from across the globe as well as being dedicated linchpins of the UK underground sludge / doom / stoner scenes, so we are excited about the line up being put together.

Second Desertfest announcement Ramesses will be the first band to be named for the stage and we have another exciting announcement coming Wednesday so look out for it.

Human Desease Promo Facebook page

When Planets Collide Facebook page

Check out this awesome footage of the mighty Swedish Truckfighters performing Desert Cruiser at Desertfest 2012.As usual they were not for the faint hearted and caused a minor earthquake across Camden Town during Saturdays performance at the Underworld.

If you want to experience them Live again, they will be on a short UK Tour in December with Steak supporting amongst others. For more information click the link below
Truckfighters UK Tour

Metal Hammer came down to the festival over the Easter weekend and spent some time hunting down some of the best beards amongst you lot and you can see the result via the link below found..check out some comical names too!

Metal Hammer Beard Watch

We are psyched to announce that Ramesses have been added to Desertfest 2013. The Psychedelic doom trio from Dorset was formed back in 2009, by former founding members of Electric Wizard, Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening, with Adam Richardson completing the three.
A wall of brutal destruction is to be expected from these purveyors of the torrential riff, alongside some downright filth. To catch them live is a must, with their doomed fluidity and the chance to witness them on a mammoth jam is always a treat, even if it’s just to see the 30″ crash cymbal. Ramesses will rule at Desertfest.

The good folk at This Is Fake DIY came down to Camden over the easter weekend and by the sounds of it, they liked what they see and heard…

If you like guitars, riffs, or have been wondering where you can discover new rock music, then you probably should have been at DesertFest. Taking place in two suitably grimy Camden venues, The Purple Turtle and The Underworld, as well as one actually rather nice one, The Black Heart; DesertFest bought three days of obscenely loud music and bearded blokes to Camden over the Easter weekend. Cited as a celebration of ‘stoner’ and ‘doom’ rock (as well as a number of other slightly different but equally suspectly named genres), this was essentially a gathering of people and bands that like Black Sabbath.

Read full review here

After the huge success and popularity of Desertfest 2012, which happened over the easter weekend we released a batch of early bird tickets which have now sold out. It took just a few hours for the early birds to be sold out by a hardcore bunch that worship the riff…It feels us with happiness to see these sell out with out even naming one band.

Tickets go on general sale on the 13th November so be sure to get in early to avoid disappointment. We have some names in the pipeline that are sure to prove popular, so don’t forget to keep coming back to the site for announcements, or additionally you can follow us on twitter here or Facebook to get all the latest announcements.

Yes, it’s true! the mighty Lowrider will reform for a special one off show at Desertfest. It’s been 9 years since they disbanded having begun their journey in the mid 90′s, in Karlstad. You can look forward to them blasting out some of their heavy stoner riff laden songs such as ‘Flat Earth’ and ‘Caravan’.

The Swedish stoner 4-piece comprises of Peder Bergstrand on bass/vox, Ole Hellquist on lead guitar/vox, Niclas Stalfors on guitar and Andreas Eriksson on drums. They only released one full studio album that was ‘Ode to Io’ in 2000, they also released a double EP with Nebula the previous year. So do not miss out on what could be either your first or last chance to see Lowrider.

Read more

We were lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with Peder Bergstrand from Lowrider

1. What can we expect from your set at Desertfest?

10 years of untapped, built-up energy unleashed. We are so, so, SO psyched to do this.

2. Why did you call it a day back in 2003?

Well, it was a lot of things. We hadn’t toured in a while, we moved to different cities and pursued different things and well… I guess life happened. We never really split up, we just… faded off, I guess. It’s like any long distance relationship, being a couple or being friends playing in a band, it’s pretty much the same thing. You just realize one day that that thing you had going isn’t there anymore, and then that’s that. There was no big drama, no fights, no nothing. We’re still really good friends, we just don’t get to see each other that often. And by “that often” we’re talking years here, hahaha.

3. What have you been doing since your split?

Well, we’ve procreated, some of us. I think Ola got another dog. Or he didn’t. We’ve worked and lived life, I guess. I myself have continued playing music with new people under the moniker I ARE DROID. If you haven’t checked that band out and you like Lowrider, I think you should. It’s different, but it’s similar still, I think. I was the main songwriter for Lowrider and I write everything for I ARE DROID, so in many ways, one could say it’s where Lowrider would have wounded up, if we ever did that second or third album, I guess. The other Lowrider guys have not recorded and released anything post Lowrider.

4. There was a rumor before you split that a new album was on it’s way. Was that true and, if so, any chance it will ever be released?

Well, we had 2 or 3 new songs that we played live back in 2002-2003. From what I remember they were alright, but we never really recorded any of them. I think there might be a bootleg somewhere with one or two of those on, but I don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day. Maybe. If someone begs us hard enough – I guess, hahaha!

Later on, in 2004 or 2005, me and Andreas recorded real, proper studio demos of 3-5 songs I had been working on. These were really not intended as being labeled new Lowrider material, they were just riffs and song ideas I had, and Andreas was the one I wanted to try them out with. Those sessions actually gave me a fresh angle on things, the new stuff was different from what Lowrider used to do. Then I did a similar session with Tommi and Erik from Dozer up in their studio, where we recorded a track called “Blood & Ether”, which would actually later show itself to be the first seed to what would become I ARE DROID. So, those demos with Andreas from Lowrider and Tommi from Dozer I guess was just natural progression… You can hear a lot of both bands in those songs. If they will be released – I don’t know. They will be heard one way or the other, or at least the good parts of them, in songs I’ll write in the future. One of those old Lowrider tracks actually already did, it evolved and became a song on the upcoming I ARE DROID album.

We’ll see. Maybe we’ll rerecord them, maybe we won’t. Maybe I’ll leak the good songs from those sessions, maybe I won’t. Again, it depends on if people really want to hear them, sure, I guess I would. But they’re not finished songs. And as long as I haven’t closed the book on recording them properly, either with the Lowrider guys or with I ARE DROID or Greenleaf something else, I feel a little bit reluctant to letting unfinished stuff get out there like it’s intend for release. And no, that book hasn’t been closed yet, so we’ll just have to wait and see where this thing takes things.

5. Is this going to be a one-off show or are you considering permanently reforming and writing new songs?

Actually, we have tossed the idea of playing again around before. Last time was just last year when 3 out of 4 met up and saw Kyuss Lives! in Stockholm. But y’know, we’ve always been pretty goal-oriented – since there was no shows booked or no plans on recording anything perticular, it just never really happened, since we live like 3 hours by car in all possible directions from each other. And that plus us having lives going on besides that that demand a lot from us, made playing “a bit once in a while just for fun of it” a little bit more of an uphill ride.

But, when we were asked if there was any chance in hell we could think of playing Desertfest 2013, all it took was 10 minutes and three phone calls to say “yes – HELL YES”.

For the time being we approach it as just this once, it’s a one-time only exclusive thing. Plus, I’m releasing a new album with I ARE DROID in january 2013, and will be occupied supporting that. But you never know. We’ll never close the book on playing together, not really I think. I just love playing with these guys too much, they are such awesome musicians. Personally I’m fucking STOKED to get to play with them again.

6. Do you think the stoner scene has changed much since Lowrider first begun back in the mid 90′s?

You know what – I can’t tell really, mainly because I haven’t really followed it as avidly as I used to back in the day. Sure, I listen to a lot of bands that would be considered “stoner”, but for me, it’s just just as hard now as I thought it was in the beginning to know what was “stoner rock” and what wasn’t. I mean, when “Spine of God” came out, Monster Magnet was labeled as “the best grunge band of the year”. Same goes for Melvins, they’ve been called stoner rock. But if there’s something I’ve seen, it’s just this – broader spectra of what is considered “stoner rock”. And that’s a good thing. Real good. I mean, bands like Red Fang, Big Business and Black Cobra are all bands who I love and derive a lot from the stoner scene of the 90s, but they are all very much their own thing. Back in 1996-1998 I think there were more bands that sounded more like clones of the big bands that founded the genre. I don’t feel that’s happening as much now, it’s more mixed up now. I mean, the otherwise more psych-pop oriented band Tame Impala released the best stoner rock song in years with “Elephant” this spring, if you ask me. So yeah, you see stoner rock influences seep into music all over the place these days, which I think is really cool.

7. What was the most memorable gig Lowrider played?

Well, there were a lot, but for me a couple stand out. The London Gig at the Underworld with Dozer back in 2000 was amazing. And a couple of other gigs on that same tour with them was also off the fucking hook. But the most memorable gig we ever did was one at a festival in a small village on the border of Belgium and France. The festival was supposed to be held at this 1000 year old castle (or something like that – let’s just say it had been there for a fucking WHILE), and after being there for that long, the castle burnt down the night before the festival. The festival was moved to a big barn in a nearby village, and we played one of our best sets ever, the crowd just exploded. Later that evening, outside in the street, our stand-in guitarist, high as a kite, chased (as a joke) a fan with his guitar, screaming . Months later we got a call from our booking agent asking us about this rumor saying the guitarist of Lowrider tried to murder some guy at the festival. He wanted to know if he should be worried about crowd safety when booking more shows. I laughed so hard I accidentally hung up on him.

If the guy who was chased somehow is reading this – we are truly sorry. We did not intend to murder you.

Much.

-Peder Bergstrand

After a sell out first edition we have expanded the size of the festival by adding The Electric Ballroom on Sunday 28th April. This 1100 capacity venue has played host some amazing bands of late including Monster Magnet, Electric Wizard and Garcia Sings Kyuss and It’s the ideal location right in the centre of the festival and just a stones throw from The Underworld and The Black Heart.

Expect some amazing bands and nice surprises lined up for the Sunday to see the weekend off with a bang. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements over the coming months.