Staring at the poster of the finished lineup, there’s nothing more to do than congratulate the Desertscene crew on Desertfest London 2023. You could spend an entire day at any single stage in any single venue and call it front-to-back a good time. I’ve been posting festival lineups for Desertfest since it started in 2012 and this is the biggest and best it’s ever been. If you’re going, I’ll tell you flat out I’m jealous. It looks like it will be an amazing experience, and right up to the last lineup announcement, it’s quality as much as quantity when it comes to who is playing, on what stage, and when. It is the heavy festival ideal; a lineup that crosses generations and geographies to give those fortunate enough to be there something they’ll never forget.

So that’s it. Go if you can. Here’s the reportedly final update:

Desertfest London announces final bands and day splits for 2023, including Nebula, Dozer, Fatso Jetson + more

Friday 5th May – Sunday 7th May 2023

Weekend and day tickets on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have announced the final bands and day-splits for 2023’s line-up, which will be taking place across Camden from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May and promises to be heavier than the King’s coronation crown.

The final few bands to join the already stellar line-up includes the heavy groove rocking trio Nebula, Sweden’s stalwarts of stoner Dozer and the godfathers of the Desert Fatso Jetson. French post-metallers Year Of No Light will also be playing their first London show since 2013.

Also joining the line-up is Antwerp’s Gnome who will bring their dirty riffs, anarcho-punks Bad Breeding to get everyone fired up and acclaimed virtuoso Cellist Jo Quail to bring another dynamic to proceedings.

Electric Funeral will also be keeping the party going with a Sabbath covers set at Friday night’s after party and the festival is completed with Elder Druid, Kurokuma, Firebreather, Earth Moves, Untitled With Drums, Graywave, Mountains, Rosy Finch, Lowen, Homecoming, Wall and Death Wvrm.

Weekend and day tickets are available via www.desertfest.co.uk

The final additions join festival headliners and cult heroes Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats who will be playing the Roundhouse for the very first time. As one of the most widely-requested bands in the Desertfest-sphere, Uncle Acid’s trippy and melodic riff-driven hard-rock is uniquely original, yet an utterly timeless beast and will close Desertfest 2023 in a mystical cloud of doom and awe.

Friday’s headliners are none other than Swedish heavy-blues maestros Graveyard who will draw out raw emotion with their lyrical prowess & introspective compositions whilst Saturday welcomes back Corrosion of Conformity who have not been on UK soil since 2018 so expect big, loud and memorable things from their appearance at the festival!

Full Line-Up for Desertfest London 2023:

FRIDAY 5TH MAY
ELECTRIC BALLROOM
GRAVEYARD
KADAVAR
CHURCH OF MISERY
VALLEY OF THE SUN
SPACESLUG
ELECTRIC FUNERAL (AFTER PARTY)

UNDERWORLD
DISCHARGE
BAD BREEDING
DAWN RAY’D
KUROKUMA
TERROR COSMICO

POWERHAUS
YEAR OF NO LIGHT
SUM OF R
EARTH MOVES
WYATT E
IRON JINN

BLACK HEART
ECSTATIC VISION
PLAINRIDE
LONGHEADS
VINNUM SABBATHI
GNOB
MARGARITA WITCH CULT

THE DEV
DOMMENGANG
UNTITLED WITH DRUMS
MOUNTAINS
TROY THE BAND
DEATH WVRM

SATURDAY 6TH MAY
ELECTRIC BALLROOM
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
CROWBAR
WEEDEATER
DOZER
FASTO JETSON

UNDERWORLD
UNSANE
INTER ARMA
GRAVE LINES
STAKE
TUSKAR
WREN

POWERHAUS
CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL
TELEKINETIC YETI
THE NECROMANCERS
DEATHCHANT
EARLY MOODS

BLACK HEART
SAMAVAYO
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
MR BISON
OUR MAN IN THE BRONZEAGE
TREVOR’S HEAD
TONS

THE DEV
ELDER DRUID
OREYEON
ROSY FINCH
LOWEN
HOMECOMING

SUNDAY 7TH MAY
ROUNDHOUSE
UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS
BORIS
KING BUFFALO
NEBULA
BLOOD CEREMONY

UNDERWORLD
SOMALI YACHT CLUB
GAUPA
MARS RED SKY
GNOME
WEEDPECKER
ACID MAMMOTH
GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST (AFTER PARTY)

POWERHAUS
BIG|BRAVE
JO QUAIL
ZETRA
EVEREST QUEEN
GRAYWAVE

BLACK HEART
CELESTIAL SANCTURY
MORASS OF MOLASSES
WARREN SCHOENBRIGHT
VENOMWOLF
BLOODSWAMP
BLACK GROOVE

THE DEV
THUNDER HORSE
FIREBREATHER
THE AGE OF TRUTH
EARL OF HELL
WALL

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Happy 2023 from Roadburn. The renowned Dutch festival has a slew of new additions for its lineup this April 20-23, including a collaboration between Elizabeth Colour Wheel and Ethan McCarthy of Primitive Man, a label showcase from the delightful weirdos of Rocket Recordings, DeWolff jamming as they did turning so many heads during Roadburn Redux, Birth, Iron Jinn doing a release show for their debut, Body Void, Portrayal of Guilt, and so on and so forth. It’s a big one, and as the poster grows increasingly crowded (see it below), you’ll note that as ever, Roadburn remains a fest of all things and an opportunity to choose your own adventure across a weekend that, if you’ve never been, will change your life for the better no matter whose sets you actually decide to stand there and watch. I mean that.

This is the modus operandi of Roadburn. As Creative Director Walter Hoeijmakers says below, it’s about giving these artists a platform and building a community. Those two words, platform and community, are at the heart of what this thing has become. It’s not the stoner rock and psych fest it used to be, no. But Roadburn‘s commitment to the underground is unflinching, ever inspiring, and broadens the conversation about what ‘heavy’ means in ways that are only to that definition’s benefit.

That’s my two cents. I don’t anticipate being there this year, but a piece of my heart always lives at Roadburn Festival. I mean that too.

From the PR wire:

Roadburn adds 29 new names – including two commissioned projects, a second artist in residence, and a label showcase

Roadburn has today announced a further 29 names to the 2023 line up of the festival which will take place between April 20-23. Among them is a residency from Oiseaux-Tempête, a label showcase from the UK’s Rocket Recordings, and two commissioned collaborations – the first between Duma and Deafkids, the second between Elizabeth Colour Wheel and Ethan Lee McCarthy.

Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:

“We are beyond happy to bring you the final commissioned music projects for Roadburn 2023 as well as our second artist-in-residence among others. With this announcement, it becomes clear that Roadburn 2023 is focusing on forward-thinking bands and those who’ve made waves in the last couple years, as we want Roadburn to reflect the underground – now and in the future. We are elated and honoured to give a platform for these incredible artists, and we are sure this year’s Roadburn will be something to remember for music, art, and community.”

—–

NEW LINE UP ADDITIONS:

COMMISSIONED: DUMA & DEAFKIDS

After whipping up a storm at Roadburn 2022, Duma will return to the festival – this time in collaboration with Deafkids. With one band in Kenya and the other in Brazil, this is a collaboration that transcends boundaries – both geographical and genre. Additionally, Deafkids will perform their own stand alone set at the festival.

COMMISSIONED: ELIZABETH COLOUR WHEEL & ETHAN LEE MCCARTHY

A union forged on mutual respect and a penchant for experimentation will see these two entities join forces at Roadburn 2023. In addition to the collaborative commissioned piece, Roadburn will host performances by Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Spiritual Poison, and Otay:onii.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Oiseaux-Tempête will perform three sets across the Roadburn weekend as the festival’s second Artist In Residence; spanning the breadth of their back catalogue and joined by a variety of musicians to embellish their live performances.

ROCKET RECORDINGS 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE

Roadburn is celebrating this milestone with one of the most adventurous and forward thinking labels out there – appropriate given that this showcase highlights the best of the future of Rocket Recordings!

Teeth of the Sea will return to Roadburn after a decade-long absence to deliver their eerie sci-fi psychedelia.

Del Aire – the 2022 album by J. Zunz – was in heavy rotation at Roadburn HQ, and she will now make her Roadburn debut in 2023.

Holy Scum is the ungodly merging of members of Gnod, Dälek and Action Beat – creating a (very) noisy cacophony of delirium.

Alison Cotton will perform a solo show of her ethereal, experimental folk, and later combine forces with Dawn Terry (of Bong) for a collaborative set that’s heavy on the drone.

Utilising field recordings and electronics alongside her beautiful voice, Marlene Ribeiro will perform as part of this special showcase.

The Shits are a brand new signing to Rocket – and they’ll be making their presence felt at the Wednesday night pre-festival party.

—–

DeWolff will reprise their Roadburn Redux set with another performance promising grit and swagger in equal measure.

Bo Ningen will be celebrating all that is weird and heavy about their sound with a special set titled Far East Electric Psychedelic.

Birth are heading to Tilburg to soak us in their psychedelic sounds and take Roadburn to another interplanetary plane.

Iron Jinn can trace their roots back to Roadburn – the 2018 edition to be precise – and they’ll be throwing a release party for their debut album at Roadburn this April, bringing things full circle.

Carefully balancing elements of black metal, ambient, post-rock, noise and drone, Yrre crafted an alternate soundtrack to the 2015 film The Witch by Robert Eggers, which will form the bedrock of their Roadburn performance.

High Vis are riding high off the back of their 2022 album Blending, and they’ll make their way to Tilburg for their Roadburn debut this coming April.

Portrayal of Guilt were another casualty of the 2020 edition, but will bring their hardcore/punk/fighting spirit to Roadburn 2023.

Right off the back of recording a new album, Body Void will head to Europe and deliver their distinctively crushing doom to the Roadburn community.

Featuring members of Amenra, Oathbreaker, Aborted, Cross Bringer and more, Predatory Void have Roadburn written all over them – and they’ll present their debut album in full at the 2023 edition of the festival.

Third time’s a charm for Bad Breeding as they’ll finally darken the doors of Roadburn with their visceral punk sound.

Lukas Frank’s Storefront Church will make their Roadburn debut with a performance of blissful, brooding songs, perfectly suited for after dark.

Antichrist Siege Machine are the musical equivalent to a sledgehammer, making their points with aggressive, anti-Christian songs that exude the joys of violent ritual butchery.

Portland’s Spirit Possession play an authentic form of black metal that is as refreshing in its erratic nature as it is triumphant in its old-school roots.

Poison Ruïn’s anarchic take on post-punk is infused with eerie dungeon synth style elements; an unlikely pairing perhaps but one that is perfectly suited to Roadburn.

OvO’s sludgy drone overlaid with eerie vocals and imbued with seriously haunting vibes will descend upon Roadburn this April.

—–

More information on these artists can be found HERE. They join previously announced artists including Deafheaven, Boy Harsher, Cave In, Julie Christmas, Wolves In The Throne Room, Giles Corey, Chat Pile and more.

Tickets for Roadburn 2023 are already on sale; Saturday tickets are sold out, but weekend tickets, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday tickets remain. 4-day tickets will be priced at €244, 3-day tickets at €214, and single day tickets at €79 (all costs inclusive of fees and service charges). Accommodation options are also available to purchase. All information can be found on Roadburn.com

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Thinking about filling out a press accreditation form for Roadburn 2022. That’d be fun. To go after all after thinking this whole time it would happen without me. It’s a daydream, but hell, Roadburn was a daydream in 2008 and I wound up going every year between 2009-2019, so here’s to daydreaming.

Radar Men From the Moon have a new lineup, and are playing multiple sets in various incarnations. That’s cool but check out Gott with Farida Lemouchi out front. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Humbling to be out of the loop. I’m glad to see Supersonic Blues making a return appearance — their third — celebrating their debut album though, and since The Ballet Bombs were slated to debut at the fest in 2020, having them there now only makes sense.

Looks like a good fest. I wouldn’t mind covering.

Roadburn announces festival pre-party plus new names for main festival

Roadburn has today confirmed a new group of names for the 2022 edition of the festival – including three performances for the regular Wednesday night pre-party, and a new edition to Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone’s curated event.

Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:

“Following the success of Roadburn Redux we’re very proud to have a number of special sets and collaborations from Dutch artists at Roadburn this year – further emphasising Roadburn 2022’s artistic scope. With Europe opening up even further, things are looking really good for Roadburn this year, and we’re so looking forward to welcoming everyone to Tilburg in two months from now. Before then, we still have several more announcements up our sleeve, so stay tuned!|

DEAD NEANDERTHALS will make a triumphant return to Roadburn as they team up with SOLAR TEMPLE for a special collaborative project titled Embers Beget The Divine. Dead Neanderthals will be a familiar name for Roadburners: they’ve spent the past decade-plus putting together an eclectic and envious back catalogue that spans multiple genres – from free-jazz to grindcore by way of psychedelia – and continuously defies expectations. No strangers to collaborations, they have now teamed up with Solar Temple – a more stage-shy ensemble but no less of an enticing prospect.

RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON will perform three times – once at the pre-party (more of which in a moment), once under, once with an electronic set, and once with a specially commissioned collaborative set that will see them team up with TWIN SISTER (Dead Neanderthals, Sex Swing), titled Mirrors For Discharge.

MANDY, INDIANA are the latest addition to Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone’s curated event. Their fusion of hypnotic beats and discordant noise come together to create something that’s both fascinating and immersive.

With the unmistakable vocals of Farida Lemouchi at the helm, GOTT have also been added to the line up. Also featuring members of Soulburn, Severe Torture, Ggu:ll, Dodecahedron and Radar Men From The Moon, Gott are a veritable who’s who of the Dutch music scene. Elsewhere we’ve added SUPERSONIC BLUES to bring some 70’s rock vibes to Roadburn, and THE BALLET BOMBS who will be making their long overdue Roadburn debut as well as releasing their brand new live record titled Mutations at the festival.

The aforementioned pre-show party, now happening under the name The Spark, will serve as a welcome party for Roadburners old and new and will take place on Wednesday, 20 April. Joining Radar Men From The Moon will be Berlin’s MAGGOT HEART bringing their raucous take on noise rock ‘n’ roll to Tilburg, and BAD BREEDING who will be letting off steam with their blistering anarcho-punk-hardcore.

These artists will join the already announced Roadburn 2022 line up that includes Ulver, Lingua Ignota, 40 Watt Sun, Emma Ruth Rundle, Liturgy, SLIFT, Full of Hell, Die Wilde Jagd, Cloud Rat and many more. Read more about them here:

BAD BREEDING
DEAD NEANDERTHALS X SOLAR TEMPLE
GOTT
MAGGOT HEART
MANDY, INDIANA
RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON
SUPERSONIC BLUES
THE BALLET BOMBS

Uniform and Pinkish Black will no longer perform at Roadburn 2022 due to their European tour being cancelled.

Weekend tickets, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday day tickets are sold out. Only Sunday day tickets remain in limited numbers. Tickets and accommodation options are available to view via ticketmaster.nl

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Supersonic Blues, It’s Heavy (2022)

This announcement went out yesterday from Roadburn 2020, and as we in the United States celebrated Thanksgiving — one of our least morally reprehensible holidays until one examines it in any sort of historical context whatsoever — I was extra grateful for the fact that I found out this week that the Weirdo Canyon Dispatch, the daily festival ‘zine for which I’ve served as editor for the last six years, will run again. It’s always a fingers-crossed scenario as to whether there will be the budget for such a thing — it’s not like I could begrudge them making the right choice if it was “who needs the money, David Eugene Edwards or WCD?” — but I am of course beyond thrilled to say that I will be at Roadburn Festival for the 11th year in a row in 2020. If you’re going, I’m the guy with the cosmic backpack dorking out during Patrick Walker‘s solo set.

Which, by the way is a thing that’s happening. That was added along with Inter Arma playing their latest LP, Sulphur English, in its masterful entirety, Dommengang, Darsombra, two sets from Alcest, 40 Watt Sun doing The Inside Room in full, and Kungens Män and a whole bunch of others. I’ll look forward to feeling completely overwhelmed by it all as I try to cover as much as possible — like always.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart to Roadburn for having me back. This festival has changed my life.

Here’s the update:

Today’s announcement for Roadburn Festival 2020 includes the only band where our two curators cross over: Alcest, who will play a special set titled ‘Visions du futur’, focussing on their last two albums. James Kent (AKA Perturbator) also added OKKULTOKRATI to his curation, whilst Emma Ruth Rundle added INTER ARMA (playing Sulphur English in full), 40 Watt Sun (playing The Inside Room in full) and a solo Patrick Walker set, Helms Alee and FACS.

Elsewhere we added Algiers, Richard Dawson, Dynfari (playing The Four Doors Of The Mind), BAD BREEDING, White Ward, Dommengang, Kungens Män, darsombra and TAU and The Drones Of Praise.

With 97% of weekend tickets now gone, and day tickets on sale on December 10 – we’re looking forward to seeing you all in Tilburg in April: roadburn.com/tickets

EUROPEAN FESTIVAL AWARD NOMINATION

Roadburn has been nominated in the best small festival category (less than 10,000 visitors) at the European Festival Awards 2019. Votes can be cast HERE. Votes and spreading the word are appreciated as it would be a huge honour for us to win such recognition.

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