With the final addition of Cough, the lineup for Desertfest Athens 2016 is complete. The fest is set for Oct. 7 and 8 — less than a month from now — and Cough join the bill as they’ll be on tour at the time with Elder (dates here) supporting their new album, Still They Pray (review here), which was released by Relapse.

The roster of bands they join, including Red Fang and Greek forerunners 1000mods, whose new song “The Son” you can hear below (more to come on that album), is ridiculously strong, and seems to draw from the history of Desertfest itself in various ways, Steak representing London’s incarnation, Colour Haze that of Berlin (though they’re from Munich), and really any number of these acts the Belgian edition. It’s a great mix that does well to represent its home country as well in Automaton (who’ll be joined by Dr. Space himself), Sadhus, and the aforementioned 1000mods.

Looks like a great show, and particularly as it’s the first one, I wish them all the best of luck with it.

Final announcement and lineup follow:

Doom/Sludge masters COUGH joining the bill for Desertfest Athens 2016 1st edition!

This is the full line up for the 1st ever Desertfest Athens!

Red Fang
1000mods
Pentagram
Torche
Colour Haze
Truckfighters
My Sleeping Karma
Karma to Burn
Elder
Cough
Black Rainbows
House of Broken Promises
Steak
Beggars
Sadhus
Black Hat Bones
Automaton with Dr. Space
We Own the Sky

Enjoy desert army!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

Over the years, DESERTFEST has become one of the most popular events in Europe for everything heavy, stoner, doom and psyche. “Made by fans for the fans”, the festival gathers thousands of people from across the globe each year by hosting the finest headliners, while also constantly stretching the limits of its own niche with dozens of quality live acts throughout a weekend. Nurturing a friendly atmosphere since the very beginning, DESERTFEST is a urban festival that has won the loyalty of heavy music lovers, so expect your Greek holiday to be a unique and memorable music and human experience!

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/

1000mods, “The Son”

I said when the fest was first announced that I didn’t think you could have a Desertfest Athens and not have 1000mods take part. They’ve become one of the most integral Greek heavy rock bands, have toured almost relentlessly the last several years, pushing themselves to the forefront of the country’s still-underrated scene, and they have a new record in the works that, one hopes, will be out by the time Desertfest Athens 2016 actually rolls around, all the more so since they’re also confirmed (thus far) for Desertfest Belgium and Keep it Low. Do not be at all surprised when/if three weeks of tour dates are announced. That’s kind of how they roll.

They’re one of two new additions to the Desertfest Athens 2016 lineup alongside House of Broken Promises, who’ll arrive in Greece representing the actual Californina desert from whence desert rock sprang. I was fortunate enough to see the trio at Desertfest London in 2013 (review here), and they put on a stellar show, so they would seem to be well chosen for the Athenian task too. Wonder if they’ll tour.

It’s shaping up to be quite a fest:

1000mods will land their heavy riffs in Desertfest Athens!!!

Desertfest Athens is shaping up to be a hell of a fest!!!

House of Broken Promises at Desertfest Athens!!

Get your tickets now!!!

Desertfest’s early bird tickets are sold out!!!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

Over the years, DESERTFEST has become one of the most popular events in Europe for everything heavy, stoner, doom and psyche. “Made by fans for the fans”, the festival gathers thousands of people from across the globe each year by hosting the finest headliners, while also constantly stretching the limits of its own niche with dozens of quality live acts throughout a weekend. Nurturing a friendly atmosphere since the very beginning, DESERTFEST is a urban festival that has won the loyalty of heavy music lovers, so expect your Greek holiday to be a unique and memorable music and human experience!

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/

1000mods, “Claws” official video

Here we are just barely a week removed from the last batch of announcements for Desertfest Athens 2016, the inaugural edition of the Desertfest‘s Greek brand extension, set to take place Oct. 7 and 8 in the birthplace of Western democracy, and already the festival has followed up with not only two more bands, but one of them as the headliner for its first night. Working quick there, Desertfest Athens. So be it. This time around, it’s Portland’s number one riffy export, Red Fang, who’ll head abroad to Europe this fall in support of a new album the title of which is still to be announced. They headline Oct. 7 at Desertfest Athens 2016, while Italian heavy psych forerunners Black Rainbows will also take part in the festivities on one day or the other.

Now, last time I put up a post from Desertfest Athens 2016, they added another band before it went live, so I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if the same thing happens this time, but even if it winds up just being these two for this round, they’re both significant additions to the bill. More to come, either way, I’m sure.

Info follows:

RED FANG will headline the first day of Desertfest Athens!!

Kids, you’re under fire!!!

BLACK RAINBOWS at Desertfest Athens!!

Get your tickets now!!!

Desertfest’s early bird tickets are sold out!!!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

Over the years, DESERTFEST has become one of the most popular events in Europe for everything heavy, stoner, doom and psyche. “Made by fans for the fans”, the festival gathers thousands of people from across the globe each year by hosting the finest headliners, while also constantly stretching the limits of its own niche with dozens of quality live acts throughout a weekend. Nurturing a friendly atmosphere since the very beginning, DESERTFEST is a urban festival that has won the loyalty of heavy music lovers, so expect your Greek holiday to be a unique and memorable music and human experience!

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/

Red Fang, Live at Hellfest 2015

At first, it seemed this was the first announcement to come from Desertfest Athens 2016 that didn’t feature a band from Greece, but when We Own the Sky came aboard, that took care of that. One suspects it’s more happenstance than anything else either way — and there have only been three rounds of lineup adds so far; October’s still a ways off — but it makes sense that the inaugural edition of the Athens brand extension would look to pursue an international reach the same as its compatriots in Antwerp, Berlin and London. This time around, in addition to We Own the Sky, we get My Sleeping Karma from Germany, Torche from the US and Steak from the UK added to the bill alongside Colour Haze, Pentagram and others, and though the announcements were brief from the fest, what each band brings to the event as a whole speaks volumes to the kind of range it will have by the time it’s ready to roll out.

I’ve been seeing word The Atomic Bitchwax will open for Pentagram on their European tour (at least confirmed in Ireland so far). Have to wonder if an announcement for them is in the cards soon. In the meantime, exclamations:

Torche join Desertfest Athens!!!

MY SLEEPING KARMA – OFFICIAL will blow your mind at Desertfest Athens!!!

Straight from Uk to Athens, Steak live at Desertfest Athens!!!

we.own.the.sky join Desertfest Athens 2016!!!

Get your tickets now!!!

Desertfest’s early bird tickets are sold out!!!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

Over the years, DESERTFEST has become one of the most popular events in Europe for everything heavy, stoner, doom and psyche. “Made by fans for the fans”, the festival gathers thousands of people from across the globe each year by hosting the finest headliners, while also constantly stretching the limits of its own niche with dozens of quality live acts throughout a weekend. Nurturing a friendly atmosphere since the very beginning, DESERTFEST is a urban festival that has won the loyalty of heavy music lovers, so expect your Greek holiday to be a unique and memorable music and human experience!

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/

My Sleeping Karma, “Prithvi” official video

If you were hoping to get early-bird tickets for Desertfest Athens 2016, tough turkey — they’re gone. It didn’t take more than an initial lineup announcement to move them all out the door, so I guess if there was any question there was enough interest in Athens to warrant holding a fest under the Desertfest banner, that’s gone too. As for the first acts joining the bill, it’s an impressive assemblage, with Colour Haze, Pentagram, Karma to Burn, Beggars and Sadhus, the latter two local to Athens and supporting an international cast that’s only going to increase in scope as we get closer to October.

As noted yesterday, Desertfest Athens 2016 is part of a string of European festivals happening on successive weekends, preceded by Up in Smoke and followed by Desertfest Belgium and Keep it Low. I don’t know about you, but if ever there was a time to drop out of life and go bum around Europe for a month, this would seem to be it. If you need me, I’ll be daydreaming about same.

Just before this post went up, I noticed Greek outfits Automaton and Black Hat Bones have also newly joined the bill. Seems like it’s fair to expect Desertfest Athens will be highlighting the booming Greek heavy rock scene in its lineup, and I won’t argue with the mission. Feels like a long time coming.

Info courtesy of the fest:

First line up announcement for Desertfest Athens 2016!!!

Colour Haze
Pentagram
John Garcia
Karma to Burn
BEGGARS
Sadhus “The Smoking Community”

Automaton are the next band to be announced for Desertfest Athens!!!

Black Hat Bones join Desertfest Athens too!!!

Get your tickets now!!!

Desertfest’s early bird tickets are sold out!!!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/

Colour Haze, To the Highest Gods We Know (2014)

The first edition of the newest Desertfest expansion, Desertfest Athens 2016, is set for Oct. 7 and 8 at Iera Odos 18-20, just down the hill from the Acropolis. No bands have been announced yet, but early bird tickets are on sale now, and it’s looking like Desertfest Athens will be a complement to Desertfest Belgium in much the same way Desertfests Berlin and London interact with each other, share certain bands and headliners while also each focusing on their own local scene.

Greece certainly has a scene worth highlighting. Again, nothing’s been made official, but I’m not sure you could have an inaugural Desertfest Athens without getting 1000mods to take part, and we know from the lineup for Up in Smoke that Elder, Yawning Man and others will be on the road in Europe around that time, so I’ll be very interested to see what shakes out in the birthplace of Western democracy for this fall.

More to come as I hear it. Until then, the PR wire brings the initial announcement and ticket links:

DESERTFEST ATHENS 2016

October 7-8th in Athens, Greece
IERA ODOS (Iera Odos 18-20)

FIRST EDITION OF DESERTFEST ATHENS TO TAKE PLACE THIS OCTOBER!

Early birds on sale now!

After London, Berlin and Antwerp, the Desertfest franchise is keeping up its conquest of Europe by launching the very first Greek edition of the famous stoner, doom and psych festival. DESERTFEST ATHENS will take place over the second weekend of October, as a sister event of the autumnal Belgium edition.

Over the years, DESERTFEST has become one of the most popular events in Europe for everything heavy, stoner, doom and psyche. “Made by fans for the fans”, the festival gathers thousands of people from across the globe each year by hosting the finest headliners, while also constantly stretching the limits of its own niche with dozens of quality live acts throughout a weekend. Nurturing a friendly atmosphere since the very beginning, DESERTFEST is a urban festival that has won the loyalty of heavy music lovers, so expect your Greek holiday to be a unique and memorable music and human experience!

Lineup to be announced shortly

Early birds on sale now.

TICKETS
Presase: 2-day tickets: 45 euros (early bird), 60 euros (until 31/08)
Ticket presale here: www.viva.gr, Public, SevenSpots, Ianos.

Ticket resellers charge booking fees.

https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/desertfest-athens/
www.detoxevents.gr
https://www.facebook.com/Desertfest-Athens-189161564797514/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1530177053945310/