So Desertfest London 2019 has a night at The Roundhouse where the lineup is Colour Haze, Earthless, Witch, All Them Witches and Fu Manchu. That’s the bill front to back. The word ‘unfuckwithable’ comes quickly to mind. It’s an astonishing assemblage, as I honestly think if the festival had announced any of them as headliners, you would go, “Yeah, that makes sense.” Colour Haze headlining? Yeah, that makes sense. Earthless headlining? Yeah, that makes sense. Witch? Etc.

But it’s Fu Manchu in the top spot, and indeed, it makes sense. Not only are they the longest tenured of the five acts who’ll take the stage at The Roundhouse, but they have the distinct advantage of being Fu frickin’ Manchu, which puts them ahead of much of the planet when it comes to any number of considerations. Especially fuzz.

The PR wire brought confirmation:

Desertfest London announce Fu Manchu as second headliner!

Over the past seven years of DESERTFEST LONDON, we’ve had a lot of incredible memories of otherworldly performances from many of the notable bands this humble scene has to offer. Today, we finally cross another huge name off our bucket list, as we reveal that kings of the road Fu Manchu will headline Roundhouse on the Sunday at Desertfest 2019. Not only that, but we can also reveal that joining them on May 5th’s mammoth Roundhouse Stage are the previously announced All Them Witches, Witch, Earthless and Colour Haze.

Southern California’s boogie-rocking titans were born out of the hardcore punk scene of ’85 as Virulence, but quickly switched up their super-speed, underground angst for more of a drawlin’, skateboard rampin’, hard-rockin’ vibe and so FU MANCHU was born. Throughout the next thirty years or so they’d come to be known to many as the AC/DC of the now global desert rock scene: always consistent, always on trend, always ready to rock; any time, any venue, anywhere. Recently Fu Manchu have gone through a phase of touring albums in their entirety, and from the rising asphalt of In Search Of…, to the laserblastin’ The Action Is Go and right through the true hell on wheels that is King On The Road and beyond, we’ve all got a favourite Fu Manchu moment. If not, then there’s never been a better time to get familiar with the hardest rockin’, hotdoggin’ back catalogue in history.

Fu frontman Scott Hill is clearly as excited as we are for the boogie van to roll into Camden Town: “We’re so stoked to be a part of Desertfest and to play the legendary Roundhouse in London. It’s hard to believe that we will be playing the same spot as some of our heroes like Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Clash, Ramones and Motörhead.” We couldn’t agree more.

Joining them on what we believe is our biggest Roundhouse stage yet on Sunday May 5th, are four must-see masters of the underground who have already been announced for Desertfest 2019. ALL THEM WITCHES bring an approach to the modern wave of bluesy psychedelia that is all their own, hot off the heels of their recently released and truly impeccable ATW. After releasing a few of the noughties’ most bad ass albums, WITCH return from their slumber to provide a doomed out kind of psych to the Sunday. Riffs for days are guaranteed when EARTHLESS show up; with an ultimate jam band approach which both rips and shreds, faces will melt into a gooey pile of mush. Last but not least, European underground heroes COLOUR HAZE will open up the Roundhouse with their scene defining slice of heavy psych.

We couldn’t ask for a better way to round out what we’re sure will be a killer Desertfest 2019 than this lineup at The Roundhouse. Be sure not to miss out, book your tickets today.

DESERTFEST LONDON /// 3-5th May, 2019 in London
All tickets on sale at this location

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
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Fu Manchu, Live in Vancouver, BC, Nov. 11. 2018

A monstrous announcement from Desertfest London 2019 finds the festival, as it has over the last several years, with a far reach in geography and style alike. Acts like Great Electric Quest, High Reeper, Salem’s Bend, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, High Fighter, and Messa represent a flood of up and coming underground heavy from the US and Europe — I’d count hometown heroes Elephant Tree and Greece’s Naxatras at the forefront of that surge — while Om, Wovenhand, Mondo Generator, Stoned Jesus, Sabbath Assembly, Jaye Jayle, HHY and the Macumbas and Wiegedood are of course no minor shakes in terms of draw or aesthetic swath.

Desertfest‘s first announcement, which came through in September with Earthless, All Them Witches, Kadavar and Colour Haze, among others, was enticing enough. This one does nothing but make one want to book travel and lodging.

The PR wire has the details:

Drone doom pioneers OM confirmed as first headliner + 15 more acts added to the DESERTFEST LONDON 2019 lineup!

After warming you up with our first announcement in September, it’s time to break out the big guns. Today we’re adding 16 killer bands to Desertfest, including the lineup for 2019’s Old Empire stage, which, after years of bringing some of the heaviest sounds all weekend, will this year takeover as our Friday main stage. We couldn’t be happier with their first pick, Desertfest 2019’s opening headliners, the incomparable, spiritual force of stoner drone that is Om.

Formed in 2003 as one great band drifted off for a decade, Om – then consisting of the two-part assault of Sleep’s Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius – brought with them an extension of the hypnotic heavy first hinted at on Sleep’s Jerusalem/Dopesmoker. Achieving more with just vocals, bass and drums than most can dream of with a packed out stage, the opening one-two punch of Variations on a Theme and Conference of the Birds serves as a revelation to many; stripped-back power that cleans the cobwebs from your brain with reverberating blasts of droned-down stoner-doom.

By 2007’s Pilgrimage – the last full-length to feature Hakius on drums – Om had begun to lean more and more heavily into spiritual themes and Eastern tones, bringing about a new definition of what exactly heavy is; because let’s be clear, Om are heaviness incarnate, just not in the traditional sense. Through God is Good and their latest LP, Advaitic Songs – their first as a trio and surely one of the finest put to record this decade – Om continued down a path of hazed out perfection. It’s a testament to the importance of the band that, even as Sleep woke up, Om persist, ready to send you into a trance at the pluck of a bass. Be sure to catch Om when they headline the Old Empire stage – and Desertfest at large – on Friday 3rd May.

Joining them on the Old Empire stage, and continuing Old Empire’s tradition of showcasing heaviness from unexpected places, are Wovenhand. Labelled many things over the near two decades they’ve been kicking around, from alternative country, to neofolk, to Southern-gothic, Wovenhand are simply low and slow, oozing with an atmosphere of gloom. Music torn from the heart and soul of David Eugene Edwards (ex-16 Horsepower), Wovenhand are a deeply personal experience that you won’t want to miss.

But that’s not all for the Old Empire stage, who offer up three more treats for Desertfest 2019; firstly, a slice of black metal in the shape of Wiegedood, whose Die doden hebben het goed trilogy serves as a granite slab of brutality. Featuring members of post-black metal heroes Oathbreaker, as well as being part of the illustrious Church of Ra collective – a handful of acts tethered by a DIY ethic – Wiegedood will bring heaviness as we traditionally know it to the stage.

The jazz-inspired, ominous soundscapes of HHY & the Macumbas bring an exploration of the apocalypse to proceedings. Showcasing why they’re one of the most inimitable acts in the Portuguese, or perhaps even European underground scene, HHY are ordered chaos, wielding a twin attack of percussion and horns, tied together with a thin spine of drone.

Rounding off this year’s Old Empire stage come the desolate, minimalist sonic mantras of Louisville’s Jaye Jayle. Revelling in the simplicity of a “Less is more” philosophy, Jaye Jayle build tension with their barely crawling musical progressions and stitch it all together with the gruff, semi-spoken vocals of Evan Patterson.

Yet again, the Old Empire stage looks set to be one of the most exciting places to be over the whole of the Desertfest weekend, bringing both the darkness and the light; but that’s not all to expect over the May Bank Holiday weekend in Camden.

Elsewhere over the weekend, we’re excited to be welcoming Ukraine’s Stoned Jesus to Desertfest London. The stoner blues trio, who released their 4th full-length Pilgrims in September, possess a tone all of their own. Offering up one of the scene’s most beloved albums in 2012’s Seven Thunders Roar, Stoned Jesus remain a treat to catch live; as do punk infused stoner rockers Mondo Generator. Headed up by legend of the underground, Nick Oliveri, Mondo Generator are, like any of Oliveri’s myriad projects, an undeniably raucous experience live.

Next up, a double bill of some of Europe’s finest heavy psych; Part of the modern Greek wave of stoner and psych, without ever disappearing into the crowd, Naxatras are unashamed worshippers of the 70s riff. That said, they bring plenty of their own flavour to the mix. Whilst Oslo’s The Devil and the Almighty Blues live up to their name, bringing a devilishly groovy stomp and infusing it with their almost nonchalant, relaxed tones, fast becoming one of the most exciting bands in all of heavy psych.

There’s doom aplenty as ever at Desertfest, with all angles covered; the occult is worshipped with Sabbath Assembly and Messa’s take on the science of slow, whilst Elephant Tree will continue to show why they’re one of the UK’s finest acts with their uncompromising push outwards to the outer limits of doom.

A double dose of 70’s worship comes in the form of the strutting duo of Great Electric Quest and Salem’s Bend, with today’s announcement rounded off by two chances to get high; High Fighter are set to surround us with a densely packed smog of doom and High Reeper filtering the riffs of classic heavy metal through the So-Cal skater scene.

With dozens more bands still to be announced, including our Saturday and Sunday headliners, Desertfest 2019 is shaping up to be another hit of the best stoner, doom, sludge and psych on the planet. Don’t miss the annual celebration of the underground in Camden next May Bank Holiday weekend. Book your tickets today.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
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Wovenhand, Live at Fire in the Mountains, Jackson, WY, June 30, 2018

What’s more exciting than a killer first festival announcement? Not much. So many possibilities, and with its first lineup additions, Desertfest London 2019 throws the door wide open with some massive names. Earthless, All Them Witches, Colour Haze and Kadavar? Hell, I’d take any of them as a headliner, and you can pretty much throw Witch in there too. That’s five acts right out of the gate, any of whom could sell out a show on their own in London, plus the just-reviewed We Hunt Buffalo and Edinburgh’s DVNE, whom I had the pleasure of seeing at Psycho Las Vegas for their US live debut, rounding out an initial seven that’s absolutely massive.

The key part of the announcement below, though? It’s where it says “we’re aiming for our biggest bill to date.” Desertfest London has only grown huger each year, more forward-thinking and broader in its reach. The Desertscene crew have their work cut out for them in topping 2018, but if this is a taste of the scale to come, they might just get there.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON 2019

Friday, May 3, 2019 – Sunday, May 5, 2019

It begins! Desertfest is returning to Camden for our eighth edition over the Bank Holiday weekend of 3rd to 5th May, and as ever we’re bringing you the finest stoner, doom, sludge and psych bands from around the world. Over the next few months, we’ll be revealing our lineup of dozens of the heaviest bands around, so without further ado, here’s the first seven names for Desertfest 2019.

Over the last half-decade, Nashville’s All Them Witches have made themselves indispensable with a sound that has never stopped evolving, with their roots in heavy blues and psychedelia flourishing over time into an approach that is undeniably their own. The Tennessee four-piece arrive at Desertfest with a reputation that precedes them for jammy explorations and a kind of heavy that, while regularly imitated, has yet to be reproduced by anyone else.

Joining them on the bill are Kadavar, who make their long awaited Desertfest return with their fur-coated, barreling riot of a set at the Jazz Cafe in 2013 as fresh in our minds as ever. There are very few who perform the retro-rockin’, ’70s proto-metal revival with the power, prestige and passion of our favourite Berlin trio. The boogie train that is Kadavar won’t be making any emergency stops as it ploughs through Camden this May.

Vermont spell-casters Witch will be enrapturing Desertfest with their stoner rock incantations in 2019. Combining psychedelic rock, Sabbath-ian doom, and Black Flag sludge-punk, stoner aficionados who were around for the noughties boom will fondly remember Witch for releasing some of the hookiest albums of the decade. After a stint lurking in the shadows, Witch are hitting up Desertfest to make magic once again.

Even after seven mammoth editions of Desertfest, there are bands we’ve been chomping at the bit to get over to Camden to grace our stages; finally, we’ve grabbed us the hardest jamming band in the universe, Earthless, are touching down to shred our corner of London to the ground. The epitome of psyched-out Hendrixian-krautrock from day one, San Diego’s ultimate power trio will melt your entire body this May.

Colour Haze make their return to the Desertfest stage in 2019 after six long years. The German trio, in whose image modern heavy psychedelia is in large part cast, have affirmed their position as unflinching masters of the form in their absence, finding a new niche between heavy riffs and expansive arrangements. The Colour Haze that return to Desertfest are, somehow, even better than the one we saw in 2013.

Vancouver trio We Hunt Buffalo‘s brand of prog-minded fuzz rock has been stampeding out of amps and trampling audiences since 2010. Professing a love of all things stoner and psych and citing influences from all genres of rock, all underpinned with driving fuzz lines, We Hunt Buffalo will be just the ticket to a sore neck at Desertfest.

Last but not least in our first batch of bands are Edinburgh’s DVNE who play their own unique brand of night sky-gazing melodic sludge. Early-period Mastodon fans should take note, as the progressive changes and all-conquering vocals conjure up scenes of destruction, desolation and absolution in their epic soundscapes of post-metal ebb and flow.

So there you have it, our first seven bands. With dozens more names to come, including all three headliners, we’re aiming for our biggest bill to date. Weekend tickets are on sale now at the link below, so be sure to book your place at the heaviest lineup in town; Desertfest 2019!

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://twitter.com/DesertFest

All Them Witches, ATW (2018)

A well-earned slow clap for Desertfest London 2018 on the occasion of completing what is unquestionably its broadest, biggest and most staggering lineup to-date. The festival has been outdoing itself every year since it got going, but this is a different league entirely. Kudos all around to the Desertfest London team. I really feel like there’s nothing else to say about it. It’s just amazing what these people have put together and I hope that those who are fortunate enough to be there realize the special event to which they’re bearing witness, because that’s what this is. Truly something special.

Here’s the final lineup update:

Psych legends Hawkwind + complete lineup announced for DESERTFEST LONDON 2018!

DESERTFEST LONDON announce the final acts for its 2018 edition on May 4-6th in Camden, including psych legends HAWKWIND, plus The Quietus, Human Disease Promo & Nightshift Promotions stages all revealed.

Yes, you read that title correctly. Desertfest are honoured, thrilled, losing our minds, quivering in our boots to reveal that one of the most influential English bands in heavy musical history are gracing us with our presence this May, seminal space-rockers HAWKWIND will return to the hallowed ground of The Roundhouse to play a very special performance as main support to Monster Magnet. Hawkwind require no real introduction – genre-defining mavericks since 1969, it’s safe to say most of your favourite bands wouldn’t exist without Hawkwind; their legend precedes them, expect a life affirming, life altering show. We are beyond excited.

Yet more Carolina goodness is coming Desertfest’s way, underground skater heroes ASG will make their psych riddled, post-punk sound heard across London, earplugs recommended, party times guaranteed. 70’s blues-soaked hard rockers RADIO MOSCOW will also make their return, following a recently sold-out performance at The Borderline – this trio of psychedelic power are being met with hugely high acclaim and for a damn good reason. They’re groovy, heavy and damn near perfect.

No strangers to the Desertfest, doom heroes MONOLORD are back to offer up some of the finest riffs to have ever come out Sweden’s smoke. Fuelled by bongs and black coffee, they are one of the favourite returning acts for the fest – y’all better get in the queue now if you don’t want to miss it. Another act from the dirty South comes in the form of SOURVEIN, sludge and crust blended together in perfect guttural harmony. Leading man T-Roy’s been fighting the good fight for over two decades and the band are now easily at their strongest. Not one for the faint hearted.

Alongside his performance with The Obsessed, leading man WINO will perform an acoustic set across the Desertfest weekend. Last time we had the frontman play an acoustic set at DF the queue was out the door, it’s stripped back but still totally heavy. Belgian bulldozers STEAK NUMBER EIGHT are making a long awaited appearance at Desertfest London, a postmetal powerhouse their live performances have been met with high praise around Europe. A hypnotic haze will fall when the mighty DOPELORD take the stage, sickeningly smooth vocals hit the good spot whilst thunderous riffs and a mind altering magnitude of heavy rattle your core.

Also filling up the final line-up are newcomers DEAD WITCHES, psychedelic New York masters KING BUFFALO, out of this world riff rockers KIND, British noise rockers CATTLE plus NECROMANCERS, CRUMPET, SOLLEME, LIONIZE, LNN, CHRCH, MASTIFF, TUSKAR, TOM CAMERON and LO CHIE

ALSO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED:

The Quietus stage

The Quietus Stage usually brings some of the more diverse bands to Desertfest and this year is no different. Headlining the stage at The Black Heart on Friday 4th May are WHITE HILLS whose concentrated blasts of interstellar noise with a tank load of psychedelic glam makes them the truest space rock goliaths of our time. They’ll be joined by GHOLD, SNAPPED ANKLES, MELTING HAND, CASUAL NUN and SWEDISH DEATH CANDY.

Nightshift Promotions stage

The melodic tones of DARKHER will be headlining this year’s Nightshift Promotions stage at The Dev at Desertfest 2018. They’ll be joined by a diverse, but equally dark lineup which brings post-metal from TELEPATHY and SNOW BURIAL, the experimental noise of CROWD OF CHAIRS, blackened doom from MONOLITHIAN and the sludge of THE MOTH.

Human Disease Promo/When Planets Collide stage

This year the Human-disease Promo and When Planets Collide Stage has gone for an all out colossus of weighty heaviness for Desertfest 2018. Headlining the stage are WEEDEATER, making their second appearance of the weekend with a special early years set. They’ll be joined by Denver’s most crushing PRIMITIVE MAN, Canadian bruisers BISON, Swedish heaviness from SUMA, St Louis filthsters FISTER, Notts nasties MOLOCH and heavyweight duo BISMUTH.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
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https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/

Hawkwind, Warrior on the Edge of Time (1975)

Not that Desertfest London 2018 wasn’t already plenty heavy — I mean, fucking Napalm Death are playing — but pretty much anytime you add Suma and Primitive Man to anything, you’re going to jump into a different weight class entirely when it comes to tone. The Swedish noise-bludgeoners and Denver’s most wanted aggressors are just two of the six acts confirmed for this year’s Human Disease Promo / When Planets Collide stage, which is traditionally where one finds some of Desertfest London’s most vicious and brutal fare. It would seem 2018 is no different in this regard.

Oh, and Weedeater topping it all off with a set specifically comprised of early material? Nice touch. No way in hell that’s going to be anything other than a good time.

From the Desertfest site:

WEEDEATER, PRIMITIVE MAN AND MORE FOR HUMAN_DISEASE_PROMO / WHEN PLANETS COLLIDE STAGE!

Yet again, we’ve got our good friends from Human_Disease_Promo and When Planets Collide rolling in with their annual heavy stage. As ever, they’ll be delivering a slab of pure brutality this year bringing 6 new bands to the bill as well as a special second set from the previously announced Weedeater. Staggerin’ Matt tells us more about what to expect at The Underworld on Sunday 6th May below.

“This year we’ve gone for an all out colossus of weighty heaviness for the Human_Disease_Promo / When Planets Collide Stage at Desertfest 2018.

Along to top proceedings we have North Carolina reefer riff rascals Weedeater coming in for a special set – their second appearance of the weekend – heading up the Underworld to play a packed bowl of tracks from the earliest strains of their career. It’s gonna be a low down dirty hoot.

Backing them up will be the obscenely punishing, abrasive blows of Denver’s most crushing Primitive Man, stomping and hard driving riffs from Canadian bruisers Bison, a lush hammering pysche vortex in the form of Swedish outfit Suma, joining from St. Louis, the engulfing intensity of destructive filthsters Fister, Nottingham D.I.Y. downers / viscous sludge nasties Moloch and the gigantic cavernous rumblings of UK duo Bismuth.

All said it’s likely the heaviest lineup we’ve ever forged together for the Underworld to bear witness to, so come join us all day on the Sunday to have ya brain fried up and handed back as a pile of stewed mush! It’s gonna be bloody loud in there!”

With this latest set of additions to Desertfest 2018 and more still to come, on top of the dozens of great bands already announced, this year’s heavy weekender looks to bigger than ever. Don’t miss your chance to be at the UK’s premier underground festival. Book your tickets today.

Desertfest London 2018
4th-6th May in Camden Town, London
3-day pass (£115) now on sale AT THIS LOCATION

Our special split payment plan is available until December 12th!
Pay half of your ticket now and the other half in January. Find more info HERE.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://twitter.com/DesertFest
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/

Weedeater, Live at Desertfest London 2014

Bit of a stunner announcement from Desertfest London 2018, whose third headliner arrives in the form of High on Fire celebrating their 20th anniversary, and who’ll be joined at the Camden Town festival by doom legends The Obsessed, Japan’s number one riff export Church of Misery, plus Italian forerunners Black Rainbows, UK devil worshiping extremists Akercocke, Dutch proto-specialists Death Alley and more.

Look. I post a lot of fest updates. I mean, a lot. This is one of three slated for today, for example. Rarely does an announcement immediately up the game of a given event like this one does for Desertfest London 2018. With High on Fire completing the triumvirate of headliners alongside Monster Magnet and Graveyard, and The Obsessed and Church of Misery joining Eyehategod, Napalm Death, Weedeater, Elder, Nebula and Warning on the next tier, the festival’s seventh edition moves into nigh-unfuckwithable terrain. Kudos to Desertfest on outdoing itself once again in 2018.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON announce final headliner High On Fire and more acts to join the 2018 edition!

DESERTFEST LONDON announce High On Fire as final headliner and further acts to join the likes of Monster Magnet, Graveyard, Napalm Death, Eyehategod and many more to set the riff party in Camden on May 4-6th, 2018.

The final headliner for Desertfest London 2018 is an act fronted by a man who is no stranger to the DF family and all it encompasses, having headlined last year’s proceedings with one of his many musical outlets Sleep: living legend Matt Pike returns to Camden with the mighty HIGH ON FIRE. Formed in Oakland, California in 1998, the heavy metal trio have perfected their feel-good, balls-out and take-no-prisoner sound. HOF’s sludgy-thrash vibrations are an unstoppable wrecking force, with seven seminal albums under their belt; we are more than ready for the HOF tidal wave to hit.

Doom-rock trailblazers THE OBSESSED will make their first UK appearance next May after their two-decade long hiatus. Having recently reformed and playing shows met with critical acclaim, this will truly be a set to remember, and it is an honour to finally play host to one of the most iconic bands of our time.

Also returning to UK shores are Japanese overlords CHURCH OF MISERY, always delivering staggering live performances, the trio are a constant welcome addition to Desertfest. Their riff-filled, horror inspired sound has risen to fresh heights with new singer Hiroyuki Takano at the helm.

Space leaders BLACK RAINBOWS are crashing into town, fuelled by the power of hard rock and insanely good riffs. The Italian psych-fuzz trio have been storming through the cosmos for the last 10 years, their expert fusion of slick 70’s swagger with a 90’s stoner-grunge tint make them one of the most talked about and respected acts of their kind across Europe. Straight up, fuzzing good times. Speaking of heavy, London extreme metal masters AKERCOCKE are heading to familiar grounds to bring their perfected devilry to eager ears!

Dutch destroyers and feel good heroes DEATH ALLEY will bring their rock’n’roll, punked up party to Desertfest 2018. A nod to times gone past, the band plays proto-metal psychedelic music with a slab of heavy metal chucked in for good measure – if you want energy, look no further. Acclaimed newcomers PUPPY, who have been on hot on the lips of the London scene for some time now, is another welcome addition. They are hard to label but a true must-watch!

Also making up the bill are Bay Area fuzz-lovers THE WATCHERS, UK favourite psych demons OLD MAN LIZARD, Oakland’s stoner rock stalwarts BLACKWÜLF, Mancunian groove leaders PIST and heavy doom harbourers MORASS OF MOLASSES.

Desertfest London 2018
4th-6th May in Camden Town, London
3-day pass (£115) now on sale AT THIS LOCATION

Our special split payment plan is available until December 12th!
Pay half of your ticket now and the other half in January. Find more info HERE.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://twitter.com/DesertFest
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/

High on Fire, “Devilution” Live at Roskilde 2017

Not that you needed it, but if you wanted further proof that Napalm Death could go just about anywhere on this silly planet of ours and find welcome, they’ve just been added to Desertfest London 2018. Fancy that. They’ll play the Old Empire stage, along with Winterfylleth, Warning and others. I’m curious to see as the festival continues to take shape, if the aesthetic expansion will keep on or if Napalm Death‘s pioneering grindcore will be a one-off. Certainly the stalwarts are no strangers to standing out in a crowd or on a bill, but maybe this is the year Desertfest gets metal? I don’t know. Could be interesting.

We live in a universe with many different kinds of heavy. In some ways it’s cool to see them getting all crossed up. That’s how new art happens.

From the PR wire:

Napalm Death to headline Old Empire Stage at DESERTFEST LONDON 2018 + more bands announced

DESERTFEST LONDON are thrilled to reveal the bands taking part in the festival’s annual Old Empire stage, that will be hosted on Friday 4th May at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.

Old Empire is now a household name in the London scene, working across an array of acts, venues and cities – we are stoked the heaviest crew, and our favorite drinking buddies, are back in the fold to bring us a stage with some of their most treasured bands! Taking place on the hallowed ground of the Electric Ballroom on May 4th, Old Empire gives you the lowdown below…

For the first time in DF history, Friday will see two headliners sprawled across town – with Swedish stalwarts GRAVEYARD making their long awaited return to London at the iconic Koko, we had to rustle up something of equal measure. An act we have wanted to book across the festival since our first year of involvement, it’s a true honour to announce that British trailblazers of the extreme NAPALM DEATH are the headline act for the OE ritual – their influence on the world of heavy music is undeniable and hard to truly fathom. Never one to disappoint live, a set of insanity is upon us.

Our second artist comes in a wave of God-like reverence to Old Empire, a master of his craft – Patrick Walkers’ WARNING will bring the Electric Ballroom to its knee’s. One of the most poignant and genuinely dark British doom bands of all time, ‘Watching from a Distance’ is a masterpiece of the highest order. Having reformed for Roadburn 2017, we are thrilled WARNING will be joining us in London – all should know and all should follow.

Next up is an act that needs little introduction to the world of Desertfest, and one who perfectly embody the spirit of the Empire – the mighty EYEHATEGOD make their long awaited return. A little bit heavy metal, a whole bunch of venom and buckets of dirty groove – we’re all well aware of the party that ensues when these NOLA legends hit the stage, so it felt about damn time to bring ‘em back!

Another familiar face to the London scene comes in the form of WINTERFYLLETH. Hitting the Old Empire spectrum back in 2011, the Mancunian quartet have since consistently impressed with their unique and anthemic take on black metal. Helping to round of proceedings is FIVE THE HIEROPHANT, whose dark jazz soundscapes and eclectically heavy, yet perfectly refined, mix of sounds will make the live debut at Desertfest 2018. Alongside newbies to the scene ACDX – equal parts Isis, Hawkwind and Opeth. The dictionary definition of this Essex group would simply say, ‘indefinable’.

Old Empire & Desertfest are beyond excited to be brothers in arms once again; we hope our assorted and all-embracing heavy picks have hit the palette in the most satisfying and exciting of ways.

Desertfest London 2018
4th-6th May in Camden Town, London
3-day pass (£115) now on sale AT THIS LOCATION

Our special split payment plan is available until December 12th!
Pay half of your ticket now and the other half in January. Find more info HERE.

http://www.desertfest.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
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Hey, look, don’t get me wrong. It was pretty impressive when Desertfest London 2018 came out of the gate in September and confirmed Monster Magnet, Eyehategod and Nebula in its first round of announcements. That was badass — no doubt about it. But it seems like with this next batch of acts confirmed, we’re starting to see more of the shape the festival will take. Weedeater will make a return that will no doubt be welcome, and likewise Graveyard have been confirmed as headliners, and Zeke will bring their inimitable speed rock to the proceedings as well.

Portugal’s Miss Lava hit the UK for the first time, Freedom Hawk head across the Atlantic from their Virginia home, Elder return as conquering heroes, and locals Mountains and Trevor’s Head give London a chance to get to know some of its own. If that already looks righteous to you, and it should, there’s a payment plan available. Might want to hit it up.

Here’s details from the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON adds Graveyard and seven more bands to the 2018 lineup; tickets on sale now!

DESERTFEST LONDON are thrilled to reveal the next 8 acts for the 2018 edition of the festival, who will be joining the likes of MONSTER MAGNET, EYEHATEGOD, NEBULA & JEX THOTH to bring a battering ram of riffs down upon Camden next May.

If any band can claim responsibility for the surge of retro-infused, blues-stuffed rock n roll seeping through the underground over the past decade, it has to be GRAVEYARD. We are delighted to announce that following their brief hiatus, the band will make their long awaited UK return in the most deserving form – a headline set at Desertfest 2018. Rising to the top of the fertile Swedish (and indeed European) fuzz-drenched scene thanks to four immaculate albums, Graveyard quickly mastered their straight-down-the-middle rock foundation and built outwards. Effortlessly creating mind invading hooks just waiting to rattle around your brain for weeks and peppering them with doses of heavy psych, subdued moments and the soulful vocals of Joakim Nilsson, it isn’t hard to see why Graveyard are one of the best bands on the planet.

Goliathan sludge shovelers WEEDEATER, who are no strangers to the Desertfest, are finally returning to their spiritual home. Each time these stoner titans have played, the queues have been round the block. Their legendary status precedes them, and for good reason – as frontman Dave ‘Dixie’ Collins revels in stories to punters at the bar of shooting off his own big toe, they are a true DF family band and one of the most “please book them every year” acts in our remit. Weedeater are simply not to be missed this May – it’s going to be sweaty, loud and most importantly, smoky.

We’re pleased once again to be bringing ELDER back to London, hot on the heels of yet another mesmerising album in Reflections of a Floating World. There was no question that the trio had their work cut out in following-up 2015’s epic Lore. Evolving over the past five years, from one of heavy riffing’s most potential-filled practitioners to a progressive scope entirely of their own, each time they take the stage the crowd are undoubtedly blown away by their sheer musical talent.

Also on the bill are Seattle underground legends ZEKE, a band sandwiched somewhere between the rapid-fire, speed-guzzling lunacy of punk and the distinctly bourbon-scented outright abandon of heavy rock n’ roll. Zeke are finally upon our shores and we’re thrilled to announce they’ll be joining us in Camden next May.

We’ve also added the fuzz filled frenzy that is FREEDOM HAWK, Portugal’s stoner-grunge quartet MISS LAVA (making their first UK appearance), proggy Londoners MOUNTAINS and the chunky stoner riffs of TREVOR’S HEAD all lined up for the 2018 proceedings. This is just the tip of the iceberg – stay tuned for the next offering!

Desertfest London 2018
4th-6th May in Camden Town, London
3-day pass (£115) now on sale AT THIS LOCATION

Our special split payment plan is available until December 12th!
Pay half of your ticket now and the other half in January. Find more info HERE.

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Graveyard, “Too Much is Not Enough” official video