FESTIVAL REVIEW: Desertfest London 2026
And the mysterious haze has just about left Camden with another Desertfest gone until next year. For three days, London worshipped the power of The Riff. Here's how it went!
FRIDAY
One of the first bands on at The Dev on Friday were Yorkshire riffmongers Ironrat, who completely pack out the venue around teatime. The snarling, high-octane 'Liar' opens proceedings at full throttle to get fists pumping and arses shaking before the progressive 'Tip Of My Tongue' keeps the flow and shows their versatility with sludgy gutpunches, thumping blues riffs and a meditative bass guitar break (all in one track). Their low-tuned grooves are as heavy as anything and move the whole room, and although there's a sense of melancholy in some of their vocal melodies Ironrat still really bring a party vibe to the festival, led by Martin's charismatic frontmanship. Amid psychedelic leads, sludgy power, and twin guitar harmonies, Ironrat don't reinvent the wheel. Instead, they mix a whole concoction of things that are great about this style of music into a cauldron and spit out a gritty, soulful and deeply musical end result that sees The Dev turn into a sea of beer drinking, head banging faces with shit-eating grins. Later in the set, the first minutes of 'Wasted' mix things up with a punk blast to turn the front rows into a dancefloor, and the super-heavy 'Weed Machine' ends their set - literally on a low note, but figuratively, on a high one. Heavy, sludgy, but still rich in melody. What a way to kick things off.
Gnome's progressive stoner riffs wash over the Electric Ballroom around the same time, getting people dancing on the floor and watching from high up in the rafters. Their army of diehard fans, decked out in red hats, go absolutely crazy for them for the full hour at the front. It's a party - yet onstage, Gnome are completely locked in, with great vocals and a performance that completely owns the occasion as a band with a rich history at Desertfest. Their versatility as a band has never been in doubt, effortlessly going from the funky 'The Ogre', to the stoner riff worship of 'Old Soul', to the crushing set-closer 'Ambrosius'. Indeed, the more guttural vocal deliveries and super-heavy doomy parts feel even heavier because they are unafraid to mix things up and try out new ideas for the sake of creating something unique and musical. You could never accuse a band like Gnome of taking things too seriously, but what you see on stage proves they're never too much of a gimmick, either. Gnome are enjoying a healthy ascendancy within the stoner and desert scene these days and you wouldn't bet against them playing a bigger stage still next time they play this event.
Photo credit: Sam Huddleston
It's no surprise how busy The Electric Ballroom is for Friday night headliners Hermano, as the chance to see John Garcia, one of the most influential figures on the entire bill, in the flesh proves too tantalising to keep people away. Imitated thousands of times but never emulated, Garcia leads the floor as Hermano faithfully cruise through an hour and a half of vintage stoner riff n' roll, swaggering beats and power with a capital P. Garcia's weathered vocal grit speaks volumes in itself. There is no egotistical rockstar posturing, but simply an assured performance from an individual who owns the moment. At a surface level, it's a typically professional and potent set for a mainstage band at the festival, but the intangible sense of party that they bring makes it a genuinely fun soundtrack to good, old fashioned Friday night beer drinking.
SATURDAY
The power of The Riff was out in full force at The Black Heart come Saturday afternoon as Okay You Win took a well-deserved slot. With queues going down the stairs, there's a real buzz in London around these local boys, testament to their hard work bubbling away for years as they built up to this slot and their debut album release on Blues Funeral, due out in a couple of weeks. The new material sounds wonderful today, with a blend of alternative, desert rock, and doom with some great psychedelic elements. Frontman Dave Kirk engages the crowd fantastically, who lap every note up around his soulful vocal performance. Antonio puts in a powerhouse shift on the drums, while a delicious platter of riffs are served up by Rod and Ryan on the stage wings. The roaring 'End of Days' goes down especially well before the defiant 'Beat Me Down' ends proceedings on a high note. Groovy, powerful and memorable. In years to come, will you be able to say you were at The Black Heart for this show?
Elephant Tree were up to their high standards as usual at The Roundhouse. Amid grooves as thick as treacle, they were nothing less than spellbinding and hypnotic on the main stage at Desertfest London, a festival that almost feels like their home by now. With bags of stage presence, they really own the special occasion, demonstrating why they're so revered these days. Their progressive psychedelia and beautiful vocal harmonies lulled the room into a trance, broken up only by deserved enthusiastic applause when appropriate. The kind of set you can stand around and lose yourself in the musical beauty.
Green Lung, who had played The Underworld in a mid-evening slot a few years ago at this festival, were Saturday's premier attraction at The Roundhouse with a proper festival headline performance. Using great visuals onstage, impeccable sound and an enchanting aura, they made for a real experience for everyone. Taking a trip into old English folklore, Tom's vocals are fantastic, performing each number with a storytelling delivery that exudes charisma and a superb vocal range. He demands interaction from his audience, making us all feel part of the show. Elsewhere, the organ/guitar sound is massive and helps build a thick stage sound, with occasional ripping, wailing guitar leads that really impress. They feel larger than life tonight, almost like stoner rock's answer to Iron Maiden, rousing big cheers as a devil walks on stage midway through the set. The Ghost-y 'Maxine' is well-received, and 'Into The Wild', not played since before the pandemic, is received enthusiastically by their diehards. Elsewhere in their set, the live debut of 'Evil In This House' is a cool addition, and having original bassist Andrew join for the closing 'Let The Devil In' is a special moment for the fans. Their remarkable rise feels fully justified. What could possibly be next?
SUNDAY
Commodores' 'Easy' blasts over the PA in the Roundhouse to kick things off at The Roundhouse on the Sunday, before Steak open the main stage with a classy and assured stoner metal performance. Their gentler tones are a good way to start the day and ease away the hangovers, led at the front with rich, powerful vocals from two voices that complement each other well. Using melodic ambience at times to contrast with their meaty (get it?), fuzzy riff worship, after a fair bit of time off concocting new material, the response today shows that London has missed Steak. The new material hints at a continued bright future for the quintet.
Truckfighters, up next, were nothing less than ridiculously fun, energetic and charismatic. Rocking out for an hour or so of party stoner, guitarist Dango cuts an iconic figure as he dances and throws himself around the stage in his shorts, busting out riff after riff. Those at the front go wild, crowd surfing and moving almost with as much energy as the power trio on stage. When it's heavy, the fuzz has some seriously weighty sonic power you can feel in your loins. Yet the psychedelic moments have the desired effect too, contrasting with the big riffs to make them even bigger in turn. Set highlights include the grungy 'The Gorgon' and the iconic 'Desert Cruiser', which rouses the crowd into a complete frenzy at the end.
Photo credit: Jessy Lotti
I manage to catch the end of The Grey before my other responsibilities take me elsewhere, whose haunting, ethereal post-metal holds The Underworld into a vice grip. There is less need for vocals, as their dense instrumental passages, pounding rhythms and insane riffs dominate the performance, yet Andy's tortured shrieks - and an emotional speech to raise the bar further still towards the end - genuinely add to the songs when they are needed, showing what can be done when the voice is used as an instrument. On stage, the trio boast a commanding presence that demands the focus and undivided attention of every pair of eyes in the room. The audience are, indeed, massively receptive to the performance tonight, swaying and moving in time with them. A masterful showing from one of the UK's genuine hidden gems.
MN
Comments
Post a Comment