Camden is host to one of the largest stoner rock festivals in the UK, and that is where I found myself for a long weekend away to experience DesertFest London for the very first time. With multiple venues within Camden over the three-day festival, there was plenty of choice for stoners who travelled far and wide to celebrate buzzing riffs, sludgy bass lines, and a sense of community joined together by hazy air and music.
The doom band Iron Slug from Kent kicked the festival off at the Black Heart, an iconic pub and home to many London rockers and metalheads. This duo was no-nonsense and went straight into delivering a solid 40-minute set. The whole venue was packed for the first band of the weekend and filled with excitement, with punters even perching on the stairs just to listen to the band.
After some downtime exploring the various stalls in Stoner Alley and the different bars – including checking out the DesertFest Lager – my next stop was to watch Belgian stoners Gnome at the Electric Ballroom. Going off of their name alone, you know this band is here for a good time. This was confirmed by the large amount of gnome hats being gifted to the crowd, so by the time their set started, everyone was embracing their gnome-hood. They delivered fun riffs that harnessed the crowd’s energy and matched everything the audience was feeling, which made for a great gig that got everyone hyped up.
I left Gnome slightly early to catch a personal favourite: Cwfen. After seeing the Glaswegian doom metal band back in Edinburgh, I knew I didn’t want to miss them at DesertFest. Their set took place in the Underworld, underneath the popular World’s End Pub, delivering powerful themes of witchcraft and folklore, and summoning an old earth energy that brought harmonies playing alongside darkened growls.
Friday’s headliner was California rock band Hermano. I went into their headlining set blind and ready to discover something new. Although there was a slight 15-minute delay to their start time, their performance was not affected. They bounced onto the stage ready to melt people’s faces off, and that’s exactly what they did. Hermano maintained great vigour throughout the set, paired with light-humoured audience interaction. Lead singer John Garcia brought soaring vocals and familiarity for fans of his previous project, Kyuss. A comforting yet energetic start to DesertFest.
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Saturday at DesertFest was possibly my favourite day. My first band of the day was Inhuman Nature, kicking things off at the Roundhouse. They brought a hardened punk vibe with heavy, thrash-like beats which provided plenty of headbanging opportunities throughout their set. Later on taking to the stage was Newcastle stoners Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (also known as Pigs x7). These guys were chaotic and feral in the best way possible. With hard, fast sounds and electric crowd interaction, they delivered a powerful show that has real potential to become an even larger event in the future.
Saturday’s headliner was London’s very own Green Lung. This was a special gig for the stoner rockers, as DesertFest was where it all began almost a decade ago. Green Lung played their new single “Evil in this House,” building up anticipation for their upcoming album due to be released this September. This was my 5th time seeing them, and you can just tell that they have truly come into their own; you could see how much at home the band felt playing this momentous headline slot. They have a distinct and consistent sound that makes them instantly recognisable. Despite a brief mic cut in the middle of their set, this did not sway the band nor the crowd from having a good evening, and they did a great job of keeping the ambience flowing throughout their 1.5-hour set. They ended their time at the Roundhouse by bringing back their bassist from their original EP, Andrew Cave, and they played “Into the Wild” for the first time since 2019. The band’s growth shows an inevitability that they will be headlining more festivals in the near future.
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Sunday at DesertFest was a great way to round out the weekend. One band of note was Swedish rockers Truckfighters. They brought lots of ecstatic stamina that got the crowd going. They provided excellent musicality between their songs and their body movements – in particular guitarist Niklas Källgren, who utilised every part of the stage. To my surprise, he used every part of the Roundhouse itself when he magically appeared in front of me at the back of the venue, making his way through the crowd whilst continuing to play. By the end of the set, the whole front section of the Roundhouse was jumping for joy.
Next up at the Roundhouse was psychedelic rockers Earthless. Their low-frequency set gave us mellow sounds that got the crowd swaying into one fluid community. They had little engagement with the audience between songs, which worked with the band’s style and made for an immersive experience. After Earthless, we had an iconic appearance from The Sword. This was a much-anticipated event for attendees, and they played to a packed Roundhouse. I headbanged all throughout their set and was happy to hear classics such as ‘Tres Brujas’ and ‘Freya’ as they marked the 20th Anniversary of their album Age of Winters. I hope they will be invited back to play a headline slot as they can absolutely deliver one.
The final DesertFest band, finishing things off at the Roundhouse, was American hard rockers Clutch. They burst onto the stage with confidence and a classic sound. It didn’t take long for these guys to raise the roof and bring that American charm to Camden. You could feel the crowd’s eagerness to dance and jump to the music, ending the festival on a high note where everyone sauntered home after a weekend well spent.
A true highlight for me, aside from the music, was the people. Not only did the bands and staff work hard to provide a great weekend for everyone, but even the attendees themselves were so nice and welcoming, and you felt like you were truly a part of the stoner collective.
Pics by Love & War Photography unless otherwise stated
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