It is that time of year in London again. The weather is better, and there are tunes to be had. Desertfest London, let’s be having you. It has long been a beacon for lovers of heavy music, a sprawling celebration of sound where the raw, the heavy, and the experimental collide in a heady mix of sweat, distortion, and communal spirit.
Desertfest London – Friday 16 May 2025
Words And Photography: Ash Nash
Since its inception in 2012, the festival has grown in increased strength from a humble gathering of devoted fans and underground bands into one of the world’s premier destinations for stoner rock, doom, sludge, psychedelic, and Heavy Metal.
Each year, Desertfest transforms the heart of London into a multi-venue playground for sonic exploration, where history, culture, and music fuse to create something truly special.
The venues themselves are an essential part of the festival’s soul. The Roundhouse, a grand 19th-century former railway engine shed turned cultural landmark, stands as the festival’s spiritual home.
Alongside the Roundhouse, iconic Camden venues like the Electric Ballroom and The Black Heart open their doors, each contributing its unique character and history to the festival. Blending small and large venues, the festival is as rich in legendary status as it is in the calibre of musicians.
Alongside these titan venues, The Dev is a hot pocket of a venue. A fun pub, you feel extremely privileged to get into the pub and have yourself a slice of the action.
Desertfest is a sprawling tapestry of music with a lineup carefully curated to showcase the full spectrum of heavy underground sound. This year’s festival boasts over 70 bands spanning genres from the slow, crushing depths of Doom Metal to the psychedelic haze of stoner rock, the unrelenting assault of sludge, and the sprawling epic journeys of post-metal.
Each act this year brings their own distinct voice to the stage, weaving a rich narrative of heaviness and atmosphere that runs through the weekend, a similar style of how Camden rocks works in cross-venue adventures just that bit darker and broodier.
Desertfest is more than a festival. It is a pilgrimage for heavy music, a safe place where the like-minded can congregate, drink beer, and have a laugh, a place where sound becomes a shared experience, a ritual, and a refuge.
Now let’s get to discover what makes this festival such as a celebration of bands that push boundaries, challenge norms, and explore the darker, more introspective corners of rock and Metal. Desertfest offers something for every listener who seeks depth and power in their music.
Elephant Tree – Electric Ballroom
Elephant Tree had the incredible task of opening up the festival. They took to the Electric Ballroom stage with the gravity of a band who know exactly how to hold a room in thrall. They wasted no time at all, summoning a soundscape from a beautiful set that was equal parts cosmic doom and melodic grit, rolling out like thunderclouds thick with mood and intent.
The emotive magical voices of Elephant Tree soared through the haze with unshakeable control, cutting across the fuzz with a warmth that invited rather than overwhelmed.
Beneath it all, the band’s hypnotic low-end rumble formed the bedrock dense, immersive, and unmistakably Elephant Tree. Sonically pleasing as the tracks did not just land; they enveloped, moving like tidal waves laced with introspection and thunder.
It’s rare to witness such clarity of tone in a live Doom performance, but Elephant Tree achieved it effortlessly. Their set was heavy, yes, but never muddied, crushing with care, melodic with muscle.
This was a transcendental start to the festival, delivered by one of the UK’s most quietly commanding underground forces.
The Devil And The Almighty Blues – Electric Ballroom
Norway’s The Devil And The Almighty Blues delivered a sermon in slow-burning tension at Desertfest, conjuring a set that simmered with grit, soul and swamp-soaked swagger.
Their sound is a patient, potent brew—where the blues bleeds into Doom, and every riff feels like it’s been carved from the side of a mountain.
Frontman Arnt Andersen carried each lyric with a preacher’s conviction with one of those voices so rich and weathered while the dual guitars wove together in mournful harmony like echoes off canyon walls. Tracks through the set unfolded like stories, full of weight and space, letting every note breathe before dropping the hammer.
In a weekend of bombast and fuzz, The Devil And The Almighty Blues stood out by doing less but doing it with depth, conviction, and groove. This was a masterclass in restraint, proving that sometimes the heaviest thing in the room is the silence between the notes.
Sea Bastard – The Underworld
Sea Bastard did not so much take the stage as they seized it with an avalanche of tone so deep and dragging, it felt tectonic. Emerging like a beast from the Brighton underground, their return to Desertfest was nothing short of apocalyptic, a sermon of sludge delivered at a glacial pace and earth-rattling volume.
From the first roar, Sea Bastard’s vocalist Monty’s guttural delivery sounded like it had clawed its way out of a crypt while riffs lumbered with the weight of grief and dread. Tracks stretched like funeral processions, each one a ritual in distortion and decay.
It was not just Doom. It was a full-body experience that pinned the crowd under waves of oppressive low-end.
Sea Bastard proved that true heaviness is not just about volume. It is about atmosphere, intent, and the willingness to stare into the void and stay there. A devastating, triumphant set from one of the UK’s bleakest treasures.
Lowrider – Electric Ballroom
When Sweden’s Lowrider hit the Electric Ballroom, it felt like the festival’s gravitational pull shifted. With a tone as thick as tar and grooves that rolled like thunder across a Martian plain, they proved why they remain one of the genre’s most revered and resilient forces.
The band laid down cosmic riffs with surgical precision, slow-burning, soaring, and soaked in desert heat. Peder Bergstrand’s vocals carried that perfect mix of mysticism and grit combined nicely with the rhythm section moving with seismic intent, anchoring the swirling leads in something elemental.
Every note felt lived-in, bursting with fuzz meticulously crafted and honed over time.
Lowrider did not just play stoner rock they encapsulated the full spirit of it. Their set was both expansive and intimate, a hypnotic journey through space, soul, and distortion that had the crowd swaying like a tide.
It was one of the weekend’s most spellbinding performances, delivered by true architects of the desert sound.
Erronaut – The Devonshire Arms
Erronaut’s set at The Devonshire Arms, affectionately known as The Dev, had the rumblings of a masterclass in atmospheric tension and crushing groove. Emerging from the Hertfordshire underground, the quartet delivered a performance that was both immersive and emotionally charged, drawing the crowd deep into their expansive sonic world.
Their set demonstrated their talent for weaving dense riffs with melodic introspection. The intimate setting of The Dev amplified their intensity and won over some new fans with every beat and breakdown landing with visceral impact.
Erronaut proved they are not just another name on the lineup. They are a rising force with vision, dynamics, and presence. A standout set in one of Camden’s most beloved underground haunts.
Stoned Jesus – Electric Ballroom
There is something spiritual about watching Stoned Jesus live. The excitement and absolute joy of seeing a band from Ukraine here anyway is incredible. Hailing from Kyiv, this trio have spent the past 15 years carving out a distinct space in the world of heavy music; where stoner rock, Doom and psychedelia collide with purpose and power.
From the first echoing notes, it was clear we were in for something deeper than a standard live set. After all, it was impossible for the titan’s Stoned Jesus to just perform. They brought a presence with them, one that enveloped the room in sound. A slow-burning journey unfolded, each riff drawing the crowd further into their meditative haze.
Frontman and guitarist Igor Sydorenko led the charge with a quiet intensity, his playing steeped in feeling and finesse, unafraid to linger in a groove or spiral into a wall of fuzz. His vocals, raw and honest, carried a weary wisdom reflective of both personal and global struggles the band has faced in recent years.
Tracks like the towering I Am the Mountain was a huge standout, showcasing the band’s uncanny ability to shift from crushing weight to blissful expanses of sound. The rhythm section, Andrew Rodin on bass and drummer Yurii Ciel, was a force in its own right, locked in tight and propelling the set with a sense of controlled chaos. Whether pummelling through Doom-laden riffs or exploring cosmic grooves, they never lost focus.
What sets Stoned Jesus apart is their understanding of space. They do not fill every moment. They let the music breathe, creating an atmosphere that feels alive and deeply immersive. The entranced crowd swayed as one, caught in the hypnotic pull of their sound. This was a collective experience. Introspective, heavy, and cathartic.
Formed in 2009, Stoned Jesus have weathered lineup changes, industry shifts, and, most notably, the ongoing war in their homeland. Yet through it all, they have remained dedicated to their craft, and that resilience is felt in every note they play.
At the Electric Ballroom, there was a sense of something bigger at play. Of music as resistance, as reflection, and as a release.
Elder – Electric Ballroom
Friday night at Desertfest 2025 came to a stunning close as Elder took to the Electric Ballroom stage, delivering a set that felt less like a gig and more like a transcendental voyage through sound.
The Massachusetts four-piece have long been revered for pushing the boundaries of stoner and progressive rock. But tonight, they did not just live up to their reputation. They transcended it, securing their spot in the well-deserved position of headliner.
Opening with weighty grooves, Elder immediately set the tone for what would become a sprawling, immersive experience. Their sound was colossal yet beautifully controlled like a tidal wave rolling in slow motion.
Guitarist and vocalist Nick DiSalvo stood at the helm with quiet confidence, his voice cutting cleanly through the layers of fuzz-drenched guitars with his playing as fluid as it was ferocious. Exuberant tones shimmered and soared, shifting from delicate melodies to thunderous, sky-splitting riffs with effortless grace.
With music fueled with vast, shape-shifting epics filled with soaring solos and hypnotic rhythms that swept the audience into a trance-like state, Elder’s chemistry was on full display. Guitarist Mike Risberg, bassist Jack Donovan, and drummer Georg Edert weaving together an intricate tapestry of sound that was both precise and deeply organic.
You could see it in their glances and their movements this was a band that speaks to each other in the language of music, and the conversation was nothing short of mesmerising.
What makes Elder so compelling live is their refusal to play it safe. How can you when every track felt alive, as though being written in real-time?
Their songs didn’t just go somewhere. They took you on rich and intense journeys, unfolding with a sense of purpose and discovery. While their dynamics rose and fell like waves, keeping the crowd utterly engaged, heads nodding in unison, eyes closed, bodies swayed as one. 
There was no need for flashy theatrics or showy bravado, just pure and honest musicianship and a shared sense of wonder. The Electric Ballroom, packed wall to wall, responded in kind. Faces were lit up, beers were raised, and more than a few jaws dropped during the band’s soaring instrumental passages.
For many, this was the highlight of the night, a masterclass in how to blend technical skill with raw emotion, all while delivering some of the most forward-thinking heavy music around.
Elder’s set was more than just a headline performance; it was a reminder of why people fall in love with live music in the first place. They gave everything, and the crowd gave it right back.
Atmospheric, ambitious, and absolutely spellbinding, Elder closed out Friday night with a performance that will echo in the minds of Desertfest-goers for a long time to come.
Desertfest – Day One Closes
As the haze settled over the first day in Camden and the final notes of Friday faded into the night, it was clear Desertfest 2025 had kicked off with serious style.
The day built slowly, but powerfully, each band adding fuel to a fire that by nightfall was burning bright. And while the lineup brought the goods across the board, it was Elephant Tree and Stoned Jesus who truly stole the show.
Elephant Tree’s set had it all with tone, presence and heart. Even when a string snapped mid-set, it barely slowed them down. If anything, it added to the raw, real energy of it all. They played through with total confidence, delivering a set that was heavy, melodic and absolutely locked in.
Then came Stoned Jesus, rolling in with a swagger that only years of road-hardened experience can bring. They hit hard and grooved harder, blending thick riffs with a laid-back cool that made their whole set feel like one long, blissed-out jam. The crowd was theirs from the first note to the last, heads nodding, drinks raised. Everyone was lost in the sound.
Friday didn’t just set the tone. It reminded us what this festival is really about. Loud music, good people and that unbeatable feeling when everything just clicks.
If this was the opening chapter, the rest of the weekend had a lot to live up to. But after today, no one was doubting it could.
