It’s the final day of Desertfest and the skies over Camden are decidedly greyer than they have been for the preceding days. With less draw to mingle outside, this does mean that the smaller venues are once again full from the moment they open. It’s obviously fantastic for bands that might not be as well-known to play to a capacity crowd, but it does feel like Desertfest is crying out for an additional venue on the Saturday and Sunday that can comfortably house more than a few hundred people.
Words: Ellie Odurny // Photos: Jessi Lotti, Sam Huddleston and Tim Bugbee
TRUCKFIGHTERS
Formed back in 2001, Swedish stoner rock outfit Truckfighters have steadily garnered a global fanbase as a powerhouse duo with a revolving series of drummers. They manage to embody the coolness of Californian desert rock, whilst simultaneously fizzing with energy. The set is heavy on tracks from new album ‘Masterflow’ – their first in a decade – which slot seamlessly into the realm of muzzy guitars and hefty beats that fans have grown to know and love. Spinning whilst shredding guitar behind your head is quite the talent, one which a topless Niklas “Dango” Källgren is quite happy to share as he jumps, skips and hops around on stage. Oskar “Ozo” Cedermalm drives the rhythm steadily onwards on bass, belting out bluesy powerful vocals with a rasp that is quintessentially stoner rock. There’s nothing enormously innovative or challenging about Truckfighters’ music, but as archetypes of the genres that are most prevalent at Desertfest, they do a darn good job.
HOWLING GIANT
It can’t be easy being scheduled to start at the same time as Earthless, especially at Desertfest. This could be why people aren’t quite jostling for space at the Underworld. For once, nobody is stuck behind one of the infamous pillars. This thankfully doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits of Tennessee’s Howling Giant, who announce mid-set “We’ve come all the way from Nashville, and we weren’t sure what to expect so thanks for making this great”. If you’re also not sure what to expect from a Howling Giant live show, think beefy, classic rock riffs, subtle progressive tempo changes and big soaring harmonies (even if you’re not entirely sure where they’re coming from). The mix isn’t always perfect, with the melodic treble at times lost under bellowing bass notes, but Howling Giant add a psychedelic flair to a set packed with rock’n’roll charm.
FORLORN
The Dev is once again shrouded in mystery and ritual for folk-metallers Forlorn. Shrouded so much, in fact, by the constant plumes of smoke cloaking the stage, that anyone more than a few feet away will likely only be able to catch an occasional glimpse of an eerily waving arm or the spikes of the crown adorning vocalist Megan Jenkins. Much as it would be nice to see the band in all their darkly haunting glory, it’s almost enough just hearing their mix of airy melodies waft over the bar and descend into fiendish screams, grinding metalcore riffs and grizzly bass. The lack of a focal point does mean that it’s hard to remain attentive throughout, rendering Forlorn somewhat as victims to circumstance, playing to a venue with ample daylight before the sun has fully set.
THE SWORD
With a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” hiatus that lasted all of around 18 months, it has still been over ten years since Texan quartet The Sword have played on UK soil. There’s a buzz around the Roundhouse for the penultimate main space act, and an eager cheer marks their entrance. Sadly, the sound levels don’t quite pack the expected punch and the vocals, despite being tuneful, are muffled beneath slightly flat guitars. This doesn’t seem to deter the core crowd, however, who are lapping up the hazy stoner guitar refrains and drum fills with delight. As the chatter towards the edges dies down and the head-banging ramps up, it’s easy to get lost in the undeniable riffs and precise, heavy blows. What The Sword might lack in reckless abandon, they more than make up for with smooth, ballsy confidence.
CLUTCH
There’s probably not a great deal to say about headliners Clutch that hasn’t already been said already. A prolific touring band with a career that spans four decades, they’ve finessed their live show to run like a well-oiled, supercharged, sleek machine. You could focus on their unmatched stage presence; the charisma that oozes from Neil Fallon on the mic or the understated but phenomenally tight rhythm section. You could talk about how Clutch usually don’t follow a specific setlist for each tour, preferring to surprise the audience with the mix and order of songs from their extensive back catalogue. There is one moment of novelty this evening in the form of ‘Drifter Returns’; a live rework of 1999’s ‘The Drifter’. It sounds great, but then again, it isn’t really anything new. You could mention how the smooth blues sometimes make you forget how heavy Clutch can be. Perhaps you could mention how odd it is to see the band grace the Roundhouse stage in May, as opposed to their usual slot every few years in December for what is now endearingly described as “Clutchmas”. The more memorious of you will note that the 2022 edition of said festivities featured Saturday headliners Green Lung as support. The fact that these two bands now share a headline slot indicates the meteoric rise of Green Lung over recent years, in comparison to rock giants Clutch’s calm and steady consistency in delivering a solid, warm and fuzzy show time after time after time.
