OPINION

It’s less than two months now until the festival that is the home of Stoner Rock, Doom, and Heavy Psych is upon us. Desertfest sees three full days of the world’s most iconic acts flock to London to play in some of Camden’s most stellar venues, including the Roundhouse, the Electric Ballroom, the Underworld, and the Dev. Last year saw the likes of ELDER and ZEAL AND ANDOR as headliners and the festival brought light (and doom) to the heart of London. This year will be the 1

Back in 2024, BBC Radio 1 dubbed CALVA LOUISE as one of the “Artists You Need to Know”. In the past twelve months, they’ve proved that to be true and then some. Formed in 2016, London-based band CALVA LOUISE have showcased the malleability of music genres and creativity, synthesising punk, electronica, and Latin American folk music. Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Jess Allanic from Venezuela, drummer Ben Parker from New Zealand and bassist Alizon Taho from France,

Manchester Punk Festival 2026 is doing what it does best, packing a ridiculous amount of punk, hardcore, ska and everything adjacent into one weekend across the city. The poster says it all, there are big international names, cult favourites, and loads of bands that are going to turn smaller rooms into the kind of chaos people talk about for months. With clashes basically guaranteed, the smartest approach is to pick a few non-negotiables, then leave enough space for spontaneo

Takedown Festival is the high-octane kick start to the festival season. Taking place at the Guildhall in Portsmouth across the 3rd and 4th April, the festival takes over the whole venue to give you three stages of non-stop music. Takedown is a festival that loves to showcase new talent alongside big-hitting names. With such a varied roster of artists, there is something for everyone, young and old, to enjoy alongside new names to discover and add to their playlists. It’s a f