You can go out into the desert and blow shit up, you can f*cking shoot guns, ride motorcycles… And you can play music! –Mario Lalli

It’s been almost 9 years since director Joerg Steineck released the first trailer for “Lo Sound Desert”. The Black Heart pub and venue in Camden hosted a sold-out premiere of the documentary last week to great acclaim.

Get a glimpse into the early days of the Desert Rock underground scene, with many interviews from all those people we all know by now…

Steineck has spent the good part of a decade interviewing the likes of Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, Mario Lalli, Alfredo Hernandez, Scott Reeder, Nick Oliveri and Sean Wheeler, amongst a huge cast of other members of the desert scene. The documentary is in two parts, covering the north and south of the Coachella Valley, dipping into San Francisco, as well as Joshua Tree. Steineck documents the rise and fall of the generator parties, exploring why they happened and what it was like for those involved.

Packed with lots of never heard stories

Old VHS footage of the generator parties provided a glimpse into the atavism and excitement of the wildness in the Coachella valley and its vast desert. Familiar faces, and those that have remained firmly within the desert underground, recounted stories of the illegal parties that made the audience gasp, laugh and whoop. Homme flipping off police cars stuck in the desert sand seemed to particularly amuse the room, and tales of bands playing behind a huge bonfire at the Nudebowl as skaters skated, people partied and bareknuckle fistfights took place impressed the unusual and truly underground nature of the desert scene in the early and mid 90s.

Not the first documentary on the subject

but certainly a must-watch !

Steineck’s documentary style is quite different to the rougher cut of Such Hawks Such Hounds, an obvious contender for comparison, and contains a subtle humor that underlies the general editing of the film. Amusing sound effects turn up in unexpected places, goofy edits intersperse the interviews and VHS throwbacks, tying the whole piece together into an intense ride through the history of the genre. This is a seminal piece of film that captures a tantalizing slice of what it was like to be in California when the desert rock genre was forged and impressed into the vinyls of history.

Desert Storm whipped up a frenzy after the film drew to a close, reminding all involved how far the genre has evolved since those early days in the desert. The groove and fervor of the band was infectious and a welcome release after the excitement of Lo Sound Desert.

Wanna order Lo Sound Desert ?

You can get it on a physical DVD or in a digital version via Vimeo. Order here.