Stuart Swezey

Desolation Center

2018 USA
93 min • English
K12
Theme: Rokumentti selection
17.11.2018 | Time 21:10 | Venue: Tapio 4 | BUY TICKET

Get a front-row seat to the most legendary gigs of the underground rock scene!

When you think of California, what comes to your mind? Perhaps the endless Baywatch-esque beaches, Hollywood stardust, and gigantic festivals like Coachella? For those who live and breathe the underground life, the first association is to the LA punk and alternative scene of the 80s, and its larger than life concerts in the desert.

Stuart Swezey’s Desolation Center is a documentary about these gigs and happenings, organised by the underground musicians of Los Angeles, which have been the inspiration for today’s massive events such as Burning Man. The legendary gigs featured the biggest names in art rock, such as Minutemen, Savage Republic, Einstürzende Neubauten, Boyd Rice, Meat Puppets and Sonic Youth. The venues for the gigs were nothing short of visionary, from deserts to deserted docks, for the authorities didn’t want the punk rockers running wild in the city.

The gigs in Desolation Center are close to performance art. For both the audience and the performers, the events that take place are almost magical. Creation and destruction, bombs and industrial machines intertwine together like never before, and the dividers between music and its audience come crashing down. This documentary is a treasure trove of live recordings and stories from those who were there to experience it all. If you appreciate experimental and underground music, don’t miss this!

Trailer