Doomed Confessionary: Neil Beattie (Dark Fighter)
Dark Fighter are a heavy desert rock band from Bradford, UK that mix addictive hooks with detuned noise. They are bringing heavy riffs, gritty grooves, and raw power to your speakers.
Inspired by the legends of desert rock, such as Truckfighters, Brant Bjork, Fu Manchu, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Black Sabbath, Dark Fighter blends stoner, doom, and hard rock into a sound that hits as hard as the sun-baked sands they come from. Subscribe for heavy jams, killer live performances, and exclusive content. Get ready to rock… dark and loud.
Dark Fighter consists of Neil Beattie (lead vocals, guitar, keys, percussion, flute), Chris Wood (guitar, vocals), Martyn Birchall (bass, vocals) and Amelia Helm (drums, percussion).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Dark Fighter is a band that I’ve been wanting to put together for what seems like a lifetime. We’ve got ex-members from Psychlona and Slack Elvis bringing together heavy desert rock with huge hooky songs.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
It’s always a challenge gathering like minded souls for a band but we’ve been lucky – everyone pushes in the same direction and we’re all huge fans of music. When you’ve got that – everything gets easier.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Being part of this band of brothers and sisters with a killer set. We can’t wait to spread the word!
What was your biggest regret?
No regrets really – we just want to get in front of as many people as possible – including our musical heroes – and give them a night to remember.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We played a fantastic little festival in Yorkshire which was loads of fun and we’ve got some exciting stuff lined up in 2026.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
We were blown away by the love we received from the rock/stoner/doom music scene – truly humbling.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Fu Manchu, Goat, Melvins, Brant Bjork.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
If someone else can do it, you probably can too.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Tacky 70s pop rock.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Bradford / Yorkshire?
Yeah – Yorkshire fucking rocks. For a place that has no desert, we’ve got some fantastic desert rock and doom. Check out Psychlona, Son Of Boar and loads more.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Studio 5 live in November, then festivals all over the UK in 2026.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Album in 2026 with some fun festival dates.
How can people best support your band?
Check us out on YouTube then come see us live and party with us!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
We’ve got two all killer no filler albums written and can’t wait to share them with you. Some of these riffs man, seriously! Much love x
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well