World’s most remote Indigenous rock band launch Australian premiere of their internationally acclaimed movie

The world's most remote Indigenous rock band 'The Desert Stars' are kicking off a national tour this weekend (November 11 and November 12) in Victoria as part of the Australian premiere of their movie 'Gravel Road'.

The Desert Stars is a four-piece band comprising lead-singer-songwriter Jay Minning, lead guitar and backing vocalist Derek Coleman, bassist Justin Currie and drummer Ashley Franks

The Desert Stars (aka "the blacca dacca") will kick off their national tour with a performance at Cinema Nova in Carlton on Saturday evening, November 11 followed by an afternoon performance in Castlemaine on Sunday November 12.

Accompanying the desert rock concerts will be a screening of the band’s international award-winning documentary Gravel Road.

Tristan, Jay and Mick - Shooting Gravel Road

Gravel Road is directed by Tristan Pemberton and follows the debut tour of The Desert Stars as they travel from their home in remote Tjuntjuntjara across the punishing terrain of the Western Australian Desert in support of their second studio album Mungangka Ngaranyi (It’s On Tonight).

The Desert Stars is a four-piece band comprising lead-singer-songwriter Jay Minning, lead guitar and backing vocalist Derek Coleman, bassist Justin Currie and drummer Ashley Franks.

Lead singer Jay Minning is a Spinifex man and the community’s traditional songman.

He is responsible for creating, performing, and passing down songs that connect community to country.

“For a black man, I’m living in two worlds here and I got to get the story across to the other side.” - Jay Minning

In a conversation with NITV Radio, Tristan Pemberton explained how The Desert Star’s music reflects on their profound culture as the last true nomads; with songs of hunter-gatherer life and their people’s survival of the 1950’s British atomic testing at the infamous Maralinga site.

Gravel Road achieved acclaim by winning the title of Best Documentary Feature at the Poppy Jasper Film Festival in California and securing the Best Road/Tour Movie accolade at the Sound on Screen Music Film Festival in South Africa.

Gravel Road has gained 7 laurels nationally and internationally