FESTIVAL REVIEW: 2000 Trees Festival 2018
Another year, another 2000 Trees festival has come and gone. The small festival that ruins the peace of Cheltenham’s Cotswolds has grown into a phenomenon, and this year saw it return with its biggest crowd and biggest bands to boot.
Thursday
The first band on The Cave stage are SHVPES (6) and they open the festival with sufficient gusto but the crowd are reluctant to really give them their energy. The five piece certainly go at it, but they struggle to really find the spark this early on in the festival. With that said, they fare better than PALM READER (4) whose atrocious sound does the band absolutely no favours. An overwhelming bass drowns out all the guitars, resulting in a dull pounding of tinny bass and blast drums, which is a shame because the band have enough intensity to send the crowd into a frenzy.
PRESS TO MECO (8) are as tight as ever and feel revitalised by the reception of their new material. Here’s To The Fatigue goes down an absolute treat, as does the likes of Affinity.It’s only a matter of time before these lads are given a much bigger stage to play around with. Over on the Main Stage, TURBOWOLF (7) come fully equipped with party riffs and attitude. The four piece are the perfect summer band and their hard-to-resist party vibe goes down an absolute treat with the now fully involved Thursday crowd. Providing an early set of the weekend over at The Cave, BOSTON MANOR (8) deliver a shot of adrenaline to the crowd with their heavily punk infused emo sounds. New tracks Drowned In Gold and Halo both bookmark the set whilst choice cuts from the exceptional Be Nothing. album fill the rest of the set with an incredible vitality, even in the raging heat.
Over on the Main Stage ARCANE ROOTS (7) deliver a technically sound and tight as you like performance filled with the dynamic shifts from soothing prog to crushing heaviness they have become renown for coming swift. Following on and very much keeping the energy alive, TURNSTILE (8) show why they’re one of the best hardcore bands on the planet. Running through new tracks like Big Smile and Generator alongside huge classics like Gravity and Drop bring the crowd off their feet for the entirety of their set, with the pit constantly grooving and crowd surfers providing ample entertainment.
When the shocking news of Scott Hutchinson’s tragic passing earlier in the year, FRIGHTENED RABBIT’s set at the festival was passed onto MARMOZETS (8) who deliver a smashing set clearly dedicated to the band and, and indeed to Scott. The band coming at the crowd with their trademark weirdness, vocalist Becca Macintire drawing the crowds gaze with her effortless confidence. The tunes are great too, with Move Shake And Hide sending the crowd into an absolute beer soaked frenzy.
After dropping one of the best debuts of the decade in Statues, BLACK PEAKS (9) went onto having a monster rise over the following years, and now find themselves headlining The Cave at one of the earliest festivals to book them. The band are savage, and Will Gardener displays his immense vocal prowess throughout, as he changes from deafening screams to thunderous roars and back again. New songs Home and Can’t Sleep go down as well as the established classics. Drones sends the crowd into a flurry but it is the epic Glass Built Castles that sees the band slip up, as the stand in drummer and guitarist struggle to keep time in the verses. Nonetheless, this is a triumphant set from a band who have the world at their feet with this next album.
After a set of that calibre, any band would struggle to follow, and At The Drive-In (7) do just struggle. They have stage presence, and the songs are filled with venom but it’s during a near 10 minute lull mid set that the band show themselves to not have the drive to entertain the crowd for their full set. After the lull, the band kick things back into gear again for the final half of the set, and the already initiated get stuck back in but for those who aren’t as familiar, it is only when the almighty One Armed Scissor that gets the full crowd fully involved again.
Friday
As the battles against Thursday’s abusive hangovers begin with gusto, as does Friday’s musical offerings that seek to help soothe said battles. The Main Stage sees LADYBIRD (5) open the day with their streets-gone-punk sounds that comes packed with rock steady rhythms and casually delivered poetry. The vibes resonate with the early morning sun but the scarce morning crowd seems to be going with the motions too much to really give a damn. Where LADYBIRD were perhaps too lax, PHOXJAW (6) go the exact opposite direction, delivering a set that almost feels a little too try hard. The band come armed with thick riffs and dynamic electronics and they sound tight, with the musical assault coming together on multiple occasions. It’s the constant demands for the crowd to lose their minds and the eventual crowd invasion from two members that pushes the performance over the edge though. If the band were to relax then there’s real magic to be had.
CHAPTER AND VERSE (6) also play a set that has the seeds of possible greatness. Playing the Main Stage with confidence, the post-hardcore four piece seem begging for more energy to be sent back from the sparse crowd, working incredibly hard to make sure their melody soaked tunes stick in the minds of those present. There is success, and the curiosity of what else this band are capable of sits firmly at the front of the mind. Taking things in a different direction, COURAGE MY LOVE (7) deliver their first UK festival set to a full Axiom Stage and they grasp the opportunity with both hands. Sitting on the poppier end of the spectrum, their unashamed positivity and zeal for being on stage is infectious and gives their tunes a noticeable shine. The crowd are slow to come on board, but with encouragement and almost constant smiling the trio get the crowd on their side for a thoroughly enjoyable half hour of music.
The best thing about 2000 Trees is it’s dedication to the new, and HOLDING ABSENCE (8) are one such band. The newcomers to the British hardcore scene have already made massive waves, and their set at 2000 Trees simply confirms them as next in line to blow up exponentially. Beautiful vocals pair with thoughtful lyrics, all boosted by the atmospheric guitars and thunderous rhythms, making for not only a set of the weekend, but a set that affirms HOLDING ABSENCE as the best band no one has heard of yet. HELLIONS (8) also prove themselves to be worthy of a far larger reception than what they receive. The Australian’s travel far and deliver a boisterous set that swings from their bouncing classics like Quality of Life through to newer, more dynamics tracks like Furrow. Smiles never leave their face and the set never drops in momentum, it’s the perfect afternoon pick me up.
The festival would be nowhere without bands that have helped build the festival to what it is, and the Irish AND SO I WATCHED YOU FROM AFAR (8) are one such band. Every time the band step foot on a 2000 Trees stage there is a guarantee for shit to hit the fan and this is no different. Bananas fly wildly as the pit bounces open and the band throw everything they have at the baying crowd. It’s a real shame that you’d have to tear yourself away from the show to go catch HO99O9 (9) deliver one of the most frantically mental sets you’ll catch all year. It’s a tough decision, but the moment the bassy guitars and weird, violent synthesisers hit your years, there is a primal animal that gets unleashed, as the whole crowd proceeds to collectively lose their minds to the unique Brooklyn punks. For anyone caught in the middle as the crowd folded in on itself during Get a Grip, we hope you’re okay!
After a minor break, TOUCHE AMORE (10) land on The Cave and proceed to lay down what can only be described as the set of the festival. Their cult status already solidified, the gagging crowd make the five piece welcome and they return fire with a career spanning selection of emotional post hardcore. Flowers And You, New Halloween and Skyscrapers all represent their latest record with pride whilst Just Exist and the triumphant closer of Honest Sleep has the crowd stealing every word from front man Jeremy Bolm.
Following on from that is nigh on impossible, and as such WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS (5) fall incredibly short, as their dulcet tones and lackadaisical stage performance makes their ambient music drag its feet. It’s lucky that CREEPER (8) are on hand to inject some more adrenaline into the evening. Coming out swinging with an opening that includes Suzanne and Room 309, the band then derail all momentum developed with a mid set rendition of Crickets. The song goes down a treat, but with what was brewing in the opening moments, it feels as though CREEPER completely missed the chance to steal the entire weekend, and maybe the year. Running out of time results in a welcome replacement to the overplayed Misery in the form of a MEAT LOAF cover and the band simply confirm that all the hype surrounding them is utterly, utterly deserved.
Having already headlined 2000 Trees before, TWIN ATLANTIC (5) were already well versed with playing in front of the exceptional crowd, and you would be fooled into thinking that they would be bringing with them something new two years on from their previous slot. Well, unfortunately, what the Scottish lads do instead is play near enough the same set list with more or less the same gumption as before. The squad seem overly calm, seemingly begging for a rocket to be shoved up their arse to get some momentum in the set. What the Friday audience get in the end is a solid set that has already been seen before by a band who don’t really seem to care as much as they did.
Saturday
It’s a sad morning as the sun rises on the Saturday morning and gets an early start on kicking everyone’s head in. As 2000 Trees comes to its final day, it’s down to HAGGARD CAT (9) to wake everyone up with the sheer power of gurt riffs and thunderous drumming. The two piece look as comfortable as fish in water on the Main Stage, and the gargantuan power of their blues-gone-wrong riffs is absolutely undeniable, rumbling the guts of everyone lucky enough to catch this early morning gem. Coming straight from that to MUSKETS (5) on The Axiom is a bit of a transition, as the muddy sounds from the smaller stage funnels out a lot of the grungey tones from the four pieces guitar attack. The lads still play with energy, but the muddy sound doesn’t give much room for the band to really make an impact.
Over on The Cave, it’s down to COVE (6) to insight some carnage, but unfortunately the crowd just doesn’t seem interested. Britain’s answer to COUNTERPARTS keep swinging throughout their set, dropping a number of tracks from their We Were Once Lost EP, and there’s a lingering feeling that with a keen crowd these lads could kick up a right storm. Up next are Scottish pop-punkers WOES (6), and even though they go at it with hammer and tongs, the set doesn’t seem to quite take off like they want it too. The stage banter is there but becomes a bit overwhelming, as it is their tunes that really make the crowd start to dance. Fine tuning their stage work and bringing more of the care free attitude that their music oozes will benefit this young group no end!
A band that need absolutely no work, and just a bigger bloody crowd, are DREAM STATE (8). Battling some minor technical issues that stalls their early set momentum, its the commanding attitude of front woman Charlotte Gilpin and her emotional stories of addiction struggles that not only gives the songs more clout, but shows her to be one of the best front women this generation has. It’s a shame that BLOOD COMMAND (6) are unable to replicate and continue the momentum. Their awesome name is somewhat misleading, as the band don’t bring nearly enough intensity with them, as the guitarist play their parts with ample enthusiasm but never really seem to kick it up a notch.
A welcome change of pace from the punk rock roots of the festival, DEMOB HAPPY (7) bring a swinging 70’s attitude that goes down an absolute treat in the late afternoon. The band ride string grooves and break off into massive hulking riffs towards the end of their set, with their drummer injecting plenty of, albeit out of place, energy as he screams into his mic. After a discovery like that, it’s a shame that RAGING SPEEDHORN (3) have to come and ruin the mood. The veterans come across as overly aggressive for the sake of living up to their namesake, insulting the crowd when they don’t comply with the bands instructions to move closer. It ultimately feels like a group of middle aged men trying desperately to still be a heavy, aggressive act in a day and age that has surpassed them by a country mile.
Across the weekend, there has been multiple glimpses into the future of the British scene, and BASEMENT (9) are the next and to join that list. The emo-punks own the main stage with unbreakable confidence, oozing every ounce of emotion from their songs whilst ramping up the intensity with which they play. The crowd laps all of it up, throwing the chorus of Aquasun right back to the band and proving this humble five piece to be future headliners of this weekend. The sun begins to lower as BASEMENT close their set, and as much needed breaks are taken the deeply sad news of SIKTH cancelling begins to spread through the campsite. As disappointing as it is not being able to see one of the best tech-metal bands the world has ever seen demolish The Axiom, it’s made worse by the fact that no matter where you go, you cannot escape the grating sounds of MOOSE BLOOD as they play the main stage without contest. The only thing to do is wait for HELL IS FOR HEROES (7) to come and bring their legendary brand of post-hardcore to The Cave. The band waltz across a dimly lit stage delivering a punishingly tight and impassioned set, front man Justin Schlosberg strutting like he owns the earth he walks upon in a slick suit that is in dangerous risk of being ruined every time he dives from the stage into the crowd.
It’s always a sad moment when the realisation that the last band of the weekend are about to walk on stage, but when that band are ENTER SHIKARI (9), it’s difficult to not get a least a little bit excited. Their exceptional work with The Spark is on full display, opening with The Sights and also offer deeper cuts like Shinrin Yoku for the baying crowd. Juggernauts makes a triumphant return and the heavier tracks like Arguing With Thermometers and Destabilise send the crowd into an absolute frenzy. The band also come armed with quadraphonic sound, with deep, bassy rumbles fluttering around the middle of the crowd and completely immersing those caught up in it. Despite Rou getting publicly slammed for nearly messing the set list, the set feels special, and not only because of the successful wedding proposal early in the set. It’s during the glorious and genuinely moving Airfields that the set starts to feels like an affirmation that ENTER SHIKARI are well on their way to claiming the mantle, if they haven’t already, of being one of the best damn bands our little island has produced in the past 20 years.
And that rounds off our coverage from this year’s 2000 Trees Festival. A diamond in the UK festival calendar, we had an absolute blast at this year’s festival and we’re already counting down the days until 2000 Trees 2019!