Featured image by Carla Mundy.
Over the years, 2000 Trees Festival, has cemented itself as an unmissable part of festival season. Every July, punters make the pilgrimage to Upcote Farm in Cheltenham confident that they will enjoy a weekend packed with the best live alternative music on the circuit. It’s hard to think of another festival that offers music fans as much ‘bang for your buck’ as Trees does; live music is programmed from 10am until 1am and the stages are so close together that you can squeeze so many bands into your weekend. It is abundantly clear that the organisers give real consideration to set times to reduce clashes as much as possible and ensure that there is always something on worth seeing.
Thursday
Thursday is the first official day after an “early entry” day for a limited number of ticketholders (we’ll cover that day in a separate post). Bristol-based alt-rock trio, Blank Atlas, open up the Neu Stage at 10.30am. At other festivals, this would be a deserted death slot but not at 2000 Trees. This is a festival by music fans for music fans and so the tent is already full for the band’s big choruses and equally big riffs. There are some last minute scheduling changes on the main stage due to SNAYX being unable to make their afternoon slot and so Cherym‘s opening slot is delayed. When the trio do take to the stage, their infectious brand of pop punk is a perfect start to the day. London punks, The Oozes, follow them and are having sound check difficulties involving their backing track but decide to press on and give it their best without it. It’s still a strong set from a band worth keeping an eye on.
Over on the NEU stage, The Menstrual Cramps, deliver a passionate and political performance which sets the tone for much of the weekend. This year’s line-up is wonderfully diverse and features a plethora of performers who take the opportunity to speak out on important issues. Shooting Daggers on the Axiom describe themselves as a queercore punk band and it’s clear looking around the tent that much of the audience are thrilled to see such representation at the festival. Bookings like these really help strengthen the feeling of community and inclusion at Trees.
Photo by Abbi Draper.
Ireland’s Meryl Streek‘s afternoon set is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend. It’s not long before he jumps into the crowd to deliver his political punk with unrivalled intensity.
If you like your music on the heavier side of the alternative spectrum then the Cave is the place for you. Nu-Gothika metal band, Knife Bride, feel like the sort of act that have the potential to crossover to an audience beyond their genre. The tent is then packed for Grove Street‘s hardcore.
Spanish Love Songs are on double duty today. Following a busy Forest slot, they fill out the Axiom with many people having to watch from outside the tent. It’s an emotional and uplifting set offering the weekend’s first mass singalongs. They are destined for the main stage next time around.
The reformed Kids In Glass Houses are the perfect booking for their slot. It’s 5.35pm, the sun is beating down on the main stage field, a lot of us are several drinks in and we are ready for a nostalgic sing-along. They bang out all of the hits and it’s an exuberant festival moment. During set closer “Matters At All” there is nobody without a massive smile on their face.
Shelf Lives‘ electronic brand of post-punk offers something of a palate cleanser for anyone who may have found the day too guitar heavy.
Manchester Orchestra‘s long-awaited arrival is further delayed by 20 minutes or so but it’s well worth the wait. Their dreamy, atmospheric sound is not lost on the outdoor stage. It’s grand, cinematic and perfect for the sub-headliner slot. Brian Fallon joins them for a well-received version of “The Gold”. This is an appropriate moment to praise the sound at 2000 Trees. So many festivals or outdoor events in the UK struggle with sounds issues but this is Trees’ best year for audio. The sound everywhere is loud and clear and you don’t have to worry about moving around to hear the music above conversations. It’s not always been the case and so this is an example of how the festival continues to improve.
Los Campesinos! photo by Carla Mundy
At many festivals, the crowd would wait around for tonight’s headliners but at Trees most of us run off to try and fit something else into the gap. The dilemma is picking between Hot Mulligan whose crowd spills out of the Axiom or cult indie heroes, Los Campesinos!, in the Forest. There’s more of a crossover between these two acts than the organisers anticipated and it’s largely considered to be one of few genuinely difficult clashes this weekend. Gareth from Los Camp! explains that he’ll be keeping chat to a minimum so that they can play as many songs as possible. Bookended by songs from their excellent new record, “All Hell”, the setlist covers most of their back catalogue with almost every lyric bellowed back to them (and Los Camp are a wordy band!)
The Gaslight Anthem are tasked with being the first headliners of the weekend and they rise to the challenge. The setlist has clearly been adjusted to fit a festival as they open with three ‘hits’ – “Great Expectations”, “Handwritten” and “American Slang”. There’s a sense of urgency that some of their final gigs before their hiatus were missing. Songs like “The Weatherman” and “Michigan, 1975” from their comeback album, “History Books”, slot into the setlist well and are stronger live than the recorded versions which suffer from muddy production. They end with evergreen anthems “45” and “The ’59 Sound” before sending the crowd off to the silent discos with Belinda Carlisle‘s “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” playing out across the field. Today’s line-up seemed expertly curated to lead up to the headliner and Gaslight gave fans of their Springsteen-influenced rock exactly what they came for.
Friday
One of 2000 Trees’ unique features is the picturesque Forest stage. A light-adorned wooden structure among the trees, it’s developed over the years to a versatile area; sometimes, it’s a place to get away from the main festival and enjoy a more chilled out vibe including acoustic sets from big acts playing elsewhere on the bill. It also now hosts full band sets and so can be just as rowdy as other parts of the site. Eighty Eight Miles open the Forest at 10am (after some yoga, of course) and it’s a really impressive set from the Midlands-based indie rock band. There’s a Jade Bird-esque sound to Ellie’s powerful vocals and a faithful rendition of Fleetwood Mac‘s “The Chain” helps everyone to shake off the hangovers from the previous night (where incidentally, that song was played on one of the silent disco channels.) Skull the Pierre ft Kid Kubra follow with an entertaining hip-hop set which perhaps would be be better suited to a late night spot as the intentional humour in bangers about sitting on a bench or acid reflux was a bit lost on the sparse crowd still waking up.
Photo by Gareth Bull.
There’s lots of other great stuff on the Forest today. Singer-songwriter Katie Malco‘s confessional songs would appeal to fans of artists like Phoebe Bridgers. She opens solo acoustic before bringing out her band to join her for songs like “Brooklyn” which deserves to be massive. Punk quartet Loose Articles are another band that feel like they could be on their way to bigger things. It’s an enjoyably ragged set which gets an initially seated crowd on their feet. Lauren Hibbard played in the Neu tent last time she was here and now returns with her Avril Lavigne-sounding second record. An even more confident frontwoman now, her brand of cheeky, infectious guitar-pop is a mid-afternoon delight.
Mouth Culture open the Axiom – the Leicester based rock band are polished and feel ready for the big leagues. There are elements of Bring Me The Horizon in their sound and they manage to make an 11am slot feel like an 8pm one.
On the main stage, Norwegian pop band Sløtface return to the festival. I last saw them when they played in 2018 and must admit I had forgotten what a joy they are. Songs like “Magazine” and “Nancy Drew” sound perfect in the beating sun (it’s always sunny at Trees. Apart from when it wasn’t but we don’t talk about 2012.) The Rumjacks follow and take the party up another level. The Australian celtic punks are a perfect festival band – even if you’ve not heard them before, you are going to be dancing by the second song. Unfortunately, Crawlers’ set is cut short due to an accident on the motorway delaying them. It’s a shame because it’s an impeccable pop punk set – every chorus is huge and singer Holly performs with a fearless energy that you would not expect from someone who “nearly died” on the way to the stage. The set ends with their viral hit “Come Over (Again)” which is screamed back by the many fans wearing Crawlers t-shirts today.
Feminist and queercore alternative music is well catered for this year. Belfast’s Problem Patterns just played Glastonbury’s Park Stage and are sure to become a lot of people’s favourite new band. They swap instruments and bring Riot Grrrl energy throughout their impressive set. Similarly thrilling on the NEU Stage are CLT DRP, synth-heavy, loud and hard-hitting; they are an essential band on the scene.
grandson. photo by Jez Pennington
grandson is something of an unexpected booking for Trees. The American singer feels more mainstream or polished than a lot of the bill but any doubts are put to rest during opening song “Two Along Their Way”. In front of a backdrop of Donald Trump and Joe Biden kissing, his captivating and energetic performance fits right in. It is great to see 2000 Trees taking a chance on this sort of booking and it paying off – it’s a big crowd and everyone is completely won over.
Punk/rap duo Bob Vylan follow. This is their third consecutive year at the festival, moving up the bill and pulling a bigger crowd each time. This fact is not lost on frontman, Bobby, who renames the weekend “Vylan Fest”. Despite clashing with Palm Reader‘s final performance, they draw the biggest crowd of the weekend so far. It’s a typically bold and frantic show and Bobby performs “Dream Big” to his daughter on stage, creating another memorable festival moment. Truly part of the festival furniture now, there can be no doubt that Bob Vylan will deservedly be headlining next time they are here.
Bob Vylan photo by Joe Singh.
There’s time to dart over to the Forest Stage for Thumpasaurus. This is one of the many great things about 2000 Trees – it’s so well laid out, it’s not very far from one stage to the furthest one away and the sets are perfectly staggered to help you plan your itinerary without the usual overlaps seen at other events. Another festival highlight, this is one of the most fun sets of the entire weekend. It’s unique, groovy, funky, a bit silly and just damn good fun. They draw a big Forest crowd who all understand the assignment – it’s “Struttin'” time.
Back over to the main stage for the headliners The Chats who fall somewhat short of the mark. Two years ago, they played a busy late evening slot and their brand of short, fast-paced punk was ideal. They are less convincing as overall headliners as their set lacks the musical variety needed to nail a Friday headline slot. It’s perfectly enjoyable but their already short set of 60 minutes finishes early, leaving us feeling unfulfilled.
Saturday
The energy levels do not drop in the way they do at other festival on the final day. This is such a community-minded festival of music-lovers, it just always feels like everybody throws themselves into every moment no matter what time it is. Saturday is also ‘fancy dress’ day – every year the festival invites attendees to dress up in accordance with a particular theme. This year’s it’s a horror theme and the number of imaginative creations on display just add to the buzz throughout the site.
Grunge-influenced Split Chain take today’s 10.30am slot and, again, it’s a busy tent despite the time. A lot of people are wearing their merch this weekend and at the end of their set, lots are talking about them becoming a much bigger band by this time next year. Bristol’s Mould bring the riffs after them and are another band that already feel like they could become Trees regulars.
There’s a great run of guitar bands on the main stage. Essex two-piece The Meffs, open up. They are band that need to be seen live rather than just heard on record, political songs like “Stand Up, Speak Out” and “Clowns” really shine in this environment and they have a captivating frontperson in Lily. They are another band who expand on the overarching theme at this year’s festival about true allyship and calling out issues when you see them. They’re followed by another two-piece, ‘68, who were new to me. The distorted guitars and impressive effects recall Royal Blood in places although it’s more avant-garde. Vocalist, Josh, calls out a UK journalist who questioned whether they were really playing live and used the opportunity to show off the pair’s impressive bag of musical tricks.
Dune Rats photo by Jez Pennington.
Dune Rats fill the gap left by The Chats‘ performance the previous night. Their light-hearted, sometimes silly punk is best enjoyed in the afternoon in the sun. There’s a moshpit complete with a large inflatable pizza and the band profess that we are “mad c**ts”. Another great Australian band start immediately after them in the Axiom, Press Club. This band deserve to be enormous – easily one of the best sets of the weekend even if they do not draw as sizeable crowd as some of their peers. Vocalist, Natalie, ascends the scaffold for the anthemic “Suburbia” – I half want her to return to safety immediately and half never want this set to finish.
The Mysterines are a band I was really happy to see on the bill. More ‘indie’ than the bands Trees tend to book nowadays, I’ve always found them an impressive live force. Unfortunately, today’s slot feels a little flat as the band plays like it could be any event. Lia’s voice is as impressive as ever but songs like “Dangerous” and “All These Things” which usually sound like they could blow your face off in smaller rooms lose some bite on the main stage today. American rock group, Angel Du$t, also feel a bit lost in the Cave. Sounding weaker and more scrappy than on record, it’s a pleasant but not exceptional set.
Death From Above 1979 are a surprising booking for 2000 Trees. They feel far too big for the Axiom and this is confirmed by the crowd spilling out of the tent. It’s the 20th anniversary of their “You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine” album. They arrive slightly late but still play the record in full in a set which feels like a really special moment.
Also under-booked are Creeper who feel like something of a house band at this point. Always a huge draw at 2000 Trees, there is more Creeper merch being worn than any other band. They played the main stage in 2022 and are demoted to the Axiom this year. It seems a strange choice – in addition to being a popular band with the Trees audience, their theatrical performances deserve bigger stages. Indeed, they have just announced a Wembley Arena show with Black Veil Brides. Unsurprisingly, the tent is full a long time before their start time which leaves a lot of people unable to get in to see them. It’s an excellent, headline-worthy performance drawing mostly from their latest LP “Sanguivore”. That album underperformed commercially and perhaps that’s why they are being booked in smaller slots but the over-capacity crowd greet it like the monster smash it deserved to be. Only two older songs are played – “Down Below” and “Misery” – and they feel like the biggest anthems of the entire weekend. Creeper are a band that deserve an opportunity to play to a bigger audience and if any festival could give them that shot, it feels like 2000 Trees are the ones who could get away with it. It’s a festival highlight and I’d love to see them given the opportunity to close out the main stage in the future.
Frank Turner photo by Gareth Bull.
Frank Turner is another artist who has dropped down the bill. Possibly the most obvious ‘friend of the festival’, Frank played the very first 2000 trees in 2007 and has played a number of times since then including two headline slots. It is surprising then to see him relegated to the sub-headline slot tonight but this does not seem to bother him. It’s a well-rehearsed, crowd-pleasing, stadium-sized performance which feels like it’s the headline slot anyway. He has a tendency to address the audience as “friends” but it really does feel true at 2000 Trees; he’s part of the festival’s community and that’s felt throughout the huge crowd he draws. Backed by The Sleeping Souls, Frank crams 20 songs into his 70 minute set and the setlist choices are perfectly chosen for the event. Clearly aware of the festival’s tendencies, he selects some of his heavier efforts such as “Non Serviam” or “Never Mind The Back Problems” to sit alongside classic singalongs “If Ever I Stray” and “Recovery”. In an acoustic section, Turner plays “Worse Things Happen At Sea” for the festival’s organiser, James Scarlett, who requested it in a podcast interview. That’s one of my favourite Frank songs and it rarely gets an outing so thank you to James and Frank for that.
Don Broco headline tonight and draw a big crowd but this writer opts for Skinny Lister on the Forest Stage. Like Frank, they are Trees regulars and their Whisky-fuelled shanty punk always gets the party. As lively and enjoyable as ever, it’s the perfect end to the festival. En route to pick up headphones for tonight’s silent disco, Don Broco’s firework display fills the skies. I can’t recall seeing that sort of production at 2000 Trees before and it’s an example of the festival continuing to grow each year and how seriously the bands take it.
A new addition to 2000 Trees this year is the introduction of silent disco live sets. In addition to DJs playing the usual sing-a-longs over a number of channels, you can use your headphones to watch live bands in the Forest. The bands play directly into your headphones rather than over the PA system. It’s a clever way to get around any curfew issues while delivering even more live music for fans and an alternative for those who do not want to dance to Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin'” tonight. There are some technical difficulties as bands get to grips with the technology, but once things get going it works really well. It allows you to clearly hear everything without the usual crowd distractions. Delilah Bon‘s empowering and hyper sound is a perfect choice for this sort of after hours set.
Don Broco photo by Gareth Bull.
It is difficult to convey what a truly wonderful festival 2000 Trees is or to explain precisely what makes it so special. The line-up is extensive and more diverse than it’s ever been and, because of that, you get an audience who are passionate about music and are friendly and community-minded. It’s rowdy when it needs to be and calm and peaceful when the moment calls for it. In addition to the music, there are plenty of family-friendly options available including mini golf, workshops and live comedy. The food and drink options are excellent. Many of the vendors return year after year and feel as part of the community as the ticketholders or returning bands. It all makes for a perfect festival experience and we cannot wait for next year.
