As today marks two weeks since campers made their way to 2000 Trees Festival 2024, I’m looking back on the highlights of the fest, from the weird to the wonderful and everything in between. 2000 Trees is a medium-sized festival in the quaint and picturesque location of Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, and runs each year in mid-July. This was my second year at the festival, and I was more than ready to be back. There’s something special about this festival and the general mood amongst the attendees. As a regular gig and festival-goer, of course, I’ve attended some of the larger and more established festivals like Reading & Leeds, Download, and Slamdunk South. With the vast amount of music events happening in the summer months in the UK, there is a lot of competition to grab music lovers’ attention; however, after chatting to some of the attendees of 2000 Trees, the general opinion seems to be that it’s a wholesome, family-friendly festival that can’t be replaced.

My weekend kicked off on Thursday when I took the 2 ½ hour journey from Hertfordshire. What I love about this festival is the ease of getting to the arena. This is the second year I have had absolutely no trouble with traffic or queues getting in. I don’t know whether it was a moment of good luck; however, I was in and parked up so quickly. The walk from the car park to the main area is about 10 minutes, if that. As many Reading and Leeds goers or Downloaders will know, walking from the car park or campsite to the arena can be a nightmare and put an exhausting downer on the weekend. At 2000 Trees, the campsite is positioned almost at the entrance of the arena. This is one thing that I believe is a huge selling point of this festival and makes it so much more accessible and family-friendly. If camped in the right spot, you can enjoy performances at the Forest stage from your tent! This is one of the benefits of a smaller-scale festival, with around 10,000 attendees a year. Many eager festival-goers set up camp on Wednesday afternoon and enjoyed a few sets in the forest stages located next to the campsite, as a warm-up to the main event. Certain bands like rock band Boston Manor, Scottish alt trio The Xcerts, and the up-and-coming Dead Pony performed on a smaller scale on Wednesday night to start things off on a high. Wednesday attendees could then also enjoy a silent disco DJ set from musician Cody Frost. Cody attended last year’s Trees, where she performed on the small-scale Forest stage. It seems that 2000 Trees sees a lot of talent return year after year.

I was hoping to catch Snayx as my first band of the festival. This was a band that I knew previously from photographing the humble Wildpaths festival in the centre of Norwich when I was living there in 2022. I was eager to see how the band has progressed since they played in the very tiny venue of Voodoo Daddy's Showroom; however, on my way, I saw the announcement that they were no longer playing their set. Slightly disappointed, but the day was only beginning and had a lot more to offer. I headed to the main stage where I caught Glaswegian female-fronted post-punk/indie band Dead Pony, in what was their second set of the festival. For an act on the main stage so early on in the day, the group attracted a vast crowd full of energy and enthusiasm. I could see this was setting the tone for how the festival would continue through the weekend. Up until 2020, the band was known under the name ‘Crystal’ and has had its fair share of members come and go. In my opinion, they give a refreshing modern spin on punk music. After releasing their recent EP in April, I have no doubts that this band will continue to rise and make an even bigger name for themselves. I decided to stick to the main stage as it had a strong lineup for Thursday. I caught Static Dress followed by Caseyette. The last time I saw Static Dress was when they opened for Sleeping with Sirens at The Waterfront in Norwich at the beginning of 2023. At the time, I thought this was an unusual pairing; however, it seems the band has grown considerably. Vocalist Olli Appleyard recently appeared in an article in Kerrang alongside the frontman of Creeper and Hot Milk’s Han Mee, who also both made their appearances at Trees. Kerrang describes Static Dress as ‘one of Britain’s most forward-thinking bands’ in their recent article. This is in reference to frontman Olli being a jack of all trades, using his creative talent to photograph himself and the band for their own promo, videography, video game designing, and creative directing. It is a breath of fresh air to witness and follow an artist who uses their creative output in more than one sector, and I think Britain is slowly discovering this about the humble Olli and the northern rock band Static Dress. A masked guitarist and old square TVs placed on the stage seem to be a running theme with the band's stage performances. I’m excited to see how this band progresses and how their audience grows. Having already opened for Bring Me The Horizon this year, who knows where we’ll see them next.

Later in the day, I made my way to the Axium, a tented stage showcasing top-quality hardcore, Midwest emo, and alternative bands from all over the globe. I was there to see Movements, a post-hardcore band from California, who have been on my list of bands to see for a while now. Frontman Patrick Miranda exclaimed, “This festival is a lot bigger than we thought!” after witnessing continuous waves of crowd surfers throughout their first few numbers. The band toured the UK last November and then made the rounds again at the start of this month prior to their 2000 Trees appearance, hitting venues such as Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, Islington Assembly Hall, and La Belle Angele in Edinburgh. What I love about this band is that you can catch them at smaller, more intimate venues, which in my experience makes it that much more enjoyable. Ending on their biggest song and one of my personal favourites, ‘Daylily’, their set went out with a bang and left the crowd with a buzz.

I made my way to the Forest stage to catch Kid Brunswick, an artist I had heard of but was not familiar with. I was curious to see what they were about. This relatively new artist has been named ‘one of the most exciting young artists to watch’ by Kerrang. Kid’s biggest song, ‘Prescription Kid’, has over 1 million streams on Spotify. In an interview with the artist, he describes the genre of his music as R&G, or rhythm and grunge, although it has also been described as a mix of alternative and indie. Despite a few technical issues, the young artist worked the crowd and built up hype. Small pits formed to each number, and he certainly brought the energy to the Forest stage.

The last band I watched on Thursday was Michigan-based Midwest emo band Hot Mulligan, one of my current favourite bands to listen to. Every time I see these guys, it seems like the crowd grows, and I think 2000 Trees was the perfect setting for this group. Along with Movements, Boston Manor, and American rockers Spanish Love Songs, Thursday’s lineup was perfectly tailored to the emo genre lovers out there. As the sun went down, Trees attendees enjoyed Thursday’s headliner, New Jersey-based rock band The Gaslight Anthem, to end their first full day of quality alternative music across multiple stages. While I called it a night, campers enjoyed a silent disco.

On day two, campers awoke to beautiful warm weather at Upcote Farm. This festival doesn’t just start when the music starts; from 9am, attendees can choose to take part in a yoga session, and parents of little ones can get involved with morning playtime or the parents’ picnic club. This is something that I feel sets Trees apart from other festivals. When you think of Reading and Leeds or Download, you don’t always think ‘family friendly’. However, I feel that Trees has really thought about their audience and makes sure to cater for everyone. I love this idea of inclusivity, and honestly, seeing families with young children rocking out together made my heart melt a little. It gave the fest a wholesome feel and promoted the idea that everyone was safe and welcome. After chatting to a few festival-goers, this seemed to make a big impression on many of them too.

I started my day slightly later, with Nottingham pop punkers As December Falls on the main stage. Last year, the four-piece group released their most recent album, ‘Join The Club’, and in the same year won a Heavy Metal Music award for ‘Best UK Breakthrough Artist’. Lead singer Bethany Curtis had a great stage presence and effortlessly captured the crowd’s attention. I would describe their music as female-fronted pop punk at its finest. I decided to stay put to see what else the main stage had to offer. I eagerly awaited Crawlers, a four-piece (mostly) female band from Liverpool. With their most popular song, ‘Come Over (Again)’, having over 57 million Spotify streams and 2.8 million views on YouTube, this band is the definition of up-and-coming. I waited… and waited… and waited. Finally, 25 minutes late for their set, the band bounced onto the stage in high spirits. “We nearly died to get here!” exclaimed vocalist Holly Minto, who then explained that their van’s wheel came off on the M6 while the band was on the way to the festival. I was surprised by the band’s upbeat energy considering what they had just experienced, but I think it shows just how professional and dedicated these guys are to their live performances. The ‘show must go on’ attitude when performing live really creates that connection with the audience and makes the fans feel cared about by their favourite artists. To come out of a scary road accident and then immediately onto the main stage at 2000 Trees and do the performance they did, I say hats off to them, and they have made a big impression on me as someone who wasn’t too familiar with them before.

Next on the main stage was punk rock girl duo Nova Twins. Their most recent album, ‘Supernova’, was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize, and just last year the band received two nominations at the BRIT Awards. I first became aware of the band through their collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon in the song ‘1x1’ from Bring Me’s 2020 album, ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’. This album is full of artist features, including Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal and singer-songwriter Yungblud. Nova Twins appeared on stage with Bring Me The Horizon at the O2 Arena in London in 2021 to perform the track. Since then, the band has been on the up. The duo consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Amy Love, and bassist and backup vocalist Georgia South. The amount of stage presence this duo had, considering it is just the two of them on stage, was pretty impressive. Amy’s vocals were powerful, and you could really feel the enthusiasm they both have for live performance. Visually, I enjoyed everything about the show, from the lighting to the styling of Love and South’s coordinating outfits. To me, they have the perfect look for a female rock duo, and I’m all about it. It’s so refreshing to have so many female-fronted alternative bands performing on the main stage at this festival, but as vocalist Amy touched on, it’s still difficult for women in music to get their recognition. “We want to come and join you!” Amy exclaimed. The duo came down from the stage and leaped towards the crowd, where they lay backwards, Georgia still clutching her bass guitar. “Take us to the middle!” they said. The band put their trust in the crowd to move them along into the middle of the pit, where they continued to perform their song as they bounced around, surrounded by fans bouncing with them. I have seen a few artists join the crowd in this way, and to me, it really gives off the impression that the artist sees the fans on their level and that we are all here for the same reason: to celebrate music and have a good time. Nova Twins seemed so appreciative of their fans and everyone who came to see them at Trees. As the band exited the stage, they ran along the front of the crowd grabbing people’s hands. Bassist Georgia grabbed my hand and said, “Thank you!” before exiting at the back of the stage. I have a special appreciation for bands and artists who are humble and thankful for getting to do what they do (and not letting it get to their heads). Watching Nova Twins just proved that women can rock the fuck out and deserve a place on our stages just as much as men. I can really see these two being the headliner of a festival in the near future.

Later in the evening was a band that I was most excited for that day and have had on my list for a very long time. I seem to have missed Virginia-based indie rock band Turnover every time they’ve played in my area. I’ve been a fan of the group since the release of their 2015 album Peripheral Vision. This is still one of my all-time favourite albums. What draws me to it is the mixture of upbeat vocal melodies from vocalist Austin Getz and dreamy rhythm guitar, in contrast with bleak, melancholy lyrics. To me, the album explores beauty in sadness. Since Peripheral Vision, Turnover have released two more albums: Good Nature in 2017 and Myself In The Way in 2022. Similar to most long-running bands, the group's sound has changed over the years. Personally, I’m a big fan of old Turnover, so I was hoping for a lot of throwbacks in their 2000 Trees performance. The crowd was different from that of the other bands I had seen so far. People were taking in the calming melodies with a sway or a dance or a slight headbang, much different from the high energy and moshing I’d experienced in crowds so far. As a bright blue light shone on the audience from the stage, the band began with a few of their newer tunes. Even without knowing their new stuff, I still really enjoyed the atmosphere. I think for many people it was a nice interlude from the chaos and excitement of the fest. This was towards the end of day two, so I’m sure some people were feeling it by then already. A few songs in and I heard a recognisable intro. Straight away, the crowd roared in unison and the liveliness in the audience increased when they realised the band were playing songs from their 2015 album. At this point, I felt a unity with the other crowd members; we were all there to hear that incredible album Peripheral Vision. Gig and festival-goers would agree with me in saying there is a special feeling at a concert where you are somehow connected to the strangers around you because of your universal love of the music. It makes you feel a warm familiarity that everyone in the room already has one thing in common. That’s why I feel like gigs and fests are the BEST places to meet new people. There’s something special about making friends that you might never see again, but in that moment, you had a connection.

Bob Vylan were the preliminary band on the main stage on Friday. The duo consists of Londoners Bobby and Bobbie (bit confusing, right?), and together they merge elements of grime and punk rap. This was the group's third consecutive year at 2000 Trees. One year ago, I watched and photographed them on this very same stage; however, having gone from an early afternoon slot to an evening performance and being the band before the headliner, I could see how these guys have made more of a name for themselves over the last year. From what I’ve learned and experienced from the band, they start every Bob Vylan gig with a warm-up that the crowd happily gets involved with, consisting of marching and stretches. This is certainly one way to get your audience involved. “You can call us Bobby and Bobbie, but we have been called by many things,” frontman Bobby explained. He goes on with a list of negative names the duo have been called but ends with “the most important punk band in Britain.” The band’s tendency to get political and spread a message in their music is one explanation for both the negative and the positive names they’ve received. Touching on topics like toxic masculinity, capitalism, and their own experience of racism in this country, Bob Vylan slap you in the face with the unpleasant reality about everything wrong with Britain. I think music is a great medium to spread important messages and create a place for people with certain views to come together and express this through their music. I’m excited to see where these guys will end up, and I can definitely see them headlining the festival by next year.

While gig-goers enjoyed their headliner, Aussie punk rockers The Chats, I made my way back for the night, looking forward to the final day of the fest.

Saturday wasn’t the festival’s strongest line-up in my opinion, but the atmosphere at Upcote Farm was enough for me to spend the last day there happily. There is something for everyone at 2000 Trees. Little did I know, but Saturday was fancy dress day. My favourite costumes I saw included the evil penguin from Wallace and Gromit, an ice cream man with his own counter attached to him, and a real-life version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream painting. Seriously, this girl was going around screaming the entire time. Hats off to her for the dedication. There were good vibes all around for the last day of the festival. My day started with Dune Rats on the main stage. All the way from Brisbane, Australia, these rockers set the mood right. Waves of crowd surfers flew over the barrier while inflatable pizzas and unicorns seemed to fall from the sky. To sum up their set, I would simply say upbeat, catchy summer punk rock tunes, which definitely reflected the weather and the vibe of the festival’s last day. I made my way through all the ghosts, makeshift Creeper members, and onesie wearers to get to The Cave stage to see hardcore band Angeldu$t from Baltimore. What I didn’t know was that this band is made up of members from hardcore bands Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice. Turnstile is a band I am familiar with, and I was a fan of their 2015 album Nonstop Feeling. This performance had a lot of energy, and every song was yelled back by the crowd as moshpits formed. The highlight was definitely the crowd-surfing guy in a head-to-toe tiger costume, who was eventually called onto the stage by vocalist Justice Tripp to jam with the band. I loved the craziness and general upbeat mood of the crowd. Every single person in that audience was having a great time.

While Lonely The Brave, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, and Cleopatrick graced the stages, I chatted to festival-goers about what they thought of 2000 Trees and what it means to them.

*“It’s a wholesome festival to come to” said Sophie from Wootton Basset. “Everyone’s friendly, no matter what their style.”*

*“It’s just so chilled and the Hardcore scene is really good. It’s just a really good festival”*

– Emily, Norwich

I met Alfie, Ben, and Will from Warwickshire, who described Trees as “probably the best alternative festival in the UK.” It seems that this is a general feeling amongst the attendees at Trees. People come here because they are passionate about the music and supporting smaller-scale bands.

*“There’s a reason why this is my 7th Trees. I’ve been coming here since I was a little 14 year old”*

- Tilly, Cheltenham

*“It’s nice to see a lot of local bands involved.”*

- Karina and Jeff, Bristol.

I spoke to Hannah, who travelled all the way from Norwich to be here. *“The first time I came here, I came on my own,”* she said. *“This festival has something special; when you come here on your own, you’re never lonely.”*

After speaking to festival goers at 2000 Trees, I felt there was a universal feeling that everyone was welcome, and while you’re in Upcote Farm, everyone is your friend. It’s a safe and friendly space where like-minded people can come together to celebrate upcoming artists and some of their favourite rock, emo, and hardcore bands, no matter where you’re from or who you are.

The second to last band I caught at Trees was Creeper, a six-piece group from Southampton, described as horror punk, gothic rock, and glam rock. I had the feeling after chatting to festival goers that for some people, Creeper was their headliner. The amount of Creeper face paint I saw on fancy dress day backed up the fact they have a strong fan base. In the early years of the band, in 2016, Creeper won both the Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer and the Metal Hammer Golden God Award for Best New Band. They won Rock Sound’s Best British Breakthrough Award in 2017. I wanted to get close to the front for some good shots, so I was there a long while before the band were due to play. I got the chance to see the buzz and suspense in the crowd grow as it got bigger. People chanted for the band as it got close to the time. I could really feel a sense of unity amongst the crowd members, all in this one spot to support a band they love. I admired Creeper’s use of the stage. Before the band came on, a girl dressed to fit the spooky horror vibe that Creeper are all about came on to read an announcement. “Put down the mud and pick up the blood for Creeper,” she said. I enjoyed this creative opening. I found lead singer Will Gould, also known as William Von Ghould’s, stage presence to be bold and enchanting. I really felt that he wanted to engage with the audience. He constantly paced to each end of the stage and looked out to every corner of the crowd to ensure everyone could get a good visual show. As hard as this made it to photograph him, I admired the thought that went into his every move. Towards the end of the show, the band performed ‘Misery,’ a song from their first album, Eternity, in Your Arms. The band paused after the second chorus, opening up for the audience to sing the next lyrics. Fans screamed the words to the bridge but also continued into the chorus and to the end of the song. The band members were visibly moved by having their song sung back to them word for word by easily over 1,000 people. “This makes it all worthwhile!” Will exclaimed. To end the show, we had the creepy girl back onstage holding a model of Will Gould’s head, which squirted water onto the audience from the base; a morbid yet memorable ending to an attention-grabbing and visually exciting performance by Will and the band.

Last but not least was the Bedford boys Don Broco, headlining the main stage for the final performance of 2000 Trees 2024. I know that this band has mixed reviews amongst my peers, but they’re a band I’ve listened to since my teens, which makes them automatically just a bit special. I’d had my camera on me the entire fest, and I knew for the last band of the last day of Trees I just wanted to get right in the crowd and have fun. The band played an array of their songs from their album Priorities in 2012 up until their recent album Amazing Things in 2021. Despite being a band for about 12 years, they have always kept their sound consistent and recognisable. This is an example of a band who blur the line between alternative and popular music, making their fan base a lot more diverse than some bands of a heavier nature. It was great to see families with younger kids, older people, people on their own, and people in big groups all enjoying themselves. My highlight was seeing a kid around 8 years old screaming “YIPPEE KI-YAY MOTHERFUCKER” with her mum along to the song ‘Bruce Willis’. I love the idea of parents getting their kids involved with the music that’s been a big part of their life. Most people's interests or music tastes develop from their parents, after all. If I had kids, we’d be going to Slamdunk, Download, 2000 Trees, you name it! Not to mention I’d be playing them all my emo, pop punk, and rock tunes until they were sick of it. Singer Rob Damiani brought Kid Brunswick onto the stage for the song ‘Action’, an artist who earlier played the festival’s smallest stage in the forest. I felt it was a great band to end the night and mark the end of 2000 Trees Festival 2024. As fireworks lit up the sky, tired, content, drunk, and high on life festival goers either made their way back to camp or ended the festival with a bang with one last silent disco.

I had a great time at 2000 Trees watching bands from a range of genres, discovering bands I didn’t know about, and meeting some of the wonderful people who come here every year. It’s so good to have an event like this celebrating music in the UK where no one feels discriminated against and there is something for everyone, and that’s what makes it so special and leaves such an impression on the people who come here. It’s one big 3-day-long party for people from all walks of life, who are passionate about alternative music and want to express this in a safe, comfortable, visually stunning environment with like-minded humans who just want to make great memories in a humble farm in Cheltenham. In my mind, there is no wonder why 2000 Trees has won UK’s Best Medium Festival in 2018, 2022, and 2023. Bring on next year!