LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: 2000Trees Festival, Cheltenham
Last weekend I made the trip to the humble Upcote farm in Cheltenham for my first ever 2000 Trees Festival. This fest has been on my list for a long time. Having been to Reading, Download, and Slamdunk many times, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this smaller scale Indie, rock & metal festival.
Having heard about the nightmare queuing situation for many alternative festivals this year, I was fully prepared to be sat in traffic for a good while before getting in, however this was not the case at all and parking & drop off were super easy. I followed a mystical looking trail through the trees lit up by fairy lights and followed the sound of the music.
The festival is made up of 4 stages, all within a very close distance to each other. This is something I loved about 2000 trees, because there was no running between stages and missing sets, or incredibly long treks from one band to another. The campsite is also super close to the main arena, with the nearest tents being just outside the entrance. This year I was hotelling it, however having had a nosey at the camping situation at 2000 trees, I’d be very tempted to go for the full experience and camp for the whole weekend next year.
For me day 1 started with Bob Vylan. I had heard a lot about these guys recently but wasn’t familiar with their music up until now. The group consists of 2 guys, both named Bobby (sounds about right) who combine the genres of grime and punk to create something amazing. Even being unfamiliar with the songs I fully enjoyed their set and felt the energy from the crowd. Front man Bobby has amazing stage presence, opening the set with some ‘breathing exercises’ and later on swinging a baseball bat around the stage which made for some great photos.
Later on I caught some rock / pop punk from American band The Wonder Years and some heavy metal from Skindred. You can really see the diversity in the lineup for this year's 2000 Trees already.
This diverse line-up had driven all types of people to this quaint farm in Cheltenham. I’ve found that in recent years, Reading & Leeds has attracted a much younger audience of teens and adolescents since it has introduced more mainstream music into its lineup. I have always loved the diverse age range of Download festival, and the way that metal, rock, punk, and emo can bring together different generations over a common interest. I found that Trees saw an even larger range of people, different styles, ages, and many families with young children too. There were even kids areas about the site. Overall, this created a warm and accepting atmosphere. I love the idea of people discovering new music and bands at festivals that they may not otherwise have found.
Day 1 was Headlined by two-piece band Soft Play, formerly known as Slaves. We hadn’t heard much recently from these two since the name change, so I was intrigued by this choice for the headliners. Consisting of one guitar, vocals and a set of drums, it was incredible the way these two filled the stage. Vocalist Isaac touched on the fact that many of their peers had doubted their ability to become successful with so little members and instruments, exclaiming “Fuck the high hat!!” to the audience, who screamed this back at the top of their lungs. I think a large appeal of these guys is the amount of noise they can make just between the two of them. Later in the set they were joined by Bob Vylan on stage.
Day 2 was a hot one, however festival goers were still in high spirits. I caught London band Crows in the NEU tent. I thoroughly enjoyed watching front man James Cox launching the microphone stand about, and then jumping over the barrier and frolicing about the crowd whilst continuing to belt out the song. I really love this type of audience engagement from music artists. I feel like it breaks down that barrier between artist and audience, and instead creates an atmosphere of friends celebrating and enjoying good music together.
Later that evening I got to see and photograph one of my all-time favourite bands, and one of the bands which got me into alternative music in my early teens. Naturally, I was SUPER excited for Bullet For My Valentine. Believe me, they did not disappoint! I was so glad that the 4 piece played many of their old songs from their first albums, including ‘All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)’ and of course ‘Tears Don’t Fall’. I found the whole experience so nostalgic and the lyrics from these songs I’d loved came back to me instantly. Front man Matt Tuck explained the band had many requests to play an old song that they’d removed from setlists. I was so excited to hear ‘Hearts Burst Into Fire’ live for the first time. I was blown away with how great these guys still sound live and how the guitar solos were absolutely spot on. Later on, the band were joined on stage by frontman Liam Cormier Of Cancer Bats, and played a couple of songs from him and Matt’s side project ‘Axewound’. At the end of the night, Matt announced the band will be taking a 2 year break to work on a new record. I’m so glad I got to catch them at 2000 Trees and will definitely be eagerly awaiting their return.
On Day 3 I got to experience a wide range of music, discovering new bands and revisiting old ones. I started off with punk rock band ‘Reminders’ from the Isle Of Wight, and all girl band ‘Thick’ all the way from Brooklyn USA. Two bands that were new to me.
I enjoyed the way the smaller tents allowed for audiences to experience new and upcoming artists from all over the country, and the globe.
Next up was Boston rock band Dead Poet Society who played the main stage. Even on day 3 the crowd were ready to belt their hearts out.
The smallest of the 4 stages at 2000 Trees, and my favourite stage, was the Forest Sessions stage. This was slightly out of the entrance of the main festival and through a little passage into the trees. The little wooden cabin style stage was surrounded by fairy lights and supplied with its own small bar. It really gave a feel of a little hideaway where you could retreat to when you were in between bands or wanted to catch some music in an even more scenic environment.
I caught alt rock band Deaf Havana’s Forest Session set. This was an acoustic set, although the band would later play another set on the main stage. I loved the whole experience of the Forest Session. Something about this stage felt a lot more intimate and slow paced and I found the acoustic songs from front man James and his band, along with the beautiful forest setting created a much more relaxed vibe than I’d experienced at the rest of the festival. On day 3, this was just what was needed.
I love the variety of stages at 2000 Trees and how they enable and accompany different sizes of bands and styles of music. This little stage in the woods is enough to get me back here next year! I didn’t visit it once the sun went down, but I can imagine the way the fairy lights would light up the place and create an overall amazing location to make forever memories with friends.
Later in the day I caught Holding Absence on the main stage. I’d heard a lot of buzz around this band recently so I was excited to see what they’re all about.
The long expected rain decided to grace the fields of Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon. It didn’t just rain, it absolutely POURED. Luckily I was armed with my cheap plastic poncho, which surprisingly kept my camera and equipment nice and dry. I felt like this brought people together, whether huddling underneath the beer tents to take cover and making new friends, or dancing in the rain with strangers. Despite the rain, brave festival goers ventured out to the main stage to catch alt rock band Hundred Reasons.
This band supplied the feel-good tunes that were definitely needed on this rainy afternoon. Festival goers sang their hearts out in their ponchos and raincoats.
Closing the festival with a bang was Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes. Having seen these guys before I knew they would bring the energy and leave festival goers on a high, and they did not disappoint.
At the very end of the day, I managed to catch a bit of American Football’s set in the Axium tent. I had seen this band only a week prior at Finsbury Park, however this setting made for an entirely different experience. After the end of a 3 day festival, I felt so much love in the audience both towards each other and towards the 4 piece band from Illinois. As I left the gates of 2000 Trees, I heard the band's biggest song ‘Never Meant’ playing in the distance. I felt it to be the perfect end to the weekend.
I didn’t know what to expect from 2000 Trees, however I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the fact that it was on a much smaller scale than the festivals I was used to. It made the whole experience so much more relaxed and eliminated the worry of queuing and overcrowding. The stages were all in close proximity to each other which made life so much easier and saved my legs for the weekend. I loved the variety of stages and how they accompanied a large range of music and styles, and of course I absolutely loved the whole vibe and experience of the Forest Sessions stage. I am already thinking about camping the full weekend next year having seen how clean, spacious and close by the camping facilities are and am excited to see what the next line-up will bring. Tickets for next year are currently on 30% off until the end of the week, so get grabbing if you fancy a stress free festival experience of alternative music, full of good vibes and trees!
