2000trees sets the bar for independent festivals

Thursday

The first day proper (some punters got in on the Wednesday for a pre-party) began with the UK’s self-branded ‘blackened misery’ outfit Grief Ritual. Starting a festival bright and early after everyone is still nursing their heads from the night before would be an arduous task for many, but the three-piece make it look easy with their pummelling riffs and their blend of metal and hardcore shaking awake everyone who’s come to see them, and catching the eyes and ears of many passers-by resulting in their crowd being a very respectable size for the morning by its end. Frontperson Jamie Waggett is a star, with their energy shining through, and their versatility across several vocal styles really making an impact. Ones to watch, for sure.

Next on the list was Graywave, the ethereal and moody lo-fi project spawned from the mind of frontwoman Jess Webberley. With the recent release of the Rebirth EP, those songs stand out here with their atmospheric and dreamy nature carrying the audience along on a wave of cathartic gloom. The array of guitar effects along with Jess’ haunting vocal prove encapturing, with the crowd not being able to avert their gaze from the stage. If this is the type of show they’re already able to produce after just a couple of EPs, the future is looking very bright for Graywave.

Mid-afternoon saw New Jersey punks Can’t Swim take to the Axiom stage, which quickly became completely packed before the end of their first song. Taking the stage with some of the heavier songs from their latest album Change of Plans, the crowd was rabid and hurling all their energy toward the stage, sometimes in the form of approximately one million crowdsurfers. Rattling through 13 songs in the space of a 45 minute set, it’s pure adrenaline for its entirety, and the band look genuinely surprised how well they’ve gone down here, with frontman Chris LoPorto remarking “thank you for giving me one of the best afternoons I’ve had in a long time”. They shouldn’t be surprised – they’re magnificent.

Over on the main stage, Leeds-based Dinosaur Pile-Up keep the party going in frantic style, matched by the audience – some of whom have come dressed in giant inflatable dinosaur costumes, others who’ve gone for the much calmer, yet no less pretty, approach of unleashing bubbles into the air throughout the whole set. Aside from frontman Matt Bigland having to pause to nearly throw up from the tequila he’d been shotting before taking the stage, his energy is infectious and keeps the field losing their inhibitions the entire time. Plenty of people here know every word to every song, and with enough catchy choruses and rampaging riffs to make each one of these songs sound like an anthem, it’s no wonder why.

Creeper followed up next, with all the goth glitz and glamour everyone has come to expect from them at this point. This band’s star-factor continues to grow exponentially, and off the back of their recent run supporting Alice Cooper and The Cult bringing in brand new fans, and their nailing their aesthetic and stage show, this band could be about to go supernova. A particular moment of brilliance came in the form of Ian Miles breaking into the solo of ‘Thorns of Love‘ on his glossy bright pink guitar, with frontman Will Gould falling on his knees before him to worship. Creep on creeping on, and we could have a real crossover band on our hands here.

Never ones to do a party by halves, Malmö’s Royal Republic bring all the swagger you’d expect, plus three years worth of pent-up prurience enough to win over any doubters within the first funky riff of opener ‘Fireman & Dancer‘. The tent is a few rows deep with everyone wanting to witness the on-stage spectacle, the best of which had to be the story of frontman Adam Grahn recently having to pay out a not small sum of money to fix a guitar he’d broken by throwing it from one end of the stage to his tech on the other, promptly followed by him throwing his guitar from one end of the stage to his tech on the other. This time, luckily, it was caught. The band go on to rip through an incredible, faithful cover of Metallica’s ‘Battery‘ before their trademark closer ‘Baby‘ gives the crowd all the endorphins needed to carry them through the rest of the night, if not the entire weekend.

Anti-Flag, after forming in 1988, are what one could now describe as a vintage band, however, the energy with which each member comes on to the stage and proceeds to rip through their first duo of songs in frenetic fashion, you could be mistaken for thinking these were a brand new band with how fresh they sounds and how much their passion and message still, clearly, burns incredibly strong. There are so many die-hards in the crowd tonight, which is amazing to see, as is the interaction between them and the band. The vibe remains heart-warming and hopeful the entire set – we truly are lucky to still have bands like Anti-Flag still doing what they do best at the top of their game.

Thursday’s headliners are Mesa, Arizona’s finest, alt-rock/emo legends Jimmy Eat World. Another band who sound as fresh as they ever have, their often uplifting and triumphant sound is a perfect way to bring the curtain down on what has been a great day of live music, and the being able to see the sun setting through the forests and hills around the stage, along with the band’s own light show, just adds to the euphoria and content. The band play extremely well, but their final one-two of ‘Sweetness‘ into ‘The Middle‘ creates a frenzy in the crowd that reflects just how much everyone missed festivals, and how good it feels to have them back.

(Special shoutout too to ex-Far frontman Jonah Matranga, aka onelinedrawing, for bringing out a model of R2D2 to help him sing a couple of songs in his acoustic forest set. Wild.)

Friday

Much like the openers of day 1, Birmingham-based metallic hardcore troupe Creature start the Neu stage’s proceedings with the furor and fury of a band that know they have to give everything on their 10.30am slot. Off the back of their recently-released Haunt EP, the trio plough through those songs in disgusting fashion, fast and tight and hectic in equal measure, and vocalist/guitarist James Thompson’s scream is horrible in the very best way. This band look grateful to be on stage here, but they’ve certainly earned it, and if they keep putting out great material like they have been, it won’t be long before they are much, much higher up the bill.

One of the most hyped names in the scene right now is Heriot, their recent EP Profound Morality released to deserved acclaim across the board, and their live shows perking up the ears and eyes of everyone who happens to see them. Given that they have only been releasing music for just over 18 months, they really have no right to be this flawless and demanding of your full attention the entire time that they play, but you really can’t take your eyes off of what is happening on the stage. After seeing Heriot three times in the space of five months and them playing better each time, I can honestly say that they are one of the best live bands I have seen in years. Each member of the band brings something unique to make an incredible whole, whether through their stage presence, ability or crowd interaction, and frontwoman Debbie Gough is not only a star on guitar, but also may be the very best vocalist in the world of heavy music right now. They hype is most just.

As if Will Gould wasn’t busy enough over on the main stage yesterday with Creeper, his other band Salem have really managed to carve out their own identity away from the former in the less than two years that they’ve existed. The bombast and flourish with which they tear through songs from their two EPs is admirable – it’s easy to tell the band love what they’re doing and that’s reciprocated by the crowd The songwriting is near-flawless, with choruses as good as Ramones, and being so early in their career, where Salem could go next is incredibly exciting.

Rolo Tomassi are an inspiring story showing how grinding at a project for years can really pay off. They’re not as big as they should be – not by any means – but it’s wonderful to see them finally getting recognised as the enchanting and enriching band they are on their last couple of albums Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It, and this year’s gorgeous Where Myth Becomes Memory. Frontwoman Eva Korman is ever-majestic in her ability to go from the most ferocious scream into the most goosebump-inducing cleans, and the on-stage dynamic she has with her brother James, especially in their dual vocal approach on some songs, is amazing to watch. The superfans here are screaming every word back at the band like their life depends on it, whilst the more unfamiliar members of the crowd watch on with awe, and are quickly converted into new supporters, and rightly so.

Over to the Forest Sessions where English-by-way-of-basically-every-other-country band Calva Louise play a confusing, yet very impressive, blend of metal, rock, salsa(?), RnB and trap. Frontwoman Jess Allanic is charming and funny which wins the crowd over almost immediately, and she certainly has the talent to keep them on board – her vocals switching between screaming, singing and sometimes rapping is a great watch, and backed by the band with their huge riffs and a mix that really shouldn’t work but really does, this band have potential to do whatever they want. Because in the words of Jess, you can either follow your dreams and potentially be miserable, or not follow them and definitely be miserable.

The first of the co-headliners are up next, in the shape of Turnstile. At this point, the Baltimore punks really need no introduction, having been rooting around in the mainstream since the release of 2021’s Glow On, culminating in their recent performance at Glastonbury Festival. This band, however, continue to put on shows that let us see that they’re still very much part of our world too, with each member playing their entire set with the energy and adrenaline of an excited child, exemplified by most songs being played faster than their studio counterparts. Frontman Brendan Yates has absolutely mastered working a crowd in to the palm of his hand by this point and everyone is lapping it up. The vocal interplay between members is wicked, and Turnstile have become a consistent exceptionally good live band. If they really break through, this could be a massive moment for our scene. Put all your support behind them.

Thrice are closing the night out on the main stage, playing through their seminal 2005 LP Vheissu in full, and finishing off with some greatest hits. Cutting straight to the chase, this is one of the sets of the weekend – they’re the tightest and best-sounding band here, and also seem to have some of the most dedicated fans, with most songs resulting in several pits. It’s no secret that Dustin Kensrue is one of the best vocalists in the scene, his soft, gritty croon paired with his aggressive screams all mixed in with his emo inflictions has always been revered, and here he sounds at the very top of his game. The album playthrough is magnificent, and the ‘encore’ lifts everything yet another level with its songs but also thoughtful production in ‘Black Honey‘s line “I like all the pretty colors” being matched with the lights on stage displaying rainbow into “I flung it in the fire to burn with all the others” lighting up a burning red. Yet another veteran band still at the top of their game, and yet another incredible way to close out a night.

(There was a Forest Session from Tokky Horror late at night, which, quite frankly, what the fuck? Absolutely no idea what was going on here but I think I loved it. A million genres blended together by a bassist and drummer, and two vocalists who spent most of the set out in the crowd, one of who sang and screamed, the other who had an autotune effect on their vocal throughout which somehow really worked. The crowd was fascinated and the atmosphere went from confusion to love, with a real celebration of individualism, circle pits and all.)

Saturday

Philadelphia punks Mannequin Pussy took to the main stage of the afternoon of the final day – the audience could be forgiven for lacking energy, but the band were certainly not going to let that happen. Bursting on to the stage with their songs way heavier and even angrier than they sound on record, their short punky bile mixed with their soft, melancholic sweetness (it’s a trap!), huge riffs and vocalists Missy’s attack goes down super well with a huge crowd that they do not seem to be phased by. These lot are making waves inside our scene and out and their songs, style and message make it no wonder why – they could play pretty much anywhere and not feel out of place. Very, very good.

Recent Church Road signings Helpless take the Cave stage by storm with their dirgy slabs of filth, technically incredibly impressive grindcore but remembering to write actual songs. Talking of which, the tracks from their March album Caged In Gold go down an absolute treat, the tent full of people who looked bemused to start but by a couple songs in were fully enjoying themselves and letting all their rage out. There’s no many pleasantries from the band – no-one has time for that when you’re melting people’s faces – but there’s so much excitement and horrible joy, that the band have done their job perfectly.

Gen & the Degenerates waste no time winning the crowd over with their political and rights-based messages, and when they play their songs people instantly fall in love. For a band that only their debut EP Only Alive When In Motion a few months ago, they seem to have evolved their sound already, with a new song leaning way more into metal than any of the songs on the EP, but also changing a couple of those to reflect a heavier, angrier band now too. Frontperson Gen has so much energy, and you can see people who were planning to walk past the tent stop, hear what’s going on inside, and join in the raucous fun. There’s a hell of a lot to be excited about here – after their recent run with Skunk Anansie winning them new fans, they have the momentum to go to some soaring heights very soon.

Last up on the list was Nova Twins, the hip-hop/metal/uncatergorizable duo from London that have a lot of people talking with their constant stream of alluring tracks, along with their vivacious and powerful live shows, which is very much apparent here. The crowd is absolutely huge on the main stage, and you can easily see that a big portion of that is very invested in the duo. The women provide a great range of vocal styles and poppy hooks, and their dynamic makes it clear they’ve been doing this a while. The guitar work is weird but very cool, and whilst it is a strange mix, even those in the crowd that aren’t necessarily fans are still appreciative of the talent and catchiness that they’re witnessing. Capping off my weekend, Nova Twins were a great way to show how healthy the scene is right now, and what an exciting time it is to be a fan.

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