Recap : 2000 Trees
06:43
In 2015, while I was at T in the Park, a smaller festival was taking place near Cheltenham, in south west England : 2000 Trees. I adored every single minute of T, but there was still a part of me that would have loved to be surrounded by all these trees. My friends all were there and kept praising the event, and the likes of Deaf Havana, We Are The Ocean, Bury Tomorrow and The Xcerts were playing.
It felt like my dream festival.
And in 2016, here I went.
It was my first year, and I wasn't disappointed. Thanks to Taytay's organisation skills (again) and how he's probably been for the ten years running, we ended up camping right near the main stage (because yes, that's a thing you can do there, it's allowed). The whole site is quite small and you can easily navigate from stage to stage and from stall to stall in less than five minutes. I think that was one of my favourite things about 2000 Trees : it's human sized. It doesn't have that robotic feel you can have in places like Reading or V Festival. Also, you don't have those disgusting food stalls that sell you overpriced soggy chips and half cold, half hot burgers.
Food wise, because yes, we need to talk about food, everything was perfect - I had a four cheese grilled sandwich that included raclette cheese, and it was like the French part of me died and went to heaven. (And it only cost me £4, not £10 and half a kidney on the black market) I also had stunning chips, brilliant falafel, literally every single food I had was amazing and I wish every festival was like this. It reminded me of that one year we went to Redfest, in Redhill (near Brighton), and I had an amazing veggie pizza for a fiver and the lady in the Thai food stall kept giving Rachel free spring rolls everytime we walked past. The two festivals were quite similar, to be honest - human sized and very chilled.
The only thing I didn't realise when going there was that it was named 2000 Trees because it included two thousand ACTUAL trees. Yes, it was me who sneezed during every single acoustic set, and no, I wasn't high on pills, I just had hayfever.
BANDS I WATCHED :
- Milk Teeth (Thursday) : What's better to open a festival than Milk Teeth? Not much, really. The atmosphere was festive and cheerful and, just like it was at Download the month before, the tent was absolutely packed. Kabuki always breaks my heart a little bit (a whole lot) and I probably had Brickwork stuck in my head for the whole weekend. It's now time I see this lot on their own, headline show. Fingers crossed!
- Rob Lynch (Thursday) : And when you think about it, he seems to be everywhere. When you see him supporting All Time Low or The Summer Set, the crowd are polite, yet quiet. When you see him at 2000 Trees, there's a shift, somewhere - and everyone knows every word and it's like you're watching your old friend. And you see his music under a different light. Best feeling? I think so.
- Black Peaks (Thursday) : See, I had two problems with Black Peaks. First, I always get them mixed up with Black Foxxes. Second, everyone and their cat was calling them the next best thing and I had questions. But Taylor said it was going to change my life, so we went. And that 2000 Trees set may not have been life changing, but it was a game changer in my vision of the Brightonian trio. They have that energy and intensity on stage that I love oh so much, and they manage to sound catchy and heavy at the same time. We watched them on their Forest acoustic session later on, and they embody Brighton so well - unpredictable in the best possible way. I mean, they pulled out a saxophone out of nowhere. Consider me sold.
- The Xcerts (Thursday & Friday) : The English language is going to run out of words for me to describe my love for The Xcerts and how impressed I am by their live performances, I'm going to start sounding redundant now. In one sentence, I can say that three days after their electric set, I still needed emotional support. Every time I see them, I wonder how they are not the biggest band ever, but after 2000 Trees, it seems like a crime they are not. They had never sounded bolder and more beautiful. They perform a new song that has hints of Jimmy Eat World's Chase This Light era. The singalongs are deafening. A man proposes to his girlfriend during There Is Only You and I pretty much collapse in a puddle of my own tears before throwing myself into a moshpit for the last minute or so. That set, it was life at its finest.
The acoustic forest session is The Xcerts at its most sensitive and loveliest, stunning and emotional. Have I cried? Who do you think I am. Have I tried to conceal it behind hayfever? Possibly. Have they thought it was a reasonable idea to cover Brand New's Sowing Season with little to no respect for my heart? Totally. Am I happy about this? Absolutely.
- The Bronx (Thursday) : I didn't watch the entirety of The Bronx, but from what I've seen... I don't know. I was expecting to be a hundred percent into it because I mean, hardcore bands rarely have any trouble winning me over, but... I can only remember one song I actively liked.
- Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (Thursday) : I've only seen the end of it (which is usually what happens when you lose your friends), but damn, I wished I known every single word so I could have joined in with the loudest singalongs of the weekend.
- Crooks (Friday) : Taking a hayfever pill just before the set was probably not my strongest idea, but health aside, I very much enjoyed their set. I hadn't seen Crooks on stage since 2014, when they had supported Hands Like Houses and I'd got into their music. I wasn't expecting to see that many people up and singing along at 12 on a Friday morning, and it also pleased me a lot. I'm now just patiently waiting for a tour where I can turn up without being sick, so I can fully enjoy this stunning band's performance.
- Muncie Girls (Friday) : We didn't get to see the Exeter trio's electric performance, so we sat down in the forest and enjoyed some of their songs acoustically. What a beautiful reminder of how gorgeous Lande Hekt's voice is, and what a delicate performance. She played a whole lot of new songs, and not all of them had titles, but God, it was beautiful. What else can I say? I'm here for all of this.
- Dinosaur Pile-Up (Friday) : Another case of "I'll just let Taytay drag me to a band's set", and the result is, Dinosaur Pile-Up might just be my new favourite band. Or something. Their music is catchy and powerful (I mean, it's been two months and I've found myself with Eleven Eleven stuck in my head more times than I care to count) and Matt Bigland's voice feels like everything I've ever wanted from life and more. For the crowd, it seems like it's Christmas and their birthdays rolled into one, and that, my friends, is the single best way to get into a band.
- Neck Deep (Friday) : Bear in mind that I was slightly not sober and dancing around, spinning around like I was Kylie Minogue, can of Kopparberg in hand, classy as always. The bottom line is - Neck Deep are one of these bands that are just awesome at bringing the party on a field. It was sunny and really hot and every single one of their songs felt like anthems - and I'm sure they will be, in time. What I like about seeing Neck Deep live is that they know how to rise to a challenge - biggest headline show ever, festival headlined by Black Sabbath, it doesn't seem like a big deal to them. They turn up, deliver the performance and make it work, just through being themselves. It feels like there's no bullshit, just them, a group of guys from Wrexham who just want to have fun and play some pop punk tunes. And it totally works.
- Mallory Knox (Friday) : We have gone over this, I think - I have been following the Cambridge boys for a very long time now, I was there when they were a tiny band and I don't intend on going anywhere, I'm here for the long haul. Second to headliners in front of several thousands of people now, that's enough to bring me to tears. Let's just cover it now, will you - I'm so proud of my boys. (What's the general consensus on "so proud of my boys" at 2000 Trees? How do you drink to that?) And why am I proud? Because they know how to show they're made for the big leagues. They were excellent as always and I can't wait for the day they get to the big venues, arenas and stadiums they deserve.
- Basement (Friday) : I started listening to Basement because Laura got us tickets to see them with Brand New, and on the day, I kinda wanted to know the band and their songs. Next thing I knew, I was in a field in Cheltenham sporting their merch, being at barrier and shouting the words to every song. Truth is, I'd never realised they were that big. They had a tent filled to the brim just here for them, it's next to impossible to go to a gig without seeing someone wearing their signature burgundy hoodie and it's actually easy to see why. Their lyrics are relatable without being cliché, their songs are catchy without all sounding similar, and they seem humble and plain lovely. And maybe we all need that. (At least, I know I do)
- Twin Atlantic (Friday) : My only issue with the line up and the festival in general was the clash between Twin Atlantic and Moose Blood - it was like choosing between my left and right leg. So I went to both, and started off with Twin Atlantic. It was their first festival headliner outside of Scotland, I believe, and it's not going to be the last. I can't exactly explain how they've pulled themselves out of the mass of über-talented British bands and became the biggest ones. But the thing is, even without the words, when you see them live, it just makes sense. You can't say why but it just does. They're one of a kind.
(Shout out to the rendition of this world's biggest anthem, Free, with The Xcerts' Murray Macleod. That was a whole lot of Scotland in just one song and I'm totally okay with that)
- Moose Blood (Friday) : The dividing my time between two bands didn't work out that well as I only managed to catch the very end of Moosey B's set, but is it my fault they played less time than they were allocated? I found Elin in the middle of the crowd and we sang along with people we didn't know, I was standing in that perfect space near the pit, where you don't get killed by people but you also benefit from the atmosphere, and I wanted those four songs or so last forever. This band has stolen my heart, big time. (Shout out to the absolutely beautiful guy standing next to me in there. Jesus)
And we also watched them do an acoustic set in the forest. It was my first time seeing them acoustically - them being just frontman Eddy Brewerton and his guitar, delivering every word with a sensitivity that broke my heart. The crowd echoed every word, and it all just felt so comforting and nice. We were all in that peaceful haven that is the forest at 2000 Trees, watching the frontman of one of the fastest rising bands in our little world, and even though there was a whole lot of us, it was still the most intimate acoustic set I've ever watched in my entire life, and chances are my heart is still in the forest as we speak. - The LaFontaines (Saturday) : Stupid o'clock on the last day of a festival is never an easy slot, and yet The LaFontaines pulled it off so easily. Bringing to Cheltenham their extremely catchy tunes, their Scottish accents and their charisma, they interact with the crowd with an ease that could make many bands jealous. Their performance was, as always, stellar, and I still don't get how they are not more known - damn, music industry, back at it again ignoring talented groups of people. Jokes about Scotland and shouts of "Freedom!" wake the crowd up once and for all, and frontman Kerr Oran casually playing tennis on stage was a strong addition to the list of reasons why 2000 Trees is one of a kind.
- Heck (Saturday) : Remember that one time I saw Heck supporting Bury Tomorrow and described it as one of the most terrifying live experiences of my entire life? I think that's a given when you see Heck. It's next to impossible to find a way to see them live without being noticed by one of the members, but that's what makes it thrilling. I think I got it. Heck are fantastic live, they're unpredictable, they're thrilling, they're like a rollercoaster. They're, in a nutshell, everything I've ever wanted from a live band. Ever.
- Tigercub (Saturday) : I simply went because someone told me they were from Brighton. I left completely and utterly in love.
- Grumble Bee (Saturday) : The passion I'd seen in Bleach, when Jack Bennett's Grumble Bee supported The Dear Hunter was still there. The stunning voice was still there too. And this time, it felt like an explosion. It was one of those sets during which you feel carried to a different time and place and everything around you bursts with colour and light. At the end of it, I was just so glad I'd managed to catch one of Grumble Bee's multiple sets. It was worth it.
- Jamie Lenman (Saturday) : I think Taytay was slightly horrified because I didn't know who Jamie Lenman was and I didn't know who Reuben were, and that's probably why I ended up with him in the middle of that tent. What I found during that set encapsulated 2000 Trees at its finest - original and unpredictable (especially when you have zero expectations). I'm glad I got dragged there when I didn't know what was going on. All those singalongs and that atmosphere and that originality... that was a surprise and this is always the kind of stuff I'm looking for at festivals.
- While She Sleeps (Saturday) : I wanted to start this by mentioning "my beloved While She Sleeps" and then I realised this is the band who shattered the oh so peaceful 2000 Trees I was talking about. Bringing their heaviness and their catchiness to the place, they, as always, own the stage as if it's their house, destroy everything inside and create a chaos you're all too happy to be a part of. It struck me, you know, how much they mean to me and what their music represents for me. There are no existing words for that feeling but they mean the absolute world and beyond. I don't think there was a better way, for me, to end a festival than releasing what little energy I had left screaming along to one of the best bands to have entered my life. (Obviously my performance included the compulsory ugly sob fest during Our Courage, Our Cancer)
- Refused (Saturday) : I'm going to keep this simple.
YES to Refused.
YES to their absolutely stunning live performances.
YES to their joke about them not being British nor underground.
YES to their talk about feminism.
Just YES to Refused, really. Who needs more than that.
And on that note, 2000 Trees came to an end.
After a whole lot of silent disco, obviously. I drank myself into a Kopparberg oblivion on both nights and danced the night away, falling to the floor while singing along to Taylor Swift's Blank Space and Taking Back Sunday's MakeDamnSure (honestly, I was so into this one I'm still wondering who I wanted to break down so badly in the worst way). I also added to my dancing palette the usual jellyfishing, falling over a bench when Mr Brightside by The Killers came on and accidentally punching someone in the face while You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi was playing. (To be fair, I was also defending myself as Taytay's friend tried to change the channel on my headphones and there was no way in hell I would dance to anything else than Bon Jovi). Cider, my dear old friend.
2000 Trees proved to be everything I wanted it to be and more. It had the best vibe, the best people (so many of my friends were here, it was unreal, and I even managed to make new ones), the best food and the best bands. The temptation to attend again in 2017 is already gigantic. That's the sign of great festivals, I think.
2000 Trees proved to be everything I wanted it to be and more. It had the best vibe, the best people (so many of my friends were here, it was unreal, and I even managed to make new ones), the best food and the best bands. The temptation to attend again in 2017 is already gigantic. That's the sign of great festivals, I think.
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