2000 Trees is about so much more than just music and entertainment carrying on until the early hours, there’s not much time left for recovery, but with the aid of plenty of caffeine, we join the Wide Awake Club for another two days of the best rock action at the UK’s best festival.
Friday 12th July
The Neu Stage is really delightful this year, and as its name suggests, is bursting at the seams with fresh talent. Hailing from small town Hampshire, Buds. are a punk rock combo who take great delight in blowing hangovers away and they indeed sweep across the stage like a mini tornado. Their guitarist can’t be present today, so they’re aided by a few guest appearances, but nothing can knock the band of course and they deliver an energetic half hour set which raises the bar for the rest of the day.
We are no strangers to Fangs Out here at The Midlands Rocks, having reviewed their last EP (here) but we were intrigued to see how they’d cut the mustard in the live environment, and the answer is very well. Their opening the Cave at 11am, which is always a difficult slot, yet the band grab the opportunity with both hands, and with the stage bathed in blood red light (obviously) and Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ blasting from the PA, the scene is set for an explosive set, and that’s precisely what the band serve up, stomping like The Stooges in their prime and leaving it all on the stage.
Another strong opening band, this time over on the Axiom Stage are Mouth Culture, a combo from Leicester who peddle a rather nice in alternative rock. They have a quintessentially English sound that’s born from slate grey skies and desolate railway stations, but whatever their inspirations I’m glad I caught this bunch, but it seems I’m not the only one who has fallen under their spell because they’ve pulled in a big crowd who are equally enchanted. Nice.
With a nice chuggy sound Cruelty bring to mind a (much missed) Milton Keynes band called Juggernaut Punch, and they have a similar type of modus operandi. It’s a take-no-prisoners ethos delivered with a sound that hits like a well-aimed blow to the cranium. It’s no surprise that a rather substantial pit erupts; brutal and bombastic, the vocalist prowls the stage like a caged animal, the rhythm section swings with wrecking ball force while the twin guitar attack is a circular saw come to chop of your head. Get with them, or get out the way.
Specialising in a triple guitar assault gives King Nun a sound that’s rich in depth and texture, and when you factor in a singer operating with unquestionable conviction, you have a heavy affair, both musically and emotionally. This quintet play their collective heart out, throwing everything they have into their set. At every festival there’s always a transient element passing through a tent, yet King Nun stop them in their tracks, ensnaring them with catchy hooks and a spiky, angular sound that embeds itself in your memory bank and they leave not a soul feeling short changed or cheated.
Another band hitting the ground running are Burner, but with a brutal, metallic brand of hardcore, how could they not? They evidence great maturity and temper their heavy sound with lithe elements which often verge on the surreal. This makes for a set that ebbs and flows perfectly with the light crating a foil for the dark (and vice versa). Yet the dark and heavy is what this bunch do best and there’s plenty of that on offer and with a beast of a drummer the band have a forward motion that renders them an unstoppable force.
My first visit of the day to the Main Stage is rewarded with a storming set by As December Falls. They’ve worked their way up from the minor stages to the major through dint of hard work and thoroughly deserved it is. Of course, the fact that they have some killer tunes doesn’t hurt and one such song ‘Join The Club’ (from their latest album) is an early set highlight. They turn in an energetic performance, especially the vocalist who is particularly animated, dancing and pirouetting like a punky ballerina. From the very first note to the very last, As December Falls are a blur of energy, which is surely the only way to go.
With bags of attitude, Unpeople have a kind of steamroller effect, and woe betide anyone who gets in their way. Yet they also have a softer, sensitive side and this primarily shines through in a strong sense of melody which renders each of their songs the sweetest pieces of candy. It’s an interesting tension of opposites between the hard and soft, and one that holds the crowd’s attention over a dizzying 40-minutes. There’s plenty of room for crowd participation and this makes for a shared experience, which is exactly what a live show should be.
It’s been a long road (quite literally) for American crew Sweet Pill on the road to 2000 Trees but they’ve finally made it and mighty glad to be here they are too. Now they are here they aren’t going to waste this opportunity and they proceed to deliver a set that is both beautiful and beauteous, the two working in tandem, or pulling apart for a sound that seems to pull in two directions at once. They revolve around a bombastic bass and a lithe lead guitar and the result is a sensory delight on both the eyes and ears.
Having take Download festival by storm last month, Guilt Trip are here to try their luck at 2000 Trees. With venues upgraded on their forthcoming tour, the band are very much on the upswing and they hit the stage like a band who know they’re onto a good thing. The perfect amalgamation between metal and hardcore with heavy riffs and gnarly breakdowns are an intoxicating mix with ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ being particularly potent. Some technical issues bring their set to a shuddering stop, but when they’re resolved they pick right up where they left off and a brutal cover of Machine Head’s ‘Davidian’ makes for a fitting finale.
With a moniker such as Bears In Trees it was only a matter of time until this London-based band played 2000 Trees. But truth be told they fit the vibe and ethos of 2000 Trees like a hand in glove (or should that be paw in honey jar?) and it seems that the crowd concur and they are spilling out the Axiom tent as we watch the band strut their stuff. Their melodic sound is perfect for an early Friday evening, and their songs, fully laden with groove, they are highly infectious and have all but the elderly and infirm and rocking in unison, and this united feeling the band create is possibly the greatest gift music can give.
I remember vocalist Nikki Brumen when she sang for death metal/skate punk band Pagan, and it was a sad day when that band came to an end, so I’m glad she found another outlet for her talents in Blood Command. Her voice is just as strong, filling the tent with her versatile vocals, only now set to a kind of techno/punk hybrid. The sound is both danceable and moshable, and the crowd packed in front of the stage are pogoing incessantly. Nikki is a boundless ball of energy and she tends to grab all the attention with the rest of the band fading into the background, but when a singer is as energetic as Nikki, that’s plenty, and the band leave the crowd battered and bruised (but in the best possible way, of Course).
Turnover are a band who seem tailor made for lounge lizards; there’s a lazy vibe to their music (but they’re certainly no slackers) and they seem content to let their music grow in what seems a very organic way. Their sound floats over the Gloucestershire countryside, taking shape as it rolls over the hills. It is a musical balm sent to soothe our troubled times, and it does have a medicinal quality; you can almost feel the tension dissipating as the good vibe fill the tent. Turnover don’t have the same type of dynanism that many bands have displayed this weekend, but their lowkey approach has the added benefit of bringing their songs to the fore, and when the songs are this good, that’s exactly where they should be.
This is rumoured to be Palm Reader’s last ever show, and they’re certainly playing like it. They are a sextet who seem intent on pulverising their instruments to dust and they dish out a full-on sonic assault and one that will take no prisoners. Everything is amped up to the nth degree; the bass rumbles and threatens to crack the floor, the guitars are scything and slice through the air with razor sharp precision, while the vocals drip with raw emotion. It all adds up to a hefty experience as the band batter their way through a set that does a good job at giving the fans exactly what they want. Such is the love for this band that I see a reformation somewhere in their future.
You feel that the collective lives of Hot Milk have been leading up to this set at 2000 Trees and it is all about right here, right now. With the stage bathed in ice white light, Hot Milk are here to rock our socks off and that’s precisely what they do. From the very first note they are bang on point, and the crowd pick up on the band’s authenticity; they are performing with a vim and vigour that can’t be faked. It’s very magnetic and immediately pulls people in from all over the site. The crowd are swaying and writhing to their rhythmic beats and are rewarded with a “greatest hits” type set. As the sun begins to set and turn the sky a salmon pink, Hot Milk turn the tent into a huge dance floor and this is one party we don’t want to end.
Closing the Cave stage are Empire State Bastard. They’ve a sound that is the perfect summation of these times; in a case of art imitating life they are pissed off and brutal, and if it is true that the world is going to hell in a handcart then Empire State Bastard will provide the perfect soundtrack. You get the feeling that these songs are a healthy outlet for the band, and by extension it is healthy for the crowd too, and the moshing that takes place is the only logical reaction the band’s sound. Such is the buzz surrounding the group that an exorbitant amount of tension has been building throughout the day and the minutes that tick down to showtime are like the tick of a primed bomb. It means that when the band finally appear it is akin to an explosion and the crowd turn into a huge, seething mass. This tension, coupled with the music, makes for a volatile (Molotov) cocktail and you feel that it could ignite at any moment during the band’s 60-minute set. In fact, it’s a good job that Empire State Bastard are headlining the Cave, because nothing could top this.
Saturday 13th July
Saturday is always the busiest day at 2000 Trees with day tickets selling like hot cakes which means there’s already a hefty crowd to witness Split Chain open the Neu stage. The band appear and are immediately in the groove, with “groove” being the operative word; there’s a strong emphasis on melody here and they swing with some force. Heavy, but pleasant on the ear, Split Chain are the perfect band to ease us into the final day of Trees.
South Wales’ Pizzatramp get my vote for the festival’s “best named band”, but they also pick up my award for “most entertaining act”. Delivering a nice line in fast and furious hardcore, each song is preceded by a wall of glorious feedback (which is a good thing) and then the band are off, careening wildly down a musical highway (and with no brakes). The band’s off-kilter look a life suggests they don’t take themselves too seriously, but you definitely should.
Ethereal and otherworldly, Snake Eyes have songs that seem to emanate from another dimension. It has a waiflike quality and this also informs their stage presence and subsequently the band tend to fade into the background; the Axiom stage feels far too big for them and they tend to get lost in its enormity. That’s a shame because their songs are good and deserved to be heard by a lot of people. More attention to their stagecraft would make them a far more enticing proposition.
With ear-splitting feedback emanating from the speakers and vocalist Chris appearing brandishing a battle axe, Inhumane Nature make a dramatic entrance and that’s exactly how a band should appear. They take ownership of the stage and the crowd require little goading to go nuts and it doesn’t take long for a circle pit to erupt (including folk in fancy dress and it is quite a thing to see a big banana crowd surfing). With plenty of eardrums popped, Inhumane Nature came, saw, conquered, and left a smoking stage in their wake.
With their latest album out in the war and garnering great reviews, Hawxx are very much a band of the moment and have become a permanent fixture on the festival scene having played Uprising, Download and now 2000 Trees. However, it feels as if the latter is their spiritual home and they certainly look most comfortable here, delivering a set that ebbs and flows perfectly with final (and brand new) track called ‘Be That Whore’, (I believe) signposting a bright future.
I like the musical approach of Indoor Pets; that have songs that come saturated in a strong song sensibility and then marinated in melody. These cuts are slow builders, they slowly ingratiate themselves into our psyche; they slowly butter us up, soft soaping us before landing the knockout blow. But what a blow, and it could floor even the hardest music critic. They are another band who set the good vibes flowing and attract fans from all over the site. Next stop, main stage.
Throwing metal and hardcore elements into their bubbling pot, Cauldron create a truly brutal sound. The vocalist prowls the stage as if looking for a street fight and the rest of the band respond in kind to deliver a sound that’s as equally intense. The drums land like punches which sound like car doors slamming and the guitars are circular saw cutting through steel. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, but for those who like their metal with a bit of bite, there’s Cauldron. With boundless energy and steely determination, future mayhem beckons.
Australia’s Dune Rats have brought some sunshine with them and the clouds part temporarily as the band blast out their unique brand of feel good pop punk. The crowd are well up for it and pogo throughout the whole set and punch the air in affirmation. When a crowd surfer appears on a large slice of inflatable pizza, it is another one of those surreal moments that only Trees can provide, I don’t know how the band manage to keep a straight face, but they do, maybe because they’re surreal themselves. The Dune Rats deliver a crowd-pleasing set, one that’s powered by caffeine and vitamin C (and I dare say, alcohol) and if I have to find fault with their set, then it’s just too darn short.
Swear Blind are another band who look like they’ve been dabbing the amphetamine and, like parachutists who have been dropped into enemy territory, they hit the ground running. It’s a triple guitar, duo vocal attack, and the result is a punchy affair, a richly textured sound that works on several levels. It is infinitely interesting, and like an impetuous infant tugging on your sleeve, refuses to be ignored. Reminding me of classic Joy Division (only updated for the new millennium) Swear Blind have the potential to become absolutely massive and play the biggest stages, and they’ve definitely got the songs to take them there.
A real force of nature are Every Hell and an aura of danger hangs around them when they take to the stage, and with a singer hanging off the microphone and looking like he might invade the crowd at any moment, this bunch start as they mean to go on. By the time we hit second track ‘The Watcher’, the band are locked in tightly and sweeping across the stage like a tornado. The addition of saxophone creates a rather sinister sound, an ominous tone and threat of impending doom, and when combined with the band’s crushing relentlessness creates a discombobulating vibe. Be warned; this is not background for a wine and cheese evening but a sound that demands your undivided attention. Subsequently, all eyes are turned towards the stage and as we reach the conclusion the band look visibly drained, but a boisterous ‘No Cure’ gets them over the line in style.
If anyone needs proof that music benefits from diversity then you need look no further than Gouge Away. Hopefully there will be a day when this won’t be need to be commented upon but the band really benefit from Christina Michelle and her unique vocals. It’s a kind of wail that you won’t forget and when combined with the band’s caustic brand of hardcore makes for a totally unforgettable experience. Having just released their third long player Deep Sage (courtesy of the terminally cool label Deathwish Records) the band are on an upward trajectory, and on the strength of this performance, the sky is the limit.
Founded in 2007 and often seen as leading lights in the early-2010’s emo revival scene, Chicago based Into it. Over It. are no mere revivalists and are very much a contemporary force. However, we’ve been denied the band in the UK for almost a decade, so the band’s first show on these shores for 9 years feels like something special. So, there’s high expectations for this gig and an excitement crackles the air and that is only heightened by the few false starts that plague opening track ‘Embracing Facts’. The technical issues make us think that the band are jinxed, yet they are perfect in blowing the tension away, and they only serve to create a bond between band and crowd. Throughout the set which takes in nine tracks from four albums, vocalist Evan Weiss sings with unbridled emotion, as if every note has been dredged from the depth of his soul. When it comes to a live show, you can’t ask more than that.
The towering pines and log cabin make the perfect frame for a performance by “murderfolk” artist Amigo The Devil. If there weren’t so many people around you could imagine it would be the perfect setting for a television drama involving kidnap and murder; it’s a slightly unsettling setting, which makes it the perfect venue for Amigo and his slightly unsettling songs. As something of a musical magpie, Amigo (Danny Kiranos) has pieced his sound together from different cultures and musical genres at the result is a rich tapestry painted with burnt yellows, rustic reds and conker browns. It’s also bewitching and as soon as opening track ‘Small Stone’ wafts over the venue he has all under his spell. There’s something about the human psyche that’s drawn towards the darker side of life, and it is precisely that aspect of the human nature into which Amigo taps with songs such as ‘Murder At The Bingo Hall’. A cult artist who won’t remain that way for long, those present know they’ve seen something special here.
With their strong visual aesthetic, I’ve always though of Creeper as the natural successors to Alice Cooper, and no more so now that they’ve released their latest album, the theatrical rock masterpiece Sanguivore. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Jim Steinman, Bonnie Tyler and Depeche Mode, the band have a grandiose vibe surrounding them now, a feeling that they are ready to step up to the world’s biggest stages and that becomes apparent with opening track ‘Further Than Forever’. Their latest long player is a concept album and while it is possible to dip in and out (and several singles have been released from the record) it’s best consumed whole and tonight’s set continues with that ethos with the majority of tracks culled from the latest release. The band look every inch of the global stars they are quickly becoming and take ownership of the stage with songs such as ‘The Ballad Of Spook & Mercy’ and ‘Chapel Gates’ only increasing their standing. Future headliners, me thinks.
Having been categorised as alternative rock, pop rock and post-hardcore, in reality, tonight’s headliners Don Broco are a combination of all three and this has given them an exorbitant amount of freedom when playing and writing songs. When coupled with their never-say-die attitude and unbridled confidence, you get the feeling that they could turn their hands to any genre and make it work. Therefore, a live appearance by these Bedford bruisers is always a treat, an eclectic feast of which you can never get your fill and that’s precisely what they serve up with their live show. Just having a ticket to one of their shows generates a sense of excitement of which their peers can only dream and that’s the kind of buzz that’s building tonight. As dusk begins to fall and the lights illuminating the site begin to shine, there’s a jostle to get prime position before the band hit the stage. When they do arrive, they are greeted with a huge cheer which gets deafening as the band launch into ‘Everybody’. From here on it’s a white knuckle ride that pings us around their discography like a silver ball between the bumpers. Some bands are seemingly destined to top bills and that is certainly the case with Don Broco. A 90-minute masterclass, Don Broco are the perfect summation of the Trees experience and make the perfect band to bring down the curtain, and they do so in style with two well-earned encores. See you next year?
Don Broco Set List:
- Everybody
- Pretty
- Technology
- Come Out To L.A.
- Gumshield
- One True Prince
- Uber
- Manchester Super Reds No. 1 Fan
- Stay Ignorant
- ACTION
- Priorities
- You Wanna Know
- Bruce Willis
- Endorphins
- Nerve
Encores:
- Fingernails
- T-Shirt Song
