Welcome to In Conversation, our interview column where we pick the brains of artists on the cutting edge of music. Joe chatted to Dave Marcovecchio (Bassist) of Grief Ritual after their performance on The Cave at 2000trees, we discussed their time at 2000trees, the local scene in the South West and flying the Church Road flag at the festival alongside Hidden Mothers.
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Joe: You’ve done Incineration this year and now you’ve just done 2000trees, how are you finding it all?
Dave: It’s been great fun, we’re always grateful to play for whoever will have us. 2000trees has always been a favourite one. The band has played before, and it was the first time for me, and I’m just in love with the atmosphere and how everyone is.
Joe: You got a really good turnout for the midday slot on the first full day.
Dave: I had no idea how it was going to turn out. Midday on the first day with the weather being as it is, we thought, are people going to turn out, or will they hide in the shade until later? We had a really good reception and I’m thrilled for everyone who turned up. It was really memorable and one of the best shows we’ve done.
Joe: I saw you down the Frog and Fiddle in Cheltenham about three years ago, I remember you saying most of you are local?
Dave: There’s two of us from Cheltenham, one of us from Gloucester via Birmingham, and I am out near Hereford.
Joe: I know Hereford gets a few gigs, and I vaguely remember ‘Gloucester Hardcore’. As a region we get 2000trees as this big highlight, then that’s all we get.
Dave: The countryside is a blessing and a curse. It’s great for something like this, and that’s not to say there isn’t a little scene in Cheltenham or Gloucester, because there is. There’s some bloody great bands there. It’s not as mental as something like in a major city such as Bristol or Manchester, it’s a bit more tight-knit.
Joe: You are the Church Road representation this year alongside Hidden Mothers, how has working with them been?
Dave: They’ve been great to us, they’ve been really supportive and got behind the behind, which is very encouraging. It’s so nice to see it on vinyl and it’s the first thing I’ve ever done in a band where you’ve actually got it on vinyl. They believe in what we do, we feel like they’re in our corner, and it’s been wonderful, really. They’re one of the best little labels going in the country at the moment in terms of independent labels.
Joe: You’ve had a busy six months, in terms of shows, festivals and the album.
Dave: It has been a big push with the album coming out. There was the album release shows, a couple of little runs and we’ve just finished a tour of with Heavy Hitter from Florida. We’re having a little break now and then we start another tour with Necrogoblincon in September, which will be insane. I’m really looking forward to that, and then that’s probably us for the rest of the year. At that point we will have a bit of a breather and start work on album number two; it will be no rest for the wicked.
Joe: 2000trees brings together bands who share similar politics and values as Grief Ritual. How important do you see it as a band that the festival does bring all those views together?
Dave: I think it’s important across music as a whole, and I don’t want to tar everyone with the same brush, but I find that a lot of bands in this sphere tend to be on the same page. There’s generally more overlap than difference, to be fair. At a festival like 2000trees, that sense of shared values doesn’t even need to be said, it’s almost assumed. It’s a really inclusive festival where all kinds of people are welcome.
Compare that to something like Glastonbury, where things are a bit broader, you get a wider variety of people and perspectives. So for those who want to speak out on certain issues, they often have to be more vocal, to really stand out.
Whereas here, it just feels like family. Like we’re all aligned. And I think that’s reflected in the bookings too. Obviously, Kneecap is the big talking point this year, but I’ve heard similar sentiments echoed from loads of other bands over the weekend. Everyone seems to be on the same wavelength.
Joe: Yeah, I think what’s great is the variety, like, you’ve got Kneecap, Stick to Your Guns who do clash. Even if Kneecap’s music isn’t your thing, and honestly, it’s not really my cup of tea, I still really support their message. What is cool is that you can then go see a band like Stick to Your Guns and still get that same kind of messaging. They’ve really nailed that side of things too, it’s like two different avenues into the same feeling or ethos.
Who else have you been catching today at 2000trees?
Dave: All sorts, really. I’ve made the mistake in the past at festivals like ArcTanGent where I’ve tried to see too many bands and ended up missing half of them. So today I’ve kept it a bit more loosey-goosey. With us playing and catching up with fine people like yourselves, it’s best to keep the diary a bit clear. But tomorrow? I’m there front to back. I caught McClusky earlier, and Unpeople, they were seriously sick. And of course, there’s the horrible dilemma; do I watch Taking Back Sunday or do I go support our friends in Heriot? It might end up being half of one and half of the other, those are the must-sees.
Joe: Yeah, we’re definitely going to try and tackle that one. I mean, obviously there’s Heriot on home turf, being Swindon’s finest (slash Birmingham). You feel like, yeah, you can probably catch them again. Then there’s Taking Back Sunday, and that’s like… yeah, you kind of have to. So as we said, it might end up being half of one, then dash over for the other.
Are you going ArcTanGent this year? The clashes there look brutal.
Dave: Not, sadly, no. It looks really good, but when there are so many great bands on the bill, it’s like, “This is amazing… but I know I’m going to end up with a horrible clash somewhere.” I get that every time I look at Hellfest. So many killer bands, but how do you pick one without missing another three?
Joe: That’s the nice thing about 2000trees, the stages are all a short walk apart.
Dave: I’m just enjoying watching stuff and discovering new bands. I’ll admit, I’m the token death metal elitist in the group, so I’ll put my hands up, a lot of the stuff at Trees isn’t what I’d usually listen to or what I’m super familiar with. It’s been great just walking around, catching whatever’s on, and enjoying it. Like catching Grove Street on the Word stage, that was sick.
Thank you to Dave for taking time to chat to us. You can read our review of Grief Ritual’s debut EP, Spiritual Disease, here. Then our review of their recent full-length Collapse here, and our gallery of their album release show here.