“We are all complicit, I am more than a witness.“
For fifty-one weeks of the year, those who pass through the green and pleasant lands of Cheltenham and the Cotswolds would least suspect it holds host to a festival such as 2000trees. Unless you’re one of the few souls who live next door in Withington, the event of 2000trees can quite easily pass by. Yet for those who descended on the quiet hills each year, this makes for a special occasion. One for the locals who know of it, it puts a sense of glee in their voices. It is a moment for Cheltenham to shine in a spotlight that it rarely does, and for many, has become a ritual that many have done for years, if not decades.
Even outside the sentimentality, 2000trees is a simply wonderful festival to step into. The wider South West of Somerset, Cheltenham, and Bristol are arguably the most perfect places to be in England when the weather has the sun shining. Looking right as you enter to see horses grazing, and left to see hedgerows and fields, it reminds us of the English countryside we love before we enter into the joyous realm that is 2000trees.
As we entered the full first day of 2000trees, the promise of sets spanning a vast array of genres, featuring a plethora of new faces alongside returning fan favorites, Thursday looked to kick off the true festival celebrations with a resounding bang. With the likes of Pvris, Kneecap, and Stick To Your Guns emblazoning the top of the day’s poster, there was certainly plenty to look forward to. This, alongside a selection of the world’s most promising up-and-coming acts, and some already beloved names, meant that many were in attendance from the very beginning of the day, running set to set to catch as many sets as humanly possible.
Our day began with Grief Ritual, who brought their immense, heavy sound to open up The Cave, a sound that those of previous 2000trees and Frog and Fiddle attendees are more than aware of. We knew from the get-go that they were going to sound huge, but we weren’t prepared for them to sound quite as intense as they did. Crushingly heavy guitars met gut-punching drums and a vocal tone so commanding that you’d be too scared to refuse any demand. Eliciting two-steps and circle pits throughout the set’s duration, vocalist Jamie Waggett dictated over fans in attendance and did a fantastic job in both waking them up, but also sating them for the day ahead.
Taking the time between tracks to preach on the importance of fair representation, human rights, and supporting those who are suffering, the tone was abundantly clear, with every point met with a resounding roar of approval from the crowd. Tying this in with their set and the music in general, the band dedicated songs to various movements, including bringing an ally on stage to perform with them. Wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Trans Girls Fuck Better”, their friend trading back and forth with Waggett to close out the set. A fantastic example of how heavy music should be, Grief Ritual truly set a precedent for both The Cave and the festival as a whole.
Truthfully, for the weekend our stage of host was always going to be The Cave, with us foraying to the surrounding stages and even daringly dipping our toes into what the main stage had to offer. The first of our ventures outward was for PAVÉ on the Neu Stage. Vocalist Alanya-Jade entered to a thunderous round of applause. There is perhaps a beholden nature to performing at 2000trees at such an early stage in a band’s journey. PAVÉ was more than a joyous opener to the weekend as they weaved through their discography. It feels like there is much more to come from this band in a live setting, and we doubt this will be the last time we see them at 2000trees.
Rifle then took control of The Cave, with a sound that can only be described as true, geezer punk. The band’s set was every bit as rebellious as it was just pure fun. Fast-paced instrumentals met with a distinctive shouted scream, which led to a raw, to-the-point sound. The DIY punk five-piece were clearly having a lot of fun, and the crowd was with them. The band’s vocalist in particular harnessed an impressive amount of energy, throwing himself around the stage for the entirety of the set, all the while managing to keep up the performance and crack plenty of jokes. A band which, for many, was likely not already on their radar, there’s no doubt whatsoever that Rifle enlisted plenty of new fans with this impressively energetic performance.
Following on and taking up the early afternoon slot, Essex/London favourites False Reality burst onto the stage with unrelenting energy. A band we find ourselves growing more enamoured with every iteration of their hardcore sound, False Reality has mastered the art of writing tracks that are fun to move to. Whether you’re looking to throw down in the pit or show off your two-step, this set was the ideal launchpad for weekend chaos.
With a crowd still fresh and raring to go, circle pits were whipped into motion, and mosh calls rang out with force. Vocalist Rigby rallied the crowd into chanting the defiant hook of “Pay the Reaper”, “In for a penny, out for a pound”, with the kind of fervour that’s quickly becoming their trademark. Their newer material, like “Cranium” and “Cost of Spite,” demands a physical response; packed with breakdowns and sharp two-step rhythms that keep any hardcore fan on their toes. Meanwhile, the still-unreleased “Snake Eyes” remains one of our most anticipated tracks, off their upcoming debut full-length.
Like many acts on the 2000trees lineup, False Reality have paid their dues. It’s remarkable to see just how far they’ve come since we first screamed “Say it with your chest or say nothing at all” at previous shows up and down the country.
It was here for the first foray into The Forest stage, which, as has been well documented, sits within a small forest on Upcote Farm. It’s the stage where you send in your family group chat when your Mum asks how the festival is going, as a showing of a pleasant time, rather than the spin kicks of The Cave. It’s a beautiful setting, that Baby Said fitted in snugly, as Veronica and Jess traded their rock sound. It is a stage that is slightly more forgiving; one where the sheer setting lends to acts that lack the potency for the other stages, can find a nestled home.
It was soon VEXED‘s turn to take over The Cave. Surprisingly, their first appearance at 2000trees, given the two superb albums under their belt, we had high hopes for this set. With an immediate line-up change in Olly filling in for the regular Jay, this change did not lead to a note feeling out of place. Megan Targett commanded the crowd to widen the pit and circle pits, even with bubble guns coming out into a pit that returned memories of Techfest. Alongside Megan commanding the crowd was Meyrick de la Fuentes, with the tash and barnet of a man who would have sent most of us over the trenches a century and a decade ago, barking at the crowd to move.
Moving through their tech-death tunes of “Nepotism”, “Anti-Fetish”, and “Hideous”, it did bay for a heavier crowd response. The truth is, VEXED did deserve to be higher up on this lineup and would have drawn in a larger crowd, which is where VEXED truly thrive.
One of the small joys of 2000trees is the short walk between The Cave and The Axiom, which we continued to make the most of to catch Puppy. For many, a band which proved to be a decent change of pace from the day’s current onset, Puppy took over The Axiom, bringing their emo-tinged alternative rock stylings and iconic branding along with them. Taking to the stage with the tent already decently full, we were quite excited to finally get a glimpse as to what it was about this band that people go mad about. We’d seen plenty of shirts about, seen their logo slapped about the place over the years, yet somehow, we’d all managed to miss out on hearing any of their tunes.
Call it fate if you’d like, but perhaps we’d not heard their music, as they simply weren’t for us. Whilst it was abundantly clear that many festival-goers were loving the band’s set, we found that it felt somewhat flat, particularly when compared to some of the sets which had taken place earlier in the day. With that said, we were clearly in the minority with this feeling, as the tent was packed, with plenty of fans singing along word-for-word with vocalist Jack Norton. We’d love to give the band another shot in the not-so-distant future, and perhaps in a smaller venue, we too will catch a glimpse of the magic they so clearly hold for many.
After Puppy finished their set, it was then that the crowd drifted back to The Cave for a special performance from Love Letter. Holding the eloquence of melodic hardcore had felt lost until Love Letter emerged last year with Everyone Wants Something Beautiful. It is a record that grows ever closer to the heart with each listen, driving through the grooves of humanity that are further found. They are one of the acts on this line-up that, truthfully, we never thought we would have the pleasure and honour of seeing in a live setting.
As “Wellness Checks and Dead Friends” kicked in, the performance from Love Letter felt special. For us older heads who had loved the likes of Deafeter, Modern Life Is War and Verse, it kindled the heart and emotion of those bands. This isn’t to say Love Letter are simply an echo of that, as spoken by Murphy between tracks, humanity is relative that Love Letter speak of in such a way that no other melodic hardcore act has before. With this, each scream and strum from Love Letter felt earnest. The performance as a whole, packed with sheer passion, made it one of the best sets of the day. Murphy’s ability to speak on the issues of the silencing of Palestine Action in the UK, the struggles of homelessness, and food poverty made it one of the most human sets of the day.
This sense of soliditary continued with Spaced, who were finishing off their UK tour. New York’s finest, Spaced, came out swinging, looking to make their debut 2000trees performance one to remember. Performing with the confidence of seasoned veterans, Spaced put on a showcase of everything that makes hardcore such a special genre. Fast-paced, riffy guitars, pinging drums, and an extremely talented and charismatic vocalist made for an exceedingly fun time, as you can well imagine. Encouraging the dancers, the moshers, and the headbangers alike to get involved, vocalist Lexi Reygoudt’s energy was nothing short of infectious, and we, amongst many others, felt compelled to follow her commands.
Taking the time to shout out a plethora of smaller bands who’d also graced or were set to grace the festival’s stages this year, there was a clear love for the scene bleeding through in every second of the performance. This, combined with a feeling of both nostalgia and wonder at Spaced’s sound, made for a performance every hardcore lover would have been proud of. We said it last year, but The Cave truly feels like home, and Spaced fit right in as a part of that.
Between Spaced and PVRIS, Lake Malice was tasked with bridging the gap. An act that has seemingly become a festival mainstay in the blink of an eye, vocalist Alice has become a General in commanding a crowd, and now is suitably enforced with a backing dance unit. Neu Stage that was backed to the brim, and what comes next for Lake Malice after this festival season seems explosive.
As with each festival, the draw of the main stage eventually had its pull, as we descended upon the main stage for PVRIS. Among us were both die-hard PVRIS fans and those who’d drifted away, captivated once by the band’s early material and their magnetic rise around the turn of the decade. In recent years, their shift toward a more commercial sound may have alienated some, lost in the maze of reinvention. At 2000trees, all of that melted away in the face of a stunning performance.
Beneath the golden glow of the English sun at Upcote Farm, Gunn delivered a vocal performance that was nothing short of sublime. The set had all the makings of a perfect summer festival moment: effortless, heartfelt, and deeply communal. Whether commanding the stage through anthems or soaking in the adoration between songs, Gunn exuded a calm confidence and emotional connection that resonated deeply.
Celebrating the tenth anniversary of White Noise, the set quickly became a transportive experience. As songs from that era rolled in, delivered with the elegance and power Lynn Gunn and co. have long been known for, it was impossible not to be swept up. “Holy,” “Fire,” and “My House” came roaring back, reigniting a shared nostalgia that had the crowd singing along in full voice.
Even as they delved into newer material like “Hallucinations” and “Burn the Witch,” it was clear PVRIS remained masters of crafting a dynamic, emotionally resonant set drawn from across their evolving catalogue. As we noted in our review of their recent headline tour, our only remaining wish is to see All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell unearthed once more.
Our precursor to the headline came in the form of Twin Atlantic for most of us. A brief wander ended up at the Bambie Thug set, which left us confused, bewildered, and wondering what drugged up nonsense we had witnessed. Twin Atlantic have been 2000trees repeat offenders for many, many years, even headlining the event in the past. Now returning to a lower slot on the bill, the band’s set acted as a fun yet tame reprieve for many before the day’s headliners. Playing a strong selection of fan-favourites interspersed with newer material, there was a strange ebb and flow to their performance. Older tracks like “Hold On” were greeted with thunderous applause and a generally great reception, whereas newer material was treated with a much more tepid response. Perhaps they’ve now crossed the threshold into legacy status, or perhaps their older material captured something which they’re yet to replicate. Nonetheless, there was a noticeable divide between the two.
With that said, the band gave their absolute all to the performance, sounding huge for the entirety of the set. Sam McTrusty certainly still has plenty of charisma, and his constant jibes at the crowd elevated the overall experience. Their iconic, yet simple arena rock sound still stands out as being distinctly their own, and for many, that’s all that was needed.
For many, it would seem that Stick To Your Guns had been put in a rough spot, headlining against what now seems to be one of the most discussed acts at the moment. As Stick To Your Guns’ set opened with “Nobody” and “Invisible Rain”, it was with “Such Pain” that the heart of the Orange County band began to beat, barking back the timeless lyric, “The only enemy is me”. Threaded between sets, Jesse Barnett reminded the audience of their international obligation, reminding us that the enemy that threatens those abroad, also threatens us at home. The drones used to kill Palestinians while they collect food or fend for their lives are also used to round up people into the back of ICE vans.
Within all of this, it is difficult to feel hope, yet STYG is one of those bands that will pick you up. The performance of “Keep Planting Flowers” was special; it was a drawn back moment to merely embrace, and difficult to not sing back “So for those who’ve been truly devoured, keep planting flowers” with a tear in the eye. From then on, it was the energetic, heartfelt set that many Stick To Your Guns fans have come to enjoy. Being able to chant along to “We Still Believe” and “Against Them All” is a rejuvenating moment. There is an authenticity and a belief system to Stick To Your Guns, where buying into dignity and humanity for all across borders should be a principle that we should all hold.
Given that we are now in a world where freedom of expression and belief at festivals is being challenged by lawfare, the increasing corporate nature of festivals feels ever growing. The messages at hand across 2000trees this year felt more important than ever. Whether it was from the moment Grief Ritual opened The Cave with a message of dignity and mere respect across genders. Love Letter’s journey of poverty and homelessness drives at a core that many would have experienced personally. Spaced reminded us of the importance of building communities and solidarity in an ever-increasing individualistic world. Finally, Stick To Your Guns speaking in a heartfelt manner of the suffering that occurs beyond our borders, eloquently put in “More Than A Witness” with the line, “How can we look away?”.
This isn’t to say that 2000trees is a festival that puts itself through the decaying prism of politics, but rather that it is a festival that bases itself on the showcase of bands with a belief system, and lets those groups speak with a freedom of expression. It is commendable that 2000trees did not fold to the pressure surrounding Kneecap, and that, despite preference of taste or sound, delivers a message of humanity that we will continue to see addressed across the festival scene. Much like Reality Unfolds and Outbreak, 2000trees has carried a message that each one of us should take beyond the festival.
Shot on the 10th July by Joe Steven Hart – contact before any use. Words by Jack W, Joe E and Hayley W.