LIVE REPORT: 2000trees @ Upcote Farm, The Cotswolds

(Banner credit: Jez Pennington)

I think it’s time you had a pink cloud summer.”

Since its debut 16 years ago, 2000trees has been staking its claim as one of the UK’s finest mixed-bill alternative festivals, with hundreds of incredible acts within its alumni, and 2024 is no exception, with a line-up catering for a wide variety of alternative subgroups.

Before we dive into the line-up and performances though, I feel that it’s important that we discuss the festival’s organisation and layout. Consisting of 4 stages within the arena, and a further 2 outside of it, 2000trees layout allowed for easy transitions between stages for the most part, and by staggering nearby stages, it was extremely rare to experience any noise pollution from a neighbouring stage. One criticism that’s been plaguing competing festivals over the past few years is the positioning of food and drink vendors, and of toilet facilities. This, again, is something which 2000trees nailed, providing a plethora of vendors spread out across the arena, as well as allowing for festival goers to bring in their own food and drink should they wish.

There were also ample facilities spread across the site, with their positioning being well thought out to avoid any egregious queueing. This layout, combined with the staggering of performances, made for an extremely easy and enjoyable experience moving around the site from band-to-band, and is truly something which many other festival organisers stand to learn a lot from. This all while with the background of the rolling hills of The Cotswolds, the best you will see at any festival in the UK.

Moving onto the first full day of the festival, with Overpower opening up The Cave with a cacophonous sound, garnering a huge crowd gathering, and really setting the tone for that stage for the remainder of the festival. Heavy and fun, they truly put on a memorable set, and did a fantastic job at waking up many attendees who had turned out early to catch their set. Negative Frame followed up on the same stage, and only continued the carnage, and continued to showcase the variety and skills within the UK hardcore scene currently.

Later in the day, on the Main Stage, Dead Pony showcased a different side of the festival, putting on a pop-rock showcase with corkers “IGNORE THIS” and “MANA“, which easily staked their claim on the stage and proved that they were the right choice to play there. Awakebutstillinbed followed this up in the nearby Neu stage tent, putting on a fantastic performance, and bringing some fun to their set through the ‘demonically possessedMy Arms Are Your Cocoon, who had just been on tour with them, taking over mid set and playing some of their own material.

2000trees like many festivals had the challenge of navigating clashes, with the first notable one being between Knife Bride and Static Dress. With the the former performing down in The Cave and the latter on Main Stage. Static Dress put on one hell of a performance, and it’s clear to see why this band have grown so rapidly. Putting on what was arguably the heaviest set to grace the main stage for the entire festival, they managed to get the mixed crowd involved for the entirety of their set, spawning what may well have been the largest wall of death that the festival has ever seen. On the other side, Knife Bride pulled out a short but sweet set, showcasing their new track “Melancholia“, with a strong turnout even with the genre stablemates performing down the hill.

Grove Street picked it up again following a short break, another strong representative from the UK hardcore scene. Injecting an energy into the crowd with energetic “Hunting Season” and rolling out “Divided Kingdom“, the tightly packed tent made for a crowded by wild mosh pit. Inflatables were thrown into the mix, with beach balls going across the tent. Mid-set there was a mention to support local venues, including The Frog and Fiddle and Two Pigs in Cheltenham, a reminder that there is much to live music outside of large festivals. Inflatable boats were brought out send members of the crowd front-to-back of the tent, perhaps a nod to the IDLES piece at Glastonbury, at least the walls and fences keeping people out at 2000trees weren’t as high as those at Glastonbury. The set will see it go down as one of Grove Street‘s finest so far, and of the entire weekend.

In amongst the woodland of Upcote Farm was The Forest stage, where upstarts Kite Thief were blasting out their alternative rock sound. Putting on a solid performance, with the sheer fun they were having on stage having an infectious nature to it. Following this, Movements put on a set to be remembered, with the crowd lapping up the entire set, both new tracks and old. As always, “Daylily” was a spectacle to behold, with the crowd being so loud at times that vocalist Pat was no longer audible over the harmony of voices singing back at the stage. A beloved band already, they no doubt picked up a good number of new fans that day, and truly showed just how talented they are.

To close out the Axiom stage, Hot Mulligan pulled off an incredible set, with a crowd drawn so large that there was a perimeter outside of the tent which had gathered just to be able to hear them. It’s hard to argue that they didn’t put on one of the most memorable sets of the day, with vocalist Tades having some of the weirdest, and most entertaining post-song banter we have ever heard. Calls to ‘steal from your job‘, and an anecdote about re-selling staplers come to mind immediately, and it’s this level of fun combined with their grand performance that shows just why they have become so big in recent years, and this is a trajectory which shows no signs of stopping.

Then, to end the day, the ever-violent supergroup that is Better Lovers put on a headliner set of the ages on the cave stage. Playing multiple tracks from their upcoming release throughout their set, they kept the crowd on their toes for the entirety of the performance. Not to mention the insane antics of both vocalist Greg Puciato and guitarist Jordan Buckley, who both in their own way put on an entertaining show that transcended the music itself. With Puciato climbing the supports within the tent and diving into the crowd, and Buckley ending the set with launching his guitar into the air, it’s clear as day why this band is so special. Stage antics aside, the performance itself was nothing short of captivating, with the band commanding your attention for the entirety of the set. With a new ,material being teased, it’s obvious to us that not only are Better Lovers at the forefront of the scene right now, but they have ambitions to push this much further and to push themselves more and more.

Moving into Friday, Mouth Culture kicked off the Axiom stage, putting on a fantastic opening set and having a surprisingly good turnout for so early in the day. One thing was abundantly clear here, they truly are up-and-comers and can put on one hell of a set. UK hardcore staple, Cruelty followed swiftly on The Cave, a band that has only improved their live performance each time I’ve seen them, with their performance removing any doubt of their ability.

Our very own recommendation, Burner then continued the carnage in The Cave, changing up the vibe a little and showing off a much more death-metal tinged sound. Their set truly was fearsome, their maddening riffs filling the tent. With vocalist Harry Nott donning a t-shirt of the great K-pop act that ever was in Aespa, and callouts of ‘This song is about tornadoes killing racists‘, making sure they made their mark with their first ever festival appearance in style like nobody else did across the weekend.

It was back to The Forest stage with rising stars High Regard. As always with the Hertfordshire unit, there was a fantastic energy surrounding it, with much of the crowd singing along with vocalist Georgia Casey. Closing out with earworm “Dead To Me“, there is a sense that their trajectory could take them to large stages and festivals, and even as soon as next year could see them performing at the likes of Slam Dunk. The uniqueness to The Forest, in among the trees with an odd serenity to it, makes for a stage that you won’t find much like elsewhere.

Crawlers were next up on the main stage, however, due to vehicle issues, the band were late and their set was cut short as a result. It was clear, however, that they had a large fanbase in attendance, with swarms of people patiently waiting around the main stage area in anticipation of the band’s arrival. It’s a shame that the band inevitably only managed to squeeze in four tracks from their planned set, as the performance they put on once they had arrived garnered a fantastic reaction from the crowd.

Following a small break to rest and recuperate, we moved back to what was becoming our main hub for the duration of the festival, The Cave stage. Here, we caught Guilt Trip, who were not initially on the line-up and were announced quite late on. It feels like they were destined for this slot though, and the band came out swinging, putting on an absolute corker of a set of the festival, and seeing swathes of people surrounding the stage to try and catch a glimpse of the ongoing performance. Pulling out the likes of “Sweet Dreams“, “Eyes Wide Shut“, “Severance” and “Thin Ice“, making for a busy set for two-steppers, it also showed why Guilt Trip have become such a force in the UK and again are another act who likes converted many to their cause.

Followed up by Blood Command, it’s here where their performance left you looking at your friends wondering what was going on at times. Their set being a frantic journey through their wide discography, and their incredibly short newer songs, with the notable omission of “Nuns, Guns & Cowboys“. Crowd interaction was often forced or crowbarred in and a lack of flow to the set, and while it is appreciated monologues between sets did touch on relatable and personal matters, it took away from the energy that Blood Command‘s sound depends on when in a live setting.

Turnover luckily remedied this, continuing directly after on the Axiom stage, playing a fantastic mixture of material that had plenty of fans singing along for the entirety of the set. With an eclectic aura surrounding him, vocalist Austin Getz had very little to say throughout the set, instead making it clear that the band intended on cramming in as many tracks as possible into their time slot. A gentle blend of newer at old material, it was evident that much like Movements with Turnover, the likes of “New Scream” and “Dizzy on the Comedown” were the draws and fan favourites, all while converting the Axiom tent in a borderline hotbox.

Palm Reader now, and what is there to be said. For many, this is a band that requires no introduction, being in the UK scene for the past 13 years and being 2000 Trees mainstays. With this being their farewell set, there was an air of sadness before the band had even begun, with it being clear that many fans had made the trip especially to catch the band’s final ever show together. The band put their all into the performance, with it being clear that it was just as hard for them as it was for the fans to accept that this was, in fact, the end of an era. Their set spanned their entire discography, with some deep cuts thrown in there as one final hurrah. Bringing in past members as part of the performance, it was clear to all that to these guys, it was more than just a band, it was a family, and that they all truly loved what they were doing. It was extremely bittersweet, and vocalist Josh McKeown choked up multiple times throughout the set, and thanking fans repeatedly for being a part of their lives. Though Palm Reader is no more, their set cemented their legacy, and we are very glad to see members are continuing to make music under different projects going forwards.

Empire State Bastard closed out the day, once again on the cave stage which we had been frequenting. The performance was stellar, and it is shockingly impressive how violent Simon Neil’s screams are. During the band’s first few tracks, it was clear that some attendees had expected them to sound more like Biffy Clyro, with them slowly leaving the set as they realised the carnage that they’d gotten themselves into. This didn’t affect the set whatsoever though, and the crowd consistently grew throughout the duration, all wanting to witness the calamity happening before them. Empire State Bastard truly shocked and amazed the audience, and was an obvious choice to close out the day.

The final day of a festival is always the struggle, with days of mosh pits, booze and late nights all kicking in. This didn’t deter opening act The Meffs though, who gave their all to try and wake up the main stage crowd and to kick off the day. Admittedly, we did not catch all of their set, however what we did catch, performance wise at least, was good and felt perfect for that early day slot. With that said, some of the crowd calls such ‘Fuck Brexit‘, though obviously reciprocated, felt outdated, especially with all that is going on in the world in it’s current climate. With that said, The Meffs did a great job in waking up the crowd, and really got the day started.

Brighton based Snake Eyes were up next on the Axiom stage. The 3 piece put on a set worthy of a later slot, and despite the smaller crowd attendance, really put their all into the performance, with vocalist Jim Heffy spending one of their tracks in the crowd getting them involved. Midwest emo luminaries Michael Cera Palin followed up on the same stage, garnering an incredible crowd, and putting on a fantastic performance spanning their discography and also debuting new material. For the uninitiated, Michael Cera Palin are an eclectic band, but are certainly not to be ignored. Their performance was nothing short of fantastic, and vocalist Elliott Brabant took the time to highlight several important causes, such as LGBTQ and Trans support during their set, which certainly resonated with the crowd. Additionally, the band mentioned that they would also be playing a pop-up acoustic set in the camping area later in the day, which only left me feeling sad that I wasn’t camping also!

Next up was Birmingham hardcore’s finest, Cauldron, who from the get-go had fans two-stepping and throwing themselves around the horseshoe without a care in the world. Opening their set with “Bathe (In Your Body Heat)“, a deeper cut from their back catalogue, and a wonderful surprise in their setlist that also included at IEPER festival. Continued on by “The Last Words” and “Futile“, it was a shotgun opening of some of their best material and ensured the windmills and kicks were flying that would leave you with blood on your shirt once it was all over.

Playing a slew of tracks spanning their discography, there was a bit of something for everyone here, with their older tracks “FYS” and “Crossing the Threshold” being perfect for hardcore purists, and their newer material “Off Script” and “Rejection Pact” resonating with metalcore fans alike. One of the most anticipated bands in the scene right now, it was a pleasure getting to see this performance, and proved that Cauldron can handle it on the big festival stage, and fairly to 2000trees for including Cauldron when other festivals closer to their sound omitted then.

Gouge Away made their welcome return to UK shores, with that including an appearence here. A near five years since they last played here, they’ve still held onto their brilliance it was difficult not to be instantly blown away by both the band’s performance, and vocalist Christina Michelle’s commanding stage presence. Gems “Only Friend” and “Ghost” made an appearance, with material from Deep Sage making in appearance in the form of “Stuck in a Dream” and “Spaced Out“. A bit like Drug Church, the Florida unit are a stage dive band when it comes to crowd interaction, with the barrier here perhaps not giving Gouge Away the audience their sublime performance deserved. It’s no doubt that many in the tent, will make sure to see them again in such venues where possible when they hopefully return to England.

In among all this, a diversion to see what was occurring on the main stage was in need, with Brighton group THE XCERTS jamming away on the stage. An act who have made certain inroads within the scene but by all accounts here blended in with much of the alternative acts on main stage over the weekend, with Sløtface having the same air the day before. There were too many acts that lacked any presence or distinct sound of note that often left everything feeling slightly flat, the likes of Caseyette often left the mind wandering to what the food vans had on offer.

While some might put it down to a matter of taste, the energy that occurred in the likes of The Cave and Axiom was unrivalled, and it was something the main stage could do with. Given the response to many acts such as Guilt Trip, Grove Street and Cauldron, for 2000trees 2025, it would be grand to see some outside of the alternative bubble to see an inclusion on the main stage, bringing their different sounds and energetic crowds with it.

Atop of the hill were Blanket, who were up on the slightly awkward positioned Neu tent, which was followed by a performance in the same manner. Their sound not entirely filling through the tent as hoped, and Pook‘s ending of each track with ‘cheers‘ becoming every increasingly dry. It had a feeling that perhaps the setup was not ideal for Blanket, with little impression left after the closing of their set.

2000trees alumni Lonely The Brave then took over The Cave stage, playing a set spanning their discography with the likes of the beloved “Backroads” and “Trick of the Light” making an appearance, returning the heart to the olden days of the Cambridge group. Lonely The Brave have maintained their warmth and heart with new material “Our Sketch Out” and “Long Way” in both studio and a live setting, which was grand to see. Sadly, the weather took a turn during their performance, but this certainly didn’t dampen spirits, and the crowd lapped up the performance front to back. I doubt many of us would be opposed to having Lonely The Brave on every 2000trees line-up, and are an act that have the ability to make the worn out festival body and mind bring a tear to the eye.

Creeper then took over the Axiom stage, taking the crowd into a different dimension in which the band’s own vampiric fantasy world felt real. Predominantly playing tracks from their latest album, Sanguivore, the band is clearly doubling down on their new sound. Whilst personally I don’t enjoy this new sound nearly as much as their older material, it’s clear to see that crowds disagree, and it’s hard to argue that the band aren’t still a spectacle to behold. Injecting their set with a level of drama and theatrics of which rival the likes of My Chemical Romance, it’s clear to see that Creeper are a force to be reckoned with in the emo scene. I can only say that it’s a shame that their set was not longer, as I’d have loved to see some more of their earlier material creep in, or at the very least, something from their 2020 album, which was ignored completely. With that said, the performance, as always, was stellar, and Misery proved to be a stand out moment, with the crowd singing the chorus back to vocalist Will Gould word for word; a mainstay moment at Creeper shows that shows absolutely no signs of stopping.

With the acts on offer and the festival’s organisation on the whole, each of us came away from 2000trees feeling satisfied. There truly was something for everyone in terms of the music being played across the event, and it really was appreciated. We’d also like to shout out the representation of the hardcore scene across the event, there was such a great mix of acts from both the UK and greater scene, and it really showcased all that makes the scene so great. The festival was a fantastic experience, and it was clear that a lot of effort and care had gone in to ensure that attendees enjoyed every second of the event. Whether it was through laying out stages to ensure nobody had to walk too far between bands, putting on ample food vendors which catered for all sorts of dietary requirements, or the staggering of bands to avoid as many clashes as possible, it was clear to see that a lot of thought and planning had gone into the event. With all of this said, we are excited to see what 2025 holds for 2000trees, and we look forward to attending once more.