Main Stage
Back for another year, 2000trees Festival arrives in the Cotswolds as jam-packed with the best in alt-rock, punk, emo, hardcore and all manner else. Even on the main stage where things dip into the more uncomplicatedly palatable sides of things, there’s a generally high standard there. For one, the headliners do all stick out in their own way. The big one is Funeral For A Friend, for whom their run with Holding Absence’s Lucas Woodland up front appears to be ongoing. Not to complain, though; he’s done a great job up to now, and some of the most defining post-hardcore cuts in the British canon aren’t struggling under his leadership. Elsewhere, the return of Alkaline Trio to the top of the bill has been a long time coming, and their catalogue of great, galloping, macabre-tinged punk has only grown since 2015. Finally, while Neck Deep are more associated with the Slam Dunkier side of the UK festival circuit, it’s not like the bevy of pop-punk tunes they’ve amassed since becoming our isles biggest genre export is anything to sniff at, in any environment.
As far as legacy acts who usually occupy a couple of main stage spots go, clearly no expense has been spared here. It can be pretty rare to catch glassjaw in the wild these days, and while a sub-headline slot can seem a bit optimistic, one of the most electric and important post-hardcore bands of the 2000s is worth it. The same can be said for Sunny Day Real Estate in ‘90s emo, though given that a healthy percentage of ‘trees-goers probably have a copy of Diary in one way or another, you can see the logic. As for Mariachi El Bronx…well, they’re likely only here because The Bronx Proper are elsewhere, but that’s not a bad thing. A bit of mid-afternoon mariachi music can hit, even if it won’t be the highlight of your weekend or anything.
In terms of Britrock and its adjacent circles, the main stage is a haven for the stuff as always. Chief among them is the continued comeback of Marmozets, now with a brand new album in the world and the same penchant for live punch as always. Mouth Culture and Beauty School have only being going from strength to strength recently, while Saint Agnes’ industrial rock (heaving and stark in equal capacity) and The Scratch’s Celtic folk / metal fusion have been enjoying similar momentum in the same spheres. It’s a testament to the diversity of the current alternative scene and how ever-changing its boundaries are, especially when the likes of Frozemode and Carsick are allowed to join in on the biggest stages, both with indie / hip-hop hybrids that are totally distinct from one another.
For the real stars of main stage representation, though, just look at the spread of indie-punk, garage-rock and post-punk available. PUP and Lambrini Girls are both brilliant gets, playing to sharpened, accessible punk sensibilities that still feel individual. The latter especially have been utterly dominating since the release of their debut Who Let The Dogs Out last year, and that doesn’t appear to be letting up even a bit. Bad Nerves and Tigercub also find themselves in noteworthy positions, where decently high slots are rewarded for grind and tenacity, not commercial pull. Not a new occurrence at ‘trees; always good to see, though. In a similar vein, it’s a big opportunity for bands like Buds., Twat Union and SUDS, all of whom have made serious waves within indie-punk lately, now with a chance to strike a harder chord than ever.
Last of all are the free agents, serving as the sole representatives of their scene on this scale, and rounding out ‘trees’ roster of sounds nicely. They’re all pretty good, too (with the dubious exception of The Skinner Brothers’ your-dad-in-a-punk-band vibe). Battlesnake bring some chugging metal pageantry; House Of Protection find yet another stage to prove why they’re one of the most exciting names in current post-hardcore; Heart Attack Man and Pinkshift arrive from different ends of emo and punk; Higher Power continue a solid streak of grunge-flavoured hardcore; and Melanie Baker comes packing her queer, ‘90s-inspired alt-rock.
The Axiom
One thing you might notice about this year’s Axiom is its plethora of emo. It makes sense as ‘trees’ nominal second stage filling up on one of its most popular genres, as well as having enough attention for both stalwarts and risers. Superheaven are headlining, and although their return mightn’t have lit a fuse like their 2010s heyday, their standing among emo’s grunge- and shoegaze-leaning sides can’t be ignored. At a similar level, Free Throw never seem to be shy of acclaim for their work, while Have Mercy—representative of something fuller and more bracing within the sound—are always nice to get reacquainted with.
In terms of long-running names deserving of a lot more love, Lakes are capable of some of the most lush emo soundscapes you’re likely to catch all weekend. As for Nervus, it feels as though they’ve been MIA for ages, so to have one of the UK’s top proprietors of melodic alt-rock back with a nice mid-afternoon is legitimately wonderful. They’re also a good way to bridge the gap between the established heavy-hitters, and the clutch of emo names for whom this may be their biggest chance to shine yet. Among those, Guillotine have a strong alt-rock core to build off, while Footballhead heavily channel the post-hardcore of the 2000s, and Tooth are the must-catch reps for Midwest emo fans this year.
And even with all of that, The Axiom still has plenty to offer, predominantly in the vein of big, festival-ready alt-rock. It’s other two headliners fuel that excellently—Dinosaur Pile-Up and their snarky grunge thunder, and the long-awaited, much-clamoured-for return of Arcane Roots. It’s one of the most anticipated sets of the festival for a reason, thanks to just how potent and soaring their math-rock anthems were back in the day. Joining them is a slew of established festival friends—Mallory Knox with their no-nonsense Britrock; the ever-ripping punk of The Bronx; the enormo-metalcore of As Everything Unfolds; and Ho99o9, whose debauched noise-rap always seems to come out of leftfield, and always seems to blow the roof off.
Finally, there’s the rest, among themselves not short of highlights. For a new band that really seem to be going places, Cowboy Hunters fit that bill expertly. They’ve been making the rounds this year with a rap sheet of electro-punk noise and instrument-switching shenanigans, and it’s always been a ton of fun. If it’s something more conventional you’re after, Lastelle and Lonesome seek to hit the atmospheric, emotive highs of Holding Absence (and tend to do it rather well), and Pool Kids prove capable of some deliriously catchy indie-rock. As for the rest, there’s some strong alt-rock courtesy of Coach Party and Peach; Cosmic Psychos bring their long-running punk all the way from Australia; Happydaze and Grandmas House have made some pretty significant ripples in pop-punk and post-punk respectively; and CLUB BRAT work with a brand of noise-pop that’s…alright, at a push? Can’t win ‘em all, eh?
The Cave
Skimming over The Cave’s lineup, you might notice how a few of the names seem…un-Cavelike. What’s often ‘trees one-stop shop for the best of new heaviness appears to be diversifying, and while that’s far from a criticism—in most cases (*cough* Delilah Bon *cough*)—it’s just something to pick up on. Compared to the norm, there’s a bit here that feels more like Axiom overspill—the earnest pop-rock of The Xcerts; the rabble-rousing alt-punk of I Am The Avalanche; the gripping emo of saturdays at you place; the literally-everywhere-to-the-point-of-unavoidability alt-rock of Bleech 9:3. Of course, it helps that this is all good stuff, and if The Cave is looking to spread out a bit more widely, it’s fairly impossible to complain.
And besides, it’s not like it’s a total betrayal of what this stage has grown into over the years. Here, there’s still a bevy of punk, hardcore and metal, with the variety to where no two are really the same. A great headlining crop shows that off—Static Dress, fresh off their album Injury Episode that’s kept their reign among post-hardcore’s best intact; High Vis, with their red-raw yet unflinchingly melodic hardcore that’s always been fantastic; and Cancer Bats, the most self-explanatory booking in the history of time. Even with some of the undercard, there’s a lot of strong presence to colour and flesh it all out further. Militarie Gun are a worthy booking in the realms of Turnstile heirs apparent, while also being pretty damn solid in melodic punk and hardcore themselves. The return of Petrol Girls is another one of note, one of the most searing firebrands in British punk and hardcore finally coming back when it couldn’t be needed more.
There’s plenty more of note, too—Banks Arcade’s vivacious metalcore; Still In Love canvassing UK hardcore legends for another worthy endeavour (with Bodyweb being pretty much the same for rising stars); Stress Positions, holding firm among powerviolence after Human Zoo was one of the most devastating listens of last year; and God Complex, who are always good for a deathcore bludgeoning. It’s rare to have an interest anywhere across the heavy spectrum and not find something on The Cave’s bill that’s to taste. Especially if you’ve got an ear to the ground for this sort of thing, there’s something there. Key candidates for that Dead Pioneers in punk, Long Goodbye in old-school metalcore, Hammok in hardcore (especially of the Norwegian variety), and Silo in all-purpose post-hardcore, but that could encompass any name here.
Thus, even when you get to the most fledgling names, there’s still plenty to get excited about. Reclus.É, for instance, is Daniel P. Carter’s new project, described as “Bad Brains meets Boygenius”, if that tickles your fancy. Meanwhile, Truck Violence (the first of three ‘Truck’ bands on this year’s bill) are thoroughly unique in hardcore thanks to their folk bent and sludgy aftertaste. The final names each occupy a different sector of heaviness—Prodigal breaching both post-hardcore and post-metal; Brakatus making a consummate punk racket; Overgrown melding grunge with nu-metal; Luxury Apartments sitting between post-punk and hardcore; Thorns working in thrash; and, diciest of all, Lickshot with their self-described ‘nostalgia-core’ that could be a bit of fun, or an overstuffed alt-metal disaster. We’ll see.
The Marshall Stage
From the ashes of The NEU Stage rises The Marshall Stage, the new home of everything cool and on the rise at ‘trees. Okay, so it’s not much more than a rebrand, but the lineup, as always, still speaks for itself. There’s a bumper trio of headliners, all of completely different stripes—The Dirty Nil, for riotous, ravenous punk; Tropic Gold, for dense, thoroughly modern alt-metal; and Cody Frost, for genre-agnostic fare determined to inhabit every inch of the ‘alternative’ umbrella. There’s a few of those this year, actually, from the noise-rap of Kent Osborne, to the grinding alt-pop of AILSHA (following in the footsteps of Bambie Thug as another Irish Eurovision hopeful), to So Good, who offsets a more ‘standard’ pop palette by releasing a Christmas song as her debut single. No more seasonally appropriate time or place than a festival in July to roll that one out, is there?
In terms of archetypically ‘trees fare, though, there’s plenty on offer. Punk and post-punk fans are being well-fed starting with SMUG LLC, the new project of Single Mothers’ Drew Thomson that takes on a sharp dance-punk vibe. Similar (albeit with a bit more squall), LEMONSUCKR are about as tightly wound as it comes, and Knives are well-known by now for the maelstroms of sax-infested noise-rock they whip up. It doesn’t end there, either, as Ain’t look to be making an audition for the Windmill Scene in-crowd with their post-punk, while Aerial Salad, Adore and thistle. all have plenty in the field to explore.
On the more alt and indie side of things, Big Truck finds Soft Play’s Laurie Vincent a little calmer than usual, in the rollout of a more melody-driven new project. Gallus, meanwhile, have been cutting their teeth for years, though they’ve ended up as a tremendously solid alt-punk outfit on the process. The same goes for snake eyes and their tight, noisy alt-rock, while East Exchange are on that very path with another ubiquitous festival season at hand, and goo’s solid indie-rock could easily undergo the same journey. Branching out a little more, there’s something for the shoegaze fans to get lost in from IOTA and HIGHDRIVE, while Ashaine White tempers her indie style with something more serene and soulful.
The last handful appear all over map, and don’t worry—the terrifying assertion of Jayler being “the UK’s answer to Greta Van Fleet” is not indicative of it all. Maybe for ELLiS•D, though with more of a glam-punk sensibility to his work, perhaps that’s just the general retro-ness of it all. For something far more contemporary, there’s always the dark gloss applied to Call Me Amour’s alt-rock, or the glossy, blemish-free pop-metal of Glass Bridges. Finally is a pair of math-rock names for something a bit more out-there—the gonzo prog of Alpha Male Tea Party, and the post-rock leanings of Bicurious.
The Forest Stage
The Forest Stage returns as arguably the defining feature of 2000trees, back with what makes it so defining in the first place. For one, there’s the prospect of intimate sets from acts who would tend to be far bigger than what a stage like this promises. That’s true for Wednesday’s festival openers, where PUP headline before their main stage set just a day later. The Dirty Nil are also a significant draw for that, joined by some of last year’s faves making their return in SPRINTS, BLACKGOLD, Hyphen, Karen Dió and Split Dogs. Elsewhere, The Xcerts will be delivering a special Q&A session; Arcane Roots strip things down for their second set of the weekend; Vinnie Caruana breaks from I Am The Avalanche for a solo set (you can also throw Anthony Green in there, despite none of his bands being on the lineup proper); and Cancer Bats change into their Bat Sabbath alter egos for their next appearance. On top of even all that, there’s the live silent disco, which inexplicably worked last year, and thus Haggard Cat, Battlesnake and Frozemode are on the docket this time.
In terms of its own exclusive lineup, the Forest’s emphasis appears to be on smaller-sounding acts, or ones with a bit less genre solidity about them. It’s why you get someone like Hyro The Hero in a headline slot, whose rap-rock has been out of the spotlight for a while, but feels custom-built to work on this level. Native James is in a similar boat, but considering the wild amounts of traction he’s picked up, don’t be surprised to see him graduate soon onto a stage that’s a bit less wooded. Joining them, carolesdaughter’s TikTok-friendly alt-pop has only gotten more sophisticated over time; ALT BLK ERA have a fusion of alt-metal, electronica and drum ‘n’ bass to work with; and DeadWax’s grime / rock / dark-electro combo hits in similar fashion.
In terms of those ‘smaller-sounding’ acts, though…well, it’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Greywind’s sweeping emo or High Regard’s high-impact pop-rock don’t have to be sequestered over here, and The Virginmarys’ garage-rock, A’s pop-rock gleam and The Skints’ reggae have lived on the main bill before. But for indie-pop and various arms of post-punk and alt-rock, this is arguably the perfect environment. It’s where you can away with something weirder, for one. J’cuuzi’s punk comes with very little self-control, and the art-rock of Sans Froid and the dance-punk of Scustin are the ideal complements to that. But then, there’s the stripped-bare folk of (the aptly-named) a Forest, or the pop flutters of Beauty Sleep, or the trip-hop-inspired dream-pop of Night Swimming. These really wouldn’t fit anywhere else here (nor on most festival bills), and having that dedicated area is a great thing.
Finally, there’s the rest, made up of up-and-comers or smaller names ready to break among the ‘trees ecosystem. Probably the biggest among them is Saint Senara for the acclaim their bluesy Americana has received, but there’s still plenty more to pique your interest—the post-punk of MOULD and Doss; the blunted indie-punk of Hotgirl and SLAG; and the emo-tinged indie of Truck.
2000trees Festival takes place on 8th-11th July at Upcote Farm. For more information, visit 2000trees.co.uk.
Words by Luke Nuttall
