2000trees is one of our favourite festivals, ever. The 2019 edition had an absolutely stacked line-up and we at Bring The Noise UK spent all three days rushing around like crazy, trying to catch as much as possible.
A arrival slightly later than planned, thanks to the ever wonderful traffic coming out of South Wales, meant that we were unable to catch the very start of the festival. However, we managed to cram a load of great bands in and still had an incredible day one!
Bristol’s Phoxjaw are a band on the rise and this set, kicking off early afternoon, was a fantastic showing of things to come. Starting with the indescribable Melt, You’re a Face of Wax, Phoxjaw proceeds to rip through eight tracks from the brilliant A Playground for Sad Adults and Goodbye Dinosaur… EP’s. A mash-up of sounds that is completely their own has the audience gripped throughout the set; the energy brought to the NEU stage is incredible and acts as a great warm up for latecomers to the festival site. 8/10
Nervus have fast become one of the most exciting and important bands in punk music; a packed out Cave was an absolute party for the band who have gone from strength to strength over the last few years. Em Foster’s enthusiasm and charisma is infectious but retains a fantastic pissed-off edge, proving that punk music is just as vital in fighting oppression, and fighting for inclusion, today as it ever has been. The incredible set culminates in a stage shaking (literally, as half the tent invades the stage) rendition of It Follows, and Nervus ride off with a new album announced for September and one of the best, most fun sets of the entire weekend. 10/10
It’s been a tumultuous year or so for Milk Teeth, with band members leaving and new members coming in, but it appears that things have settled, and after a tour with the mighty PUP earlier this year, Milk Teeth haven’t looked this happy or comfortable for a while. It’s great to see the band tear through fan favourites from their back catalogue, with Owning Your Okayness being the highlight. Another of the most important bands in British punk music today, Milk Teeth look like they’re ready to push on and we can’t wait to see where they go. 8/10
One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend saw Conjurer play to a packed Axiom, and it was like nothing we’ve ever seen. Conjurer somehow manage to be heavy, brutal, terrifying, uplifting, beautiful and positive all at the same time. An unforgettable experience; one that we highly recommend to metal and non-metal fans alike. 9/10
Over on the Main Stage, Turnstile play an oddly muted, low energy set featuring tracks from the excellent Non-Stop Feeling and Time & Space. That’s not to say that they were bad, it just felt like something was missing today. 6/10
Featuring tracks from the seminal Wake the Dead, as well as the underrated Die Knowing and Symptoms + Cures, Comeback Kid tear through a frenetic set that leaves both the band and the audience completely breathless. By the time the final sing-a-long to Wake the Dead ends, the Cave is a sea of sweat and smiles all around. 8/10
2000trees favourite Jamie Lenman returns with his second set of the day, for the conclusion of Lenmania II. Including tracks from his covers album of sorts, Shuffle, songs from both studio albums and a couple of Reuben songs thrown in for good measure, Lenman’s electric set take a wild ride all over the place. A guest appearance from Guy Davis for No-one Wins the War is an absolute treat, and Lenman has cemented himself as the King of 2000trees. Lenmania III next year? 10/10
Sadly While She Sleeps vocalist Lawrence Taylor is unable to make tonight’s set, so we get a bit of a mish-mash of a set, featuring guest performances from Griffin Dickinson (Shvpes), Andrew Neufeld (Comeback Kid), Lucas Woodland (Holding Absence) and Liam Cormier (Cancer Bats), taking us through a set relying heavily on the mighty You Are We and new album SO WHAT? While She Sleeps makes the best of a bad situation and deliver a cracking set, but there’s a lingering sense of ‘if only…’ that brings the whole thing down just a bit. 7/10
Written by: Henry McCaughtrie
Photos by: Calum McMillan
