Photo Credit: Alia Thomas
Onto the second full day of Trees and we were up bright and early to make our way to see the main stage opened by BEX.
Having first discovered and interviewed her at Trees in 2023, we couldn’t wait to see what the pocket rocket would bring out this year. Proclaiming ‘THIS MEANS WAR’, BEX had arrived to shake any of the cobwebs away as she kicked into tracks including SPYD4 K1NG which saw the crowd chanting along to ‘Bite down’ quickly picking up the lyrics and Bite My Tongue which unleashed the mosh-pit fun as instructed by Bex. SunDae was hooked in our head long after the set as we found ourselves singing ‘rain, rain go away come again another day. This isn’t love this is just another mistake’. It was a brilliant start to our Friday as BEX’s bubbly stage presence shone through and bubbles covered the stage from a bubble gun. The singer-songwriter will be playing a headline show at Omeara in London on 1st November for the early risers like us who loved what we were hearing.
Next up on the mainstage were SLøTFACE who began the set with latest single Ladies Of The Fight. Haley Shea took no prisoners as the energy onstage made people get to their feet and dance along rather than have a chilled start to their day. Thanking those who were their at their previous 2000trees sets and those who also turned up early to see them today, Shea’s personality shone through as it was fun, frenzied and chaotic in good measures especially as she tells the story of a fan meaning well but telling her how refreshing it was to see someone over the age of 30 headlining a band before throwing it into Tired Old Dog for the real heroes of the festival – those over thirty and camping!. The guitar worked developed a gritty pop-rock edge in particular during punchy S.U.C.C.E.S.S as the band boogied on stage and continued the fiery energy seen with BEX. The beauty of this musical collective is that each members personality shines through as the collectives bassist and Shea decided to get down and into the wholesome mosh-pit for closing track HAPPY.
Over on the Axiom, King Nun opened with Golden Age from their latest album Lamb before we found ourselves singing along to the spiralling chorus of ‘I’m so lonely I could die’ during Selfish. Their energetic onstage presence, slick set and swirling guitars saw the tent further filling up as their set progressed, with people who were new to the band even singing along by the time OCD was in play. Closing track Escapism was heavy, hectic and the best kind of carnage so early int the day. Vocalist Theo Polyzoides took a time to shout out the guy who was sorting out the leads onstage for the band, a reminder that when we see these slick performances there’s often a crew behind them who keep it going so smoothly. Big up to those techs, security and everyone else involved!
Flyering works as we headed to the Neu stage to see Other Half. Let us explain, we’d been wandering around the site earlier in the day and handed a bright yellow flyer stating ‘Hiya, thanks for being Other Half’s new mate!’ so we had to go and support our new friends didn’t we! Performing material from their third album Dark Ageism, it was a fun and humour packed set in which we got a real taste of the trio’s personality. Explaining about how we should do the things we enjoy and love long into adulthood as long as it doesn’t do anyone any harm, something which is incredibly true. An appearance from Problem Patterns for a Farm Games singalong solidified this as the magic of Trees, discovering new bands and making new mates even if they don’t actually know who you are!
2023 2000trees was the home of Press to MECO’s final show and now in 2024, Unpeople which PTM’s Luke Caley and Jake Crawford are part of, becoming one of the most anticipated sets of the festival. Honestly, the amount of people we spoke to who couldn’t wait for their set meant it came as no surprised to see a packed tent. With their self-titled EP released earlier this year, it was a chance to showcase this alongside a rowdy take on Nirvana’s Territorial Pissings where they encouraged everyone to kick each others teeth in! Standout moments also came with stomping and sing-along inducing Smother and rollercoaster track Moon Baboon which took us from calm to a metal breakdown in seconds causing the crowd to struggle on the best approach; it obviously unleashed a mosh-pit. There were chants of ‘UNPEOPLE’ a crowd forming around the tent after hearing the commotion and for a band with less than ten tracks released under their belt it was a brilliant example of 2000trees at their finest.
After some slight technical issues, Nova Twins took to the stage as we were able to catch part of their set. Glistening in the sunshine, Amy Love and Georgina South were electric as they shouted out all their boss bitches before Cleopatra getting a sea of cheers and fans clapping along. With a happy pit of fans bouncing at the front, although we couldn’t watch their full set from what we saw we have no doubt they’ll continue rising up the bill on festivals such as these.
We remember Lauran Hibberd’s set on the Neu Stage back in 2022, now she’s back and playing a magical set over in the forest. Kicking off with album title track Girlfriend Material, it’s a fun start as heads are bopping along to the tongue in cheek vocals of the track. Unfortunately the mixing today meant Hibberd’s vocals were overpowered by the pounding drum lines and guitars, make it hard to absorb all the fun, sassy comments shared between the vocalist and the crowd. Dedicating I suck at grieving, to her dad whose anniversary it was today it was a vulnerable, sincere moment where the fun took a turn to show a different side to Hibberd. With James Porter on drums and Jess Baker on guitar, it was clear the trio were having the best time onstage as we and the forest sung our hearts out to 2nd prettiest girl (in the world) to close off another memorable set from Hibberd who was playing her ‘first and favourite festival of the year’.
Over in The Cave, Blood Command are unleashing a barrage of heavy, genre blending tunes to the delight of those who chose to spend part of their evening with them. From dedicating a track to their photographer Derek who’s going through a hard time to a visibly emotional Nikki Brumen throughout thanking the crowd for all the support and the sheer number of people who had come to witness their set, it was a really personal set in between the heaviness of their tracks including Heaven’s Hate and the first song released with Nikki as vocalist A Villain’s Monologue. It was simply impossible to stand still during their set as a wall of death opened up and the pits were reporting for action from the word go.
At 2000trees one moment you’re in the middle of a mosh-pit, the next you’re drifting away to the gorgeous sounds of Turnover’s Austin Getz. The electro vibes of Myself In The Way and the crowd pleaser of Humming which got the crowd cheering from the opening notes where everything we needed from this set. It wasn’t fussy, it was simple perfection and a masterclass in musicianship. Austin’s vocals soared on Humblest Pleasure as the pits we’d seen during the days up until now turned into well choreographed head bops from the crowd. With this being part of their UK tour, the Virgina Beach outfit captivated and became a standout set of the day for us as one final singalong of Take My Head into Diazepam closed off their set. It was a lovely way to bring a sense of calm to our day, changing up the pace and allowing us to simply get carried away by the vocals and musical accompaniment of the tracks.
Walking back over to The Cave, this was going to be an emotional one as Palm Reader’s Josh McKeown commented ‘This is our first song, for the last time’ as they opened their final show with Internal Winter. The hardcore outfit were packing a punch not just musically but also personally as they reminisiced about the importance of 2000trees, ‘you’re a massive reason as to why this band lasted thirteen years. This festival. There’s a reason this is the best festival in England and it’s because of you’. Performing a packed set taking us on a journey through their discography we received Willow, Hold/Release and Stay Down from Sleepless much to the delight of fans, with the lyrics even more tinged with emotion on thrashing Seeing and Believing Are Two Different Things; the bands first song. From front to the back and across the stage, everyone was giving it their all and obeying orders to circle around the bollard in the middle of the tent or crowd surfing, reaching the front and doing it all over again supported by the incredible Trees security. Throughout there were moments from McKeown where we were reminded this was their last show, ‘There’s so much going on my head right now I’m finding it hard to vocalise. I want to say thank you to all the friends and family here and that aren’t here’ before going into penultimate track Swarm. ‘I’m not pausing for effect, it’s very difficult to talk when trying not to cry’ as they explained they knew Trees would always be where their laid Palm Reader to rest with A Bird and Its Feathers. Whether you’re a long term fan of Palm Reader or just stumbled upon their set it was a raw set but one they can all say they proudly left their heart on stage following as they overran their curfew due to the cheers and hugs being shared onstage.
A running theme this year seems to be how busy The Axiom is, but it’s also a testament to how brilliant the bands playing the tent are! Hot Milk have packed out the tent as we try and fail to find a gap in the crowd after Palm Readers set. Flying over for the show in between their US tour dates as support to Blink-182, Han Mee explains that merely twelve hours ago they were in San Francisco. I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD was a standout set moment as the unity between the duo of Mee and Jim Shaw was laid bare as their dual vocals also blended flawlessly. This was the bands first time headlining a stage at the festival and it was done with ease especially given their travel time. Causing a full on party with PARTY ON MY DEATHBED, captivating us with the soaring chorus of BREATHING UNDERWATER and reminding us why the band are one of the most powerful on the scene right now. We cannot wait to see their progression continue and where the next twelve months take them.
Music is a special thing, what one person loves might not be someone else’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Having to make a decision between Aussie’s The Chats or Empire State Bastard, we decided to spend it at The Cave with ESB. Going in at breakneck speed with Stutter, Mike Vennart proclaimed ‘we’re back and this time we’ve got the whole damn parade’ as the tent began to wonder what was about to unfold. With such explosive instrument elements, at times sounds began to bleed together making it feel messy and the screaming vocals of Simon Neil harder than usual to understand. With a headache inducing light show, performing tracks including Harvest and Blusher, the band also shouted out Palm Reader who played just before them and offered up a taster of heaviness but nothing on the ESB scale. With sharp guitars from Vennart and Naomi Mac, relentless vocals from Neil and the driving drum force of Mike Lombardo, the quartet weren’t holding a thing back for their set. We absolutely loved the sheer excitement exhibited by the band as numerous times Neil pointed and proclaimed ‘That’s Dave Lombardo! He’s right there!’ as he completed the ESB experience. If you were expecting a Biffy style set, think again as this is the chance for a whole new musical world to be explored by Neil and Vennart which will either be your thing or as for us it just wasn’t.
Reflecting back on our Friday, we had a wave of emotions from the collective heartbreak during Palm Reader to the joy seeing Unpeople realise a tent full of people were there to simply watch them play a phenomenal set. We said goodbye to day two of Trees ahead of a stacked Saturday.
You can read our review of Wednesday and Thursday here.
Written By: Nicola Craig
Photo gallery featuring Mouth Culture, SLøTFACE, King Nun, As December Falls, Unpeople, Nova Twins, Lauran Hibberd, Grandson, Bob Vylan, Palm Reader, Hot Milk and Empire State Bastard.
