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For one weekend yearly, the luxurious grounds of Upcote Farm are reworked into another haven. Marking its fifteenth yr (in addition to its rainiest day in historical past) this 2000trees was a complete knock out.
With high notch headliners and a spectacular undercard, this yr’s pageant was a shocking celebration of all issues rock, metallic and punk.
We thought we’d provide help to all relive the weekend – so listed here are the highest 10 highlights of this yr’s 2000trees.
SOFT PLAY
Following a sweaty warm-up present in Tunbridge Wells’ Discussion board, it solely made sense for SOFT PLAY to ease again into motion with a set at 2000trees. Having headlined earlier than, the pair took to the stage with whole confidence, the lovable rogues swaggering out and rapidly settling into their standard tongue-in-cheek banter.
The punk duo, beforehand referred to as Slaves pull off a suitably chaotic set, brimming with punchy fan favourites like ‘The place’s Your Automotive Debbie?’, ‘Lady Battle’, and even a Bobby Vylan function for ‘One Extra Day Wont Damage’. “Thought you have been rowdy, thought you have been punks… smooth play extra like smooth cunts,” vocalist Isaac Holman jokes at one level, however the set is something however smooth; it’s a return that units the bar excessive, reminding everybody of the 2 man powerhouse they’ve all the time been.
Bob Vylan
After (allegedly) collapsing the NEU stage in 2022 resulting from a mass stage invasion, this yr noticed the ‘Fred Perry Mafia’ return for spherical two. With a raging headline set on the Wednesday, in addition to a second Thursday Principal Stage slot, Bob Vylan really left their mark on this yr’s pageant.
“The set final yr – allegedly – was a well being and security nightmare…” vocalist Bobby begins, earlier than drummer Bobbie cheekily notes that “nicely, they needed us again, so the present was clearly THAT good.”
Waging the conflict towards ‘pacifist punk’, Bob Vylan’s Principal Stage improve serves as a significant step ahead for the impartial duo. “Whereas all people is simply now feeling financial hardship, we spoke about that on ‘The Value Of Life’,” Bobbie explains. “We’re all the time forward of the curve, all the time forward of what’s occurring.”
“The music that we write will not be reactionary,” Bobby provides. “We wrote ‘We Reside Right here’ in 2019, after which when all of the protests occurred in 2021. Folks refused to work with us… however then when that stuff grew to become fashionable, when it was within the mainstream media, all of a sudden those self same folks rotated and went ‘oh, we perceive now.’ However what about what you have been saying simply yesterday?”
Enter: Rou Reynolds
Saturday could have introduced the rain, nevertheless it additionally introduced Rou Reynolds. The Enter Shikari singer made a shock look at not one however two units, performing a messy, euphoric model of ‘Bull’ with Cody Frost within the Forest, in addition to leaping onstage with emo legends Hundred Causes for an iconic efficiency of ‘Silver.’
Whereas Enter Shikari haven’t returned to the pageant since 2018, we are able to solely hope Reynold’s love for 2000trees is a touch on the eclectic rockers returning in future years.
Dream State
Following a bought out UK tour, Dream State well-and-truly cemented their return on the Cave stage on Saturday. A real baptism of fireplace, Powell repeatedly claimed that the pageant was the “largest crowd” she’d ever sung for – however her gruelling vocal efficiency was faultless.
Labelling her preferrred sound as “Arch Enemy meets Katy Perry”, it’s no shock that Powell delivers traditional Dream State tracks with a rawer, sharper edge. “I really like the stability of singing and screaming, as a result of it’s surprising once I drop these, like, horrifying growls,” Powell explains. “There are some elements of the outdated tracks that don’t have screaming, however I like so as to add my very own flare.”
February’s Untethered EP is barely the beginning of Dream State’s new incarnation. “I believe Aled [Evans] and me have been purported to work collectively. We’re the calm and the chaos. And he writes like a genius,” Powell notes.
Press To MECO
Wednesday proved to be fairly a bittersweet affair for Press To MECO followers, the alt-rockers churning out their remaining farewell to the venture. The 2000Trees group invited the gang again as ‘2000Trees legends’, enabling them to knock out one final efficiency on the Forest Stage.
From start-to-finish, followers have been determined to point out their appreciation, howling alongside to traditional tracks like ‘If All Your Elements Don’t Make A Entire’ and ‘Gold’. It served as the proper send-off – and in addition allowed followers to listen to about Luke Caley and Jake Crawford’s new prog-rock venture Unpeople, who carried out on the Neu on Thursday.
Holding Absence
Having ticked off each different stage on the pageant, this yr noticed Holding Absence lastly taking their rightful place on the Principal Stage. With their new album on the way in which this August, it served as the proper approach to wave out the ‘The Biggest Mistake of My Life’ period.
Talking on the ‘The Noble Artwork Of Self Destruction’, vocalist Lucas Woodland explains how the album would be the third instalment in a trilogy of releases. “For these first three albums, in one of the simplest ways, it seems like we’ve been in cruise management. It’s all been very pure,” he tells us. “For album 4, we need to reinvent ourselves. We put the little ‘three of three’ on the paintings to make clear that it’s closing off a trilogy, and for followers to be excited for the long run.”
The Xcerts
The Xcerts’ carried out a unfastened, carefee set within the Axiom on Friday. A gathering level of outdated heart-wrenchers and new technicolour anthems, it served as proof of Xcerts’ plain versatility. From the sickly candy autotune of ‘GIMME!’ to the traditional acoustic of ‘Aberdeen 1987’, the set is a roaring success.
Closing on the gloriously snappy ‘Ache’ – twice – it’s clear that The Xcerts are embracing chaos this time round. Talking on their new period, bassist Jordan Smith notes that every one the enjoyable they’re having is a product of sheer reduction; “I believe like we’re actually we’re very grateful to nonetheless be a band releasing music,” he says.
Talking on the brand new document, vocalist Murray Macleod expands; “This document is a really experimental document for us. We haven’t taken a FULL left flip, there’s nonetheless The Xcerts thread, however we actually needed to let our freak flag fly on this one. Even when a track is barely minute lengthy, if it feels proper, that’s okay.”
“I really feel like we beforehand boxed ourselves in, making an attempt to suit right into a mould that was boring and beige. However this time spherical… we have been we have been within the studio like goddamn panthers on the prowl to create,” Macleod grins. And it’s set to actually be as chaotic because the band themselves, Smith telling us that there’s even a “bluesy, New York 50s jazz” monitor to look out for within the combine.
Riot Grrrls
The riot grrrl have been wreaking plain havoc at this yr’s Bushes. The gutsy, sharp-tongued Lambrini Women served up a gruelling set of all-killed-no-filler ragers, scornfully mocking terfs, sexism and wolf-whistling perverts. Self-proclaimed ‘brat’ Delilah Bon performs an equally as livid set over on the Forest stage. Undeterred by the rain, the Arms Off Gretel singer churns via a condemning set of war-cry anthems, with the likes of ‘I Don’t Hear To You’ and ‘Lifeless Males Don’t Rape’ each making an enraged look.
Casey
Shoegazey rockers Casey pulled off a stunningly emotional set on Friday. Hazey lighting and woozy hooks had followers gripped, Tom Weaver’s heart-on-sleeve honesty on full show.
Talking on their 4 yr hiatus and eventual return final December, Weaver notes how the group have been “very pleasantly stunned and extremely grateful” by followers eagerly welcoming them again.
“We’d gotten to the tip of our run, however the pandemic actually nurtured a brand new need to create,” Weaver tells us. “At some point Liam despatched me a random demo and needed me to inform him what I believed and, after about, like, 30 seconds, I used to be like, ‘…so that is Casey stuff, proper?’ And it was fairly coincidental since I’d damaged up with my companion simply two days earlier than. It felt like precisely what I wanted.”
Bullet X Most cancers Bats
Heavy metallers Bullet For My Valentine handled followers to a very mega headline set on Friday night. Whereas Matthew Tuck jokes in regards to the band being maybe the “heaviest band 2000trees have ever had”, their efficiency is undeniably hard-hitting. With a satisfying combine of recent tracks and good deep cuts, the set has Bullets followers in movement all through, mosh pits aplenty.
Actually pulling out all of the stops, Tuck even drags Most cancers Bats vocalist Liam Cormier out for an AxeWound reunion. ‘Chilly’ has followers up in arms, AxeWound lovers determined to crowdsurf and present their appreciation. All earlier than closing on the killer combo of ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ and ‘Waking The Demon’ – they’re legends for a purpose, folks.
2000trees Pageant will return in 2024, going down July 11-14 with early chook tickets on sale now.
The put up 2000trees Pageant 2023: The ten Greatest Moments appeared first on Rock Sound.
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