2000 Trees Festival 2023: The Review – Friday

With sun beaming down onto smiling faces and one or two pit injuries, the Friday of 2000 Trees 2023 was a day of non-stop energy.

It may only be midday, but the crowds are down at main stage at force. The St. Pierre Snake Invasion are essentially the 2000 Trees and ArcTanGent house band at this point, something that frontman Damien Sayell jokes part way through their main stage set. God knows just how many time Damien and company have played both festivals over the years, working their way up the hierarchy to finally hitting the main stage once more in support of their new album Galore. Their blend of electronics into their alternative hardcore/punk sounds massive booming from the main stage PA, the dedicated crowd down the front pitting and going hard for the duration. After three Galore tracks at the start, the rest of this set is well-established bangers from their prior albums, culminating in a sweet moment as Damien brings out his son for set closer ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Workshops’. This band may have played essentially every stage at this festival at this point – perhaps the Forest being an exception – but it’s clear today that the main stage is where this fantastic band deserve to be at Trees. – Harry Shiels

Following this, Heriot pull off a minor miracle for their main stage set by having actually good sound. Not just good, but translating their cataclysmically heavy riffs to the open air near perfectly. Despite the relatively early set (only the third band on the stage), the turnout is massive and, even better, enthusiastic. There’s an army of inflatable swords waving down at the front and a large circle pit that keeps going throughout, especially during a particularly vitriolic ‘Coalescence’. As they remark, last year they played on the Cave but this year, they’ve come to the main stage; it’s a huge step up, and a more than deserved one for all their hard work. Thankfully the sound holds throughout their set and they’re simply colossal for a half hour that flies by all too soon. – Will Marshall

Photo Credit:
Gareth Bull | @garethbull.co

The Cave is incredibly busy as Cleveland, Ohio punk rock outfit Heart Attack Man take to the stage for their first ever UK festival appearance. Whilst their music leans towards the pop-punk side of things, their lyrical subject matter often falls into political leanings for a more “real” edge to the band. They waste little time in their half hour set and crack out eight tracks mostly focussing on newest album Freak Of Nature, but also pulling hits from ‘Fake Blood’ and their Thoughtz & Prayerz EP. The crowd are loving it and are in a constant state of motion, singing along with the chorus’ and keeping the energy high. It’s an excellent festival debut, and there’s no doubt this will be the last time we’ll be seeing this band down Upcote Farm. – Harry Shiels

Back in the cave, on the surface, Paledusk’s metalcore fusion might not seem a natural fit for 2000 Trees, but the tent is packed, quickly dispelling any notions people wouldn’t be up for it. The Japanese outfit pair stinkface-inducing breakdowns with twinkly J-pop, saxophone breaks and more, a manic mix that is as entertaining as it is all over the place. As it’s their first UK tour, the packed tent and extremely up for it crowd makes total sense; despite being relatively new, the band already have a sizeable following that’s only growing. They pack so much into a thirty minute set it’s bewildering, without ever feeling oversaturated and the capacity crowd lap it up with gleeful cheers. For a 28-date tour with today being the final date, the band show no signs of road exhaustion and deliver sonic exhilaration. – Will Marshall

Given their appeal, it’s almost impossible to believe that this band have not played 2000 Trees previously. But modern pop-punk/emo darlings Joyce Manor have finally landed at 2000 Trees on the Main Stage with a forty-five minute set and a decent crowd is waiting for their penchant for bite-size songs. The lengthy set almost seemed like a bit of a challenge for the band, cramming eighteen songs into their setlist with two of them being fan requested (‘Leather Jacket’ and ‘Last You Heard Of Me’) to help fill up some time. Opening with ‘Heart Tattoo’, Joyce Manor played a bangers set made up mostly from their two classic albums Joyce Manor and Never Hungover Again. The flow is a little strange, lurching from fast paced punk rock focussed anthems to slightly slower paced “ballads”, but the crowd are eating it up and they’re the perfect band for a sunny Friday afternoon. Closing with the one-two punch of ‘Constant Headache’ into ‘Catalina Fight Song, it’s just a very fun set with a great atmosphere. – Harry Shiels

Photo Credit:
Gareth Bull | @garethbull.co

LA’s hardcore/powerviolence rising stars ZULU are worthy of all the buzz surrounding their live sets. Blending aspects of R&B, Soul, Reggae, Dub and spoken word into their brutal core sound, ZULU are one of the most unique acts in heavy music, politically charged and highly celebratory of black culture and history. The eleven song set is stuffed with cuts from debut album A New Tomorrow pulling a few extras from their debut EP’s as well. Its a relentless showcase, frontman Anaiah Lei equal parts speaking truths and baying the crowd to go harder. The energy in unreal from the packed out Cave stage, two-stepping and slam dancing laying the pit to waste as the band match the crowds energy. ‘52 Fatal Strikes’ closes the set as the monolithic riffs ring out and drive the aggro home. – Harry Shiels

Back under the sun, it’s a shame they clash with Microwave as it seems half the festival has made the choice to miss out on the post-everything majesty of Belgium’s Brutus. Right out the gate they sound phenomenal on the main stage, ‘Liar’ sounding thunderously heavy and emotional. The low turnout fortunately doesn’t obviously faze them, the people here more than making up for those that decided to miss out. Their reputation as a phenomenal live act is well deserved; Stefanie Mannaerts a commanding presence even seated, her powerful voice delivering her raw lyrics all while battering the drum kit into submission with deceptively intricate patterns. Occasionally the bass threatens to overwhelm but it’s always reined in at the last minute, allowing the shimmering leads to ebb and flow with the vocal melodies like during a haunting ‘What Have We Done’. Closer ‘Sugar Dragon’ weaves between crescendos and fragility that’s only heightened by the live setting, bringing an end to one of the finest sets of the weekend. – Will Marshall

Photo Credit:
Jez Pennington | @JezPennington

Simply, Employed To Serve are one of the best metalcore bands in the country. From the opening moments of ‘Universal Chokehold’ Justine Jones isn’t holding back, egging the pits on and conducting the chaos before her. The pits are non-stop for the duration of the set, smashing into each other and screaming along to the chorus’ for ‘Force Fed’, ‘Sun Up to Sun Down’ and ‘We Don’t Need You’. The band are on hot form, not missing any beats or notes, working as a finely tuned machine at this point and only occasionally marred by minor vocal feedback. Focussing on playing material from Conquering and Eternal Forward Motion, Employed To Serve are clearly proving they’re destined to keep rising up the ranks on the UK live scene. Choosing to close the set with 2020 single ‘Party’s Over’, aptly named and making for a definitive closing impact. – Harry Shiels

It’s blisteringly hot outside and humid inside the tents, but that doesn’t stop people packing in for As Everything Unfolds at the NEU stage. The quintet released their second album just a few short months ago so today’s set draws heavily from that. The crowd already knows the words, swirling pits as they sing back the likes of ‘Ultraviolet’, ‘Flip Side’ and ‘Felt Like Home’. Vocalist Charlie Rolfe in particular is on fierce form, unleashing gutturals that stop more than a few punters in their tracks. They delve into older material rarely, including the now-classic closer On the Inside, for a high energy set from start to finish, every member spinning and moshing, especially synth player Jon Cass who gleefully holds his synth aloft at the end. The huge crowd returns all the energy and then some, everyone leaving all they have in the tent despite the heat and humidity. – Will Marshall

Making the rounds of every rock leaning festival this year from Download to Glastonbury also far, Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and live guitarist/solo artist Mike Vennart’s extreme music project Empire State Bastard get a featured slot on The Axiom. Yesterday’s sound issues have seemingly been resolved saved from some minor feedback, which in all honesty actually add to the abrasive performance on display. Neil’s clean vocals are haunting, whilst the heavier side is piercing, aggressive channeling trauma and grief. Exploring genre territories from black metal, stoner and mathcore to noise rock and hardcore, Empire State Bastard aren’t for the feint of heart. To say its challenging is a bit of an understatement, some fans of Biffy are clearly not too keen on this noisy racket and opt to duck out early, but the songs on display sound totally unique in the extreme scene, the wait for the debut album is palpable after such a gripping showcase.

Photo Credit:
Joe Singh | @snaprockandpop

Following this, even though they’re up against the mighty Cancer Bats, the Forest stage is surprisingly busy for De Staat’s third appearance at Upcote Farm. The eccentric Dutch five piece have a remarkable control over the crowd even from the opening moments of ‘Look At Me’, oozing with charisma as they blast through their set of electronic heavy alt-rock anthems. At moments channelling Beastie Boys with the back and forth single-word vocals lines of Torre Florim and Rocco Hueting, the set is packed with more recent material, such as ‘Who’s Gonna Be The GOAT?’ and ‘Bompti’ from the Colours EP’s, and fan favourites from I_Con and Bubble Gum. The crowd are feeding off the bands energy, constantly singing along or jumping along in time. The atmosphere for the set on The Forest stage is unmatched, it feels like a special occasion. Closing the set with ‘Witch Doctor’ and ‘Kitty Kitty’ sends the crowd out happy towards their respective headliners for the evening. – Harry Shiels

Meanwhile, in what’s become a running theme, the cave stage is heaving for Canadian hardcore heavyweights Cancer Bats, spilling well out into the surrounding area. It’s precisely the environment the Bats excel in though, with the bluesy ‘Lucifer’s Rocking Chair’ making an early appearance along with songs dedicated to “being here with your best mates and smoking weed”. One of the most consistently fun bands on the planet, they happily tear through the likes of ‘Gatecreeper’ with grins plastered on faces from the stage to the back of the tent. Their appeal has always extended beyond hardcore as well, as evidenced by the crowd drawing everything from those in Kublai Khan shirts to battle jackets dedicated to obscure black metal bands. Liam Cormier is as enthusiastic as ever, bounding across the stage for fifty solid minutes while he fires the crowd up to pit, jump and scream back the words. There’s even a surprise guest appearance, as Mel Pereira from Rews pops up during a scorching ‘Pneumonia Hawk’. It’s headliner energy through and through, from a band that never fails to deliver some of the most fun you’ll have at a show. – Will Marshall

There was an air of uncertainty surround Bullet For My Valentine as a 2000 Trees headliner. Arguably, the band are not the right fit as a straight up modern metal outfit. However, when the band rock up with their full stage production, lighting and phenomenal sound, they make the impact as arguably the first “headliner” to play Trees, not just a band given a full length set. Bullet For My Valentine pull out all the bells and whistles, weaving modern cuts from Gravity and their self-titled release with big nostalgia hits from their first three albums. A couple surprises were thrown into the mix for long time fans of the band; ‘Hearts Burst Into Fire’ from Scream Aim Fire is an unexpected and emotional surprise. Its one upped when Matt Tuck starts talking about a little side project from 2012, then out walks Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats for an Axewound reunion and the band tear through ‘Cold’. This was the biggest headliner crowd of the weekend without a doubt, the crowd sing-a-longs for ‘All These Things I Hate’ and ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ actually overwhelmed Matt’s vocals at times. The only thing questionable about this set was the lack of ‘Hand of Blood’, with some of the crowd opting to leave early when they choose to close with ‘Waking the Demon’. But such a critique is merely nitpicking. Their right to headline this year may have been questioned, but clearly, this has a band that has earned to perform any alt-music festival they see fit. – Harry Shiels

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