2000 Trees Festival 2023: The Review – Saturday

High Vis are next on the main stage with their decidedly Britpop-influenced punk. Fresh off a set regarded as one of Outbreak’s highlights, they’re brimming with energy today too, even if the majority of their (admittedly sizeable) crowd is feeling the effects of three days spent camping and likely heavy drinking. With songs about “sniffing coke until you talk about your feelings”, they combine swaggering hardcore with those more serious sensibilities and themes despite addressing them with typically British dry wit. The crowd soon warms to them, and barely ten minutes in there’s fists pumping along, though on the final day and so early in the running order, mosh pits might be too big an ask. Despite the weather and lethargy, it’s a bright, uplifting shot in the arm from one of UK punk’s most exciting bands. – Will Marshall

An unexpected surprise tucked away on the Neu Stage, Belfast noise-punk quartet Enola Gay bring all the power and energy they can muster to their set. Sounding like Gilla Band after spending an evening railing lines listening to nothing but Suicide and Death Grips, the frenetic and abrasive energy permeate the crowd. A small section of dedicated fans down the front lose their minds as vocalist and noise maestro Fionn Reilly throws out everything they have for them, screaming and roaring as if in pain at times as onlookers were dazzled and drawn in by the overwhelming atmosphere. Enola Gay are out to make a name for themselves and may have just produced one of the sets of the weekend. – Harry Shiels

Immediately following them over at the Cave is Fleshwater, the grungy shoegaze outfit comprised of three quarters of Vein.fm and vocalist Marisa Shirar. They’re a few minutes late starting and there’s some unfortunate squeals of feedback during some songs but an otherwise stellar mix and their enthralling mixture of grunge and shoegaze through that angular Vein.fm tone carries them with ease. Despite the more ephemeral nature associated with the genre, they’re deliriously heavy underneath those dreamy vocal lines, the band hurling themselves round the stage as if they were playing the most disgusting breakdown possible. The tent is busy, though not rammed, giving people plenty of room to lose themselves in the captivating music, as many do. Though they play just twenty of their thirty minutes, nobody leaves short-changed, as the band give it everything they have. – Will Marshall

Photo Credit:

Joe Singh | @snaprockandpop

Arguably the largest crowd of the entire weekend has gathered at the Main Stage out of curiosity to see what New York’s alt-rock veterans Electric Six had in store for them. They’re mostly known at large for their debut album Fire (specifically mega singles ‘Danger! High Voltage’ and – of course – ‘Gay Bar’), which fortunately features most on the setlist from their nineteen album discography, as well as some choice cuts from other albums. They sound excellent, the synths, guitars, bass, drums and vocals balanced excellently allowing for vocalist Dick Valentine to ooze charm. Obviously the crowd absolutely lose it when ‘Gay Bar’ drops, but there is as much enthusiasm for other tracks from Fire. Electric Six have made a little tradition of playing another song during the break in ‘Improper Dancing’ and it works effortlessly with ‘(Who the Hell Just) Call My Phone?’. The closing moments of ‘Danger! High Voltage’ and ‘Dance Commander’ leave the crowd happy in the knowledge that Electric Six are a live force to be reckoned with and far more than just a naff novelty booking. – Harry Shiels

Immediately following, The Oozes are happily welcomed back to 2000 Trees after their excellent debut on the Forest stage last year, now playing on The Neu Stage. Obviously, they have the benefit of drawing in punters drifting from the Main Stage following Electric Six, but it’s clear they don’t need to rely on the pull of others today; their crowd is huge, and deservingly so. The Manchester/London based queer punk collective don’t shy away from their views, with front person Tom Gilbert advocating for equality for the trans community through both lyricism and wit between songs. Channeling aspects of old Brit-Punk and aspects of old school US Hardcore, the instrumentals are fast and furious, juxtaposed with their colourful and inviting aesthetic. There is equal parts tongue-in-cheek and confrontational nature between tracks like ‘Strap’, a song about strap-ons that drew one of the largest reactions from the crowd, and ‘DBSAC’ calling out creepy aspects of toxic masculinity and predatory behaviour. Another brilliant set for the band and the alternative queer community. – Harry Shiels

As they said during Wednesday’s intimate Forest set, today marks the first time Holding Absence have played 2000 Trees’ main stage, but you wouldn’t know it from the massive crowd and how the band immediately have them rapt and responding to every call for movement. They kick off with a phenomenal duo of ‘Like A Shadow’ into ‘False Dawn’ and the quality doesn’t let up from there. They follow a belligerent ‘Aching, Longing’ with ‘In Circles’, making for an emotional whiplash-inducing moment. Not only are the band having a great time – as evidenced by their grins and Lucas Woodland regularly thanking the crowd. Holding Absence are right at home on big stages, their new singles especially sounding all the world like the arena emo anthems they are; with a performance like today’s, they’ll be headlining those venues soon enough, and undoubtedly this festival this some years to come. – Will Marshall

Photo Credit:

Mac Praed | @Mac_Praed

Brighton’s indie rock four piece Black Honey seemed a bit of a strange booking, seemingly a bit more mainstream than the typical 2000 Trees fair. Taking their indie framework and blending in notes of Tarantino inspired Surf-Rock and some sleazier blues riffs. Half of today’s set is dominated by material from their new album A Fistful of Peaches, opening the show with the opening track from the album ‘Charlie Bronson’. Vocalist Izzy Phillips employs pre-recorded backing tracks live to emulate the harmonic layers of the albums that feel a bit odd, but when her vocals cut through they sound great. The same can be said for the instrumentals, everything sounds very crisp, very clean and very professional – almost too much so. The biggest crowd reactions come from previous album cuts from Written & Directed and their Self titled debut. They close with clear fan-favourite ‘Corrine’ which has one of the loudest crowd sing-a-longs outside of headliners as one of the few moments of sunshine beams down outside the tent. – Harry Shiels

Dream State are four songs and multiple shows into their revival and any doubts have well and truly been quashed by now. Even so, their set in the Cave feels like yet another victory, vocalist Jessie Powell remarking it’s the largest show she’s ever played. ‘Comfort In Chaos’ sets the scene appropriately; that is, the packed out tent is swiftly carnage with crowdsurfers and moshpits galore. Delving into older material used to get the loudest cheers but it’s testament to the quality of their recent output that it’s starting to level out, with even brand new single ‘Chin Up Princess’ being being sung along to. There’s sadly a few technical hitches and an inconsistent mix; occasionally guitars aren’t audible or the drums are too loud, but to their credit it doesn’t detract from the anthemic, emotional gut punch of songs like ‘Chain Reactions’ or ‘White Lies’. In just forty minutes, Dream State remind everyone of just why they’re so beloved by Dreamers after so long.

Following Dream State, and one the heaviest downpours to ever visit Upcote Farm comes something of a slight oddity. Playing one of first shows in almost five years since 2018, Pitchshifter promised some surprises for their return to the stage. The Nottingham five-piece were well ahead of their time back in the 90’s with their blend of heavy riffing, industrial and Drum & Bass. Powering through a setlist of hits from their back catalogue, their surprises came in the form of several quest vocalists. First joined for ‘Shutdown’ by Kitty Austen of Saint Agnes, they proceeded to be joined by Charlie Hinton of Crashface for ‘Subject To Status’, Mike Goodman of Sikth for ‘Virus’ and finally Karl Middleton of earthtone9 for ‘W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G’. Unfortunately though, Pitchshifter are plagued by sound issues. The bass was in and out throughout, the instrumentals generally lacking punch. When Kitty joined the band on stage her microphone was off until halfway through. Fortunately by the time ‘Please Sir’ and ‘Genius’ rolled around to close the set, things were sounding better, but unfortunately, by that point it was too little too late. A shame, but still a great set from one the most undersung bands in UK alternative music. – Harry Shiels

Photo Credit:

Joe Singh | @snaprockandpop

Like atmospheric emo? How about with trumpets? Great, because American Football bring both of those in their headline set on the Axiom stage. While a lot of festival goers have headed to Frank Carter’s raucous party, plenty have turned up to bask in the stunning crescendos and washy atmosphere of American Football. A far cry from the sport, there’s a distinct lack of anything concussive or violent. Instead, layered and looped trumpets, and occasional glockenspiel, weaves through the air amidst shoegaze guitars and airy vocals. It’s a shame their quieter moments are regularly intruded on by Carter on the main stage, but it’s not enough to distract attention away from the band’s engrossing performance. Nowhere is that more evident than in the dedicated crowd cheering as loud as they can for every song, despite practically no interaction from the band themselves. An understated, minimalist light show simply accentuates the music and helps it wash the crowd away as the tides of their spacious music ebbs and flows over eighty minutes, that passes by far quicker. – Will Marshall

Last performing at 2000 Trees in a featured Main Stage slot in 2017, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes return to Upcote Farm to headline the last night of the festival for their first UK show of 2023. Frank Carter clearly wnats to make a big deal out of this, bringing in some excellent lighting and plenty of sparkler pyro and Co2 cannons that lent itself to the big headliner feeling. The eighty minute set is packed to the brim with fan favourites and deeper cuts from across his discography. There are a few surprises in store, with Frank being joined onstage by queer-pop sensation Lynks for ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘Go Get A Tattoo’. Everything sounds great, the instrumentals and the vocals sounding tight and the band continue their tradition of women/non-binary only pits for a song to give them a safe space which is always a pleasure to see big acts advocating for. Yet, there is a sense that they’ve reined it in a bit since the last time they grace 2000 Trees; there just isn’t that chaotic punk-rock energy in the air and it definitely feels more akin to a rock show than a punk show. Maybe it’s hard to transplant that visceral energy into a headline set, but the danger that was once synonymous with Carter is absent. But regardless, with ‘Devil Inside Me’, ‘Juggernaut’, ‘Lullaby” and finally ‘I Hate You’ sending the fans home happy, such a sentient is only a minor issue clearly not picked up by the majority. It’s a great set, one that seals Carter’s status as a bonafide headliner and one that seals 2000 Trees 2023 as one the best editions of the festival thus far. – Harry Shiels