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August 7, 2025

2000 Trees Festival 2025 – Thursday: The Review

As the sun beat down on Upcote Farm for a second day, who would bring the musical beatdown to 2000 Trees Festival? Words by Cece Lawless, Emily Simister & Will Marshall

uncertainty – The Cave

Ferocious and unforgiving, Uncertainty tore into their set with all the grace of a wrecking ball on fire. Toward the end, the sound faltered slightly at The Cave stage, but instead of stopped or letting it throw them off their stride, they leaned in harder, punching a hole straight through the noise. Imperfect, yes, but a testament to their professionalism. – CL

Grief Ritual – The Cave

As the name suggests, Grief Ritual are heavy and morose, but they bring out the morning moshers. From the first note, they hammer through their set with relentless precision, switching time signatures constantly. Sonic booms marked every beatdown moment, while the bass is so loud it rattles ribcages. Guitars shriek and snarled, and then, in a Triple H moment, the guitarist spits water skyward like a metal baptism. They dropped the heaviest breakdown of the festival, slow and mean. A set that shook a whole tent. – CL

Superbloom – The Axiom

Like a more hardcore Smashing Pumpkins, Super Bloom bring a razor-edged blast to the Axiom stage. Their set thrashes with grunge grit and punk swagger, loaded with bouncy hooks and raw, unfiltered energy. The shirtless vocalist commands attention, their tattoo-covered body becoming part of the spectacle, a living canvas in constant motion. Each riff hits harder than the last, whipping the crowd into a sweaty frenzy. Super Bloom erupt when they play, and the audience absolutely loves it. – CL

Spaced – The Cave

Marking the last day of their UK tour with fellow hardcore outfit Terminal Sleep, Buffalo, NY’s Spaced tear a fissure through The Word stage, carving their presence into the festival with unbridled savagery and intent. Vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt’s raw magnetism holds the crowd with natural ease, tearing across the stage with the velocity of a live wire. Spaced’s sound melds hardcore with a melodic metalcore gloss that feels expertly crafted for an intimate live environment, but sits comfortably on the festival stage with towering presence. Locked in with the crowd up front, Lexi snarls, “UKHC to the fucking front! If you know the words, get up here and sing them with me!” igniting the crowd into a haywire flurry of two-steppers and spinning limbs as they clamber over each other for a mic grab. – ES

Lake Malice – NEU

Rising metalcore/hyperpop outfit Lake Malice get a hero’s welcome on the Neu stage, the crowd spilling out the tent as they come on. Their stage craft has levelled up significantly this year, bringing in dance troupe Kaos Kollective for a few songs, including the brand new, unreleased ‘Nobody Wants To Be You’ that sounds like an arena anthem in waiting. The crowd is fully swept up in it too, pits circling constantly and crowd surfers making their way over the barrier seemingly constantly. The energy exchange is palpable, guitarist Blake Cornwall egging the crowd on just as much as vocalist Alice Gauls, who has become a thoroughly commanding presence as she snarls and sings her way through songs. Mark our words – next time they’re back, it’ll be on a bigger stage again. – WM

PVRIS – Main Stage

As the sun starts to set over the main stage, hazy amber light seeps across the crowd. PVRIS deliver a glossy, watertight performance that weaves slick pop with a thunderous heavy sentimentality, bleeding emotional weight and raw authenticity. Opening with the anthemic and brazen ‘Burn the Witch’, PVRIS set the tone for what became a killer line up of hits spanning their catalogue. Ever the dynamic front person, Lynn Gunn’s vocal performance brims with charisma and genuine passion, effortlessly blending soaring highs and husky mid-ranges. At the peak of their set, the band deliver a string of fan-favourites from their 2014 debut LP White Noise- ‘Holy,’ ‘You and I’, ‘White Noise’, and ‘Fire’, sweeping the crowd into a sea of mutual, feel-good sing along. They close with the audaciously punchy “Goddess,” demonstrating their effortless command of the stage and delivering a headline set charged with undeniable magnetism. – ES

In a scene increasingly saturated with talented, rising ‘core acts, Stick To Your Guns continue to deliver a ferocious live show that is distinctly rooted in their own identity- a testament to their longevity and influence. Deep into their career, the band still draw packed-out crowds and unleash punishing sets with relentless intensity. Their set list on the Cave stage blends cult-favourite metallic hardcore anthems like ‘Against Them All’ and ‘Empty Heads’ with newer heavy hitters from their latest LP, including ‘Severed Forever’ and ‘Spineless’, the latter swelling to an almost arena-sized scope in its live form. Amongst a battering ram of kick drum blasts and soaring guitars, Jesse Barnett’s vocal delivery slices through with laser precision, every word bristling with scathing intent. ES

Kneecap – Main Stage

Amidst recent legal battles, the Irish punk/rap trio emerge onto the main stage, easing the audience in with some “songs for the lovers” before punching up the tempo. Playing the well known tracks amongst some deeper cuts, this group threw everything into this performance. Intense lighting and 90s rave music cascaded across the field, while they laughed at the “confused metal heads” wondering if they’d got lost. Usually known for their cool guy attitude, Moglai Bap and Mo Chara let out guttural screams at times with Geailge pouring forth and leaping about the stage, leaving the nonchalance at home. This felt like catharsis for them and for a very pumped up crowd. Co n-éirí an t-ádh libh, Kneecap. – CL

Reviews of Friday and Saturday coming this week…