2000 Trees Festival Preview

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2000 Trees Festival finally takes place tomorrow after much anticipation and excitement with one of the best line up’s the festival has seen. Now in its tenth year, the Cheltenham based festival have the likes of Moose Blood, Twin Atlantic, Refused, Neck Deep, Mallory Knox just to name a few. With no main stage on Thursday, there are still 20 acts to sink your teeth over three stages that will sure to get the party started. Headlining the Cave will see Los Angeles band The Bronx as they bring nearly 15 years of experience with them to the festival. Front man Matt Caughtrain and the rest of the band have released four eponymous rock albums, and three additional albums of mariachi music under the alter ego Mariachi El Bronx. Bare Knuckle Parade will be headlining The Forest stage on the night as you can expect some serious indie-folk rock blasting from the speakers. The unsigned band released a brand new single back in March titled Diamond Eyes. Also featuring on Thursday at the Cave stage is Brighton is Post Hardcore band Black Peaks who have been doing particular well for themselves as of late. Having formed just three years ago, the lads have already signed to Easy Life Records and Sony Music UK and recently released a brand new music video titled White Eyes.

Fresh from his main stage appearance at Blissfields Festival last weekend, Bean on Toast will perform at the Axiom. Real name, Jay McAllister, the political singer will sure to be bring some folk to the festival. For me Friday is arguably the best day and the pick of the bunch has to be either Moose Blood who have two sets and Neck Deep who play on the main stage. Moose Blood have had a crazy year with the announcement of signing for Hopeless Records and of course their new album Blush that is due out next month. Lead singer Eddy Brewerton and the band play one set on the Axiom where they will headline as well as a smaller set at the Forest stage. Moose Blood have recently released Honey and Knuckles from the upcoming album.

Welsh lads Neck Deep are another exciting prospect at 2000 Trees this year. After the success of Life’s Not Out To Get You last year, the lads are already back in the studio writing. Ben Barlow and the band also had a successful UK tour alongside Creeper and WSTR back in April. Up and coming band Lonely the Brave recently joined the music scene back in 2014 and have since not looked back. The lads from Cambridge will sure to put on one hell of a show as they feature on the The Cave stage. Already Lonely the Brave have featured in a fair few festivals and gigs this year including Southampton’s Common People. Another band to consider on the Saturday is Trash Boat who recently just finished a headline tour in support of their recent album release Nothing I Write Can Change What You’ve Been Through. Strangers is a song to look out for and originally features The Wonder Year’s Dan Campbell.

The two main acts on Friday will of course be Mallory Knox and Scottish band Twin Atlantic who have have both been making a name for themselves in recent years. Twin Atlantic recently however has been the busiest out of the two acts and will headline the main stage. The lads recently announced that their new album GLA will be released in September and just released a song of that album titled Gold Elephant: Cherry Alligator last month. Mallory Knox on the other hand have been hinting a lot recently of new music with new merch now on sale despite this their current album Asymmetry still remains as a classic with such songs as Ghost in the Mirror.

Going on to Saturday and the final day of the festival, you can expect some big names mixed in across the five stages. Swedish old school hardcore punk Refused will be the night’s headliners having nearly been about for 25 years now. The band broke up in 1999 but made an epic reunion in 2012 and in late 2014 the lads finally reformed despite Jon Brännström parting ways. They will sure to be playing songs from their latest album Freedom as well as playing songs from their albums pre-break up. While She Sleeps will be headlining the Cave on Saturday. Lead vocalist Lawrence Taylor and the band have been about since 2006 despite Taylor joining late in 2009. They released their second studio album Brainwashed last year and will be touring a fair few festivals all over Europe after their set. WSTR will be playing at the Cave stage on Saturday afternoon as the Liverpool pop punk band signed to No Sleep Records are set to play their epic 2015 EP SKRWD and will most likely play their amazing cover of Limp Bizkit’s Break Stuff. Lead singer Sammy Clifford and the lads have recently just came off a tour with Trash Boat so they will be raring to go.

Playing on the same stage is Harrogate post hardcore band  Blood Youth who released their EP Closure last year. The lads are set to play a whole host of festivals after this one including Y Not Festival at the end of July and Butserfest in September so you know this is going to be some killer set. If I could mention one more band that features on Saturday then it would have to be Southampton band Creeper who just get better and better with every show they do. Having released The Stranger EP earlier this year, the band has not looked back and have toured alongside Neck Deep and WSTR back in April. Lead singer Will Gould and the band have also supported Andy Black this year and will support Pierce The Veil later this year.

Check out this helpful clash finder from the festival so you don’t miss a band!