2000 Trees took place last weekend and I can honestly say it was right up there with the best weekends of my life even with missing the Thursday. The Thursday saw Frank Turnah providing a special secret set alongside the Bronx, Beans on Toast, The Xcerts and many more. I went on my own which was the first time I had done that at a festival and despite this I probably had a better experience in some sense. As soon as I arrived I saw another person who was working on the bar and she was in fact on her own too so it made sense to camp with her. She and a couple of others I camped with summed up the festival for me, they were literately the nicest people I’ve met in a long time! So I pitched up and went straight to the arena to see one of my favourite bands Moose Blood do an acoustic set at unique Forrest stage.
What was unique about this was that it was actually set in a forest and automatically you could tell where the festival got it’s name from. Eddy Brewerton and the lads once again proved why they have gotten so big lately with an intimate set. Moose Blood sung classic songs such as Cherry and Gum as well as a new song Knuckles from their upcoming album Blushes out next month. A 30 minute set wasn’t it for Moose Blood however they also played a headline set in the The Axiom later on the evening that was just amazing. The Canterbury boys put on one hell of a show that included songs from their debut album I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time to Time as well as Honey and Knuckles from their upcoming album. These lads are just great and no doubt will be even bigger with years to come. Before their headline set however there was small matter of pop punk’s Neck Deep on the main stage.The welsh lads put on one hell of a show and played songs from their latest album Life’s Not Out To Get You as they sung December, Citizen of Earth and more. Of course it wouldn’t be a Neck Deep gig without a singalong and that’s exactly what A Part of Me provided. What made the set extra special, is that you could bring your own drinks and just enjoy it.
After that, I managed to check out Cambridge band Lonely the Brave who put on an epic set that would of been worthy on the main stage. Lead vocalist David Jakes provided some killer vocals for everyone to sing along to or mosh as a fair few did. The lads played songs of their latest album Things Will Matter that was just released back in May so it was good to see these performed live. It was definitely a set to remember and with the band being about for eight years now, I predict they will be even bigger for their big ten. Next up was yet another Cambridge band Mallory Knox who were indeed playing on the main stage this time. Lead singer Mikey Chapman and the band put in 100% into their performance singing some of their well known songs. They played songs from their Asymmetry album that included the brilliant Ghost in the Mirror and Getaway. Mallory Knox then played songs from their debut album Signals that got everyone moshing to such songs as the incredibly performed Lighthouse.
After Moose Blood’s set, I managed to catch the last bit of Twin Atlantic and it was a shame that they clashed so much. I did however see them perform their song Heart and Soul which was awesome. As Saturday began to close, I managed to find a few more smaller stages in the early hours where I came across singer/songwriter Nish Goyal. The punk/folk/indie performer got everyone partying in the early hours. He has recently signed a album deal with a small indie label in Portsmouth called Coffee Jingle Records and is hoping to release the new album in late summer. Nish will certainly be one to look out for in the next year or so. After quick hangover cure and going an impressive 2 hours in the morning without an alcoholic drink, it was time for some more music. I managed to catch a bit of Brighton’s Ghouls plated an unofficial set at the festival who were invited by Camp Reuben to play. Having camped near the lads, their musical talents were just as good as their awesome personalty. After looking around various stages, I waited to see Southampton band Creeper for the second time this year. Once again, Will Gould and the guys played a massive part in the festival as their main stage performance attracted an eye catching amount of fans. They played songs from their The Stranger EP that included the beautifully written Misery and the epic Black Mass. Creeper also played songs from their previous EP The Callous Heart such as The Honeymoon Suite and Henley’s Ghost that just provided a real treat for the fans. Despite only being formed in 2014, I can see Creeper being massive in the next few years.
After Creeper, I managed to catch WSTR for a third time this year and once again they lived up to their pop punk expectations. Sammy Clifford and the band really provided a party as they produced some of the best mosh pits of the festival. They played all of their EP SKRWD that included the brilliant Fair Weather and then they played an awesome cover of Limp Bizkit’s Break Stuff. WSTR are certainly one of those bands that never fail to impress and with already signed up to No Sleep Records you can just tell things are just going to get bigger and bigger for the Liverpool based band.
After that, I managed to get to the main stage to watch The King Blues for the first time in my life. And the band were simply great, lead singer Jonny Fox really put in 110% in and looked awesome in his suit. With a mixture of Ukulele and other instruments, they are generally known as Ska/Folk punk. They played songs from their current album Off With Their Heads that was released in February as well as classics such as the brilliant I Got Love. This is a band that I would certainly go and see again which is something festivals can bring, showing you new bands and allowing you to experience some quality music.
The festival provided a variety of amazing tents that included a retro games tent with such classic games as Crash Bandicoot. One of the last bands I saw fully was Black Honey and lead singer Izzy B Phillips totally won my heart over with her beautiful vocals that complemented her looks. They played songs of their current album Headspin which I managed to get a signed copy of from all the band afterwards which really made my festival. The group really worked well together and you could just tell how much it meant to them being there. Last up that I managed to catch was Swedish giants Refused. The old school hardcore punk legends celebrated their 25th year despite breaking up in between. Songs from their latest album Freedom were played alongside their classics that inspired so many punk bands in the late nineties. It was an awesome way to end an incredible couple of days where I met some amazing people and witnessed some epic bands.