Paul Lyme | Rockshot Magazine

2000 Trees Returns With A Bang

Paul Lyme — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:00:25 +0000

2000 Trees Festival

Sunburn, hay fever, and a damaged hard drive with two days of photos lost. On the bright side, 2000 Trees is back in all its glory!

For the first time since 2019 the ever faithful Trees crowd descend on the Cotswolds for four days of blistering heat and an even hotter lineup.

Early birds head in on the Wednesday with just the forest stage open. It’s had an overhaul over lockdown with the stage now capable of holding a full band, rather than just acoustic acts. It does feel like it’s lost a little part of the chilled vibe that people enjoyed, but it’s still a great area to get out of the heat and relax for a while.

Avalanche Party at 2000 Trees

Wednesdays lineup however, is not as relaxing with lively acts such as Black Foxxes, and Pulled Apart By Horses getting the crowd into full flow for the days ahead of them. Heavy Lungs ask the question on everyone’s mind. “It’s a school night. What are you doing sitting in a field?”.

Lizzy Farrall at 2000 Trees

The night ends with the ever popular silent disco. It’s tough to get to sleep when the headphone wearing throngs accidentally become one huge choir just outside your tent!

Thursday had a great start to the day with Phoxjaw, Tigercub, and Ditz opening the main stage.

Phoxjaw at 2000 Trees

Haggard Cat and Lonely The Brave were in the Axiom along with by Holding Absence who were brought in to replace the aptly named No Devotion.

There were two great up and coming acts in Superlove, and Cassyette on the Neu Stage.

Mannequin Pussy at 2000 Trees

The crowd went mad for Dinosaur Pile-Up on the main stage, including a number of T-Rexes who had found their way into the mosh pit.

Tigger crowd surfing at 2000 Trees

Ever popular US emo punk rockers Jimmy Eat World closed off the main stage, but there was still time for some fun with Joe Unknown in the Forest for those who weren’t quite ready for the night to end.

JOHN at 2000 Trees

Petrol Girls really got the crowd going in the Cave on Friday, but no one was ready for the carnage when secret act Heck came on. The band came straight out throwing themselves into the crowd for some crowd surfing action, before scaling the tent posts. Not quite sure how nobody came out of their set injured!

Kid Kapichi at 2000 Trees

Security keeping the crowd safe at 2000 Trees

American act Slothrust wowed the New Stage crowd with their delicate yet powerful alternative rock.

Rolo Tomassi impressed as always in the Axiom, as did Boston Manor and Turnstile on the main stage.

False Advertising at 2000 Trees

Fun for all at 2000 Trees

Irish band The Scratch provided my favourite moment of the weekend in the Forest. Not because of their fun music, but because one of them managed to throw a ping pong ball from the stage into one of the audience members mouths. Such skill.

The Chats at 2000 Trees

I decided against heading to the main stage for headliners Thrice, instead choosing to see heavy noise rockers Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs who put in a pounding set. You know an act is good when you can feel their music hitting your face.

Pigs x7 at 2000 Trees

The night ended with the strange but enjoyable Tokky Horror with their electronica/punk set. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an act like them before!

I think awards should be handed out to those that have braved all the heat so far and are still living their best life on Saturday! One of the good things about 2000 Trees is getting home midday on the Sunday and being able to relax before the week begins.

Lauran Hibberd at 2000 Trees

No time today though as regulars Avalanche Party start the day off in style on the main stage.

The Amazons at 2000 Trees

We have a good mix of acts following them throughout the day in Mannequin Pussy, Knocked Loose, The Chats, You Me At Six on the main stage. Elsewhere there is a line of new talent filling up the schedule with JOHN in the Axiom, Kid Kapichi in the Cave, and False Advertising and Lauran Hibberd on the Neu Stage.

CLT DRP at 2000 Trees

CLT DRP and The Amazons put in great sets late evening before Saturday headliners Idles close things off in style drawing in a huge crowd to see their fast paced punk rock.

Idles at 2000 Trees

2000trees took place on Wednesday 6th – Saturday 9thJuly 2022 at Upcote Farm, Cheltenham. 2022 early bird tickets are out now.The post 2000 Trees Returns With A Bang first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

2000trees: Glorious Music & Blistering Sunshine

Paul Lyme — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 09:00:35 +0000

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Another year at 2000trees means another amazing event at Upcote Farm, Cheltenham. The 2018 award-winning festival must be in with a shot at retaining the title after wowing the crowds with an action-packed lineup. Headliners Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, You Me At Six, and Deaf Havana all closed off three perfect days of glorious music and blistering sunshine.

You Me At Six at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Deaf Havana at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

With fun-time acts like Imperial Leisure, Flogging Molly, and Skinny Lister getting the crowds into the party mood, it was strangely subdued until the Saturday. That’s not to say that the festival goers weren’t enjoying themselves, it’s just that I didn’t see crowd surfers in a rubber dingy until Everytime I Die’s Saturday evening slot.

Flogging Molly at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Imperial Leisure at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Everytime I Die at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

With five stages and the acoustic sets in the forest, the lineup was filled with clashes for hardcore rock and punk fans. I was lucky I was getting to experience a lot of the acts for the first time, so took in a little bit of as many bands as possible. I’d guess I’d seen over 50 by the end of the weekend!

Rolo Tomassi at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Orchards at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Martha at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Within the campsite are also the pop-up stages where campers can have little busking sessions amongst the guest acts. Frank Turner sneaked in a secret set at Camp Turner, and an extremely hilarious and very drunk Sean McGowan popped in for a late-night set before he headed home.

Sean McGowan at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Standout act for me this weekend were De Staat, who took The Cave by storm with their version of alt-rock that’s incredible to listen to. I was also impressed by indie band itoldyouiwouldeatyou on the Neu Stage, and No Violet’s amazing acoustic set in The Forest, with Ellie Godwin’s voice unsurprisingly on point yet again!

De Staat at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

itoldyouiwouldeatyou at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

No Violet at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Rowdiest crowds of the weekend awards go to PENGSHUi, Everytime I Die (one guy crowd surfing 59 times), and Dune Rats. These acts’ music get the crowds pumped up and it’s wonderful to witness the passion on the stage and behind the barriers. The respect that the people crowd surfing and in the mosh pits show each other is one of the great things about music. If only the outside world could be as caring about their fellow humans.

PENGSHUi at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Crowd during Dune Rats at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Although it’s nice to spend time at festivals catching new acts, it’s also the perfect time to see how some of your favourites are getting on. Haggard Cat were brilliant as ever to watch, Soeur got the airtime they deserve with a main stage slot, and Yonaka sounded incredible.

Haggard Cat at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Soeur at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Yonaka at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

While the headliners all sounded great, the real entertainment came from elsewhere. Vukovi, Frank Turner’s punk band Möngöl Hörde, and the fantastically named The St. Pierre Snake Invasion all have the front people to wow the crowds with their performances.

Möngöl Hörde at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

Vukovi at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

The St. Pierre Snake Invasion at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

2000trees took place on Thursday 11^th– Saturday 13^thJuly 2019 at Upcote Farm, Cheltenham. 2020 early bird tickets are out now. With a price increase on the cards I’m expecting big things.

Review and photos by Paul Lyme.

The post 2000trees: Glorious Music & Blistering Sunshine first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

All Roads Lead To All Points East

Paul Lyme — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 18:11:24 +0000

The Tallest Man On Earth at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

The first festival of the year for me was All Points East. A last-minute decision to head down meant I didn’t get to spend as much time at Victoria Park as I’d have wanted, but I packed the hours I did have with some great music. The weekend lineups were quite a bit more chilled than the rock-heavy Friday bill topped by Bring Me The Horizon, with Mumford and Sons headlining on Saturday and Bon Iver Sunday.

Jade Bird at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

The Vaccines at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Dizzee Rascal at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

On Saturday I was accompanied by my photography protégé: my seven-year-old daughter, Phoebe. It was her first festival, so I was keen for her to enjoy herself. The security were great from the start, high-fiving her as she went around the park, with one even stacking some blocks up at the stage railings so she could take some photos of Delilah Montague while she performed. The weather was incredibly hot, so it was a brief stay, but long enough for us to take in some of the great acts on a fantastic and fun lineup, such as the incredible Jade Bird, The Vaccines, and Dizzee Rascal.

Kokoko! at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

On Sunday, the first act for me was Kokoko! from Democratic Republic of Congo who play on extremely interesting instruments made from up-cycling materials such as metal, cans, engine parts, and plastic containers. They sound great and start the day off with a real party atmosphere.

The Staves at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Crowd at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Delilah Montagu at All Points East (Phoebe Lyme)

Victoria Park is a reasonably small festival site – when it’s quieter you can walk end-to-end in under five minutes – but packs plenty in. If you wanted to avoid queueing for food and drinks, you could upgrade to VIP and chill out in the small private area behind the main stage where there were comfy seats and picnic benches to relax on without the crowds, which was ideal if you just wanted to hear the main stage all day and sunbathe in peace.

Julien Baker at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

The good weather was briefly threatened by a few drops of rain as Julien Baker walked out onto the West Stage. She thanked everyone for coming and said she didn’t mind if nobody stayed to watch her, but the American indie singer needn’t have worried. Her brilliant and enthralling performance was enjoyed by a huge crowd.

Crowd at All Points East (Phoebe Lyme)

Ezra Furman at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Opening with one of my favourite songs at the moment, Restless Year, Ezra Furman’s set was one of the most impressive of the weekend. His vocals remind me of Jack White’s at times as he screams down the mic. Ezra has a UK tour booked for November this year and, with his new album Twelve Nudes due out at the end of August, it will be great to experience his new material.

The Tallest Man On Earth at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

The Tallest Man On Earth is one of my favourite performers. Having seen him in the intimate setting of Union Chapel, I was interested to see how he would take to a more open area. It didn’t take him long to make his mark, as the man born Kristian Matsson ran out into centre stage to welcome the crowd with a big jump. He sounded great throughout his set and was a brilliant choice for the chilled evening line-up on the main stage.

Mac DeMarco at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Crowd at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Mac DeMarco at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Mac DeMarco’s laidback stage presence was great to watch as he wandered around, cigarette in hand, swinging and catching his microphone, while banging out some funky jazz tunes. He was well loved by the audience as evidenced by the signs and banners they waved around. Not sure what his hand stand and roly-poly were all about, but it was entertaining to see!

John Grant at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

Bon Iver at All Points East (Paul Lyme)

To me, John Grant was less so. I didn’t really get what he was trying to do. I think his performance is supposed to be a bit kooky, but it just came across weird and a little boring.

Bon Iver were much more impressive. Their set was a lot more “arty” than I was expecting, as the dark stage didn’t shine much light on the performers, led by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. They spent a lot of time behind keyboards, but the show looked good, sounded great, and was well deserving of a headline slot. After they’d finished their performance they treated fans to two brand new songs pumped out over the PA system as the crowds headed home, exhilarated after another long day of music.

Coverage of All Points East at Victoria Park, London on 1st and 2nd June 2019 by Paul Lyme and Phoebe Lyme.

The post All Roads Lead To All Points East first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

Keep On Trucking (Dancing, Prancing, Sweating) At Truck Festival 2018

Paul Lyme — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 16:39:37 +0000

Truck (Paul Lyme)

Another weekend of almost pure sunshine fixed the woes of last year’s Truck Festival mud bath. Over the three days of the 2017 festival the rain barely stopped in Abingdon, Oxfordshire leaving the whole site flooded with mud by the end of the weekend. With a heavy downpour for only an hour on Friday night there was more worry that the crowd would drown in sweat this time around!

Festival Goers (Paul Lyme)

Truck’s organisers had taken note of all last year’s issues and looked to solve them in the simplest ways possible. The two main issues were congestion getting into the site, and the distance between stages. To solve this Truck Festival were delighted to open for the first time on a Thursday, running for four days from the 19^th to the 22^nd. The queues to enter were almost non-existent, and music on two stages allowed for a nice chilled night for those coming early.

Activities for families (Paul Lyme)

The site had also been compacted slightly. Stages were a little closer together meaning a quicker walk between sets. The area in front of the Truck Stage also appeared to be smaller. I’m not sure if the capacity had been reduced at all, but during George Ezra’s headline slot the field was possibly the busiest I’ve seen it.

Crowd at the Truck Stage (Paul Lyme)

There was no Palm City area this year, instead there was a Palm City takeover of The Market Stage after the bands had finished until early hours. The Market Stage appeared to be slightly smaller this year and had switched places with The Nest, which was the place to go for the slightly heavier music.

I Cried Wolf (Paul Lyme)

The Barn was the place to check out the up and coming acts, many of which will end up returning in future years for slots on the larger stages. They probably could have done with airing it out a little longer, as the smell of the animals was still a little fresh! There was also the Veterans And Virgins tent, The Magners Tent and The Rocking Chair with comedy and cabaret.

Little Brother Eli (Paul Lyme)

Thursday night began with local band Little Brother Eli. These guys impressed me last year, but the crowd seemed to be setting tents up still, so the atmosphere was a little muted to begin with for them and Kanadia.

Bad Sounds (Paul Lyme)

By the time Bad Sounds and JAWS the tent was a lot fuller. Bad Sounds sounded great with their throwback hip hop style, and JAWS as always had the tent in full party mode. I’m surprised JAWS didn’t get a slot on the main stage after completely filling the Market Stage during their set last year.

JAWS (Paul Lyme)

Indie-rock band Peace headlined this night and was the perfect way to close the stage on a pretty relaxing first night. Just before heading off for an early night I caught Avalanche Party and Trampolene in The Barn.

Peace (Paul Lyme)

Avalanche Party caught my eye at 2000trees last week, so I thought I’d check whether it was a one of performance! Luckily, they’re just as electric on a smaller stage as frontman Jordan Bell writhes around on the front of the stage staring creepily into the darkness. Trampolene provided some good captivating rock and roll and left The Barn rocking until the early 9:45pm finish.

Trampolene (Paul Lyme)

For Truck’s first Thursday opening it was a success, however seeing some of the stages incomplete did make me worry that they hadn’t prepared themselves in time. Although it didn’t affect the running of the event, it just didn’t look great. Finger’s crossed next year they set up a day earlier.

PINS (Paul Lyme)

Friday kicked off at 1pm and most of the day was spent wandering around the site checking out a lot of acts I’ve not previously heard. The Truck Stage had a good run, firstly with the brilliant all girl rock band PINS. Bad Thing is a cracking song that I’ve had on repeat non-stop since!

Coasts (Paul Lyme)

Little Comets, Circa Waves and Coasts filled the middle slots on the Truck Stage showing off their varied rock styles. All three bands sounded good and seem to have some dedicated followers who lined themselves up at the front nice and early for their sets.

(Paul Lyme)

De La Soul should have been warming up the crowd for Friday’s headliners Friendly Fires, but unfortunately the heavens opened and I was too much of a wimp to leave the press tent to catch them!

Friendly Fires (Paul Lyme)

It had just about worked down to a little drizzle for Friendly Fires, so I braved it briefly for the St Albans indie-rock boys. Frontman Ed Macfarlane jumped around bare footed as the slightly damp crowd danced the rain away.

Friendly Fires (Paul Lyme)

On the Market Stage Friday’s stand out act was Goat Girl. I’d recently picked up their self-named debut album and thought their set was really good. Their fun guitar work and haunting vocals makes the four girls stand out from many other acts around at the moment.

Goat Girl (Paul Lyme)

Fizzy Blood and Fang Club were the pick of the bunch in The Nest on Friday. Both bands are slowly working their way up to the bigger slots at festivals and pulling in some decent crowds with their heavier rock music.

Fangclub (Paul Lyme)

I’ve been waiting to see Calva Louise for a while, so made a dash to catch the three-piece indie-rock band in The Barn and was pleased when they announced their debut album is on its way. Definitely a band to keep a close eye on in the coming months.

Calva Louise (Paul Lyme)

What better way to start your Saturday morning off with a warm up session with Mr Motivator. The 65 year old (Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either!) fills the Truck Stage area with a huge crowd following his fitness instructions as he flows out line after line of inspirational words leaving everyone with beaming smiles. Bringing him back to morning TV will solve many of the world’s issues. Actually, just make him Prime Minister.

Mr Motivator (Paul Lyme)

It was a busy day on all the stages today. flirting impressed on the main stage as front woman Poppy Warring perches herself down on the front of the main stage with a microphone in one hand, and a loudspeaker in the other. This was the first festival slot for the “anxiety-pop” band, and they took their opportunity well.

flirting (Paul Lyme)

Sea Girls have been getting a bit of radio time recently and they have a great chilled out sound like The Kooks. I’ll be seeing them again before the end of festival season and I expect a lot more of them in the future.

Sea Girls (Paul Lyme)

I was slightly worried that having two solo male artists back to back would be slightly boring, but Jake Bugg and George Ezra banished that fear. Both artists have brilliantly distinct voices that stand out from anyone else around and their upbeat pop music gets everyone going. I’ve not seen a crowd react to a song as they did to George Ezra’s Paradise. Arms up in the air they didn’t stop bouncing through the whole song.

George Ezra (Paul Lyme)

The setup on the Market Stage for Drenge was a weird one. A giant octopus and some jellyfish floated around through the smoke filled set. The trio have a brilliant grungy sound that switches the audience from chilled one minute to moshing the next.

Drenge (Paul Lyme)

Hotel Lux have a great sound, but the slow pace doesn’t make for exciting viewing as frontman Lewis Duffin scuffles his feet around the stage staring into the crowd before heading to his microphone every now and then. Lady Bird are a little more exciting in The Nest with their heavier sound, but neither can come close to the stage show that is HMLTD!

Hotel Lux (Paul Lyme)

Formerly Happy Meal Limited, but now just HMLTD. There really is no one else around like them. They look different, they sound different and it’s absolutely enthralling to watch. Some people will hate them and I think they’d be quite happy with that as they appear to set out to get a reaction from the crowd with their superb mix of tunes and 80s style vocals. If you’re going to see a band this year make sure it’s HMLTD. You will not be let down!

HMLTD (Paul Lyme)

The Scruff are always entertaining to watch as they took to the warm and still slightly smelly Barn. The four-piece band seem to improve each time I see them, and hopefully their catchy songs and fun performances get themselves the recognition they deserve!

The Scruff (Paul Lyme)

Sophie and The Giants impressed with a sound not too dissimilar to Florence + The Machine. Sophie Scott’s voice is spectacular and stands out and it bounces around the hard walls of The Barn. Unfortunately, I only caught a handful of their songs, but I’ll be looking to see them again for a full set soon.

Sophie & The Giants (Paul Lyme)

By the time Sunday comes I’m completely drained. The sun has completely taken it out of me and the other photographers as we slowly lug our heavy bags and cameras around. I decide to get a lot of shade today and just pick a handful of acts to catch so I can avoid rushing around. This all works fine until about 5:45pm when I decide I want to catch everyone!

Oxford Symphony Orchestra (Paul Lyme)

The afternoon starts with the brilliant sounds of Oxford Orchestra as they work their way through some classical and rock sounds allowing the crowd to create the now annual mosh pit.

Hey Charlie (Paul Lyme)

Hey Charlie smash it in The Market with their cool performance. They look great in their matching outfits, and their rock tunes are sounding amazing. They’ve picked up some top support slots this year and it’s thoroughly deserved. I joked at how many male photographers had managed to make their way to the photo pit for this set.

Blaenavon (Paul Lyme)

I love Blaenavon and their album That’s Your Lot is one of my favourites at the moment. Their lyrics are beautiful and I was expecting a chilled out performance. I was wrong. They sound so much heavier live. Bass player Frank Wright comes out with sun cream all over his face and bounces his way around the stage throughout their main stage slot. Much livelier and a bigger sound that I was expecting. Quite possibly the best set of the weekend.

The Amazons (Paul Lyme)

You know what to expect with The Amazons as they seem to have pretty much the same set at all their gigs. It works though as their live shows are always top notch and are one of the best live acts to watch at the moment.

The Magic Gang (Paul Lyme)

Magic Gang drew a big crowd to The Market and are picking up a huge following. Don’t be surprised if the regular Truck performers eventually work their way up to a headline spot.

We Are Scientists (Paul Lyme)

Not only do We Are Scientists sound good, but they appear to be the nicest guys in the world! Whilst sound checking bassist Chris Cain took the time to chat with some young lifelong fans at the front and sign shirts for them. The band seem to have been around forever, but they are and fresh faced as ever.

We Are Scientists (Paul Lyme)

I’ve never really listened to Editors, but was pleasantly surprised at how many of their songs I recognised. The English rock band have six albums out now, but Munich is probably their standout song and I’ve realised I should be listening to them a lot more!

Editors (Paul Lyme)

The Courteeners headlined the Sunday night and they had a load of hardcore fans down the front, but the crowd seemed to have thinned out a lot by the time their slot came. I’m not sure if it was the heat that had taken it out of people, or whether the young crowd just weren’t that into hanging around for them. They sounded good though as the remaining festival goers finished the weekend with fireworks.

The Courteeners (Paul Lyme)

Overall it was a brilliant weekend spend at Truck Festival with plenty of great acts to check out. It’s family friendly and the general crowd are pretty young so there aren’t loads of drunks wandering around.

HMLTD (Paul Lyme)

Standout acts from the weekend for me were Blaenavon, Goat Girl and HMLTD, who all sounded fantastic. Hopefully next year’s line up will be just as strong.

Paint Fight (Paul Lyme)

I should also mention the annual paint fight, where the organisers drop a bucket of paint powder in the middle of the field…and RUN. Chaos ensues as the air turns into a huge colourful rainbow. Nobody is safe!

Paint Fight (Paul Lyme)

Tickets are out already and at less that £100 I’d definitely advise people to jump on the Truck Festival bandwagon and book up for next year!

Review and Photography of Truck Festival 2018 by Paul Lyme

The post Keep On Trucking (Dancing, Prancing, Sweating) At Truck Festival 2018 first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

2000trees Festival Rocks The Cotswolds

Paul Lyme — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 12:47:39 +0000

Sløtface (Paul Lyme)

Where do you start to describe a weekend like 2000trees festival? Blistering heat, and a line-up that puts most of this year’s ‘bigger’ festivals to shame. It was fantastic. The atmosphere around the site is so chilled and laid back. With the site being relatively small, no one is in a rush. The clashes between acts were minimal so the crowds are just relaxing in the sun and taking their time to enjoy the music surrounding them.

Arcane Roots Main Stage (Paul Lyme)

Making a change from other festivals, 2000trees runs from Thursday to Saturday. It’s a nice change to be home and relaxing by midday on Sunday and not needing an extra day off work! Set in Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, the beautiful Cotswolds are the ideal setting for this really (family) friendly festival.

With four tents and the acoustic stage in the forest there was roughly 100m to walk between each stage. The main stage is set at the top of the site, just a short distance from the Neu Stage and some market and food stalls. There’s also a little chill out area with activities for the kids. Across the maintenance road we have The Axiom and The Cave tents, and a little walk through some woodlands is the secluded Forest Stage.

Throw in the Acoustic Village and the music being performed on top of the Signature Brew bar; the site is as full as they can get.

Haggard Cat (Paul Lyme)

Having arrived and set up my tent I had a little time to chill and check out the site before I started one the best days of music I’ve experienced. It all begins with rock duo Haggard Cat playing on top of the Signature Brew bar. It’s a small space on the top of the metal container that the bar has been built into, so guitarist Matt Reynolds has to restrict his usual lively movements a little during the short set.

Arcane Roots Forest Set (Paul Lyme)

Arcane Roots started with the first of their two sets on the first day with a synth set in the forest. Their ability to change their style from a full-on rock show to a sat down emotional set is incredible. A few people sitting in The Forest watching mentioned how it was like an out of body experience! Front man Andrew Groves must have one of the most impressive voices in the music industry at the moment.

Press to Meco (Paul Lyme)

Each time I see Press To Meco they impress me more and more, and there are clear improvements each time. With the rock-pop trio’s punchy album Here’s To The Fatigue released this year, a few top support slots could make them a household name before too long!

Brutus (Paul Lyme)

After a synth set the rest of the day was lined up for some real heavy sounds. Whilst checking the acts out pre-festival, Brutus were the one that stood out for me. Drummer and vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts smashed it with her heavy hitting rhythms and amazing raspy voice, with Drive being a standout song.

Turnstile (Paul Lyme)

I was convinced by the other photographers that American hardcore punk act Turnstile was the act to go see, and they were right as Brandon Yates launches himself over the barriers into the crowd. The crowd go absolutely wild as they carry him up in the air across the front of the stage. You can already see how much some of these bands are adored by the crowd, and why there are so many regulars to this festival.

Marmozets (Paul Lyme)

I’ve been waiting to see Marmozets for a while, so I was delighted with the late announcement that they would be playing on the main stage. Knowing What You Know Now should be a contender for album of the year, and they’ve got a stage presence to match the quality of their recorded music. I was completely overwhelmed by their fantastic performance and definitely won’t be forgetting it for a long time!

Marmozets (Paul Lyme)

Black Peaks up next. I’ll make it clear now, I bloody love these guys. Every live performance I’ve seen is top draw, with a full on in your face experience. Will Gardener‘s versatile vocals compliments the heavy music from the rest of the band. I think a lot of the other acts were in the tent for this set as there were a lot of shoutouts from the other stages for Black Peaks. I quickly put my camera away after shooting the first three songs and headed back into The Cave to get involved in the mosh pit. Complete carnage!

Black Peaks (Paul Lyme)

At The Drive In headlined the Friday night, but I wasn’t hugely impressed with them and skipped off early in their set to get involved in the manic silent disco! This festival is more about the smaller acts though and looking back, so many of these bands are going to be future headliners at 2000trees.

At The Drive In (Paul Lyme)

First up on Friday is Lady Bird. There aren’t enough bands like Slaves around, so it was an absolute delight to see the frantic three-piece punk band in action. Not a quiet start to the day for the hungover people in the crowd!

Lady Bird (Paul Lyme)

It was good to catch Phoxjaw after our recent interview. They have a dark stage presence as bassist/vocalist Danny Garland comes out with a bottle of alcohol up in the air to swig from, and keys players Hugh Allen walks around psyching himself up to a near demonic state for their set. Triceratops is an absolute banging tune! I like these guys style. It’s different, without being corny.

Phoxjaw (Paul Lyme)

Normally a band dropping out (Ground Culture) would be a bad thing, but I was delighted to find out that Drones would be playing. The punk group from London always give a good show and are obviously well respected by the other bands as they’ve been picking up some great support slots. They’re not afraid to hide from any political messages as vocalist Lois McDougall enters the stage with a handwritten “Brits like me a lot…” T-Shirt.

Drones (Paul Lyme)

There was the perfect introduction to Bad Sign on main stage. “Two words. Bad fucking Sign”. Pure riffs! That’s all that you need to know about the brilliant rock trio.

Bad Sign (Paul Lyme)

No Violet gave a knockout performance on the Neu Stage. Having caught the grunge band at Truck Festival last year, I was extremely impressed by their set. With a new EP launching in September, hopefully they can push on and break through soon.

No Violet (Paul Lyme)

Ho99o9…I’m not quite sure how to describe them! Half Prodigy, half Public Enemy, perhaps? Either way, they’re my new favourite act! It was extremely hard to get photos through the smoke filled stage. I could just about make out members theOGM and Eaddy, with one in long dreadlocks and alien like claws, and the other wearing a hi-viz police jacket, badge and hat. These guys definitely stand out from the crowd!

Ho99o9 (Paul Lyme)

The Axiom was the place to be for punk rock trios Dream Wife, and Slotface as they brought their fun sets and feminist messages to the full up tent, and PINS impressed with their cool throwback rock chick style.

PINS (Paul Lyme)

Soeur were only supposed to have a forest set, but a late cancellation meant they got a slot on the Neu Stage. It was a strong set from the Bristol based indie trio. They reminded me a lot of Rews and I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the future.

Soeur (Paul Lyme)

I’m unsure about Mallory Knox these days. Catching them for the first time since their line-up change, they are still a really good live band, but without Mikey Chapman’s vocals they don’t stand out from the crowd any more.

Mallory Knox (Paul Lyme)

Heading back to camp I take some time to check out what appears to be a wish tree. Wishes have been jotted down and tied up onto the branches. Some wishes such as ‘I wish for dinosaurs’ are a little more jovial than others…

The wish tree at 2000trees (Paul Lyme)

It was a cold wake up for the front of the main stage on Saturday as Avalanche Party as front man Jordan Bell empties a cup of water over his head before shaking it off like a wet dog. 2000trees definitely wanted some in your face bands for their early main stage sets this weekend!

Avalanche Party (Paul Lyme)

Ever seen a bass guitar string snap? A packed-out Axiom tent witnessed this rare feat as bassist Jiwoon Whang managed to continue through the early part of Swedish Death Candy’s set with his string hanging from the guitar. It was an impressive set from the psych-rock band who will have picked up a few new followers with their cool display.

Swedish Death Candy (Paul Lyme)

Imperial Leisure raised the bar on the main stage bringing a party atmosphere with their flamboyant show. Unfortunately, it didn’t all go to plan as their front man Denis Smith misjudged his jump between the amp and the crowd railings. Falling face first he incredibly got up and continued the set with blood dripping from a slice just below his eye. With inflatables bouncing and champagne flowing this set left those watching with a huge smile.

Imperial Leisure (Paul Lyme)

Solo folk act Beans on Toast had the funniest moment of the weekend. He breaks from his hilarious songs to spend a moment talking about things such as how David Attenborough should be used to wipe out Donald Trump, and why Porta-Loos have roofs.

Beans on Toast (Paul Lyme)

I was thoroughly impressed with The Xcerts. The trio’s catchy rock songs and energetic drew a well deserved big crowd to the main stage. They were another of the acts that had been lined up for an acoustic set in The Forest. This is one of the beauty’s of this festival as you see stripped back sets it really helps you connect with bands you’ve not seen before.

The Xcerts (Paul Lyme)

Former Paper Aeroplanes member Bryde had a cute set in the forest shortly after an impromptu stag do wrestling match on the woodland floor. The Welsh singer songwriter had the crowd in silence with her beautifully fragile songs.

Bryde (Paul Lyme)

Unfortunately, Sikth had to drop out from their set in The Axiom. It was for good reason though, as Daniel Foord’s partner had gone into labour that morning. This gave me a little time to wander around and grab food and a beer before the weekends big headliner.

Closing the main stage this weekend was Enter Shikari. These guys take things to another level with their stage show. Although it seems that they are a bit of a marmite band, there really is no one else like them around at the moment.

Enter Shakiri (Paul Lyme)

Standout performances for me came from Marmozets, Ho99o9, and Black Peaks. I love the energy they have on stage, and it’s a great feeling to be walking away from a set with the music and display stuck in your mind.

I am already looking forward to next year’s 2000trees! I have no doubt that it’ll be another amazing line up of the best up and coming rock and metal acts around.

Photography and review of 2000trees 2018 from 12th-16th July on a farm in The Cotswolds by Paul Lyme.

Check out Will Chalk’s Giant Bar Chart at 2000trees too: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44860257

https://rockshotmagazine.com/209576/slam-dunk-south-2018-live-review/

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