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Having lost a lot of interest in 'bigger' festivals like Reading, this year I decided to look at alternatives, smaller festivals where the price tag was cheaper, the bands somewhat smaller and the vibe a bit more intimate. This led to me stumbling upon 2000 Trees, a festival I noticed was billed as having Frank Turner playing (a brilliant UK folk-punk singer/songwriter who formerly fronted Million Dead), and not only that, the festival was under £50 for two days and nights of music across two stages. So I was pretty much sold. Unfortunately Frank Turner pulled out due to being offered an opening slot on the Offspring's USA tour. However, he was replaced by The King Blues whom I also love, so all was well.
Friday 17th July:
Arriving Friday morning, we had to grab a taxi from town as the festival site was some ways away from Cheltenham. Arriving, it seemed damp. Good thing we'd packed the wellies. Thankfully it wasn't properly raining, just spitting so after exchanging tickets for wristbands we swiftly set up camp before it started raining properly. Whilst doing so we heard bits and pieces of the opening act on the Main Stage, Che. A female fronted alternative rock band, they sounded pretty good to my ears, but I can't tell you much about them as I was in and out of the tent at the time, pegging here and guy-roping there. After this we grabbed some beers and headed for the mainly acoustic tent, affectionately named The Leaf Lounge. We stumbled upon Ruth Bewsey, an acoustic folky act with some really fragile and quite beautiful vocals. Personally it was a bit too fragile, but it certainly was very heartfelt and my girlfriend looked quite captivated by her singing.
Next up we headed back to the Main Stage to catch Crazy Arm, a band recommended to me by a wristband exchange guy after he clocked my Propagandhi T-shirt. Crazy Arm play a strange blend of Country-Punk. I think fans of gruff punk (Hot Water Music, Leatherface) will like this lot, and I was impressed by their musicianship and energy on the day but I didn't get too into them. Having since listened to some tracks on their myspace I think I'll be ordering their debut album pretty sharpish. We stayed put at the main stage for Attack! Attack! from Wales (not to be confused with Attack Attack! from Ohio). I was enticed to see these guys mainly because they feature a member of Adequate Seven, but no funk-punk leanings were on show here. Instead it was very much a case of emo-influenced pop-punk. It was entertaining, yes, but it felt quite Americanised. That said they have some good catchy tunes and they're sure to do well.
At this point the rain starting getting a bit much. We headed to the shelter of Lebowski's Bar for some of the locally produced Badgers Bottom Cider and Organic Lager (all in biodegradable corn-starch glasses). It was at this point that Sucioperro started playing the main stage. The combination of alcohol and being somewhat away from the action means I don't remember too much of Sucioperro. They are quite well known for having collaborated with fellow Scots Biffy Clyro on the Marmaduke Duke side project, and there's something of a Biffy Clyro comparison to be made with Sucioperro themselves, but although they're good I don't think they quite reach the heights of the Clyro.
To escape the rain we head back to camp and indulge in more alcohol. A benefit of this festival having about 3000 people rather than tens of thousands is that everyone camps close to the action, so you can hear pretty well from the comfort of your tent. We overhear some of Exit Ten, a pretty good sounding metal band, and then it's Rolo Tomassi's turn, a schizophrenic blend of hardcore punk / metal and almost chilled out jazz. As such we hear bursts of screams, yelps and pulsating synths – comparisons to so-called “noisecore” bands like Dillinger Escape Plan seem inevitable. At this point I think we headed for some food before The King Blues, who came on to much applause. For me, they were the highlight of the festival. A potent blend of ska, reggae and punk, the band have many acoustic songs as well as the more raucous moments of 'Lets Hang the Landlord' and 'The Streets are Ours', whose interlude recalls the samba drum bands often heard on protest marches. Politics forms an important part of The King Blues' music, and during their set they vent their anger at the BNP getting seats in the European Parliament. It's an energetic and fun set which gets the crowd moving and singing along and I think many people wished it could go on longer.
After this came Fightstar. By this point I was suitably drunk that I don't remember what was going on. I do remember sitting on some haystacks in The Leaf Lounge watching Lets Tea Party, although I have no idea what they were like...
After sobering up slightly I headed to the Silent Disco, but after discovering a huge queue and a £10 deposit required, we decided to head back to the tent, have another drink and hit the sack.
Saturday 18th July:
Getting up reasonably early more due to the inability to sleep than any willingness to rise, we had a bit of an explore around the site. It's all quite compact really, which makes a nice change from bigger festivals where it can take forty minutes to get from tent to arena. Here the main arena is about a minute away from our pitch, and it's a similar distance to The Leaf Lounge (which isn't actually in the arena). As well as the usual food stalls there are also the expected assortment of henna tattooists, and some clothes stalls, including the Organic Stereo stall where my girlfriend spent a small fortune on some clothes (admittedly they were very nice, but a small fortune was spent nonetheless). Elsewhere was a community art project where you could paint on some boards that spelt out “2000 Trees” - a bit like the Bestival blocks that people paint each year, but on a much smaller scale.
Saturday was a somewhat sunnier affair than Friday, so, having depleted our own alcohol stocks the previous night, we sat in the arena drinking some organic lager, awaiting midday for The Master Chaynjis to arrive. When they do they're perfectly nice, a relaxing start to the day. I can't say they made a big impression on me, and I won't be actively seeking them out – they have a bit of a loungey feel, using mainly acoustic instruments including a double bass, but they're hard to pin down to a particular genre or sound, making them the bane of lazy music journos, but a good way to lure hungover and bedraggled festival goers out of their tents. Staying at the main stage, and up come Babel, who I actually quite liked. Again, quite relaxing, but strangely energetic folk-pop. Another good choice for an early-in-the-day act to soothe the tired crowd. Then it was the turn of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, another mainly acoustic act with folky and country leanings, but they felt a bit more Summery, with hints of ska coming through occasionally. I quite liked this lot.
Having struck up a random conversation with a stranger in The Leaf Lounge the previous day, we noticed he was wearing a golden wristband and enquired about it – turned out he was playing the festival, so we promised to come see him. Thus we turned up at The Lead Lounge to see Oxygen Thief play. I quite enjoyed it really, sort of the antidote to the singer / songwriter stereotype, Oxygen Thief is one man, an acoustic guitar and a mike, but this is acoustic music for people who like things loud and unapologetically shouty. And while the acoustic riffage and some dark lyricism definitely won't be to everyone's tastes, I found it quite refreshing, especially with a lot of acoustic folky-influenced acts about this weekend. Oh, and his cover of Spandau Ballet's 'Gold' had everyone shouting along! We then stayed for Aspen Sails who were better than I had expected based on their description in the programme (billing them as easy listening folk), but being another folk-influenced acoustic act they failed to make much of an impression.
Still in The Leaf Lounge, Sara Schiralli comes up, another singer / songwriter type. This time it's very minimalist, the guitar strumming is quiet and sparse, while at times the vocals border on spoken word. Not quite my cup of tea but another act my girlfriend seemed to enjoy. Finally before heading out of the comfort of The Leaf Lounge we saw some of Gloria Cycles, another act I liked more than I expected. They are an indie band, a genre I usually find a bit dull, but they do have some good tunes.
After this it's over to the main stage and we catch a bit of Snow Club, more perfectly enjoyable folk-pop. We stay at the main stage for Imperial Leisure, a ten-piece band that are perhaps the modern successors to Madness, with the main influence obviously being ska, but also incorporating hip-hop, rock and dance to create perhaps the ultimate Summer festival band, full of high-octane energy and a hugely charismatic frontman. Check out 'Man on the Street' for a Summer anthem and a half. They perform an energetic set which the crowd seem to enjoy and get a guy from the crowd who was dressed in a chicken suit skanking up on stage with them!
At this point it's back to the tent for some food and a rest. We rejoin the action at the main stage with Red Light Company, a mixture of alt-rock and indie that stays close enough to the rock end of the spectrum to keep my attention. They have some catchy songs, but don't seem hugely energetic. A perfectly good band, but it didn't really feel like there was enough connection with the crowd. Or perhaps we were just too far back.
The headliners for tonight are British Sea Power. After much sound-checking, we notice some pretty large branches are beginning to decorate the stage and are also being passed around the crowd. The stage is lit up in green and everything looks pretty damn cool. British Sea Power eventually emerge to much applause, but unfortunately we're unable to get into them that much. Although they play well they just don't seem that accessible, especially to partially inebriated festival goers. I'm sure fans of the band had a great time, but with little prior knowledge of their material we were left feeling a little bemused. We headed over to The Leaf Lounge to check out their headline band. The tent was relatively quiet, probably owing to everyone heading to the main stage, but we found The Brute Chorus to be a far more immediate venture, the lead singer sporting slicked back hair recalling rockabilly bands, and a slight deranged glint in his eye. Their fuzzy, garage-rock swagger with folk sensibilities has the whole tent singing and clapping along while the band radiate energy into the crowd, and it all feels over a bit too quickly due to the strict 11pm curfew on the music.
Altogether this was a refreshingly different festival experience. Away from the mass sponsorship and money-grabbing tendencies of the bigger festivals, 2000 Trees and other small festivals up and down the country provide far cheaper entry, friendlier staff, vendors whose prices don't feel completely ridiculous, and a much smaller security presence which gives a nicer atmosphere. Of course, you don't get all the 'famous' bands, but there were plenty of acts I checked out and enjoyed that I'd never heard of before, which is always a good thing. I'd definitely go again, but we'll have to wait and see what's on the menu for next year – there are plenty of these small festivals around for people willing to look for them, and in my opinion they offer a great alternative to the over-crowded and over-priced 'mainstream' festivals.
Friday 17th July:
Arriving Friday morning, we had to grab a taxi from town as the festival site was some ways away from Cheltenham. Arriving, it seemed damp. Good thing we'd packed the wellies. Thankfully it wasn't properly raining, just spitting so after exchanging tickets for wristbands we swiftly set up camp before it started raining properly. Whilst doing so we heard bits and pieces of the opening act on the Main Stage, Che. A female fronted alternative rock band, they sounded pretty good to my ears, but I can't tell you much about them as I was in and out of the tent at the time, pegging here and guy-roping there. After this we grabbed some beers and headed for the mainly acoustic tent, affectionately named The Leaf Lounge. We stumbled upon Ruth Bewsey, an acoustic folky act with some really fragile and quite beautiful vocals. Personally it was a bit too fragile, but it certainly was very heartfelt and my girlfriend looked quite captivated by her singing.
Next up we headed back to the Main Stage to catch Crazy Arm, a band recommended to me by a wristband exchange guy after he clocked my Propagandhi T-shirt. Crazy Arm play a strange blend of Country-Punk. I think fans of gruff punk (Hot Water Music, Leatherface) will like this lot, and I was impressed by their musicianship and energy on the day but I didn't get too into them. Having since listened to some tracks on their myspace I think I'll be ordering their debut album pretty sharpish. We stayed put at the main stage for Attack! Attack! from Wales (not to be confused with Attack Attack! from Ohio). I was enticed to see these guys mainly because they feature a member of Adequate Seven, but no funk-punk leanings were on show here. Instead it was very much a case of emo-influenced pop-punk. It was entertaining, yes, but it felt quite Americanised. That said they have some good catchy tunes and they're sure to do well.
At this point the rain starting getting a bit much. We headed to the shelter of Lebowski's Bar for some of the locally produced Badgers Bottom Cider and Organic Lager (all in biodegradable corn-starch glasses). It was at this point that Sucioperro started playing the main stage. The combination of alcohol and being somewhat away from the action means I don't remember too much of Sucioperro. They are quite well known for having collaborated with fellow Scots Biffy Clyro on the Marmaduke Duke side project, and there's something of a Biffy Clyro comparison to be made with Sucioperro themselves, but although they're good I don't think they quite reach the heights of the Clyro.
To escape the rain we head back to camp and indulge in more alcohol. A benefit of this festival having about 3000 people rather than tens of thousands is that everyone camps close to the action, so you can hear pretty well from the comfort of your tent. We overhear some of Exit Ten, a pretty good sounding metal band, and then it's Rolo Tomassi's turn, a schizophrenic blend of hardcore punk / metal and almost chilled out jazz. As such we hear bursts of screams, yelps and pulsating synths – comparisons to so-called “noisecore” bands like Dillinger Escape Plan seem inevitable. At this point I think we headed for some food before The King Blues, who came on to much applause. For me, they were the highlight of the festival. A potent blend of ska, reggae and punk, the band have many acoustic songs as well as the more raucous moments of 'Lets Hang the Landlord' and 'The Streets are Ours', whose interlude recalls the samba drum bands often heard on protest marches. Politics forms an important part of The King Blues' music, and during their set they vent their anger at the BNP getting seats in the European Parliament. It's an energetic and fun set which gets the crowd moving and singing along and I think many people wished it could go on longer.
After this came Fightstar. By this point I was suitably drunk that I don't remember what was going on. I do remember sitting on some haystacks in The Leaf Lounge watching Lets Tea Party, although I have no idea what they were like...
After sobering up slightly I headed to the Silent Disco, but after discovering a huge queue and a £10 deposit required, we decided to head back to the tent, have another drink and hit the sack.
Saturday 18th July:
Getting up reasonably early more due to the inability to sleep than any willingness to rise, we had a bit of an explore around the site. It's all quite compact really, which makes a nice change from bigger festivals where it can take forty minutes to get from tent to arena. Here the main arena is about a minute away from our pitch, and it's a similar distance to The Leaf Lounge (which isn't actually in the arena). As well as the usual food stalls there are also the expected assortment of henna tattooists, and some clothes stalls, including the Organic Stereo stall where my girlfriend spent a small fortune on some clothes (admittedly they were very nice, but a small fortune was spent nonetheless). Elsewhere was a community art project where you could paint on some boards that spelt out “2000 Trees” - a bit like the Bestival blocks that people paint each year, but on a much smaller scale.
Saturday was a somewhat sunnier affair than Friday, so, having depleted our own alcohol stocks the previous night, we sat in the arena drinking some organic lager, awaiting midday for The Master Chaynjis to arrive. When they do they're perfectly nice, a relaxing start to the day. I can't say they made a big impression on me, and I won't be actively seeking them out – they have a bit of a loungey feel, using mainly acoustic instruments including a double bass, but they're hard to pin down to a particular genre or sound, making them the bane of lazy music journos, but a good way to lure hungover and bedraggled festival goers out of their tents. Staying at the main stage, and up come Babel, who I actually quite liked. Again, quite relaxing, but strangely energetic folk-pop. Another good choice for an early-in-the-day act to soothe the tired crowd. Then it was the turn of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, another mainly acoustic act with folky and country leanings, but they felt a bit more Summery, with hints of ska coming through occasionally. I quite liked this lot.
Having struck up a random conversation with a stranger in The Leaf Lounge the previous day, we noticed he was wearing a golden wristband and enquired about it – turned out he was playing the festival, so we promised to come see him. Thus we turned up at The Lead Lounge to see Oxygen Thief play. I quite enjoyed it really, sort of the antidote to the singer / songwriter stereotype, Oxygen Thief is one man, an acoustic guitar and a mike, but this is acoustic music for people who like things loud and unapologetically shouty. And while the acoustic riffage and some dark lyricism definitely won't be to everyone's tastes, I found it quite refreshing, especially with a lot of acoustic folky-influenced acts about this weekend. Oh, and his cover of Spandau Ballet's 'Gold' had everyone shouting along! We then stayed for Aspen Sails who were better than I had expected based on their description in the programme (billing them as easy listening folk), but being another folk-influenced acoustic act they failed to make much of an impression.
Still in The Leaf Lounge, Sara Schiralli comes up, another singer / songwriter type. This time it's very minimalist, the guitar strumming is quiet and sparse, while at times the vocals border on spoken word. Not quite my cup of tea but another act my girlfriend seemed to enjoy. Finally before heading out of the comfort of The Leaf Lounge we saw some of Gloria Cycles, another act I liked more than I expected. They are an indie band, a genre I usually find a bit dull, but they do have some good tunes.
After this it's over to the main stage and we catch a bit of Snow Club, more perfectly enjoyable folk-pop. We stay at the main stage for Imperial Leisure, a ten-piece band that are perhaps the modern successors to Madness, with the main influence obviously being ska, but also incorporating hip-hop, rock and dance to create perhaps the ultimate Summer festival band, full of high-octane energy and a hugely charismatic frontman. Check out 'Man on the Street' for a Summer anthem and a half. They perform an energetic set which the crowd seem to enjoy and get a guy from the crowd who was dressed in a chicken suit skanking up on stage with them!
At this point it's back to the tent for some food and a rest. We rejoin the action at the main stage with Red Light Company, a mixture of alt-rock and indie that stays close enough to the rock end of the spectrum to keep my attention. They have some catchy songs, but don't seem hugely energetic. A perfectly good band, but it didn't really feel like there was enough connection with the crowd. Or perhaps we were just too far back.
The headliners for tonight are British Sea Power. After much sound-checking, we notice some pretty large branches are beginning to decorate the stage and are also being passed around the crowd. The stage is lit up in green and everything looks pretty damn cool. British Sea Power eventually emerge to much applause, but unfortunately we're unable to get into them that much. Although they play well they just don't seem that accessible, especially to partially inebriated festival goers. I'm sure fans of the band had a great time, but with little prior knowledge of their material we were left feeling a little bemused. We headed over to The Leaf Lounge to check out their headline band. The tent was relatively quiet, probably owing to everyone heading to the main stage, but we found The Brute Chorus to be a far more immediate venture, the lead singer sporting slicked back hair recalling rockabilly bands, and a slight deranged glint in his eye. Their fuzzy, garage-rock swagger with folk sensibilities has the whole tent singing and clapping along while the band radiate energy into the crowd, and it all feels over a bit too quickly due to the strict 11pm curfew on the music.
Altogether this was a refreshingly different festival experience. Away from the mass sponsorship and money-grabbing tendencies of the bigger festivals, 2000 Trees and other small festivals up and down the country provide far cheaper entry, friendlier staff, vendors whose prices don't feel completely ridiculous, and a much smaller security presence which gives a nicer atmosphere. Of course, you don't get all the 'famous' bands, but there were plenty of acts I checked out and enjoyed that I'd never heard of before, which is always a good thing. I'd definitely go again, but we'll have to wait and see what's on the menu for next year – there are plenty of these small festivals around for people willing to look for them, and in my opinion they offer a great alternative to the over-crowded and over-priced 'mainstream' festivals.
hey dude - was just shamelessly googling to see if I could find any photos of my set from the festival & stumbled across your review.......glad you enjoyed it!
I'm at myspace.com/oxygenthief or facebook.com/oxygenthief666 if you want to say hi sometime
cheers!
OT
I'm at myspace.com/oxygenthief or facebook.com/oxygenthief666 if you want to say hi sometime
cheers!
OT
Thankee. I think.
Nice GAD attempt lol ;)
Having lost a lot of interest in 'bigger' festivals like Reading, this year I decided to look at alternatives, smaller festivals where the price tag was cheaper, the bands somewhat smaller and the vibe a bit more intimate. This led to me stumbling upon 2000 Trees, a festival I noticed was billed as having Frank Turner playing (a brilliant UK folk-punk singer/songwriter who formerly fronted Million Dead), and not only that, the festival was under £50 for two days and nights of music across two stages. So I was pretty much sold. Unfortunately Frank Turner pulled out due to being offered an opening slot on the Offspring's USA tour. However, he was replaced by The King Blues whom I also love, so all was well.
Friday 17th July:
Arriving Friday morning, we had to grab a taxi from town as the festival site was some ways away from Cheltenham. Arriving, it seemed damp. Good thing we'd packed the wellies. Thankfully it wasn't properly raining, just spitting so after exchanging tickets for wristbands we swiftly set up camp before it started raining properly. Whilst doing so we heard bits and pieces of the opening act on the Main Stage, Che. A female fronted alternative rock band, they sounded pretty good to my ears, but I can't tell you much about them as I was in and out of the tent at the time, pegging here and guy-roping there. After this we grabbed some beers and headed for the mainly acoustic tent, affectionately named The Leaf Lounge. We stumbled upon Ruth Bewsey, an acoustic folky act with some really fragile and quite beautiful vocals. Personally it was a bit too fragile, but it certainly was very heartfelt and my girlfriend looked quite captivated by her singing.
Next up we headed back to the Main Stage to catch Crazy Arm, a band recommended to me by a wristband exchange guy after he clocked my Propagandhi T-shirt. Crazy Arm play a strange blend of Country-Punk. I think fans of gruff punk (Hot Water Music, Leatherface) will like this lot, and I was impressed by their musicianship and energy on the day but I didn't get too into them. Having since listened to some tracks on their myspace I think I'll be ordering their debut album pretty sharpish. We stayed put at the main stage for Attack! Attack! from Wales (not to be confused with Attack Attack! from Ohio). I was enticed to see these guys mainly because they feature a member of Adequate Seven, but no funk-punk leanings were on show here. Instead it was very much a case of emo-influenced pop-punk. It was entertaining, yes, but it felt quite Americanised. That said they have some good catchy tunes and they're sure to do well.
At this point the rain starting getting a bit much. We headed to the shelter of Lebowski's Bar for some of the locally produced Badgers Bottom Cider and Organic Lager (all in biodegradable corn-starch glasses). It was at this point that Sucioperro started playing the main stage. The combination of alcohol and being somewhat away from the action means I don't remember too much of Sucioperro. They are quite well known for having collaborated with fellow Scots Biffy Clyro on the Marmaduke Duke side project, and there's something of a Biffy Clyro comparison to be made with Sucioperro themselves, but although they're good I don't think they quite reach the heights of the Clyro.
To escape the rain we head back to camp and indulge in more alcohol. A benefit of this festival having about 3000 people rather than tens of thousands is that everyone camps close to the action, so you can hear pretty well from the comfort of your tent. We overhear some of Exit Ten, a pretty good sounding metal band, and then it's Rolo Tomassi's turn, a schizophrenic blend of hardcore punk / metal and almost chilled out jazz. As such we hear bursts of screams, yelps and pulsating synths – comparisons to so-called “noisecore” bands like Dillinger Escape Plan seem inevitable. At this point I think we headed for some food before The King Blues, who came on to much applause. For me, they were the highlight of the festival. A potent blend of ska, reggae and punk, the band have many acoustic songs as well as the more raucous moments of 'Lets Hang the Landlord' and 'The Streets are Ours', whose interlude recalls the samba drum bands often heard on protest marches. Politics forms an important part of The King Blues' music, and during their set they vent their anger at the BNP getting seats in the European Parliament. It's an energetic and fun set which gets the crowd moving and singing along and I think many people wished it could go on longer.
After this came Fightstar. By this point I was suitably drunk that I don't remember what was going on. I do remember sitting on some haystacks in The Leaf Lounge watching Lets Tea Party, although I have no idea what they were like...
After sobering up slightly I headed to the Silent Disco, but after discovering a huge queue and a £10 deposit required, we decided to head back to the tent, have another drink and hit the sack.
Saturday 18th July:
Getting up reasonably early more due to the inability to sleep than any willingness to rise, we had a bit of an explore around the site. It's all quite compact really, which makes a nice change from bigger festivals where it can take forty minutes to get from tent to arena. Here the main arena is about a minute away from our pitch, and it's a similar distance to The Leaf Lounge (which isn't actually in the arena). As well as the usual food stalls there are also the expected assortment of henna tattooists, and some clothes stalls, including the Organic Stereo stall where my girlfriend spent a small fortune on some clothes (admittedly they were very nice, but a small fortune was spent nonetheless). Elsewhere was a community art project where you could paint on some boards that spelt out “2000 Trees” - a bit like the Bestival blocks that people paint each year, but on a much smaller scale.
Saturday was a somewhat sunnier affair than Friday, so, having depleted our own alcohol stocks the previous night, we sat in the arena drinking some organic lager, awaiting midday for The Master Chaynjis to arrive. When they do they're perfectly nice, a relaxing start to the day. I can't say they made a big impression on me, and I won't be actively seeking them out – they have a bit of a loungey feel, using mainly acoustic instruments including a double bass, but they're hard to pin down to a particular genre or sound, making them the bane of lazy music journos, but a good way to lure hungover and bedraggled festival goers out of their tents. Staying at the main stage, and up come Babel, who I actually quite liked. Again, quite relaxing, but strangely energetic folk-pop. Another good choice for an early-in-the-day act to soothe the tired crowd. Then it was the turn of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, another mainly acoustic act with folky and country leanings, but they felt a bit more Summery, with hints of ska coming through occasionally. I quite liked this lot.
Having struck up a random conversation with a stranger in The Leaf Lounge the previous day, we noticed he was wearing a golden wristband and enquired about it – turned out he was playing the festival, so we promised to come see him. Thus we turned up at The Lead Lounge to see Oxygen Thief play. I quite enjoyed it really, sort of the antidote to the singer / songwriter stereotype, Oxygen Thief is one man, an acoustic guitar and a mike, but this is acoustic music for people who like things loud and unapologetically shouty. And while the acoustic riffage and some dark lyricism definitely won't be to everyone's tastes, I found it quite refreshing, especially with a lot of acoustic folky-influenced acts about this weekend. Oh, and his cover of Spandau Ballet's 'Gold' had everyone shouting along! We then stayed for Aspen Sails who were better than I had expected based on their description in the programme (billing them as easy listening folk), but being another folk-influenced acoustic act they failed to make much of an impression.
Still in The Leaf Lounge, Sara Schiralli comes up, another singer / songwriter type. This time it's very minimalist, the guitar strumming is quiet and sparse, while at times the vocals border on spoken word. Not quite my cup of tea but another act my girlfriend seemed to enjoy. Finally before heading out of the comfort of The Leaf Lounge we saw some of Gloria Cycles, another act I liked more than I expected. They are an indie band, a genre I usually find a bit dull, but they do have some good tunes.
After this it's over to the main stage and we catch a bit of Snow Club, more perfectly enjoyable folk-pop. We stay at the main stage for Imperial Leisure, a ten-piece band that are perhaps the modern successors to Madness, with the main influence obviously being ska, but also incorporating hip-hop, rock and dance to create perhaps the ultimate Summer festival band, full of high-octane energy and a hugely charismatic frontman. Check out 'Man on the Street' for a Summer anthem and a half. They perform an energetic set which the crowd seem to enjoy and get a guy from the crowd who was dressed in a chicken suit skanking up on stage with them!
At this point it's back to the tent for some food and a rest. We rejoin the action at the main stage with Red Light Company, a mixture of alt-rock and indie that stays close enough to the rock end of the spectrum to keep my attention. They have some catchy songs, but don't seem hugely energetic. A perfectly good band, but it didn't really feel like there was enough connection with the crowd. Or perhaps we were just too far back.
The headliners for tonight are British Sea Power. After much sound-checking, we notice some pretty large branches are beginning to decorate the stage and are also being passed around the crowd. The stage is lit up in green and everything looks pretty damn cool. British Sea Power eventually emerge to much applause, but unfortunately we're unable to get into them that much. Although they play well they just don't seem that accessible, especially to partially inebriated festival goers. I'm sure fans of the band had a great time, but with little prior knowledge of their material we were left feeling a little bemused. We headed over to The Leaf Lounge to check out their headline band. The tent was relatively quiet, probably owing to everyone heading to the main stage, but we found The Brute Chorus to be a far more immediate venture, the lead singer sporting slicked back hair recalling rockabilly bands, and a slight deranged glint in his eye. Their fuzzy, garage-rock swagger with folk sensibilities has the whole tent singing and clapping along while the band radiate energy into the crowd, and it all feels over a bit too quickly due to the strict 11pm curfew on the music.
Altogether this was a refreshingly different festival experience. Away from the mass sponsorship and money-grabbing tendencies of the bigger festivals, 2000 Trees and other small festivals up and down the country provide far cheaper entry, friendlier staff, vendors whose prices don't feel completely ridiculous, and a much smaller security presence which gives a nicer atmosphere. Of course, you don't get all the 'famous' bands, but there were plenty of acts I checked out and enjoyed that I'd never heard of before, which is always a good thing. I'd definitely go again, but we'll have to wait and see what's on the menu for next year – there are plenty of these small festivals around for people willing to look for them, and in my opinion they offer a great alternative to the over-crowded and over-priced 'mainstream' festivals.
Friday 17th July:
Arriving Friday morning, we had to grab a taxi from town as the festival site was some ways away from Cheltenham. Arriving, it seemed damp. Good thing we'd packed the wellies. Thankfully it wasn't properly raining, just spitting so after exchanging tickets for wristbands we swiftly set up camp before it started raining properly. Whilst doing so we heard bits and pieces of the opening act on the Main Stage, Che. A female fronted alternative rock band, they sounded pretty good to my ears, but I can't tell you much about them as I was in and out of the tent at the time, pegging here and guy-roping there. After this we grabbed some beers and headed for the mainly acoustic tent, affectionately named The Leaf Lounge. We stumbled upon Ruth Bewsey, an acoustic folky act with some really fragile and quite beautiful vocals. Personally it was a bit too fragile, but it certainly was very heartfelt and my girlfriend looked quite captivated by her singing.
Next up we headed back to the Main Stage to catch Crazy Arm, a band recommended to me by a wristband exchange guy after he clocked my Propagandhi T-shirt. Crazy Arm play a strange blend of Country-Punk. I think fans of gruff punk (Hot Water Music, Leatherface) will like this lot, and I was impressed by their musicianship and energy on the day but I didn't get too into them. Having since listened to some tracks on their myspace I think I'll be ordering their debut album pretty sharpish. We stayed put at the main stage for Attack! Attack! from Wales (not to be confused with Attack Attack! from Ohio). I was enticed to see these guys mainly because they feature a member of Adequate Seven, but no funk-punk leanings were on show here. Instead it was very much a case of emo-influenced pop-punk. It was entertaining, yes, but it felt quite Americanised. That said they have some good catchy tunes and they're sure to do well.
At this point the rain starting getting a bit much. We headed to the shelter of Lebowski's Bar for some of the locally produced Badgers Bottom Cider and Organic Lager (all in biodegradable corn-starch glasses). It was at this point that Sucioperro started playing the main stage. The combination of alcohol and being somewhat away from the action means I don't remember too much of Sucioperro. They are quite well known for having collaborated with fellow Scots Biffy Clyro on the Marmaduke Duke side project, and there's something of a Biffy Clyro comparison to be made with Sucioperro themselves, but although they're good I don't think they quite reach the heights of the Clyro.
To escape the rain we head back to camp and indulge in more alcohol. A benefit of this festival having about 3000 people rather than tens of thousands is that everyone camps close to the action, so you can hear pretty well from the comfort of your tent. We overhear some of Exit Ten, a pretty good sounding metal band, and then it's Rolo Tomassi's turn, a schizophrenic blend of hardcore punk / metal and almost chilled out jazz. As such we hear bursts of screams, yelps and pulsating synths – comparisons to so-called “noisecore” bands like Dillinger Escape Plan seem inevitable. At this point I think we headed for some food before The King Blues, who came on to much applause. For me, they were the highlight of the festival. A potent blend of ska, reggae and punk, the band have many acoustic songs as well as the more raucous moments of 'Lets Hang the Landlord' and 'The Streets are Ours', whose interlude recalls the samba drum bands often heard on protest marches. Politics forms an important part of The King Blues' music, and during their set they vent their anger at the BNP getting seats in the European Parliament. It's an energetic and fun set which gets the crowd moving and singing along and I think many people wished it could go on longer.
After this came Fightstar. By this point I was suitably drunk that I don't remember what was going on. I do remember sitting on some haystacks in The Leaf Lounge watching Lets Tea Party, although I have no idea what they were like...
After sobering up slightly I headed to the Silent Disco, but after discovering a huge queue and a £10 deposit required, we decided to head back to the tent, have another drink and hit the sack.
Saturday 18th July:
Getting up reasonably early more due to the inability to sleep than any willingness to rise, we had a bit of an explore around the site. It's all quite compact really, which makes a nice change from bigger festivals where it can take forty minutes to get from tent to arena. Here the main arena is about a minute away from our pitch, and it's a similar distance to The Leaf Lounge (which isn't actually in the arena). As well as the usual food stalls there are also the expected assortment of henna tattooists, and some clothes stalls, including the Organic Stereo stall where my girlfriend spent a small fortune on some clothes (admittedly they were very nice, but a small fortune was spent nonetheless). Elsewhere was a community art project where you could paint on some boards that spelt out “2000 Trees” - a bit like the Bestival blocks that people paint each year, but on a much smaller scale.
Saturday was a somewhat sunnier affair than Friday, so, having depleted our own alcohol stocks the previous night, we sat in the arena drinking some organic lager, awaiting midday for The Master Chaynjis to arrive. When they do they're perfectly nice, a relaxing start to the day. I can't say they made a big impression on me, and I won't be actively seeking them out – they have a bit of a loungey feel, using mainly acoustic instruments including a double bass, but they're hard to pin down to a particular genre or sound, making them the bane of lazy music journos, but a good way to lure hungover and bedraggled festival goers out of their tents. Staying at the main stage, and up come Babel, who I actually quite liked. Again, quite relaxing, but strangely energetic folk-pop. Another good choice for an early-in-the-day act to soothe the tired crowd. Then it was the turn of Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, another mainly acoustic act with folky and country leanings, but they felt a bit more Summery, with hints of ska coming through occasionally. I quite liked this lot.
Having struck up a random conversation with a stranger in The Leaf Lounge the previous day, we noticed he was wearing a golden wristband and enquired about it – turned out he was playing the festival, so we promised to come see him. Thus we turned up at The Lead Lounge to see Oxygen Thief play. I quite enjoyed it really, sort of the antidote to the singer / songwriter stereotype, Oxygen Thief is one man, an acoustic guitar and a mike, but this is acoustic music for people who like things loud and unapologetically shouty. And while the acoustic riffage and some dark lyricism definitely won't be to everyone's tastes, I found it quite refreshing, especially with a lot of acoustic folky-influenced acts about this weekend. Oh, and his cover of Spandau Ballet's 'Gold' had everyone shouting along! We then stayed for Aspen Sails who were better than I had expected based on their description in the programme (billing them as easy listening folk), but being another folk-influenced acoustic act they failed to make much of an impression.
Still in The Leaf Lounge, Sara Schiralli comes up, another singer / songwriter type. This time it's very minimalist, the guitar strumming is quiet and sparse, while at times the vocals border on spoken word. Not quite my cup of tea but another act my girlfriend seemed to enjoy. Finally before heading out of the comfort of The Leaf Lounge we saw some of Gloria Cycles, another act I liked more than I expected. They are an indie band, a genre I usually find a bit dull, but they do have some good tunes.
After this it's over to the main stage and we catch a bit of Snow Club, more perfectly enjoyable folk-pop. We stay at the main stage for Imperial Leisure, a ten-piece band that are perhaps the modern successors to Madness, with the main influence obviously being ska, but also incorporating hip-hop, rock and dance to create perhaps the ultimate Summer festival band, full of high-octane energy and a hugely charismatic frontman. Check out 'Man on the Street' for a Summer anthem and a half. They perform an energetic set which the crowd seem to enjoy and get a guy from the crowd who was dressed in a chicken suit skanking up on stage with them!
At this point it's back to the tent for some food and a rest. We rejoin the action at the main stage with Red Light Company, a mixture of alt-rock and indie that stays close enough to the rock end of the spectrum to keep my attention. They have some catchy songs, but don't seem hugely energetic. A perfectly good band, but it didn't really feel like there was enough connection with the crowd. Or perhaps we were just too far back.
The headliners for tonight are British Sea Power. After much sound-checking, we notice some pretty large branches are beginning to decorate the stage and are also being passed around the crowd. The stage is lit up in green and everything looks pretty damn cool. British Sea Power eventually emerge to much applause, but unfortunately we're unable to get into them that much. Although they play well they just don't seem that accessible, especially to partially inebriated festival goers. I'm sure fans of the band had a great time, but with little prior knowledge of their material we were left feeling a little bemused. We headed over to The Leaf Lounge to check out their headline band. The tent was relatively quiet, probably owing to everyone heading to the main stage, but we found The Brute Chorus to be a far more immediate venture, the lead singer sporting slicked back hair recalling rockabilly bands, and a slight deranged glint in his eye. Their fuzzy, garage-rock swagger with folk sensibilities has the whole tent singing and clapping along while the band radiate energy into the crowd, and it all feels over a bit too quickly due to the strict 11pm curfew on the music.
Altogether this was a refreshingly different festival experience. Away from the mass sponsorship and money-grabbing tendencies of the bigger festivals, 2000 Trees and other small festivals up and down the country provide far cheaper entry, friendlier staff, vendors whose prices don't feel completely ridiculous, and a much smaller security presence which gives a nicer atmosphere. Of course, you don't get all the 'famous' bands, but there were plenty of acts I checked out and enjoyed that I'd never heard of before, which is always a good thing. I'd definitely go again, but we'll have to wait and see what's on the menu for next year – there are plenty of these small festivals around for people willing to look for them, and in my opinion they offer a great alternative to the over-crowded and over-priced 'mainstream' festivals.