2000trees Festival returned once again this year to the picturesque Upcote Farm near Cheltenham, solidifying its reputation as a cornerstone of the UK’s alternative music scene. Despite being independent, this festival has long been celebrated for its diverse and carefully curated line-up, reflecting a genuine commitment to inclusivity and representation for everyone involved. Over the week, the female artists brought a dynamic energy across the stages, which this review will explore, celebrating their artistry, and the vital role that they played in shaping the festival’s vibrant atmosphere.
Wednesday
The first day of the festival felt like being let in on a not-so-well-kept secret. With smaller crowds and only the Word and Forest stages open, those lucky enough to hold a four-day ticket could ease themselves into the packed week ahead, soaking up the calm before the storm.
Starting off strong, the first band that I saw was Panic Shack. With their raw, unfiltered energy, the Welsh punk quintet got the crowd dancing to ‘Baby’, ‘Jiu Jits You’, and ‘I Don’t Really Like It’, to which they cheekily added the chorus of The Ting Tings’ ‘That’s Not My Name’. Demanding that everyone buy their upcoming album, they teased us with ‘Pockets’, a witty, playful track about the joy of wanting to have pockets adequate enough to hold your vape, phone, keys and lipgloss. They wrapped up with a friendly warning not to go too hard on the first night of the festival, as we’d surely regret it.
Over at a packed-out Word tent, punk duo The Meffs unleashed a relentless burst of frantic energy and sharply political anthems, cutting through the haze of smoke and successfully gripping the crowd. They kept the vibe real, thanking 2000trees for letting artists speak freely in an era of censorship, and encouraging representation of that supportive community in the crowd, asking people to pick each other up and make the pit welcoming throughout ‘Everything’s Gone’ and ‘Stand Up, Speak Out’. Finishing off their set with ‘Broken Britain, Broken Brains’, lead singer Lily desperately stated how she wants people to be able to live their lives exactly how they should be lived, proceeding to shout ‘Fuck Starmer!’, sparking a roar of applause.
As the natural light faded, the lights in the Forest stage brightened to welcome emo power-pop bad Hot Milk, igniting the crowd from the first chord. Their heartfelt lyrics and punchy guitar riffs created a raucous party atmosphere, which saw front woman Han urging the “beautiful people of 2000trees” to raise their hands and loose themselves in the moment. Opening with the topical ‘Insubordinate Ingerland’ from their recent album ‘Corporation P.O.P’, they later asked that the crowd “do the right fucking thing”, begging that what occurs overseas is not brought over to the UK. The rest of their set saw infectious songs such as ‘HORROR SHOW’, and ‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD’, continuing to explore sensitive topics through a heavy but mature sound, truly setting the scene for the remainder of the festival.
Thursday
The first ‘full’ day of the festival saw Brazilian feminist punk rocker, Karen Dió, grace the main stage. Clearly thrilled to be playing her first 2000trees, she promised to get the audience properly warmed up for the headliners. With her own fierce and catchy tunes such as ‘Stupid’, ‘So Funny’, and ‘Bexy’, her set also included a rocky cover of ‘Casual’ by Chappell Roan, all delivered with a playful honesty as she battled technical difficulties, laughing “what a catastrophe, Jesus fucking Christ”, revealing that she could not hear herself. With no break, a brisk walk over to the New stage was needed to catch PAVÉ, who ripped through gritty, evocative tracks like ‘Aren’t YOU scAREd to be ALONE?’, ‘The End of Us’, and ‘CROWDED ISOLATION’, briefly pausing to dare Trees to show them just how “fucking chaotic” the tent could get.
Identified as one of the fastest rising unsigned rock bands in the world, Baby Said took to the forest stage and wasted no time proving why. The sisters Veronica and Jess, joined by Kiera on drums, and Alfie on guitar, delivered a slick, confident set, moving from the brooding sway of ‘Mouth Shut’ to the effortlessly catchy ‘123’, all beautifully tied together by their captivating harmonies. Back over on the New stage, we headed into the evening with Lake Malice, whose chaotic set included songs such as their cathartic single ‘Scatterbrain’, and ‘Creepers’, before which lead singer Alice shared how she used to attend gigs alone but often felt uncomfortable, making it clear that there is no space for anyone like that at their shows.
On the main stage PVRIS delivered a moody blend of alt-pop and biting rock, with Lynn commanding every moment, teasing that the crowd was “weak as fuck” despite the heat still hanging heavy in the air. Tracks like ‘ANIMAL’ and ‘My House’ amped up the energy, their driving pulse getting everyone jumping and clapping along. Closing with ‘GODDESS’, dedicated to “all the girlies, the gays, and the theys” it was clear PVRIS were a fierce and fitting part of a lineup that so strongly celebrated community and inclusivity. This energy turned into fierce calls for solidarity and compassion in the wider world for Bambie Thug‘s set as they were joined on stage by two dancers in masks, tearing through powerful ‘ouija-pop’ tracks like ‘Hex so Heavy’, ‘Egregore’, and ‘Headbang’, which saw them crowd surf. Between songs. they cast literal spells with the crowd’s hands raised in the air, and demanded “more solidarity, more love, more righteous anger, and more humanity”, adding that “none of us are free until we all are”, a message that echoed throughout the weekend.
Friday
As the next day began, the heat seemed to have only intensified, mirroring the growing anticipation across the festival site as another packed day of music kicked off with Mallavora. Pulling the early crowd from their sweltering tents, and welcoming them to their “inner circle”, the band didn’t shy away from weighty subjects. Jess spoke candidly about her invisible disability and why disabled artists deserve to play big stages, leading effectively into their fierce closer, ‘Disorder’, with lyrics drawn from her own experiences. It was then over to the Cave stage where brat-metal trio Eville turned up the chaos with a set that had the crowd moshing. Tracks like ‘Plaything’, ‘Dead Inside’, and the raging ‘BALLISTIC’ kept the momentum, with the band demanding “are we ready to fuck the system?” and throwing themselves straight into the pit alongside the fans for their final song ‘Slay’.
Bringing the pace right down, Imogen and the Knife created an enigmatic yet intimate atmosphere in the forest. With a sound unlike much else on the lineup, Imogen joked that they may have been “booked by mistake” after a brief panic when her keyboard momentarily cut out. Letting the attentive crowd in on personal stories, from her North East roots in ‘If It Won’t Talk of Rain’, to a tender tribute to her sister in ‘Paris Night’, enriched by a brass arrangement, it was clear that they belonged on that stage. Continuing in the forest, Hevenshe addressed the crowd with warmth and sincerity, thanking those who had manifested her playing at the festival, specifically on that stage. Her set, rich with vulnerable lyrics and soft queer anthems like ‘Floor Bed’ and ‘Wish I Had A Friend’ fostered a sense of closeness around her, as she suggested that the wishes were pointless because she was already surrounded by friends. Closing with the affirming ‘Essential’, Hevenshe reminded the crowd that they were essential to them, leaving the forest glowing, emotionally and literally.
With a relatively early night, the last band I caught on the Friday was Witch Fever who delivered an unrelenting wall of sound and fury, commanding the crowd with blistering tracks like ‘Dead to Me!’, ‘Bloodlust’, and ‘Reincarnate’. Mid-set they introduced the explosive title track from their upcoming album ‘FEVEREATEN’, before later leading into their song ‘Bully Boy’ by calling out political apathy within the music scene, slamming Matt Healy’s Glastonbury comments, demanding that he says something useful with his platform.
Saturday
Kicking off the final day early on the Neu stage, HUNNY BUZZ brought charm and dreamy indie energy to the morning crowd. Starting with the greeting “ladles and gentlespoons”, a play on words of ‘ladies and gentlemen’, their set struck a balance between sweet nostalgia and punchy emotion, featuring tracks like ‘Car Collision’, ‘Sweet Perfume’, and ‘Blue’. Despite joking that they’d usually be in bed at that time, their compassion and crowd interaction made for a much needed wholesome start to the day. Over on the main stage Gen and the Degenerates provided us with sharp wit and energetic indie punk vibes, starting with the funky ‘Post – Cool’ and treating us to the unreleased ‘When My Ex Calls’. Lead singer Gen kept the crowd engaged, acknowledging the scorching sun with playful banter, and calling for social justice in the form of annoying MPs with persistent activism, explaining how they felt like they were preaching to the converted when saying “free Palestine”, something that had not yet been mentioned but made a lot of sense.
With a long instrumental intro, it was clear that GIRLBAND! came to 2000trees to perform, and what followed was nothing short of electric, as the Nottingham band made their debut in unforgettable style. They kept spirits high in the heat, leading chants during ’21st Century Suffragette’, and embracing outsiders with ‘Not Like The Rest’, making everyone in that tent feel like they belonged. A short while after, VUKOVI took to the main stage beneath the striking red declaration ‘My God Has Got A Gun’, the title of their latest album, and delivered an explosive set that matched the sweltering conditions we were battling. Opening with the ferocious ‘GUNGHO’, front woman Janine was quick to remark how the stage felt like “molten lava”, asking for someones shoes and, to her dismay, receiving a pair of crocs. Tracks like ‘MISTY ECSTASY’, ‘LASSO’, and ‘CREEP HEAT’ showcased their blend of intense power and unfiltered emotion, skilfully captivating a large audience.
As December Falls dominated the Forest stage with their defiant mix of alternative pop-punk emo anthems, complemented with new material from their upcoming album, ‘Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine’. They immediately rallied the crowd with ‘Ride’, urging everyone to raise their hands, and outdo the energy of their main stage set from last year. The band then effortlessly split the crowd during ‘Mayday’ for a rambunctious circle pit, and celebrated the sight of young fans crowd surfing during ‘For The Plot’, welcoming everyone into the “ADF family”. Finishing off an unforgettable week, RØRY launched into an emotional roller-coaster of a set, filled with hopeful heartbreak as she celebrated the highs and lows of getting through life. Between songs such as ‘UNCOMPLICATED’ and ‘WOLVES’, she shared reflections on sobriety, grief and the unfiltered truths of her experiences, inviting phone lights during ‘Jesus & John Lennon’ to create a moment of unity in memory of her mother. Self-proclaiming to be a “fucking crazy bitch” for deciding to sing a new, much heavier, unreleased song at a festival, she went on to tell us how she has kept secrets for so long that it has made her sick, dismissing it as growth, but later accepting that silence will always find its way to scream out, leaving the whole forest profoundly moved. From intimate vulnerability to fierce screams, RØRY’s set perfectly captured the spirit of 2000trees, a festival where raw honesty and unyielding passion resonate throughout.
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