Words: Andy Hughes (Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine)
Over the past two years, a lot of our time has been spent lying about on the grass and drinking to excess. This year, we make the move from the back garden to an actual festival! One of our favourites in fact, the wonderful 2000 Trees!
Now officially sold out, the independent four day festival (located in the beautiful Cotswolds) is one of the most unmissable in the social calendar for alternative music fans. Having previously wowed with line-ups featuring the likes of The Bronx, At The Drive-In, Enter Shikari and Idlewild, headliners this year include Jimmy Eat World, IDLES and Thrice!
As is often the case when it comes to festivals, we like to dig a little deeper and snoop out which acts will likely put on the most memorable of performances. 2022 is no different and we’ve put together a wee list of our TOP TEN artists you must see at 2000 Trees this year!
Before you read on however, do make sure you check out this exclusive Spotify radio show that our Ben Forrester has put together to showcase some of our other top picks set out across the weekend!
Hardcore Heroes
Off the back of releasing the critically acclaimed ‘Glow On‘ last year and a recent whirlwind performance at Glastonbury, Turnstile return to 2000 Trees with heaps of momentum behind them. Firm favourites at the festival back in 2018, this year they make the jump to the main stage to take us into Friday evening. Expect buff bods, crowd surfing and euphoria as the quintet out of Baltimore, Maryland bring their brand of modern hardcore to the masses.
Read our thoughts on ‘Glow On‘ here!
Old Favourites
(Photo Credit: Nicholas Ayers
It’s always a treat seeking out and discovering new music, but catching up with established favourites whilst getting battered in the sun is truly the dream.
Thursday afternoon is ripper central, with Wolvo face-melters God Damn set to take on punters at The Cave, whilst Dinosaur Pile-Up quite rightly rock up to the main stage. God Damn this year released their latest full length, the raucous, fuzz-fest of ‘Raw Coward‘, and are notorious for putting on a killer show. Equally, Dinosaur Pile-Up are the perfect festival band and having had a year or two to breath following the release of their ‘Celebrity Mansions‘ album, they’ve no doubt got some gnarly new ones mixed in with their anthemic numbers.
Saturday afternoon sees further Birthday Cake For Breakfast favourites from two artists we’ve championed since near enough day dot. Off the back of their 2021 full length ‘Nocturnal Manoeuvres‘, Crystal Palace faithful JOHN (featuring two blokes called John) soundtrack the lunchtime crowd at the Axiom stage, promising heavy-hitting drums and mega-riffs. Manchester trio False Advertising appear not long after on the Neu stage, their fuzz-tastic, grunge offerings likely to impress the crowds as much as they have done us since the heady days of 2015 when we caught them opening up for Young Knives!
First Timers
One of the great things about 2000 Trees Festival is its size – Big enough to have a really fun, festival sized atmosphere, but small enough to traverse within minutes, it’s no big deal to move from one stage to another, whilst grabbing a pint on the way and (maybe) a Pot Noodle. Another great thing is how jam packed it is with new artists to discover. Our top three picks can be found throughout the weekend, all of which we’ve never seen live before!
Brighton’s DITZ, who you can catch early Thursday afternoon on the main stage, well and truly grabbed our attention late last year with their ‘Ded Würst‘ single, a head-crushing effort that very much called to mind Irish head-wreckers Gilla Band. We’re stoked to catch their set, but mainly praying they’ve got socks available at the merch!
London lot Island Of Love, to be found out in the picturesque Forest on Friday afternoon, are hotly tipped from those in the know, having gained quite the following down south. The first signing to the London branch of Third Man Records, the quartet recently supported big boss Jack White in the big smoke! Expect sun-soaked, lo-fi love songs to dance to!
Hard-drinking Aussie trio The Chats – scheduled to rock up late Saturday afternoon on the main stage – are well known for smashing it in a live capacity, recently filling out Manchester Academy in our neck of the woods! Ahead of releasing their forthcoming album ‘Get Fucked‘ (a shoe-in for album title of the year), The Chats will likely be just as revved up as their latest single ‘GL GTR‘!
Cave Dwellers and Neu Noise
(Photo Credit: Alexia Rogiest)
The finest act to come from Chipping Norton since… since… ahem… Cassels are one of our top picks for Thursday afternoon, the duo of Loz and Jim Beck set to thrill on the Neu stage not long before Jimmy Eat World take to the main stage. As per our review of their latest album ‘A Gut Feeling‘, you can expect to hear “Huge riffs tower over crashing, muscular drums with ever eloquent yet snarling spoken word vocals“!
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs meanwhile provide festival goers with an alternative headliner on Friday night, set to cave in heads at the aptly titled Cave stage. Sabbath style heaviness is on the menu and then some, with the North East’s finest more than capable of putting a pin in the festivities of the evening (before everyone gears up for the Silent Disco!)
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