Festival Review: 2000Trees 2025 – Scott’s View

This band blew me away. They were literally the first band I caught on the Wednesday after setting up camp and having some dinner (and a couple of adult beverages). They were just what I needed to start my weekend off right. Think Agnostic Front, Minor Threat, and Hatebreed in one band, and you have a close approximation of what Grove Street sounds like. They are angsty, shouty, and rebellious. It reminds me entirely of when I was a younger man. I would love to give you a rundown of their set, but honestly, I was having too much fun in the pit to observe the minutiae. But from the sweat and breathlessness, trust me when I say: GO SEE THIS BAND!

I could try to play this cool. I really could, but I’m not going to! Coheed & Cambria are one of my favorite acts on the planet, and this weekend cemented just how special this band is to me. They played four songs in acoustic style early doors on the forest stage, and it was one of the best things I have experienced in my 25+ years of attending live music. They didn’t just take their songs and play them acoustically. They changed the structure and made them something different while being wholly similar. Claudio’s voice was straining slightly, maybe due to the early set time or fighting off a tired throat from being on tour, but it genuinely added a raw emotion to the songs they played.

Later on in the day, they played a full-blooded, amped-up set, and it was amazing. This will mark the sixth time I have seen Coheed live, and I can’t say it’s the best time I have seen them live (that honor goes to their 2006 set at The Barrowlands on the “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star” tour), but it was still phenomenal. You will not see a better live band, and yes, I know that’s subjective, but in this case, I’m right and you’re wrong!

This was a band that I had listened to in the car down to Trees and thought they were worth seeing. I can honestly say that their recordings don’t do them justice. They have an infectious blend of punk energy mixed with a bit of indie swagger, and I am here for it. They blew the cobwebs away with their early slot, and it was just the best way to start the day. Standout tracks for me were “Johnny Bravado” and “Popstar”.

I’m going to be completely honest here. I had never heard of these guys (and gal) before, and one of my camp mates recommended I check them out. Holy sh*t, I am so glad I did. Vexed utterly blew me away. They have such a powerful sound, and you can tell that they love what they are doing. I caught them for a brief interview, which we will post soon. The band absolutely obliterated The Cave, and honestly, they are future headliners for sure. They took zero prisoners and demanded the crowd’s attention. Kudos to Megan, who, between vicious snarls and screams, made sure that security helped someone who looked as if they had fainted in the midday heat. If you like any music that ends in ‘-core,’ then check Vexed out. Like, yesterday!

You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of this group of Irish MC’s. Not usually my sort of thing, but given their recent antics, I had to go and see what all the fuss was about. I’m not going to weigh in on the politics of their set as I don’t think that’s my job, but musically, I can honestly say they were a lot of fun. They really get the crowd going. This was their third appearance at 2000Trees, and you could tell they felt right at home. The crowd loved them. They fostered a real party feel while still making sure that everyone was safe while jumping around like nutters.

One of the highlights of the weekend for me, this is a band I’ve known about for some time and just hadn’t had the chance to see. I was really happy to catch them here at Trees. Their hardcore style is at times brutal, but their socially conscious message always shines through. I have to applaud them for using their platform not only to lay down some sick riffs but to get across their message of inclusion and peace while doing so. Absolutely 100% a band I would recommend catching at some point!

I had the opportunity to sit down with the guys (and gal) in Million Dead before they headlined the Axiom stage on Friday night. This was a set 20 years in the making. Million Dead was one of the bands that introduced me to post-hardcore as a genre, so to say I was excited to see them is an understatement. I can say that they genuinely did not disappoint. They joked on stage that they had played only one gig together as a band in 20 years, the night before at The Joiners in Southampton. But honestly, they sounded as if they have been playing together on the regular. They didn’t miss a step or drop a beat, and Frank’s boundless energy was electric and infectious, dousing himself with beer (maybe they ran out of water) to cool himself off while bouncing all over the stage. This was another special set for me and a reminder that I am both old and lucky to have seen these guys in their prime, although I can say with hand on heart that this set was just as good, if not better than seeing them 20 years ago. All I will say is: more gigs and more music please, Million Dead.

I will leave you with this personal opinion: 2000Trees is the best mid-sized festival in the UK. The site is big enough to accommodate everyone, while being small enough to not feel like you are walking for miles between stages. There’s virtually no stage bleed and very few clashes, so you can get to see virtually every set if you wanted to. I can’t recommend the festival enough!