Review: 2000 Trees – ‘Not even heatstroke could hold back these punks’

Several days have elapsed since 2000 Trees Festival came to an end and I find myself still piecing together the memories, the little moments and surplus new discoveries made at the Gloucestershire-based shindig.

I’m not a metal-head and half of these bands had reached the height of their fame before I was a teenager, predating my brief but not insignificant emo phase.

But 2000 Trees Festival – or more affectionately known as Trees – prides itself on being ‘more than an event.’

It’s values are rooted in ‘a sense of community, common culture, kinship and collective wellbeing,’ which they maintain by staying fiercely independent.

It was this energy and attitude that is why I returned to the festival having worked it behind the bars in 2024.

But there was a clear lineup shift between these years, and my campmates who had been visiting the festival as locals for more than fives said the same.

In fact, one went so far to say that they almost broke their consecutive streak.

The 2025 lineup had the fresh faces and the veterans like Taking Back Sunday and Pvris!

But what was missing were the ones who were beginning to reach acclaim, find their following and their sound or the ones who were currently basking in it like in 2024 which saw artists like Nova Twins, Bob Vylan and The Chats play.

But as always the medium and small bands are what make it and not even heatstroke could back these punks, so here are a few highlights:

Punk rockers Panic Shack brought the DD energy

Doing things their own way, 2000 Trees starts a day earlier than most festivals, so you have to haul ass up to the site by Wednesday – but boy was it worth it!

Starting strong we went to go see Panic Shack on the Forest Day who had already been oiled up by some shots of tequila from someone in the crowds that as they so eloquently put it themselves had them ‘rough and ready.’

Despite having not yet released their debut album by the time of playing, the Cardiff born band had plenty to play, with iconic tracks like 2020 release Jiu Jits You getting the crowd chopping along.

In track Gok Wan they took on the passé (at best) body image obsessed era of the 00s. The weather could not top the heat they were bringing as they firmly gave a middle finger to the ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ trope.

Addicted to crowdsurfing: This young festival-goer was in the air more than he was the ground the entire festival

The feminism rage is strong as they teased songs from their debut album, cosplaying running away in Thelma & Louise, and checking off ‘Vape, phone, keys, lipgloss’ in Pockets – a song all women can relate to about having no pockets, or worse fake pockets.

“Guess I’ll just carry a bag,” they scream out.

The band didn’t go to Brit School they went to Tit School, and leader singer Sarah Harvey rallied for all the women in the crowd to join in with the vigorous and unrestrained bounce.

Finishing off with absolute anthem The Ick, with all the collective might of every offence from being shushed, to putting the milk in first, the crowd declared “you gave me the ick.’

The Meffs played the smallest stage The Word on Wednesday which naturally overfilled.

Punk band The Meffs, made up of singer and guitarist Lily Hopkins and Lewis Copsey on the drums, were consigned to closing The Word on Wednesday which quickly overfilled with people, with my friend describing the only safe exit a crowdsurf to the back of the room.

They might only have 22k followers on Spotify, but it was clear that they will find themselves propelled at hyperspeed to the Main Stage.

Numerous people remarked to each other with disbelief: “I can’t believe there’s just two of them.”

No lies were spoken when the pair said they are louder than a four piece, the energy was a punch to the gut.

You might not be familiar with The Meffs, as I weren’t, but they whipped the crowd up like a typhoon into a frenzy shaking the dry ground beneath us.

Their political punk track Clowns took direct aim at those in power as Lily spat out all the vitriol in her body with a “You’re not a leader, you’re a power hungry waste.

“Every time I hear you you leave a dirty taste.”

Parting the crowd like Moses, Lily descended into the eye of typhoon as she shredded the remaining chords of the song.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Meffs (@themeffsuk)

We skipped back over The Forest stage for the last act of the night, Hot Milk, who played like they were trying to raise the dead.

Snayx weren’t taking any prisoners as they finally made it to Main Stage where they belong.

You might remember a certain witch triggering some of the more conservative Eurovision watchers in 2024, but Bambi Thug’s musical career wasn’t stunted by their criticism.

The Irish witch was perhaps one of the most surprising performance of the entire festival, while everyone acknowledged her unearthly pipes and performance during the competition, it turns out they have one hell of a catalogue too.

While the black leather harnesses are at this point a uniform at Trees, Thug was very much the dom of the stage as they rolled up against their dancers who’s faces were clad in latex masks with elongated curly tentacles.

The crowd was hot and heavy, and they had the solution as they and their dancers brought about chunky water guns to hose the crowd down as they closed to Tsunami, a dark techno track that could have come straight out of a rave at Berghaim.

We were truly under their spell.

Then from one Irish person to three, as Kneecap headline the Main Stage on Thursday.

Kneecap might be hip hop but they’re no strangers to Trees, with this being their third time at the festival, with the lads even calling the Trees-goers the ‘best crowd’ at a festival they’d ever had – a true testament to the people the festival attracts.

On the surface an Irish hip hop group does seem out of place, but their command over the crowd is second only to legends like The Prodigy.

They are punk, maybe not their sound, but with their words, attitudes and actions – they firmly belong at a place like 2000 Trees and the crowd feels it.

“Don’t worry it will get heavy soon. You just have to get through the sexy songs.”

The trio called for their supporters to show up on August 28 for Liam’s trial.

Sure enough, they part the crowd and cue Your Sniffer Dogs are Shite, “I want to see a big one” Móglaí Bap says sniggering.

“These jokes write themselves.”

The boys are on top form, you’d never know that they had been put on trial figuratively by the tabloid press and literally by the UK Government.

‘Free, free Palestine,” chants the crowd, beating the Belfast boys to it.

Bringing a natural pause to the music as Kneecap address the crowd.

“We’re not the story, the story is the genocide.

“We’re just scapegoats.”

People aren’t waving Kneecap flags, they’re waving Palestine flags.

They aren’t the only ones waving the Palestinian flag, they’re joined by Bambi Thug, Kid Kapichi and a quarter of the festival goers who have lined their tent with a Palestinian flag.

Trees really is a safe space for everyone.

All photos: Hannah Massoudi

Read next:

• Idles’huge gigs on Queen Square build on Massive Attack’s green legacy
• Review: Cheekface, Strange Brew – ‘the hottest gig in Bristol’
• Geoff Barrow releases single for War Child