Live Review: 2000 Trees Festival 2022 – Friday

2000 Trees was blessed with another day of non-stop sunshine and action. Everything from excitement to some extreme hangovers was on display just as you would expect from a rock and metal festival! Here’s what unfolded on the Friday of 2000 Trees!

Opening proceedings for day 2 was Creature who where greeted to a large turnout for their set which was at an early 10:30 AM. This must have fuled the band as they went on to perform a high energy set that won’t soon be forgotten by those in attendance. Heriot had the task of ensuring everyone was awake as they took to the Cave stage which is positioned right by general admission camping and blasted their way through an impactful and enjoyable set. Their unique blend of metal genres allows them to stand out from the pack and despite being one of the heavier bands of the weekend, they managed to draw a decent crowd which only grew as there set went on.

As the day went on – and the hangovers subsided for most – the crowds really started getting more into the music on display. Saint Agnes brought their eccentric style of music to the main stage encouraging fans to live in the moment before Salem tore down the Axiom tent with large pits and tonnes of crowd surfers. On a slightly more sad note, Roam performed their last festival performance before their final tour in September and it was a pretty special affair.

If there was an act that perfectly described the kind of festival 2000 trees is, it’s probably KennyHoopla. His diverse genre blend has a tendency to divide people, however at a festival so driven by diversity I think it was the perfect place for him to showcase his music style to a new crowd. On the other hand, Rolo Tomassi threw no punches as they pumped out heavy track after heavy track, sending the Axiom stage into a frenzy.

While the sun continued to shine bright, Boston Manor took to the Main Stage drawing a massive crowd. The Blackpool-based band brought high-intensity music filled with meaning and passion – both politically and emotionally. The band made sure to leave fans with a great memory of their performance and managed to get a circle pit going around the sound desk. A live debut of the band’s new single ‘Passenger’ which went down exceptionally with fans in attendance and the band finished off their set with a huge sing a long if the track ‘Halo’.

If it was politically driven music you wanted then Bob Vylan was the band for you. Aggressive new-age punk with a more rap-oriented twist had the NEU stage bouncing as the band put out an incredibly passionate performance which resonated with most of the fans in attendance. To finish off his set he invited fans onto the stage to show unity before delivering one final chorus and filling the NEU tent with a smoke flare.

Turnstile was up next and they did not disappoint! It was clear they were a huge draw just by the number of people repping the band’s merch on Thursday and Friday so it should come as no surprise that they drew an insane crowd. High octane hardcore was exactly what the doctor had ordered for many in attendance and the pit was bouncing! A no-nonsense performance was exactly what you’d expect from this band from the states and, they offered a tonne of excitement with singer Brendan Yates even starting ‘TLC’ in the pit and crowd surfing his way back to the stage.

Capping off the evening was Thrice playing their 2005 album ‘Vheissu’ in full. Fans had clearly done their homework on the album as you could hear their voices echoing over the band all the way over at the Axiom stage! Crowd favourites on the night were ‘Hold Fast Hope’ and ‘Like Moths To Flame’ which will probably go down as one of the loudest sing-a-longs of the entire weekend. The band closed off their set with a few hard-hitting tracks such as ‘Black Honey’, ‘The Artist In The Ambulance’ and ‘Hurricane’ before returning to the stage for a one-song encore of ‘Deadbolt’ to send the campers back to their tents happy.

Day 2 of the festival proved to be a powerful one. Many of the bands did a great job of reviving those who had a few too many the night before with the power of great live music. It’s sad that we move onto the last day of the festival but here’s hoping that the final day is the cream of the crop.

Be sure to check out our review of the first day of 2000 trees here!