Feature: Festival Preview - 2000 Trees Festival

After an amazing year in 2010, culminating with a Grass Roots Festival Award win at the UK Festival Awards, Two Thousand Trees is back with another stellar line-up of more than 80 acts. Its fifth year at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham sees yet another expansion in capacity with it now holding 4,500 festival goers, which will welcome in the edition of a new stage this year aptly named The Cave, bringing with it the heavier side of things. In true Trees fashion the line-up this year brings an array of different acts spanning more genres than you could shake a stick at, with just one important factor tying them all together, every single act hails from the UK, making this festival a showcase of some of the finest talent we have to offer. Fans will be making their way over to the farm this weekend from 14th to the 16th to witness one of its strongest line-ups to date.

If you’re eager to start the festivities early and bought yourself an early bird ticket for entry on Thursday 14th, then you’re in for an absolute treat on The Cave stage. Proceedings kick off with local Cheltenham pop punk residents The Echoes, before festival favourites Crazy Arm get in their first set of the festival. For obvious reasons the brute force that is Maybeshewill are reason alone to have paid the extra bit of cash to get in on Thursday, while Scottish rockers Sucioperro close out the evening, before the rest of the festival goers arrive on the Friday morning.

Although Frank Turner isn’t appearing at the festival after his outstanding headline performance last year, his house band have got back on the road in the form of Dive Dive, after the release of their third album ‘Potential’ last year and will be up on the Main Stage early in the day. Across the other stages you have Vessels, Mojo Fury, Kong, Exit Ten and Your Demise in The Cave.

In addition, Tall Ships making their mark on yet another festival this summer, alongside an acoustic performance from Crazy Arm over on The Leaf Lounge Stage. Ben Marwood also takes his place over in the Greenhouse which plays host to a glut of acoustic gems throughout the two days.

As the Friday rolls over into the evening on the Main Stage you’ve got an absolute treat of a line-up with Twin Atlantic bringing their huge new album ‘Free’ to the festival stage, alongside Dinosaur Pile-Up, The King Blues and headliners Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip.

However if Hip Hop doesn’t tickle your fancy then the absolutely thunderous And So I Watch You From Afar, after the release of the simply brilliant ‘Gangs’ earlier in the year are back this year to headline The Cave. And just to trouble you more, making you really wish you could somehow be in two places at once, Tellison are headlining over in The Leaf Lounge, but wherever you end up you’ll be going to bed on Friday with your minds suitably blown.

Saturday brings with it another huge array of top bands, with The Cave being the place to be for most of the day, that’s if your ears can handle the beating they’re going to receive from the likes of Exit_International, &U&I, Talons, Japanese Voyeurs and Feed The Rhino.

You’ll probably be looking to escape the onslaught at some point, giving you the perfect opportunity to head over to the Leaf Lounge to see ATP! Favourites Stagecoach before Three Trapped Tigers take to the Main Stage for the second time after making their mark last year.

The headliners on Saturday again offer up something to please everyone with the all round poet, writer and rapper Dizraeli And The Small Gods taking to the Leaf Lounge. While Amplifier will no doubt destroy The Cave, that’s if Devil Sold His Soul haven’t already, in their second headline spot.

While anticipation will have been building all weekend for the main stage headliners of the weekend, which comes in the form of Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit who without doubt will make this weekend one to remember.

If that wasn’t enough you’ve got a headphone disco over on the Main Stage on both the Friday and Saturday nights, as well as a comedy stage on the Thursday with the likes of Bob and Jim, Horse and Louis, Richard Massara and Tom Allen. And don’t forget the annual fancy dress competition that comes with the theme of Cowboys! vs Robots! vs Ninjas! this year.

Further information on 2000 Trees Festival can be found at twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk
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Words by Connor O'Brien