Two Thousand Trees may not seem like the most obvious festival choice to show off to your friends about – let’s face it, it’s no Glastonbury, but in reality the acts are often some of the coolest unknown bands around, allowing you to have that “I knew them before they were famous” boast. The festival prides itself on offering “new and underground British music” to its growing number of attendees. As well as coming away from the weekend with a wealth of knowledge about what’s new in the British music scene, you get a pat on the back for chosing the most environmentally friendly festival. The creators began with a desire to plant a tree for every ticket sold. This kind of idea has grown and infiltrated every aspect of the festival with a welcomed tree hugger vibe.
The main source of unsigned acts for indie kids who feed off this kind of thing, comes from the festival’s ‘Green House’ stage. The performers on this outdoor stage are so ‘up and coming’ that the majority of them have yet to release their first EP. This platform may not get as much support as BBC Introducing, but it does offer the same quality of music, just without a tip of one’s hat from Zane Lowe.
The King Blues were one of the festival’s most expected bookings due to their famously political lyrics and live banter. The audience supported the band’s liberal viewpoints about acceptance and ‘free love’, which frontman Itch Fox having been described as “being happy to sleep with anyone one even if they are of a different race, religion or background to you… as long as they’re fit enough”. The reaction to this manifesto was only beaten by the BNP bashing the band are becoming known for. Although the audience shared each individual policy the band put forward, it was clear they weren’t there for a discussion about Cameron’s immigration speech. The commentary between each song resulted in the audience participation being low and their reaction leaning towards disinterest.
Dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip, who are good friends with The King Blues – they both had running jokes about the others on stage, including “Scroobius Pip taught me about sex – he’s got both… down there” were the strongest performers of the festival. The duo openly admitted that it was their first time headlining and were humble about the quality of their music. They performed ‘The Beat’ from their second album ‘The Logic of Chance’, which features the lyrics, “This one ain’t about the words/It’s about the beat/It ain’t about your brain/It’s about your feet” confirming a refreshing unawareness of the genius of their lyrics, production and overall sound. Their first headline performance revealed a rarity within the current industry – they were better live than on record.
The Saturday night headliners seemed like an odd choice. Despite their critical success Frightened Rabbit are still relatively unknown with many of the fans proclaiming, “I swear I’m the only one who listens to them, but they’re definitely my favourite band.” The fans might have felt isolated prior to the technically impressive and enthusiastic performance, but afterwards it was obvious they weren’t alone in their slighty obsessive love for the band.
Two Thousand Trees with its relaxed atmosphere but forcefully encouraged ethical stance is a festival which the bands appear to enjoy as much as the audiences. The majority of the acts had selectively chosen to play at the festival or where returning to perfom again. The line up fulfilled the promise of new and underground music, but of course the absence of Frank Turner (a notable regular at the festival) was duely noted and sorely missed. However, it was partially healed by multiple renditions of ‘Love, Ire & Song’ at three in the morning.
