"It’s an utterly visceral display of raw catharsis." The bands that defined 2000Trees festival 2025

Another year, another 2000Trees festival. Upcote Farm has become a reliable stomping ground for anyone keen to see top tier metal and rock bands, and this year's line-up boasted no end of heavyweights and cult favourites, Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, Alexisonfire and Pvris, among them.

We got ourselves down to the farm, and got stuck into the chaos, to select for you the artists who defined this year's event.

Vukovi

Within seconds of stepping out onstage, looking like a glistening, tinsel-adorned Christmas tree, Janine Shilstone has something to announce: “I’m gonna be honest... I need some shoes, my feet are on fuckin’ fire.” One fan is quick to immediately lob shoes at her, Shilstone having to duck out of the way.

It’s not the first thing Shilstone will have chucked at her throughout the set. Once she begrudgingly settles on a pair of loaned crocs, a bag of Birdseye Frozen Peas will also be thrown her way – courtesy of Vukovi’s unofficial mascot, Mr Fridge, who is hailed like a god when he enters the moshpit.

Shilstone delights in the goofy energy, the magnetic Scot cackling with joy as the moshpit crashes in on itself during songs such as Lasso, or muffling laughter any time she locks eyes with the cardboard Fridge crowdsurfing throughout the set. By the time La Di Da comes along, the Scottish rockers have given it their all, continuing to be 2000Trees’ most reliably fun act.

Fidlar

Sunshine and surf punk are the perfect combination. As soon as Californian punks Fidlar take to the stage, the opening blast of FIX ME has the fans howling along like their lives depend on it, with following cut Cheap Beer urging a circle pit to whirl, pints flying high in the sky. The set even serves as a dose of Oasis for anyone who might be missing the reunion this weekend, with a snipper of Wonderwall rearing its head in the middle of 40oz On Repeat.

Frontman Zac Carper’s erratic balancing of hysteria and laissez-faire nonchalance fuels everyone. He’s firing on all cylinders throughout, whether he’s rolling his eyes with tragicomic theatrically during cuts like On Drugs and By Myself, or lying on the ground for the entirety of I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS. The crowdsurfers that fly overhead are a sign that Fidlar can reliably deliver a gold-star punk rock riot.

unpeople

As the rumbling Waste announces unpeople’s arrival, frontman Jake Crawford approaches the mic with a look of mischief on his face. The brat pack have already made their stamp on the weekend, working through a killer Forest Stage set on Wednesday that saw a marriage proposal and a few twisted ankles, but now its time for round two. And Crawford’s opening yells seem to double as gang’s mission statement: “Give the people what they want, no question!”

Under the blaze of the afternoon sun, unpeople dominate the Main Stage like they own it. Post-hardcore and metallic aggro is balanced out with butter-wouldn’t-melt pop-punk harmonies, every punch delivered with defiant, childlike glee. And the playful energy is infectious – when you catch Crawford and bassist Em Lodge locking eyes before wiggling their hips on a particularly heavy breakdown, you can’t help but revel in the joyous onslaught of noise. For all the grit and carnage of their sound, unpeople never struggle to put a smile on your face – and the eager circle pits throughout serve as proof of their impact.

Anxious

While their name would have you think otherwise, there’s nothing anxious about Anxious’ Grady Allen. The punk frontman is effortlessly charismatic onstage, pairing earnest lyricisms with hardcore grit as he jackrabbits around the stage, urging the masses to mosh and scream along with him.

“If you’re under the age of 30 or a hardcore kid, this one’s for you,” he announces in the run up to Small. He then goes on to orchestrate the pit, calling out the group dressed up as Bob Ross, waving for the gang dressed up as pints to saunter over and join the pit. And, when the song finally crashes into gear, he’s beyond satisfied, bounding around the stage with a renewed vigour. As the set charges on, moving from Your One Way Street to the magnetic emo charms of Call From You, the crowds are putty in Allen’s confident, capable hands.

letlive.

While fans have been gasping for a letlive. reunion, it seems nobody's enthusiasm for it can match the excitement of frontman Jason Aalon Butler. While he’d made a short, polite guest appearance during Last Hounds’ set earlier today, he’s entirely in his element now – stalking onstage like an unchained, rabid dog, desperate to howl and sprint and scream until he’s worked himself into the ground.

From opener Le Prologue to Renegade ‘86, every song feels like an open wound. Butler screams and convulses, his face drenched in sweat, as the crowd attempts to compete with his high-calibre performance. It often feels as if he could collapse at any moment, yet he somehow finds the energy to throw himself into the crowd, grab a heavy speaker and parade it around like a trophy, and even drag the drum platform (complete with drummer and drumkit) forward with his bare hands. It’s an utterly visceral display of raw catharsis.

For the grand finale, Butler opts to hulk himself up onto the stage’s lighting rig for 27 Club – a decision that forces the Trees team to cut the sound, but those close enough can still hear the singer screaming from high up in the sky. By the time he eventually gets down, he’s stripped down his boxers. It’s fair to say that Butler gave it his all at 2000Trees, and the magic of letlive. prevails.

Employed To Serve

Despite the heat, Employed To Serve emerge on the mainstage decked out in all black. Hell, guitarist Sammy Urwin even swaggers out in leather pants for good measure. But nothing can dilute their gruelling brand of metalcore, with frontwoman Justine Jones digging deep and growling along to opener Treachery.

Of course, it’s not all dim and dark. Jones is infamous for wearing a charming smile throughout every Employed To Serve set – a sharp contrast to her vile, intimidating vocal range. And the fans delight in the clash of metallic fury and warm enthusiasm, happy to “wake the fuck up!” and mosh and even pull back a wall of death in the scorching sunshine. Even Jim, the festival’s beloved 78-year-old mascot, has turned up to crowdsurf along to the slew of tunes – an undeniable litmus test of whether a set has been a banger.

La Dispute

If you’ve not shed any tears throughout the weekend, Michigan’s La Dispute are here to change that. The post-hardcore unit are renowned for their emotional outpouring of spoken word, kitchen sink melancholy howled over aggrieved guitars and gut-wrenching minor chords.

From opener I See Everything to Footsteps at the Pond, Jordan Dreyer sounds like he’s on the verge of tears, the thick haze of smoke in the Axiom tent seeming to help him hide just a bit as he unravels his deepest thoughts and fears onstage for all to hear. While Dreyer’s demeanour is shy and quiet, his words hold true weight – they rumble in your guts like nightmares, pained and raw.

Despite sounding emotionally ravaged, Dreyer is in good spirits. “Thank you… this is fun,” he announces unexpectedly before Woman (in mirror), despite his rather un-fun lyrics having made plenty of fans in the crowd burst into tears throughout. But the fans seem to love him for it, if Andria’s heart-wrenching call and response is anything to go by. Long after La Dispute have vacated the stage, the passionate spell Dreyer has cast lingers on.