2000 Trees is the most true representation of what a small festival should be like

2000trees Festival 2014

Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th July 2014
Upcote Farm, Withington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 4BL, England MAP
£75

Daily capacity: 4,000

The final day at Trees always feels like a Sunday, but it's that deceptive sneaky Saturday, and that fantastic realisation that you've got an extra day to recover after the madness. Local heroes I, The Lion made sure things got hot and sweaty real fast as they belted out a medley of hard hitting, Biffy Clyro esque sounds. Jumping into the crowds surrounded by a haze of whirling dust and heat saturating every corner of the small Axiom tent. From their introduction from the always lovable festival organiser Andy Rea; to their closing anthemic 'We Built The Ocean For You' - I, The lion nailed it.

A retreat to the further corners of the festival were in order next. Those who'd ventured up to The Croft stage had be reaping the rewards all weekend, my first wander up there was of equal value. Ex- ASIWYFA guitarist Tony Wright was a fantastic 30 minutes acoustic pick me up, under his moniker VerseChorusVerse. He shared stories from the road and inspirations behind his brilliantly catchy, belting tracks accompanied with a good old foot stomp drum beat for good measure. Stories His brilliant take on Merle Travis' 'Sixteen Tonnes' was the perfect mid set cover, which was unfortunately brought to a premature close due to string breakages.

Palm Reader kept things warm, fast, and loose in a blistering flurry of noise and energy. The sound seemed a little muddy in places, yet all was well as the hardcore marched forward through a set which rarely stopped to catch a breath.

Back over to The Axiom stage, and Dad Rocks made for a fantastic afternoon retreat. Their folk based, rather mellow tunes proved to be rather popular with large audience. Their sound was of similar ilk to that of the likes of The Counting Crows. With trumpets and some fantastic vocal harmonies, Dad Rocks made for the perfect musical palate cleanser of the afternoon.

The Cadbury Sisters continued the relaxed theme to an audience which stretched way out around the field, and one of the most impressive attendances of the weekend. The three sisters are able to create some of the most soft and delicate harmonies, which dance gracefully over acoustic guitars and the softest drums. It felt so easy just to become lost in the moment and hypnotised by their soft and soothing voices. Towards the end of the set, they moved into the crowd with just a guitar and serenaded all around them with those soft delicate voices. A fantastic and truly a serene moment of the festival.

Tall Ships made for a glimpse into what the headliners of the evening would hold. Anthemic and catchy riffs echoed around the slowly cooling fields. It was only a brief visit though, ensuring that enough time was left for the talk of the festival - Jamie Lenman. Lenman's history with this festival is one of turmoil and ultimate disappointment. June 2008, the Lenman fronted masterband Reuben were due to headline 2000 Trees. They announced their breakup weeks before due to play the festival. To say fans were gutted would be an understatement - they were broken. Trees now dons it's own 'Camp Reuben' corner of the festival, and 6 years on Lenman is here to finally grace 2000 Trees. And forgive my language - he fucking owned the weekend.

Knowing exactly how to get the crowd revved up, he stormed straight in there with first Rueben album opener “No One Wins The War”. The response was unbelievable. The crowd in full carnage from the off and had more smiles that a million kids in a river of chocolate. The set just didn't let up either. Saxophones and a 'Tequila' sing along had everyone smiling, even Dave Macpherson joined them onstage for a run though of 'Alpha Signal Three'. The most inspiring part though had to be Lenman's conviction throughout. The man was genuinely moved by the response these patient people had showed him. His face painted red face perhaps would have shown a blush if it wasn't for the tonne of making up blurring down his face. The one thing that could be seen clearly though was that huge smile, and the acknowledgment that 2000 Trees had waited patiently for their idol. And every single person in that tent knew it was worth every moment.

Once the masses emerged from the tent, with the gorgeous sunset slowly creating a more orange hue to our surroundings, you couldn't have asked for a more appropriate finale. Frightened Rabbit delivered the perfect festival close. Playing a set packed full of fan favourites, it was a delight to see the Scottish boys bring the festivities to a close. Singalong classics such as 'Keep Yourself Warm' and 'Swim Until You Can't See Land' had every single person there jumping. Frontman Scott Hutchinson looked super stoked as he thanked the huge mass of bodies in front of him. “This was the first festival to let us headline, and we LOVE it here!”

2000 Trees again is more than a success - it's a testament and the most true representation of what a small festival should be like. Not with just an assortment of acts to cater of any palate, but a carefully thought out lineup which allows the festival goer to win with whichever direction they chose to wander. The real magic of Trees is their mantra - to help find your next favourite band, and it couldn't be a more accurate statement. It would take the biggest muso-snob to genuinely know most acts on this line up, and that's the best part - you don't need to know it all. Just wander at your own pace to any stage, and you're guaranteed to fall in love with an act. The music is chosen by people who love music, and this is what makes 2000 Trees one of the best festivals this country has to offer.