2000 Trees First Timer!

[WillChich]

Not been to 2000 Trees before. Got tickets for Xmas. Who’s your bets for bands certain to play? What’s the vibe? Food good? What’s the beer like? Etc

[WFD]

The vibe is good, nice relaxed festival and no trouble at all.  Some decent food options, the Cheese Truck is the main highlight for us.  Usual sort of festival prices though, smaller festival doesn't necessarily mean smaller prices.  One of the main pluses is that you can take your own drink into the site and there is no separation between the camping and the stages, so you are free to take your own drink down to the stages (and the site is small enough that wherever you are camped you can get to your tent and back within 30 minutes max).

Top end of the line up can be a bit mixed and depends on who is around and who hasn't been snapped up by the bigger festivals.  Lower down there are a lot of returning acts and in particular they have strong ties to Big Scary Monsters and Xtra Mile, so anyone signed to those labels has a strong chance of turning up.  Make time for the Forest Stage, even if it is for someone you've never heard of, it is very different from what you get at other fests and a hidden gem.

[BlackFoxx]

Echo the previous statement and 2000 Trees is probably my favourite festival of about 10 I've been to. Lineup  expectations shouldn't be too high though as they can't really properly compete with the likes of Truck/Y Not, Slam Dunk or Download so focus on newer emerging bands, repeats from their relationships with aforementioned record labels and mainly domestic bookings. As someone whose been about 4/5 times now, the desire to see the likes of Deaf Havana or Twin Atlantic headline again are wearing pretty thin, but shouldn't be a problem if its your first time! Does mean that the fewer and far between international acts they do manage to get have more of a special status on the lineup and for the festival. Examples recently include flying Every Time I Die out specifically just to play the festival. Sets from Touche Amore, The Menzingers and Kevin Devine have been some of my favourite I've seen for that reason.

Smaller more intimate setting does mean you can get right to the front for most, if not all sets, across the stages. Gives a real sense of freedom to the festival in being able to dip in and out and find a place again. Typically go with a smaller group around 4/5 each year and feel comfortable leaving them if there is a specific band I might wanna check out on the NEU stage for example and then no hassle or worries trying to find them back at a different stage or set later. Only exception to this is probably the Forest stage if its a big act playing, thinking of when Rou from Enter Shikari did a stripped down acoustic set and it was very busy and you had to come a set or two early to properly get a space. Completely agree the Forest is an amazing part of the 2000 Trees experience and usually where I revert back to if I'm indifferent about bands on other stages. Great place to slowly start in the early afternoon if you're still feeling slightly worse for wear from the day before!

For food I'm a veggie as are most my friends and we've never struggled too much and there is a good variety that generally stays consistent year on year. Its expensive (think maybe £8 per meal or so) but the money you save on not paying for so many of your own drinks makes the internal economic calculations justifiable in my opinion. Personal favourite is the veggie scotch egg and sweet potato place which I love. 

As for specific predictions for bands this year, take a look at bands already in Europe that same time (specifically for US bands unlikely to make two trips in one summer) and also festival favourites who are on a new album cycle. Personally got my fingers crossed for Pup and The Menzingers to be two of the transatlantic acts who turn up this year. Don't worry too much though as you're sure to find great bands unknown to you before the festival. Examples for me that now regularly feature in my playlists are Black Foxxes, Gender Roles and Bellevue Days who I have Trees to thank for introducing me to.