Home > Focus On Festivals > 2000 Trees Festival 2018: Top Picks
This year, the 2000 Trees organisers have booked a truly amazing headliner for the Thursday night in the form of US post-hardcore legends At The Drive In. The band were pioneers for the genre during the 90s and early 2000s, releasing three albums and offering some of the craziest live shows going at the time. The band may have split in 2001, but came back as strong as ever in 2015; with their most recent album in.ter.a.li.a released last year. With the first headlining set of the weekend the band are sure to bring something extremely special to the festival for 2018.
It is the third year in a row that Black Foxxes have performed at Trees, but I am glad that they are back. This year they have finally earned a place on the Main Stage, and rightly so, as the critically acclaimed rock band released what is undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2018; Reiði. Front man Mark Holley is an complex, yet endearing individual whose vocals and lyrics draw you in hypnotically, and then bring you back to reality with a jolt; while the musically, the band draw upon all the best bits of 90s alt-rock with a modern twist.
Colourful Scottish pop-rock band Vukovi stole the show at 2000 Trees last year with their hectic set in The Axiom; so it is perhaps no surprise to see them back for the festival again this year. However, there is a certain degree of intrigue and mystery surrounding the band at the moment, as they changed their website and all of their social media to blank white images with the caption “We didn’t really get that far” on it a few months ago. Nobody is entirely sure what it means yet; but as much as this has worried some, there is already speculation of new material or even a new album in the works; which we’ll hopefully get to hear in their set at Trees this year. Fingers crossed!
This year’s fancy dress theme for the festival is 2000 Bees, and strangely enough gravelly-voiced British singer-songwriter Grumble Bee is kicking off Friday’s acoustic Forest Session performances in style. Creative, enthralling and unique; his recently released new EP Everything Between offers both full band and acoustic versions of four of Jack’s latest songs, so this will be the perfect chance to hear the stripped back versions of those tracks in their full acoustic glory.
It’s time for something completely different, in the form of Afro-doom metal band Vodun. The warrior-inspired band will be playing in The Cave on the Friday and those watching will not be disappointed at the outlandishness from this band. Expect a powerful female fronted performance, packed full of Voodoo-inspired tribal drumming and theatrics, mixed with mind-blowing metal riffs.
Dublin natives Fangclub have already been turning heads over the last year or so, especially following the release of their self-titled debut album during Summer 2017. The band are heavily inspired by the likes of 90s grunge and alt-rock legends Nirvana and The Pixies, but with added catchy riffs and hooks which will get stuck in your head for days.
The Xcerts are fan favourites here at Trees, so it is hardly surprising that they are playing not one, but two, sets at the festival this year. The band are finally playing on the Main Stage after years of performances here; which promises to be one of the uplifting highlights of the festival. Meanwhile, there will also be a beautiful stripped back performance from them in the Forest; which you know will be a magical moment as front man Murray Macleod’s vocals are given the spotlight to shine.
It has been a whirlwind year for Dream State; in 2017 their single White Lies went viral, they were signed to UNFD and played on stages that they could only dream of playing before. At Slam Dunk Festival this year, it was so busy for their set that people were queueing outside the door just for a glimpse of the Welsh rock band. It also became all the more crazy for the band last week when they won the Kerrang award for Best British Breakthough act; all in all not a bad year for such a new band. However; regardless of the buzz that it is already emerging around them, it is really their live shows that do the talking; as you are presented with Dream State’s raw, unfiltered talent. Their sincere and emotional songs are performed with such passion, that you might even find yourself brought to tears.
London based alternative rock band Sun Arcana make their 2000 Trees debut this year on the Neu Stage on Saturday. Their beautiful debut EP As I Take A Breath was released in March and is jam packed with melodic alt-rock anthems. Recent support slots with The Maine and their appearance at Download Festival this year have already seen the band picking up a lot of new fans, and they are bound to take Trees by storm with their explosive show.
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