2000trees 2025 review - Friday

Joshua Wilkinson
Jul 21
5 min read

By Josh Wilkinson and Jess Robinson

After an amazing first full day of the festival we knew that we were in for a good time going into the second. Even as the heat raged on we were treated to a line-up of musical magnificence, so read on to see who we had the pleasure of catching as we move into Friday.

Jools

In the blistering midday sun, Jools give no one at the main stage a reason to complain as they take to the stage to give out a dose of unfiltered rage, mixed with hopeful melodic riffs perfectly suited to outdoor summer festivals. With beautiful articulation, vocalist Kate Price introduces 2024 single “97%” by speaking up about violence against women – “society should feel lucky that women like me want equality and not revenge”. Pacing back and forth throughout, Kate and her co-vocalist Mitch Gordon exchange melodies as the band punch through their set with glorious energy.

Kaonashi

Over on The Cave stage, Kaonashi set up for half an hour of pure chaos, sure to leave everyone in attendance without much ear drum left by the time they finish. By now the ground in front of the stage has been worn into a large patch of dust from relentless moshing, and Kaonashi makes sure it stays that way. When watching the band perform, and in particular vocalist Peter Rono, it is often difficult to remember to take a breath as the insanity unfolds. Kaonashi are the exact band that your gran describes as “just noise”, but for those with a screw loose and a lot of energy to burn, they are sure to make a lasting good impression.

Terminal Sleep

Blasting onto the stage with an onslaught of sound, hardcore outfit Terminal Sleep made sure you knew from the start that for the next 30 minutes, this was the place to be. Lead vocalist Bec Thorwesten’s voice is an absolute powerhouse, ripping through some of the heaviest tracks around with nothing but ease. Before the end of the first track a pit had already formed, with spin kicks flying and windmills out in full force despite the heat of the day. It takes a special act to get that kind of energy early on, especially in the conditions present, so it was a real testament to Terminal Sleep’s music and stage presence.

Trash Boat

An act that you’re always going to enjoy seeing, Trash Boat felt right at home on the 2000trees main stage. High energy, great performances, and even better tracks are the name of the game here, and the band didn’t disappoint. Even though this was my third time catching Trash Boat, when you combine their stage presence with a strong backlog of songs across different genres, every time you see them it feels fresh and exciting. Being in a Trash Boat crowd is never a dull time - there’s a reason they have such a die hard following, and they absolutely deserve it.

La Dispute

In the first of two sets at the festival, La Dispute take to the forest stage in what is probably the perfect setting for them. Emotional, hard-hitting lyrics which vocalist Jordan Dreyer oscillates between singing and speaking are accompanied by a raw and often tense post-hardcore sound. It is hard to imagine there are many dry eyes left after Jordan opens the show by reading words from a notebook before the band begin with “Environmental Catastrophe Film", prompting fans to sing along to all the words they are able to keep up with.

FIDLAR

If fast-paced, non-stop skate punk is what you’re after, then FIDLAR have you covered. They’re one of those acts that are just fun to watch and get involved with, with the crowd bouncing and singing throughout the entire set to only add to the experience. Frontman Zac Carper is an expert at playing to the audience, cracking jokes and working the crowd seamlessly between tracks. One of the highlights was fan favourite “40oz. On Repeat” being interspersed with snippets of a “Wonderwall cover”, which had even those not in the crowd turning their heads and joining in. This was one of those moments that you can only get at a festival like this, and it was a joy to see it happen because of FIDLAR.

Witch Fever

Witch Fever are a band that I’ve heard so many people sing their praises for after seeing them live, so after years of missing out, I just had to finally find out for myself what makes them so special. After seeing them, the truth is, there’s just so much that it’s difficult to pinpoint why. Their hard-hitting, dark, and often outrageous sound is at complete odds to the warmth given off by both lead vocalist Amy Walpole between tracks and the audience as a whole, but it blends together perfectly to create a truly unique experience.

It makes seeing Witch Fever live feel like an opportunity for the band and crowd alike to vent their frustrations, anger, and anxieties in a space filled with as much rage as it is togetherness. They’ve built an amazing community through their music and it really shone through during this performance. Witch Fever are a band that needs to be experienced live, and I hope I get plenty more opportunities to do so in the future.

Heriot

With The Cave stage lit with Heriot’s signature orange glow, the band have no trouble drawing a crowd despite playing at the same time as main stage headliners Taking Back Sunday. A swarm of dedicated moshers don’t hesitate to show Heriot that 2000trees festival go-ers are a force to be reckoned with, willingly fulfilling frontwoman Debbie Gough’s request for a wall of death early into the set revealing the dusty, worn down ground underneath. The band’s ridiculously heavy riffs echo through the west side of the site, with Debbie’s powerful vocals setting the bar for every metal band at the festival.

Taking Back Sunday

Friday was filled with spectacular performances, and Taking Back Sunday’s headline set was yet another to add to the list. Stepping onto stage clad in matching suits to deafening cheers from the crowd, it was immediately clear that this was going to be a special show. With a setlist filled with nostalgic hits to modern bangers, Taking Back Sunday had the entire audience in the palm of their hands with every beat, helped along by Adam Lazzara’s excellent showmanship. Constantly throwing the mic around and strutting across the stage, Lazzara is endlessly entertaining to watch, and the crowd were loving every second.

The energy refused to let up as the band powered through tracks, with the excitement reaching its peak when the final two songs of the set were "Cute Without The ‘E’” and “MakeDamnSure”. Leaving these fan favourites until last worked very well in the group’s favour, with the audience’s voices almost drowning out the performance itself. A headline-worthy performance if I’ve ever seen one.