London’s Camden has a
big reputation for being the home of alternative creativity and, as such, it
proved to be the perfect setting for Hertfordshire’s autonomously-creative Chasing
Cadence to celebrate the release of their new EP, Destroy Something Beautiful.
Named for the band’s perception of the music industry as one
that “shuts out the beauty of creativity, innovation and most of all, diversity”
Destroy Something Beautiful, released
on September 16th, is another step in Chasing Cadence’s ambitious plan
to lead the UK rock world.
As ambitious as that plan may be it is well within their reach
and what’s remarkable is that so far they’ve done it with one foot firmly grounded
by their roots. The result is an unpretentious, inventive, hook-heavy rock EP
which plays gloriously live.
Jack Harris, Vocals
The Black Heart, Camden
29/09/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding
The Black Heart, in Camden’s back streets was the packed
venue for this celebratory show, which the Chasing Cadence boys put on,
promoted and sold out themselves before taking full advantage of the
opportunity to unleash mayhem.
Undeterred by various technical issues, the five-piece gave
this set everything they had which happens to be razor sharp guitar riffs, a
whole lot of sweaty energy and the ability to command a proud and admiring
crowd.
Explosive single Everyone
Relax was a certain highlight (and has an intense video to match that you
can see here) but new track Watching The World,
the second instalment in the video trilogy) is a chugging masterpiece that
has literally been on repeat in the Louder Now car ever since September 29th
(honestly, it has).
One poignant characteristic of both the EP and their live
show is just how relatable Chasing Cadence are. These are songs about perseverance
and the determination to not waste life or time and they are coming from a
down-to-earth, hard-working band that can see their goal and are running
towards it at full throttle. It’s inspiring.
As if covering Sia’s Chandelier
wasn’t distinct enough, vocalist Jack Harris chose to scale the venue during
the track, continuing to lead his troops whilst clinging to the back wall by
his finger nails.
Those same troops soon dutifully carried Harris around the
venue in a victory crowd surf before, of
Rob Barlow, Guitar
The Black Heart, Camden
29/09/2016
Photo Credit: Lauren-Alice Golding
course, extending the same courtesy to
guitarist Rob Barlow.
Every member of the audience was visibly proud of all that
Chasing Cadence have achieved, a fact that seems to humble and stun all five of
the band’s members. But between performing at Download festival, playing
Wembley Arena and now releasing a personal, relatable, explosion of an EP there
is certainly a lot to be proud of.
With wallets getting
emptier and pay packs getting smaller our industry is constantly coming up with
new ways of making live music more accessible to more people and recently
co-headline deals and multi-name line-ups have proved to be a pretty genius way
of doing it.
As those line-ups go, it doesn’t get more exciting than
Brawlers, Dead! and SWMRS, on a boat no less, and that’s exactly what happened
at Bristol’s Thekla on September 7th.
If the crowd thought that they were in for an easy ride with
Brawlers, well that would make them wrong. Their set was a montage of everything
a band could possibly get a crowd to do.
Harry Johns - Brawlers
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
·Wall of death under strict instructions NOT to
mosh or “any of that shit”? Yep.
·Crowd running rings around a horizontal Harry
Johns? That too.
·Trust-falling from the balcony? You bet.
·Having everybody run from one side of the boat
to the other in an attempt to literally rock it. Of course that happened.
The recklessness in the pit was well and truly matched on
stage with an emblematic energy that lastedDay
Job, from this year’s The Black EP, is
a solid choice. Coincidentally that track really touches a nerve at Louder Now
HQ right now.
all night long. If you’re looking
for a place to start with these guys,
It’s safe to say that few have had a better year than Dead!
Arguably the best young band on the planet, and without a doubt the most hyped,
the London four-piece can’t seem to put a foot wrong. But guys, the hype is
real, Dead! ARE unbelievably exciting.
Alex Mountford -Dead!
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
After smashing their way through a fair few festivals this
summer (a couple of which we caught)
Dead! were ready to bring their assured
aesthetic back indoors. From the lamps and flower bunches on stage to the unabashed
nature of their raucous tunes, I can get on board with every aspect of this
band.
You’re So Cheap, released
earlier this year, has quickly and justly become a firm crowd-pleaser but
latest track Something More Original confirmed
that Dead! are only getting better and at this rate it won’t be long until they
run this scene. You can watch the new video for Something More Original right here.
But the celebration of sheer young talent did not end there.
SWMRS vocalist and guitarist, Cole Becker turned 21 just yesterday (Happy
Birthday Cole!) but the bands list of achievements looks more like that of an
act 21-years into their career.
SWMRS have also hit up their fair share of festivals this
summer as well as recording a live session for Annie Mac’s Radio One Show, performing
live for Zane Lowe’s Beat 1 show in LA and releasing their debut album Drive North in February on their very
own label, Uncool Records.
SWMRS
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
Their whole set screamed California punk, a distinctiveness
that SWMRS have whole heartedly embraced bringing all of the verve and raw edge
that comes with it through to their set. Debut single Miley is as punk-rock-anthem as they come and newly released track Figuring It Out has had crowds
woah-oh-ing their hearts out on both sides of the Atlantic.
For a line-up of bands that are still in the early stages of
their anticipative careers there was a remarkable amount of talent on the
stage. The night felt like one that this crowd will be bringing up for years to
come, when these bands are heading up main stages and touring arena’s we’ll
always remember the night we saw them on a boat in Bristol.
With wallets getting
emptier and pay packs getting smaller our industry is constantly coming up with
new ways of making live music more accessible to more people and recently
co-headline deals and multi-name line-ups have proved to be a pretty genius way
of doing it.
As those line-ups go, it doesn’t get more exciting than
Brawlers, Dead! and SWMRS, on a boat no less, and that’s exactly what happened
at Bristol’s Thekla on September 7th.
If the crowd thought that they were in for an easy ride with
Brawlers, well that would make them wrong. Their set was a montage of everything
a band could possibly get a crowd to do.
Harry Johns - Brawlers
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
·Wall of death under strict instructions NOT to
mosh or “any of that shit”? Yep.
·Crowd running rings around a horizontal Harry
Johns? That too.
·Trust-falling from the balcony? You bet.
·Having everybody run from one side of the boat
to the other in an attempt to literally rock it. Of course that happened.
The recklessness in the pit was well and truly matched on
stage with an emblematic energy that lastedDay
Job, from this year’s The Black EP, is
a solid choice. Coincidentally that track really touches a nerve at Louder Now
HQ right now.
all night long. If you’re looking
for a place to start with these guys,
It’s safe to say that few have had a better year than Dead!
Arguably the best young band on the planet, and without a doubt the most hyped,
the London four-piece can’t seem to put a foot wrong. But guys, the hype is
real, Dead! ARE unbelievably exciting.
Alex Mountford -Dead!
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
After smashing their way through a fair few festivals this
summer (a couple of which we caught)
Dead! were ready to bring their assured
aesthetic back indoors. From the lamps and flower bunches on stage to the unabashed
nature of their raucous tunes, I can get on board with every aspect of this
band.
You’re So Cheap, released
earlier this year, has quickly and justly become a firm crowd-pleaser but
latest track Something More Original confirmed
that Dead! are only getting better and at this rate it won’t be long until they
run this scene. You can watch the new video for Something More Original right here.
But the celebration of sheer young talent did not end there.
SWMRS vocalist and guitarist, Cole Becker turned 21 just yesterday (Happy
Birthday Cole!) but the bands list of achievements looks more like that of an
act 21-years into their career.
SWMRS have also hit up their fair share of festivals this
summer as well as recording a live session for Annie Mac’s Radio One Show, performing
live for Zane Lowe’s Beat 1 show in LA and releasing their debut album Drive North in February on their very
own label, Uncool Records.
SWMRS
Thekla, Bristol
07/09/2016
Their whole set screamed California punk, a distinctiveness
that SWMRS have whole heartedly embraced bringing all of the verve and raw edge
that comes with it through to their set. Debut single Miley is as punk-rock-anthem as they come and newly released track Figuring It Out has had crowds
woah-oh-ing their hearts out on both sides of the Atlantic.
For a line-up of bands that are still in the early stages of
their anticipative careers there was a remarkable amount of talent on the
stage. The night felt like one that this crowd will be bringing up for years to
come, when these bands are heading up main stages and touring arena’s we’ll
always remember the night we saw them on a boat in Bristol.
July has worked out to be an absolutely sensational time to work at Louder Now for a lot of different reasons, but right at the very heart of it all is one monumental fact.
Twin Atlantic are officially back.
So far there’s been a new album title, three new amazing tracks, a new music video, announcement of a UK headline tour later this year, a scattering of stellar festival appearances and a headline slot at the incredible 2000 Trees Festival quickly followed up with a run of intimate warm-up UK tour dates.
Anybody who has read practically anything on this blog before, or had a conversation with me that lasted for longer than 3 minutes, will probably anticipate that my attendance at that warm-up tour was non-negotiable.
The Scottish-rock quartet played an amazing set at the super-quaint Rescue Rooms in Nottingham where they also continued ticking things off of my bucket list for me.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Twin Atlantic vs The Louder Now Grab Bag.
(NB: so far this is stressful, I mean I’ve shot for
alphabetical but feel free to rearrange in your minds.)
As you’re aware (hopefully, worrying otherwise) on Saturday
2nd July I arrived at Upcote Farm, the site of your festival, child
and shining accomplishment, 2000 Trees.
Whilst I had a strong suspicion, I couldn’t have been sure
at the time but what followed was one of the best weeks of my life and having
now somewhat recovered (though post-festival blues have hit me real hard) I
think it’s high time I started to thank you all.
I’m going to take a big deep breath, forget everything I
pretend to know about writing and do this as coherently as I can.
Thank you for letting me see your world.
The deep rooted love I have had for live music since I was
10-years-old has been troubled only by the unhappy feeling of exclusion that
has, on occasion, come with it. For the longest time I have wanted to see what
it takes to pull off a festival like yours, to get involved and be a part of
the experience that so many people spend all year counting down for. Thanks to
you I’ve finally seen it, and it was everything I have ever dreamed of.
On Saturday July 2nd there was a small stack of
scaffolding in a field, next to some trees. On Saturday July 9th I
watched thousands of people standing in front of an incredibly impressive Main
Stage having the time of their lives. I’ve seen many stages, of many sizes in many
places but to see one so full of life that simply wasn’t there days before is
something absurdly special.
Main Stage Upcote Farm 02/07
Main Stage
Upcote Farm
05/07
Above and beyond that, it was a privilege to see how much
handcrafted work goes in to building 2000 Trees and an honour to be trusted
with some of it myself! This is something that I’m not sure you would see at
any other festival and everybody should be made aware that artwork, signage,
fairy lights, perimeter fences, monitor covers (you’re welcome ;) ) all got
constructed/painted and put up by your crew, and that’s remarkable for a lot of
reasons but none less than the fact that there are a group of people who are as
proud of your wonderful festival as you are.
Bar Artwork Upcote Farm
2000 Trees
Monitor Covers Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Thank you for telling me your stories.
It was a pleasure, and frankly awe-inspiring, to hear all
about the days when the six of you would do all of that by yourselves without
even having vehicles to cart yourselves around in. I cannot claim to understand
where you found the energy and drive to do that but I know for a fact that I’m
not the only person to feel eternally grateful that you did.
The best 2000-Trees-Tale that I picked up during my time
with you was about the early arrivals in your first year. Nothing could sum you
all up more than the fact that you let the first guests into the site a day
early because otherwise they would have been finding a different campsite in
the dark. Well, maybe the fact that you gave them biscuits is even more
indicative.
I’m sure you already know this, but it occurs to me that
this was the trend-setting experience for your festival. You started a tradition
of friendliness that I had heard about before arriving but didn’t really
understand. Having now seen it first-hand I get that it’s precious because that
tradition is your trademark. People come to 2000 Trees because, simply put, it
has the happiest atmosphere going.
Our Wonderful Chef - Smokin' Hot Tamales John Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
The Tree Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Thank you for having a belter of a line-up.
The fundamentals of the matter are that for three days,
across five stages, you brought a spectacularly broad spectrum of damn good
music to that farm and you did it with the absolute minimum of frustrating
clashes. After ten years, it’s hardly a wonder that you’re experts on this but
it still deserves our tenacious appreciation. It’s what everyone came for after
all.
From the second that Max Raptor took to The Cave stage on
Thursday afternoon, fulfilling the wants of pre-existing fans and converting
the rest in seconds, it became obvious that 2000 Trees would not shy away from
my personal primary expectation of a festival: to be a place you can see bands
you adore, bands you’ve only heard of and bands you’ve happily just stumbled
upon.
Through Black Peaks, Milk Teeth, Moose Blood, Mallory Knox,
Neck Deep, Muncie Girls, Lonely The Brave, The Xcerts, While She Sleeps, Dead!,
Creeper, Ash and Refused (I could go on but…you’ve seen the line-up you made
right?) your festival was a real celebration of the rock community and beyond,
as well as being the very best way to support British Music in its full glory.
Just a word on Twin Atlantic, a band that I could not think
more of and that you just so happened to have headlining the Main Stage on
Friday night. They completely smashed that set out of the farm and it was a
tear-inducing, childhood dream type of honour to be able to see that in the
fashion that I did. For that, I thank you again.
Thank you for all the friends.
I’ve
heard it be said that you’re “lucky” to have such an amazing team of volunteers
and friends who make this magic happen. I’m tempted to dispute that on the
grounds that luck has nothing to do with it. The team you have built is remarkable
but that’s because you’ve earned it.
With
hindsight, it does not surprise me in the slightest that some of the volunteers
have been doing this with you for years and years. It doesn’t surprise me that
people will take time off work to help with set-up. It doesn’t surprise me that
people will literally get on a plane from the USA to help you build 2000 Trees.
I’ll throw a bit of Spock into the mix and go as far as to say that it is
simply logical. It might sound absurd but it makes complete sense.
I
don’t even become surprised when I consider what work had to be done. Fences
were painted, huge areas of grass was raked (with only the one rake), trenches
were dug, bars were built, huge artwork was constructed and painted, a million
goody bags were packed, huge barns were cleared and swept but ultimately many, many
good times were had.
Bar Building Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Gaffa Taping Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Grass Raking Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
But
the team you have built is not only special because of their ability to graft
and share in your vision. It’s special because it is made up of some of the
kindest, interesting and warm people I have ever had the pleasure to meet and I
am ultimately grateful to have spent time with them, to have worked alongside
them and to call them my friends.
Nick...doing...something Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Elliott, Me (completely normal) & Kristina Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
Work is hard! Upcote Farm 2000 Trees
I
mean, if nothing else my Instagram looks absolutely BANGING
now.
I could go on and on but frankly there are Uni students with dissertations that
are shorter than this letter has become so I’ll start to wrap up.
Thank
you for absolutely everything.
I
hope I’ve managed to convey just how hard you and the whole team worked to make
2000 Trees 2016 what it was but, although it pains me to say that words aren’t
omnipotent, I’m not sure I could ever convey just how grateful I am to have been
involved.
So
Happy Birthday 2000 Trees, and congratulations on ten hugely successful years.
Please never stop doing what you do, you are far too loved for that.
And
hey – turns out I wasn’t the only person who wanted to send you birthday
wishes…
As festival’s go,
once that ticket is yours and you’ve got your head around the clashes the last
thing anybody gets excited about is the concept of actually camping, and all of
the nonsense it brings with it. But not at 2000 Trees Festival.
#4 - CAMPING
There are more camping areas at 2000 Trees 2016 than ever
before and they are all placed within a nice walking distance of each other,
the car park and the stages.
They’re also all based on an incline which means that the
further back you go, the better your view. Right now that view is incredible
with miles and miles of fields and wildlife out in the surroundings but the
immediate scene of stages, vendors arriving and the crew beginning to start the
busiest day of the week.
Once you guys all get here, that view is going to be out of
this world.
I’m also happy to say that the ground here is soft enough to
get your tents up without having too much of a fight on your hands and if you
do, or if tent life just gets too much for you, you can always retire to a hay
bale or hammock in the forest.
With all of that it stands to reason that something has to
be shockingly bad right? Most festival goers would agree that the worst part of
camping is that you have to actively psych yourself up to use the toilets.
Yeah, not here.
2000 Trees have won awards for their toilet facilities. I’ve
seen them be installed, and they are really very nice. Flushable and
everything, so no need to panic!
And although I can’t yet confirm this for myself I have it
on very good authority from veterans of 2000 Trees and its incredible organisers
that you are all lovely and friendly people who have spent the whole weekend,
for the past 10 years, being ultimately wonderful to each other.
So there’s really no need to panic about the camping
situation here. In fact, just get incredibly excited because by tomorrow, it
will have all started!
This is being posted
at such an ungodly hour because today is the last day of festival set-up before
the gates are cracked open and the weekend of incredible music begins.
The phrase ‘calm before the storm’ definitely comes to mind
when thinking about yesterday. The crew were still hard at work building and
stocking bars, making and hanging health and safety signs and generally pulling
the whole site together.
For me, the Office Manager, Kristina and VIP Bar staff
member Nick, it was a shopping day.
Shopping Trip
Wickes, Cheltenham
5/07/2016
I have learnt many things whilst I’ve been on site but one
thing that I never gave much thought to is how much stuff a team like this can
get through! From as much pipe insulation as we could get our hands on to a
massive hunk of cheese, it takes a lot of stuff to get a festival up and
running.
In particular, we have got through a lot of food, plates,
bowls and paper towels because we’re a big team, engaging in lots of manual
labour and thoroughly spoilt. That is owed, in no small part, to John.
John
Upcote Farm, Withington
5/07/2016
John is the genius behind Smokin’ Hot Tamales, which will be
pitched over by The Cave for the whole festival. But by the time you all get
here, John will have been serving us for weeks. Every night since I arrived he
has cooked up a feast from Thai Green Curry’s to Spag Bol to Ramen Noodle Soup.
Washed down with seemingly unlimited beer and cider, it’s been the perfect way
to end every working day and for that we all thank him.
Once we got back from shopping we laminated some itinerary’s
and maps and headed out to see what had happened with the site since we left.
We know by now that a lot can happen in a day but by the
time we headed out on to the site it all just looks more like a festival.
The last of the fencing and panelling has gone up making
clear paths from section to section and you’ll be happy to know that the bar,
which is now repaired, put in place and decorated with vinyl, has been packed
out from wall to wall with beer kegs.
The finishing touches still need to be made on the Main
Stage (no ramp yet) but it has now taken it’s almost final form, looking like
the badass host that it is.
Main Stage
Upcote Farm, Withington
5/07/2016
The Neu stage has a stage, the first that I have climbed up
on to so far. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. It’s crazy to think
these tents are going to be filled up with people so soon.
New Stage - Stage View
Wickes, Cheltenham
5/07/2016
But with more and more people arriving now it became imperative that we had a grasp on who was on site so members of the team have been deployed to the front gate to keep on eye on the goings on. As you can imagine, it's not the liveliest of jobs so the people stationed there tend to keep themselves preoccupied in other ways - like making amazing sketches of each other which lead to great photo ops later on...
Alex's Sketch
Upcote Farm, Withington
5/07/2016
Today the sound gear will arrive, cars will be moved, radios
will be labelled and wristbands will be dished out before our final team drinks
(beer pong was banned, it was far too intense) as the only people on site.
