5 REASONS WE'RE EXCITED FOR 2000 TREES - #4

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! 

2000 Trees Set-Up Diary - Day Four (the one where we had to go shopping)

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.

2000 Trees Set-Up Diary - Day One (the one where Hayley just can't believe she's here)

Everybody loves a weekend right? Except people who work in retail (ahem). They wouldn’t even notice it wasn’t a week day if it wasn’t for the sudden influx of humans in the shop. But despite my daytime employment situation, I too am a fan of the weekend. This weekend, however, is something else altogether.

Yesterday morning, I arrived at Upcote Farm, Withington for the first day of set-up at the glorious 2000 Trees Festival where I will be spending the next eight days and I could not be happier about it if I tried.

After less than 24 hours here I can safely say we’re on course for one of the most memorable experience of my life.

I got here at about 10am and immediately marvelled at the surroundings. Based in the Cotswold Hills, 2000 Trees has the advantage of an actually breath taking view from all angles without even having to put up a single defining feature.

In all the excitement of arriving on site I drove quite randomly looking for Andy, one of the festival’s dedicated organisers. I pulled over once I found the first human I came across, explained to him that I was looking for Andy and was delighted to find out that this was, in fact, Andy. I’m telling you this place is magical.

 

After a quick chat I drove up to The Barn, met a few more members of the family that is this crew

and jumped straight into applying some 2000 Trees vinyl decals to a set of monitor covers. Prepare yourselves for a barrage of pictures of these up on the stage during sets next weekend.

Once that job was jobbed we hopped into a vehicle and drove down to the tree. I, much like you, had no idea what that was other than a strong suspicion that it might be a tree. It transpires that it’s a beautifully large tree, encompassed by a picket fence, in front of which will be the main stage.

We hung out there for the rest of the morning, decorating the tree with fairy lights and re-painting the picket fence. This was pretty lovely in itself, painting is incredibly therapeutic for me and I’m really hoping for an emotional lights ceremony later in the week. If that’s not happening, I’ll strongly suggest it.

But from where we stood we watched the perimeter fence go up and the main stage itself begin construction. Ever since I found out I was coming here I have been excited to see that happen and it’s just as outstanding as I thought it was. To see something that will be so full of life in its bare-bones is really special.

Breaking for lunch we were thoroughly spoilt. It was a great opportunity to meet more of the team, who I will work really hard to introduce to you as I move through the week because I’ve known them for less than a day and already feel quite blessed.

I phoned my mum and wished her a Happy Birthday!

The trial-run that was Download Festival worked in my favour and I managed to get my tent up with ease this time, owed in no small part to the much softer ground. Believe it or not, there was a time at Download Festival 2016 when the ground was not only dry but hard.

After all of the excitement, and the settling of anxious nerves which were completely unnecessary, a nap was in order. The rain has been off and on all day so I snoozed to the pattering of the threatening drops on my tent. It’s easy to drift away when you feel truly content and oddly at home.

My ten-minute nap window came and went and I headed straight back to the barn to paint some

artwork that will (when it’s finished today) be put up at the bar. The rain washed the paint clean off of three of them, but we’ll go ahead and brush right past that.

Besides, the rain meant that the most glorious rainbow stretched over the site. You just don’t get this shit in London.

The whole crew were served a delicious Thai Green Curry and that brings me to now. I’m sitting in The Barn with a can of cider and a Kit Kat, managing to write this only because a new friend sat with me and typed notes whilst I told him what I had done with my day forming a skeleton for this diary that I would not have been able to get my head around otherwise.

Honestly, I can’t believe that I am here. I feel truly honoured, and so incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to help set up this festival, to contribute to this event that means so much to so many people, and to meet all of these incredible people.

I have never felt more at home, and more determined to make myself useful! I’ll just point out that this is day one. O-N-E. This week is going to kick all other week’s ass.

Download Festival 2016 - Sunday

It was really sad to be waking up on the last day of Download Festival 2016. I was only consoled by the still very distant prospect of my bathroom, my bedroom and my cat.

Somebody pointed out to me recently that it’s worth forking out for a hot shower on the last day of a festival so that you don’t start wishing the whole thing to be over because you know the luxury that awaits you. Unfortunately, this wasn’t pointed out to me until after Download so by this point I’m really starting to feel it.

On the plus side, those huge PVC ponchos are dynamite for covering up how little attention that you’ve paid to yourself for a week. Silver linings.

The Sunday came with early celebrations because it was the first and only day of the festival that we managed to actually see a band before 3PM. Hurrah!!

Amon Amarth

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

The celebration was even bigger because that band happened to be the one and only (and never has that catchphrase been more apt) Amon Amarth.

I’ve heard that Amon Amarth put on a sterling performance that’s not to be missed but when we walked down the hill towards the Lemmy Stage and caught site of the two giant dragons on it, I immediately got very excited.

Here’s an attempt to summarise this band (don’t have high hopes, this is the hardest of tasks):

Amon Amarth are a Death Metal band from Tumba, Sweden who were formed 24 years ago (coincidentally, the year I was born, just in case you were wondering).

Having taken their name from the sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle Earth the quartet tends to base their songs on Norse and Viking mythology.

Amon Amarth

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

Live, that all translates into the most incredible production you have ever seen. Those dragons weren’t just background scenery. Oh no. Those bad boys breathed smoke and doubled as platforms that the band members casually climbed up on to from time to time.

But that was just the beginning. By far the most dramatic thing I saw at Download Festival was frontman Olavi Mikkonen drag a giant hammer to centre stage before victoriously lifting it above his head and then smashing it to the floor, at which point a shit ton of fireworks went off and he looked like the hero we have all been waiting for.

Once that spectacle was over we skipped back over to the Maverick stage where we were lucky enough to catch The Dirty Youth. Not a band we had planned to see, I’m chalking it up to fate that we did because they were amazing.

Danni Monroe - The Dirty Youth

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

Formed in 2007 The Dirty Youth have chalked up an impressive four appearances at Download Festival, and the experience really showed. Pop punk with a metal spine and electronic embellishments they brought heaps of energy and the chance to really dance.

I have a lot of time for electronic rock music, and vocalist Dani Monroe brings everything out of the genre that could possible by brought. With dance moves on point at absolutely no detriment to her vocals, she was really inspiring. An absolute must see again.

All in all it was a deeply impressive morning and I was so pleased that my friends had suggested such amazing bands to check out. After all, that’s what festivals are all about. So we moved into the afternoon with the next suggestion. I had been assured that it was absolutely necessary for me to see Attila. So that’s what I did. We didn’t last long.

Chris Linck - Atilla

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

Ultimately Attila were incredibly good at what they do. With a reckless attitude they assaulted their set with all of the sass that I expected, sunglasses and all. It would have been impossible to not be impressed with the power behind every track we saw them play. It was a full force type of set.

Kalan Blehm - Atilla

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

But for me, the crowd were the best part and it is true that for most of the set all cameras were pointed their way as opposed to the stage. There was a might mosh pit, crowd-surfing and middle fingers in the air. Not quite the carnage of Neck Deep the day before, but somewhere close, and at only midday that’s a triumph.

Next on our list was Halestorm (another Lauren Golding suggestion) but unfortunately logistics made it impossible, bringing my missed band total up to four for the weekend. We’ll have to revisit that as soon as possible.

Instead we went to collapse our tent, which, quite honestly, I had been panicking about since we got our Download tickets. After a lot of swearing, a moment of near-tears and shouts of uncontrollable abuse, that sucker was in it’s bag and we were headed back to the arena from the car park to see Don Broco.

Simon Delaney - Don Broco

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

Most of my previous swearing had come from the idea of missing this band, and that’s because it wouldn’t have been the first time. I’ve only seen Don Broco once before (a thousand years ago) and have been dying to catch them again, but every time the opportunity arose I just couldn’t make it work. This was my chance.

Don Broco are the suavest men in British rock right now and their Download set was full of surprises. Do not let that well-dressed charisma fool you. These guys are rock through-and-through and can pull off a wall of death as good as any metal act on that bill.

The sun shined bright on the Encore stage for one of the few times that weekend, paving the way for banging dance moves and singing along as if it was summer or something. Don Broco are the ultimate festival band, it really doesn’t matter what festival it is.

Rob Damiani - Don Broco

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

The only thing that disappointed me that there were only two songs in the set list from the 2012 album Priorities. Having said that Fancy Dress and Priorities are incredible tracks and in a nine track set-list, which even included a snippet of Rage Against The Machine, I just can’t complain in good conscience.

The reality of the situation began to set in. We had just two bands left before Download Festival 2016 was officially over. Luckily, those two bands were the most perfect to close this legendary weekend. The first was Nightwish.

There’s no easy way to put this but, I got Nightwish completely wrong. One glance and I thought I had those guys completely figured out but I could not have been more wrong.

Nightwish pride themselves on being storytellers first and foremost. The fact that they happen to achieve that through the use of multiple instruments and in the most spectacular of ways is second to the fact.

Another band with a history of line-up changes the absurdly talented Floor Jansen now runs the show and she does an incredible job of it. Her vocals switch from being the things that lullabies are made of to the most hair-raising metal-queen yelling you have ever heard. Her hair whipping skills are also wildly impressive.

Floor Jansen - Nightwish

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

But by far my favourite thing about Nightwish was watching Troy Donockley on the big screen. Every time the camera panned towards him, Donockley was grasping a completely new instrument and I honestly don’t even understand where he was getting them all from.

As humorous as I found it then, ultimately it’s crazy impressive. Many of the musicians at Download Festival this weekend could only dream of being able to play half of the instruments that he can: Uileann pipes, tin whistle, guitar, keyboards, bass, pump organ, bouzouki, cittern, bodhran, mandola, harmonium… The list of the tools he uses to tell these stories is amazing.

And that brings us to the main event. After Mr Dickinson landed his Boeing 747, Ed Force One, in East Midlands Airport on Sunday afternoon the Kings of this festival were ready to headline the whole affair. Iron Maiden were ready.

Iron Maiden

Download Festival, Donnington

12/06/2016

It is only right that the award for most extravagant stage production goes directly to Iron Maiden. Ed took various connotations, my absolute favourite was a giant Ed head and shoulders that emerged from the back and made these musical legends look teeny tiny (pictured).

To carry on the theme that Nightwish kickstarted, Maiden did what they do best and told a narrative of stories. We learnt all about the Mayan Civilisation as well as the fundamental issues of the world. We also learnt how to dance like a monkey. All of the important lessons were delivered.

Bruce Dickinson is a performer in everything that title encompasses. Several costume changes, extravagant displays of almost dance (NB he is a British man) and a fight with a stilt-walker culminating in a heart being literally ripped out of a chest – that is how you nail a festival headline slot.      

Tears of a Clown was emotionally dedicated to another legend, Robin Williams, keeping that special moment feeling at peak momentum. Hearing the 100,000 people seeing Fear of the Dark sent tingles down the spine.

The set was 2 hours long but only 15 songs were played. Another sign of a time long past but not tonight they reaffirmed what these thousands of Iron Maiden t-shirt wearing people already knew. It’s nowhere near forgotten. 

After a remarkable weekend it was well and truly time to take myself off home for a well deserved nap and a much needed shower but it wasn’t without a very poignant feeling of sadness.

Download Festival will always have a place in my heart as the festival to end all festivals. It is a legendary place, the spiritual home of rock music and means so much to so many people that to have the opportunity to experience it again in all of it’s glory is incredible special to me.

As all good festival experiences should be, this was made up of seeing bands that I adore, bands that have been strongly recommended to me and bands that I have never heard of before but happily fell upon. If you can tick all three of those boxes at the end of a festival weekend then, my friend, you did a fantastic job.

Six long years had been and gone since the last time I was at Download (see picture evidence for proof of how long a period of time this actually is). So much has changed in that time, more than I could have ever imagined and I find that remarkable.

I will not leave it that long to be back at Donnington. Just try and stop me.