Day two at 2000trees arrived with glorious sunshine, and it felt like the festival had really found its stride. With the gates open for a full day of music, the site was buzzing from the moment people started pouring in. Everywhere you looked there were smiles, beers in hand, and that unmistakable feeling that something special was about to happen.
I kicked things off with Ashaine White, whose incredible vocals immediately grabbed my attention. They also treated us to some new material from the upcoming album, due for release later this year with Marshall, and if those songs are anything to go by, there's plenty to look forward to.
Things took a much heavier turn with Saint Agnes. They wasted absolutely no time, immediately splitting the crowd for a wall of death before launching into a relentless set. Declaring they were "here for a bad time" set the tone perfectly. Every member was constantly moving, dancing and throwing themselves around the stage, while the crowd happily joined in with chants of "Who the fuck are you?" It was chaotic in all the right ways.
Over at Happy Daze, the mood shifted to something a little more uplifting. Their brand new single was met with huge cheers, and hearing the audience sing every word back to the band created one of those moments that reminds you why live music is so special.
Beauty Sleep provided one of the more dreamy sets of the day. Their glorious lyrics paired with shimmering synths created a joyful atmosphere that offered a welcome breather before diving back into the chaos.
If there was one band that completely blew me away, it was DeadWax. They exploded onto the stage with incredible energy that never dipped for a second. Everyone in the band seemed to be dancing across every inch of the stage, constantly demanding hands in the air and keeping the crowd engaged. The lead singer even jumped into the audience for the final song, sending the energy through the roof. Easily one of my favourite sets of the entire weekend so far.
Bad Nerves somehow managed to keep that momentum going. It was pure, high-octane punk rock with endless movement, huge kicks, massive jumps and mosh pits breaking out everywhere. "Plastic Rebel" absolutely hit, and the shout-outs to Don Broco and Tiger Club went down brilliantly with the Trees crowd.
Making his 2000trees debut, Native James arrived with one goal: complete chaos. From the very first song there was no letting up. He had the audience chanting, encouraged everyone to "do what you want", then got the crowd crouching low before exploding back up together. After warming everyone up with a mini wall of death, he eventually unleashed a full-scale one that saw the entire area erupt. It felt like a debut people will be talking about for years.
One of the most emotional performances of the day came from Delilah Bon. Her "Stop the Blokes" shirt received a huge cheer before she'd even sung a note, and hearing her perform with a full live band added so much extra power to the songs. Mid-set she came down to the barrier to sing with fans and ended up in tears while holding a young girl's hand. She explained that's exactly why she does this, to protect that sense of magic for young girls and not let evil men take it away. It was a genuinely heartfelt moment that silenced the crowd before the energy returned with fans soaking her with a water gun at her request. It was an incredible performance from an artist who is clearly trying to change the world one song at a time.
Then came Don Broco, and honestly, that might have been the best headline set I've ever seen at Trees. From start to finish the crowd was absolute carnage. Mosh pits opened everywhere, walls of death seemed never-ending and the crowd surfers just kept coming. The sea of mini "roll" signs added another layer of fun. the band also paused for a quick hydration break mid-set, a subtle nod to those controversial water breaks taken during the World Cup games.
Rob Damiani's vocals were flawless throughout. It was the perfect way to cap off an unforgettable main stage day.
Just when I thought the night couldn't get any stranger, Haggard Cat took over the silent disco. It felt bizarre taking off my headphones and only hearing the vocals while everyone around me was losing their minds in silence. The band admitted they had no idea how the silent disco worked and thanked everyone for bearing with them, which only made it even more entertaining. Somehow there was even a crowd surfer, a giant cat teddy was passed around and adopted as the band's unofficial mascot, and the wall of death descended into complete mayhem. At one point the singer even joked about what the guitar was supposed to be tuned to. Never in my life did I expect a silent disco set to be this chaotic, but it became one of those "you had to be there" festival moments that people will still be laughing about long after the weekend ends.
Day two had absolutely everything: emotional moments, huge singalongs, unforgettable pits and enough energy to last an entire festival on its own. If day one set the standard, day two managed to raise it.
2000Trees Festival:Day 2 Review