Saturday found one more mighty day of festival antics still in us for the 2025 edition of 2000trees. It is unclear whether it was the heat, the delirium of three nights of camping or even divine intervention, but we still had plenty of energy to get us over that finish line, and there were plenty of fantastic acts to help us there.
Gen And The Degenerates
Hardly better energy to open the mainstage than that of Gen And The Degenerates. As punk rock in attitude as in sound, the trio, who were represented as a four-piece on stage, bolstered an unwavering self-assurance, completely owning the festival’s centrepiece. 
The show was typically punk rock, addressing a multitude of social injustices or simply fighting against social norms and power structures, such as Big Hit Song, an intentionally sarcastic song all about a record label insisting they write another hit song.
The band was even so punk rock as to not take aim at traditional, aggressive methods of protest. Instead, they recommended that we encourage change by simply being annoying.
Rightfully explaining that the politicians work for us, the suggestion is to treat them as such, like a sort of everyday PA for all that irks us about the world, until they eventually have to do something to get us off their backs.
The frantically fun show was filled with chaos, the anti-promotion for buying merch as they were not organised enough to bring any and vocalist Genevieve Glynn-Reeves hitting the deck to recover a dropped microphone mid-song are both excellent examples. 
Before they departed, Glynn-Reeves was sure to remind us that they had seen all of our faces and would cast significant judgment should we not follow them on social media after the weekend.
No such risk here as the crowd were surely converts now, should they not have been beforehand.
Riding The Low
The brainchild of Hollywood actor Paddy Considine was in fine form on the stunning Forest stage earlier today. I spoke to Chris and Dan from the band a short while after their wonderful set, check it out here.
Vukovi
As someone who has been coming to 2000trees regularly for a few years now, I can safely say Vukovi are one of the festival’s most underrated heroes. Not only do the band have a mouthwatering electronic metal sound that is perfect for modern audiences, but the vocalist, Janine Shilstone, might be one of the most entertaining voices in rock.
The Scottish juggernauts had hardly been on the stage five minutes before we were introduced to the frontwoman’s characteristic wit. Having hopped onto the sunbaked stage shoeless, regret quickly set in. “My feet are on fucking fire,” she yelled before kindly being offered a very functional, but less so stylish, pair of running shoes.
The pain can’t have been all that bad, as Shilstone turned down this offer, but what she ended up with surely was not much better. Eventually, the boisterous musician settled for a pair of Crocs that found their way to her, threatening that she did not want anyone to speak of this after the festival. Sorry.
The festival was at its driest, and the music was at its most alive. With the marching of an enlivened crowd, the dust ran heavy through the lungs and eyes as we returned it through brazen vocals and dance moves to the effervescent new-age Metal.
While Vukovi have become synonymous with the festival, something has become synonymous with the band. At a time when thoughts of cooler temperatures could not be more tantalising, Vukovi saw the return of an old friend, Mr Fridge.
Mr Fridge has become somewhat of a cult hero at 2000trees since his fancy dress competition origins. The iconic animated white god wrote his name into festival folklore when invading our main stager’s set a number of years ago and has been intrinsically linked to them ever since. So it only seems right that he should make an appearance today.
Our frigid friend was only short-lived as the mosh pit and crowd surfing made short work of his panels in the Metalcore madness. The set barely stopped for water as we ripped through every ounce of sweat and energy.
The show closed with La Di Da as Shilstone took to the waves of the crowd for a taste of what we were enjoying. This brief meeting felt like a perfect example of what 2000trees is all about. Community, chaos, charm and of course, CROCS.
Lowlives
The experienced assortment of talent in Lowlives are going from strength to strength under their most recent identity. I had a chance to speak with the band about the growth and future of this brilliant project, a short while before their debut 2000trees performance, and you can catch it here.
letlive.
Saturday was the only day of the festival to not have two headliners, but boy did this feel like one. The cult favourite band received a bumper crowd as they returned to say goodbye in what was clearly an emotional moment for frontman Jason Aalon Butler.
It has been eight years since we last saw the chaotic American band, following their unexceptional break-up in 2017. Since then, we have seen some offshoot projects for the members of the band, but there has always been that gaping void for what could have been with Letlive.
Thankfully for all in attendance, the boys have decided to run it back one more time so we can appropriately say goodbye to this much-loved ensemble.
The set was jam-packed with the hits that gained them such popularity, such as The Dope Beat, Banshee and Muther. The frantic tracks were interwoven with contrastingly reflective and calm conversation points from Butler.
Of his points, one that stood out was a story of his evolving experience as a man. Particularly in his treatment of the women in his life, learning that it is not protection that they need from him, but respect.
This impactful journey paints such an important picture for a crowd containing so many men, an assertion that it is ok to soften and cast aside the toxicity that the conservative outlook on the male role propagates.
The iconic band were easily swayed to visit our special little festival. While it may not be the size of some of our other great festivals like Download and Bloodstock, it speaks volumes with its passionate and unwavering dedication to our unique pick ‘n’ mix of music.
Butler was keen to express his appreciation for both the festival and the fans who had received them so graciously on this early Saturday evening, some of whom I overheard had travelled from as far as the States.
On the note of overhearing things, there was notable chatter before the show from familiar fans trying to predict the disorderly behaviour of the enigmatic frontman. If you had followed the career of Butler, you would know well that he is far from one to operate under venue rules and is no stranger to a bit of punk rock collateral damage and venturing beyond his remit.
The fans were certainly not disappointed as Butler, who had now been reduced to nothing more than his boxers, scaled the skeleton of the mainstage till he was hanging from the rafters.
From his precarious vantage, he tried to finish the song as intended, and despite the mic being cut for an obvious violation of health and safety rules, he still belted it out in full voice.
Once the unhinged vocalist had made the descent, he and the rest of his band members proudly took their bows to the adoring crowd. Whether or not this is the band’s final UK festival appearance, it is sure to be one that lives long in their memories and more than justifies their decision to return.
The feeling of thanks is undoubtedly mutual. The performance was one of the highlights of the weekend and a fantastic way to begin to close the 2025 edition of 2000trees.
RØRY
It’s becoming no secret that I am somewhat of a fan of the ADHD Queen herself, RØRY. The unstoppable multidisciplinary has conquered her little corner of the music industry and beyond, and brings with her a small army of cultists known as the 37 Club, a reference to the singer’s late breakout into her solo music career.
RØRY has already claimed stages such as the O2 Forum Kentish Town and the iconic Rock City in Nottingham this year, as part of her quest for world domination, but surely has not played any stage quite like the stunning Forest stage.
The atmosphere grew as a cover of Eiffel 65’s Blue pounded out the speakers. What relevance this song had to anything that followed, I have no idea, but it certainly got the crowd going.
As our singer took to the stage, she was greeted by a wall of excitement, a phenomenal showing considering the mighty Alexisonfire were still currently playing over on the mainstage.
Never deterred by the emotion clearly welling up inside her, the vocalist lead us on a journey through her now well-known back catalogue with songs such as ANTI-REPRESSANT, UNCOMPLICATED and Help Your Friends Get Sober all making an appearance, lyrics being volleyed back by the teary-eyed crowd.
RØRY shows are always as emotional as they are wholesome. Alongside the usual touching rhetoric and touching remarks, there were a pair of moments that stood out.
At one point in the set, the charming frontwoman led two young boys onto the stage, who were understandably dumbstruck to not only be meeting their idol but also to be standing on stage in front of all these people. A memory that the two will surely hold on to for the rest of their life.
The artist was also aware of another of her supporters in the front row, Megan, who was proud to share that she had recently beaten cancer, an act that our headliner determined was at the very least worthy of a song dedication.
When you write for a publication that quite literally has Metal in the name, RØRY has always been a very tenuously linked project to our focus genre, with her radio-friendly alternative-rock style. That is, until now.
In a festival exclusive, the tightly huddled gaggle of admirers were flung into shock as the beautiful, melodic vocals shifted to vicious snarls accompanied by aggressive backing music. This was inarguably Metal.
As if they were sleeper agents activated by the heavier sounds, the peaceful onlookers spontaneously combusted into a mosh pit, throwing surfers overhead. I felt like I had whiplash from the sudden change of pace. Either that or the several days of camping had just hit me.
The song came with theatrics as the singer appeared to gush blood from her mouth, a metaphor for biting her tongue for too long.
Bringing the tone back down to something a bit brighter, the show closed out with the singer’s calling card of Sorry I’m Late, a song celebrating her late arrival to the scene and poking fun at the chaotic nature of her ADHD lifestyle. No song had been yelled back with such passion prior to this one, and the mosh pit and crowd surfers certainly did not let up.
I was mildly torn over who to close out my festival with tonight. I had already seen RØRY two times this year prior to tonight, and I have yet to see Alexisonfire, who would have undoubtedly been magnificent.
With that said, I have absolutely no regrets. RØRY was absolutely magical both in performance and in the atmosphere she attracted. The show felt completely different to that which I saw on her tour, and it really felt like something special that I would not be able to catch anywhere else. 
2000trees Festival 2025 Closes
As another year of the best festival in the world comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with so much gratitude for all the beauty that this community has offered in this short time.
This place is truly like nowhere else, and although a year feels like a lifetime to wait, I am thrilled to do it all again next year.
Until we meet again, 2000trees.
2000trees Festival was held on 9–12 July 2025 at Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. You can read all of MetalTalk’s 2025 coverage here.
