Five Must See Acts at 2000trees

Photo: Nai Harvest

2000trees is a back to basics rock festival that goes against the current trend in UK festivals for 'town squares' built of balsa wood, amateur dramatic students in masks adding 'atmosphere' and healing fields with 21 different types of yoga.

With just a 5000 capacity it's unapologetically small, and the focus is squarely on the music. Along with their sister festival ArcTanGent, they have been giving eager crowds the best in forward-thinking rock, math-rock and indie acts since 2007. 

With 80 Bands over the weekend of July 9th - 11th, there's plenty to get your teeth stuck into. The headliners Alkaline Trio and Deaf Havana are guaranteed to put on a show, but it's likely to be bands like Mclusky, Idlewild and Errors that'll be the draw for a lot of the young audience.

We've put together an (unashamedly Northern-centric) list of five acts acts from this year's line up that we think are not to be missed.

Vennart

Mike Vennart previously fronted Oceansize, one of the most loved Manchester rock bands of the 2000s, a band still directly inspiring young post-rock and math-rock bands today.

Since then he's been adding some heft to Biffy Clyro's live sound, and now has finally written and is releasing a solo album, The Demon Joke, entirley fan-funded through pledgemusic. Following an incendiary debut gig in Manchester's Soup Kitchen, expect this to be one of the most anticipated performances of the weekend.

Cleft

Bursting out of the Manchester scene in 2011, self-proclaimed purveyors of "turbo-prog" have built up a devoted following the old-fashioned way, through the application of tour miles and hard riffs.

Their debut album only dropped last year, but already at every live show there's a crowd who've memorised every twist and change in their hyperactive, intense math-rock. with complex timings coupled with moments of brutal clarity, expect this two piece to leave you dazed and amazed. 

Nai Harvest

Nai Harvest are another two piece (this time from Sheffield), who have come a long way sonically in a short few years. Moving from the emo and math sensibilities of their debut to their current distortion drenched slacker-pop sound, they are another group that have matured on the circuit, and their recent second album Hairball sounds custom made for afternoon festival stages.Expect crowd surfing down the front and cider-fuelled swaying further back in the sunshine.

Kiran Leonard

Wunderkind Kiran has been wowing northern audiences for many years, playing festivals and gigs around Manchester well before he was of legal drinking age.  Now 19, and having been picked up by 6music, his remarkable Zappa meets Buckley sound is maturing in front more and more ears. Expect dense, brooding songs, and a softer sound than some other acts of the weekend, giving way a emotionally wrought vocal stronger than most. 

Human Pyramids

2000trees attendees may be more familiar with Paul Russell's main band Axes (this year playing ArcTanGent), a fantastic math-rock, pop band who blow some of their more pretentious peers away with a condensed blast of charisma and effortless fun.

In Human Pyramids London-based Russell has managed to assemble a full indie orchestra to hang his own compositions on. Each track crescendos beautifully, with the expansive range of instruments and sounds masking the complexity and musicianship. Certainly the lightest and brightest of our picks, this is one of the most unique acts on the bill. Expect good vibes, perfect for an afternoon session. 

Head here to check out the full 2000trees line up. 

Follow Alan Wragg on Twitter: @tacetmusic