Opening proceedings tonight are My Vitriol, who kick things off with their own brand of melancholy shoegaze. With a stage shrouded in darkness for a lot of the set, the mic stand covered in fairly lights is often the only clearly visible point, the moody lighting reflecting the feel of the music. The majority of tracks this evening are pulled from their 2001 debut album ‘Finelines’; the band sounding as confident and assured now as they did twenty years ago. The sound isn’t always as finessed, with some hefty bass feedback and vocal levels wavering at times, but these minor glitches don’t seem to detract from the mesmerising performance that My Vitriol give from start to finish.

In a striking change of pace, next up are post-hardcore act Hell is For Heroes, who have probably been the most active of all the bands on the bill over recent years. Appearing on stage to Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Hero’, they waste no time launching into ‘Folded Paper Figures’, the only track of the evening from sophomore album ‘Transmit Disrupt’. The energy of the band is palpable and this sense of fervent enthusiasm is present for every moment of the band’s set. Vocalist Justin Schlosberg is the epitome of charisma, running up and down every inch of the stage, performing acrobatics over the drumkit and spinning the microphone without ever missing a beat.

Many bands have taken time out over the course of their careers to focus on their families, but Hell is For Heroes have gone a step further, with their children joining the band on stage for new track ‘I Should Never Have Been Here in the First Place’, Schlosberg declaring “It’s a family affair”. When he announces the following track simply as “This is an old one”, this sense of family is one that stretches across the crowd, with a roar of collective appreciation for the opening notes of hit “I Can Climb Mountains”.

Giving everyone a moment to catch their breath, ‘To Die For’ showcases the instrumental prowess of the band, with post-rock guitars adding subtle depth to set chock-full of vigorous beats. It’s testament to the band’s writing ability that the couple of new tracks performed on this tour sit seamlessly alongside the classics, with chunky riffs and pinpoint drumming underscoring emotive lyricism and impassioned vocals.

The crowd-pleasing antics of Hell Is For Heroes continue with Schlosberg shouting “London, I’m coming for you” before stage-diving onto the masses during ‘Five Kids Go’, mic in hand. Taking time to thank each member of the band during closing number ‘Slow Song’, he announces that the band will be back soon, perhaps alluding to more new music and potentially a headline tour. Judging by the reception to their support-slot tonight, it’s safe to say that whatever they have planned next, it’s going to go down a storm.

Backed by the emblem of new album ‘Glorious Sunset’, Hundred Reasons take to the stage to rapturous applause and growls of anticipation from the audience. Opening with the title track from said album, they seem to be in their element from the very beginning, following their new track with old favourites packed full of noughties nostalgia. The audience sing along to every word, with beautiful canon harmonies from the band on ‘I’ll Find You’ soaring over the vocal melody being belted towards the stage.

Technology has advanced considerably since the early 2000’s, and the lighting tonight gives the set a more modern edge, complementing the evolution of the band’s sound to make even the oldest tracks seem relevant and current. The middle of the set sees new track ‘It Suits You’ sandwiched by the ever-popular ‘Remmus’ and ‘Silver’, the newer material sitting comfortably among the better-known anthems. Bolstering the guitar section is Marmozets’ Jack Bottomley, adding layered rhythms to the multi-faceted sound that Hundred Reasons produce.

The audience are called to arms once again for “an old-fashioned singalong” to huge hit ‘Falter’ and they don’t disappoint, the throng of voices echoing to the very back of the balcony seating. The end of the main set adds some electronic wizardry to the mix, elevating the band’s sound further and adding to their arsenal of sonic expertise. A three-song encore consists of new track ‘Replicate’, ‘No Way Back’ and closes with the anthemic ‘If I Could’, the band sounding equally as tight and powerful whether they’re playing a new track or one from 20 years ago.

With any revival tour, there’s a chance that the bands could rest on their laurels, relying on nostalgia alone to carry their setlist. That was not the case tonight, and with new material, headline tours and a promise of more news, these three bands are sure to keep the fans happy for many more years to come.

ELLIE ODURNY

The three day festival will have the Thursday main stage open for the first time ever, with headliners At The Drive In as a UK festival exclusive.

Also announced were:
Creeper, Basement, Arcane Roots, Hell Is For Heroes, Touche Amore, Turbowolf and
Gold Key

Another announcement, including another headliner, is to take place on Weds 31st Jan with Kerrang! Magazine.

From At The Drive In drummer Tony Haijar –
“We are super excited to being playing the 2000trees Festival this year. With the whole festival atmosphere changing in general, it is great to be part of something that still supports rock bands.”

The band will be playing the 2000trees Festival for the very first time, and will headline the Thursday main stage. This will be the first time in the events 12 year history that bands will be playing on the main stage on the Thursday, making 2000trees festival in 2018 a full 3 day event. Look out for more of the bands for the Thursday main stage very soon.

From festival organiser James Scarlett – “We’re very excited to announce that 2000trees Festival is now a full 3 day festival and for the first time ever we’ll be opening our main stage on the Thursday. I can’t think of a better way to do this than with our headliners At The Drive In. Let’s not forget that this is a band that released arguably the most important rock album of the last 20 years (with ‘Relationship Of Command’) and influenced literally ALL our favourite bands in the process. That’s before I even mention their live show. The band are absolutely on fire right now, touring with the also brilliant Royal Blood on their recent UK dates together. At 2000trees Festival they’ll be playing a full length headline set and I for one cannot wait!”

From Creeper frontman Will Gould – “We are thrilled to be returning to 2000trees Festival this year, one of the first festivals we ever played together as a band. We have such fond memories of the festival from playing our first year in a tent and also from playing on the main stage. We’re very excited to be a part of this wonderful festival and can’t wait to return.”

From Arcane Roots frontman Andrew Groves – “2000trees Festival has always been the highlight in our calendar since our band began, and has long felt like the spiritual home for our music. During it’s creation, we frequently envisioned playing Melancholia Hymns live there, and now, safe to say, we’re working doubly hard to put on the very best show that we can. A show that, rest assured, will never be without a surprise or two. We cannot wait to return this year and bring our music home again.”

From Will McGonagle (Hell Is For Heroes) – “2000trees Festival always has the best lineups, and we’re proud to be part of this year’s bill. We’re looking forward to seeing loads of bands, and of course playing some of our favourite tunes too. We might even have something new to play.”

On Weds 31st January 2000trees will also be announcing the Saturday main stage headliner along with 9 other bands confirmed for this years festival, all exclusively with Kerrang! Magazine.

2000trees festival takes place on Thursday 12th / Friday 13th / Saturday 14th July 2018 at Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. GL54 4BL

Ticket Prices:
2day ticket £99
3day ticket £115
Day tickets £60
VIP tickets £185
(Tickets on sale Thursday 1st Feb)

Originally released in 2003 on Chrysalis Records and Virgin EMI Records, the reissue will be released on the 9th February via Big Scary Monsters.

The band will also be going on a UK tour next month with A and Vex Red. The dates are as follows.

FEBRUARY
16 BRISTOL O2 Academy 2
17 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
19 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
20 GLASGOW O2 ABC
22 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
23 PORTSMOUTH Pyramids
24 LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
25 LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

The tour will be in commemoration for the 15th anniversary of the band’s debut album ‘The Neon Handshake’, which was originally released in 2003 via Chrysalis Records/EMI. The dates will be their first UK live appearances since their shows with Hundred Reasons and Cable in 2012. The London band were originally active from 2000 to 2008, where they released three albums, before going on a hiatus; their last release was their 2007 third self-titled album on Golf Records.

As for their supports: Suffolk alt rockers A have been playing shows sporadically since their mainly active run from 1993 to 2005. Their last release was their 2005 fourth album ‘Teen Dance Ordinance’ on Hollywood Records (US) and Warner Bros. Records (UK). Meanwhile Aldershot industrial/alt rockers Vex Red reunited last year and released their first new material since 2002 with the single ‘Burn This Place’.

As for their supports: Suffolk alt rockers A have been playing shows sporadically since their mainly active run from 1993 to 2005. Their last release was their 2005 fourth album ‘Teen Dance Ordinance’ on Hollywood Records (US) and Warner Bros. Records (UK). Meanwhile Aldershot industrial/alt rockers Vex Red reunited last year and released their first new material since 2002 with the single ‘Burn This Place’.

FEBRUARY 2018
16 BRISTOL O2 Academy 2
17 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
19 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
20 GLASGOW O2 ABC
22 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
23 PORTSMOUTH Pyramids
24 LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
25 LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

The shows will be in commemoration of the band’s debut album ‘The Neon Handshake’, which was originally released in 2003 via Chrysalis Records/EMI. The dates will be their first UK live appearances since their shows with Hundred Reasons and Cable in 2012. The London band were originally active from 2000 to 2008, where they released three albums, before going on a hiatus; their last release was their 2007 third self-titled album on Golf Records.

As for their supports: Suffolk alt rockers A have been playing shows sporadically since their mainly active run from 1993 to 2005. Their last release was their 2005 fourth album ‘Teen Dance Ordinance’ on Hollywood Records (US) and Warner Bros. Records (UK). Meanwhile Aldershot industrial/alt rockers Vex Red reunited last year and released their first new material since 2002 with the single ‘Burn This Place’.

FEBRUARY 2018
16 BRISTOL O2 Academy 2
17 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
19 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
20 GLASGOW O2 ABC
22 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
23 PORTSMOUTH Pyramids
24 LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

The Neon Handshake

As you read this, try to think back to where you were and what you were doing on March 11th 2003. I remember where I was. Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus. It’s where I first bought a copy of Hell Is For Heroes now-legendary debut album, The Neon Handshake. Bought purely on recommendation of an extremely over-excited friend (I believe his exact words were ‘oh my shit, you have to check out this band, they will rip your face clean off’), it was release day for the debut album of one of the UK’s most innovative new acts.
Containing twelve tracks of gripping, British rock fury, The Neon Handshake had
every reason to win itself critical accolades from every corner of the magazine shelf, with Rock Sound quite rightly naming it their record of the year.

“The neon handshake is still the record for which we are best known and it’s an album I still look back on with pride. The making of the record was an amazing time for us musically and personally. We were in LA (we loved living in LA!) away from our friends and family and therefore able to concentrate 100% on the record.

“We were working with 2 guys (Pelle and Eskil) who were also a long way from home and it drew us all together and made the work more intense and productive. “When we came back to the UK we were super confident – we had an album we were proud of, we were gagging to get out on the road and we had a label that were totally into what we were doing.” The band tour relentlessly in support of the album, and shared the stage with some of the UK’s most respected contemporary acts.

Watch an interview with any UK band from that period and you’ll find HIFH being namechecked left, right and centre.

Transmit Disrupt.

However, while ‘The Neon Handshake’ won the band fans and critical acclaim the nation over, all was not well behind the scenes. A restructuring at EMI headquarters resulted in many of the key players that got Hell Is For Heroes on the industry ladder in the first place looking for new jobs.

“Almost everyone who worked on the first album with us at the label had been let go by EMI and we were left with a bunch of people who didn’t really give a shit about our new album. We were constantly brought to meetings telling us what kind of songs we needed to write and we ended up resenting it.”

Keen not to fall victim to the consumerism of fat-cat label representatives, the band took things into their own hands. “In the end we refused to go back to write anymore and asked whether we could leave to make the record ourselves.” It was an extremely bold move for any band, but for one who was at the time still cutting their teeth on the scene, it was a simply unheard of thing to do. Who the fuck turns their back on one of the ‘Big Four’? Fortunately the powers that be supported the bands’ wishes and they parted on good terms. And so, HIFH’s fate was in their own hands…

“The day after we left EMI, we flew to Sweden to record. It was scary – pretty much overnight we’d gone from being pampered (wannabe) rock stars to unsigned diy-ers and some of us were more comfortable with that than others.”

Mcgonagle considers it was a difficult record to make and the fact that it was released at all, he called a ‘triumph’. Fortunately, by the end of the process, things were much more positive than they were when they split from EMI. Burning Heart and Epitaph picked up the record, and in March 2006 it was released both sides of the pond. “After growing up going to shows by almost every band on those labels, it felt wicked to be a part of that; especially after feeling so on our own at the beginning of Transmit Disrupt‘s existence.”

Hell is For Heroes

Following the release of Transmit Disrupt, things seemed to be going steadily upwards again for the Camden fivesome. The shows were growing, the fans were praising them, and most importantly, they had a label again. As William Mcgonagle states, they ‘fully expected’ to release their third record through Burning Heart. However, in a way that lightning only strikes twice for the unlucky, label re-organisation once again hit Hell is For Heroes hard – and where it hurts. The curse struck again.

“Once again the curse of Hell is For Heroes struck with Burning Heart losing tons of its staff and getting rid of loads of its bands (us included). We decided that we’d make the album by ourselves anyway and rented a little studio in Shepherds Bush to write the record. After the struggles with Transmit Disrupt, we were all determined to enjoy the making of this record. I think it shows on the finished product.”

Eventually seeing its release through Golf Records, the self-titled hit shelves and digital outlets in early 2007. While it pleased the hardcore fans, it drew little attention from the media. Amidst rumours and hearsay, the band finally confirmed in October 2007 that it would be their last. The Hell Is For Heroes candle that once burned bright throughout venues across the country, appeared to have run out of wax.

“We’ve been talking about wrapping it up for ages. We are the five worst people in the world at making decisions so it’s taken until now to actually do it, although we struck out on our own from album 2 onwards. I think that doing everything ourselves slowly became really boring; having so much shit to worry about other than music definitely took it’s toll”, he says. “It kind of got to a point where no matter how much we love making music together (and we still do) there was always an ever increasing downside which made it less and less worth it. “

Will is keen to point out they’re not turning their backs on music altogether.

“We’ve been asked to write a soundtrack for a film called “We Are The Industry”. Nothing’s confirmed yet but that could happen! We won’t be playing any shows though. I recorded a couple of bands’ albums this year and that is definitely something I’d like to do more of next year again.

“Tommy [O’Donoghue] is writing some music with a couple of other folks too. I’d like to think that we’ll all continue playing music though even if it’s not together.”

However, for those of you waiting with baited breath for the announcement of a reunion show in five years time, he’s less hopeful.

“I don’t really see any big reunion on the cards to be honest. For a start we all see each other socially so we won’t get a chance to miss each other, and I don’t think there would ever be enough of a demand for us to reform anyway!”

Andy

The Neon Handshake

As you read this, try to think back to where you were and what you were doing on March 11th 2003. I remember where I was. Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus. It’s where I first bought a copy of Hell Is For Heroes now-legendary debut album, The Neon Handshake. Bought purely on recommendation of an extremely over-excited friend (I believe his exact words were ‘oh my shit, you have to check out this band, they will rip your face clean off’), it was release day for the debut album of one of the UK’s most innovative new acts.
Containing twelve tracks of gripping, British rock fury, The Neon Handshake had
every reason to win itself critical accolades from every corner of the magazine shelf, with Rock Sound quite rightly naming it their record of the year.

“The neon handshake is still the record for which we are best known and it’s an album I still look back on with pride. The making of the record was an amazing time for us musically and personally. We were in LA (we loved living in LA!) away from our friends and family and therefore able to concentrate 100% on the record.

“We were working with 2 guys (Pelle and Eskil) who were also a long way from home and it drew us all together and made the work more intense and productive. “When we came back to the UK we were super confident – we had an album we were proud of, we were gagging to get out on the road and we had a label that were totally into what we were doing.” The band tour relentlessly in support of the album, and shared the stage with some of the UK’s most respected contemporary acts.

Watch an interview with any UK band from that period and you’ll find HIFH being namechecked left, right and centre.

Transmit Disrupt.

However, while ‘The Neon Handshake’ won the band fans and critical acclaim the nation over, all was not well behind the scenes. A restructuring at EMI headquarters resulted in many of the key players that got Hell Is For Heroes on the industry ladder in the first place looking for new jobs.

“Almost everyone who worked on the first album with us at the label had been let go by EMI and we were left with a bunch of people who didn’t really give a shit about our new album. We were constantly brought to meetings telling us what kind of songs we needed to write and we ended up resenting it.”

Keen not to fall victim to the consumerism of fat-cat label representatives, the band took things into their own hands. “In the end we refused to go back to write anymore and asked whether we could leave to make the record ourselves.” It was an extremely bold move for any band, but for one who was at the time still cutting their teeth on the scene, it was a simply unheard of thing to do. Who the fuck turns their back on one of the ‘Big Four’? Fortunately the powers that be supported the bands’ wishes and they parted on good terms. And so, HIFH’s fate was in their own hands…

“The day after we left EMI, we flew to Sweden to record. It was scary – pretty much overnight we’d gone from being pampered (wannabe) rock stars to unsigned diy-ers and some of us were more comfortable with that than others.”

Mcgonagle considers it was a difficult record to make and the fact that it was released at all, he called a ‘triumph’. Fortunately, by the end of the process, things were much more positive than they were when they split from EMI. Burning Heart and Epitaph picked up the record, and in March 2006 it was released both sides of the pond. “After growing up going to shows by almost every band on those labels, it felt wicked to be a part of that; especially after feeling so on our own at the beginning of Transmit Disrupt‘s existence.”

Hell is For Heroes

Following the release of Transmit Disrupt, things seemed to be going steadily upwards again for the Camden fivesome. The shows were growing, the fans were praising them, and most importantly, they had a label again. As William Mcgonagle states, they ‘fully expected’ to release their third record through Burning Heart. However, in a way that lightning only strikes twice for the unlucky, label re-organisation once again hit Hell is For Heroes hard – and where it hurts. The curse struck again.

“Once again the curse of Hell is For Heroes struck with Burning Heart losing tons of its staff and getting rid of loads of its bands (us included). We decided that we’d make the album by ourselves anyway and rented a little studio in Shepherds Bush to write the record. After the struggles with Transmit Disrupt, we were all determined to enjoy the making of this record. I think it shows on the finished product.”

Eventually seeing its release through Golf Records, the self-titled hit shelves and digital outlets in early 2007. While it pleased the hardcore fans, it drew little attention from the media. Amidst rumours and hearsay, the band finally confirmed in October 2007 that it would be their last. The Hell Is For Heroes candle that once burned bright throughout venues across the country, appeared to have run out of wax.

“We’ve been talking about wrapping it up for ages. We are the five worst people in the world at making decisions so it’s taken until now to actually do it, although we struck out on our own from album 2 onwards. I think that doing everything ourselves slowly became really boring; having so much shit to worry about other than music definitely took it’s toll”, he says. “It kind of got to a point where no matter how much we love making music together (and we still do) there was always an ever increasing downside which made it less and less worth it. “

Will is keen to point out they’re not turning their backs on music altogether.

“We’ve been asked to write a soundtrack for a film called “We Are The Industry”. Nothing’s confirmed yet but that could happen! We won’t be playing any shows though. I recorded a couple of bands’ albums this year and that is definitely something I’d like to do more of next year again.

“Tommy [O’Donoghue] is writing some music with a couple of other folks too. I’d like to think that we’ll all continue playing music though even if it’s not together.”

However, for those of you waiting with baited breath for the announcement of a reunion show in five years time, he’s less hopeful.

“I don’t really see any big reunion on the cards to be honest. For a start we all see each other socially so we won’t get a chance to miss each other, and I don’t think there would ever be enough of a demand for us to reform anyway!”

Andy