It becomes immediately clear that they’re picking up exactly where they left off. Right from the hypnotic opening of ‘Dawn In Me’ and its spine tingling melodic shifts, the band begins to display their grasp on ebb and flow, with guitarists Rabea Massaad and Joe Gosney trading licks and stabs while vocalist Josh McKeown flits from soaring melody to violent scream. There’s more of the same embedded in the towering ‘Satellites’, a hefty and muscular delight that switches gears from menacing verse to uplifting chorus with maximum impact. 

While it’s good to hear that the band have made something that sits comfortably aside their debut, it’s even better to hear them broadening their palette. ‘Deadweight’ offers an almost Korn-like main motif, rooted in a low-tuned groove that skulks and pounds before being lifted by McKeown’s strained vocal line, “Do you want to become the person you hate?” There’s a lot of aggression coursing through ‘Stuck’ too. Ominous vocal melodies are draped over its weighty riffs that really erupt into catastrophe in the closing moments, enhanced by some of McKeown’s most brutal tones work to date. 

The soundscapes the band have become so adept at creating are at their absolute best here. The ballad-hybrid ‘Moth Becomes The Flame’ is a masterclass in suspense, starting softly with soul-stirring pianos before evolving into a widescreen, full band metallic colossus. Closing track ‘Serpent’ is perhaps the mostly aptly named song on the EP, writhing and stalking underneath delicate melodies before coiling and constricting at its colossal closing crescendo. The band set an incredibly high bar for themselves with ‘Apricity’, and somehow they’ve managed to vault over it with plenty of air beneath them. Put simply, this is the sound of a band that isn’t going to spend much more time as an underground secret.

If there was one word to describe this whole EP, that word would be “thoughtful.” The music is incredibly intricate, displaying everything from static calm to raging aggression and masterfully navigating between them, but the lyrics are the icing on the proverbial cake. McKeown has an incredible ability to convey so much emotion with his voice, allowing the introspective nature of the lyrics to resonate like he’s speaking directly to your soul. Lines like “I am more than a clenched fist in the silence, I am more than the knife twist that gives me guidance” in ‘Moth Becomes The Flame’ are breathtaking, delivered with meaning and oozing with feeling. 

While you can hear the sum of the band’s parts, with elements of Palm Reader, Black Peaks and Toska all dancing with one another, the songs never sound as though they’re imitating those projects. Their collective experience and creativity has melded together to form something that stands on its own. You could hear that the whole way through ‘Apricity’, but ‘A Storm Lined With Silver’ feels even more refined. The power of this EP is undeniable, as is the band’s destiny to continue ascending through the ranks. The sky is the limit.

DAVE STEWART

Words: Kate Allvey and Rob Dand  //  Photos: Penny Bennett and Paul Lyme

Press Club

Melbourne’s Press Club are one of a handful of Australian bands at Trees this weekend, and their breezy indie-punk has an undercurrent of warmth that makes them perfect main stage material. They’re arriving at Upcote Farm at the tail end of a mammoth European run in support of album four, ‘To All The Ones That I Love’, but this is a classic festival set, drawing from all corners of their back catalogue over just seven songs. The new record’s title track translates particularly well, and a glorious few minutes of cloud cover during jubilant set closer ‘Suburbia’ managing to inspire a lung-busting singalong from pockets of the crowd. Frontwoman Natalie Foster leaps with enviable vitality across the stage monitors and down toward the barrier, a captivating presence at the spearhead of a band who have no doubt just won over a host of new fans, thousands of miles from home. [Rob Dand]

Blackgold 

Taking Slipknot’s lead, Blackgold’s masked rap-metal shakes the main stage awake. ‘One Chance’ channels Limp Bizkit with a more serious streak, acknowledging their nu metal lineage with an assertive update. The demand a lot from their fans but they give a lot back through spot on lyrics and feral bass that could tunnel through the hillside. Dropping in hip hop megamixes, they get those determined to brave the sun bouncing furiously. [Kate Allvey]

Hail the Sun

Hail the Sun are good friends with tonight’s co-headliners Coheed and Cambria, and you can hear it in their sound too. At times, the Californian quintet’s technical post-hardcore sound is so post it’s almost pre-something else, pairing notes of Circa Survive and At the Drive-In with their pals’ penchant for the theatrical. Vocalist and occasional drummer Donovan Melero operates primarily in the higher register, and he has some great mic-throwing moves that would give tonight’s other co-headliners Taking Back Sunday a run for their money, but his performance feels primal rather than choreographed. Their energetic set leans most heavily on latest full length, 2023’s ‘Divine Inner Tension’, but there’s also a partial cover of Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ and an airing for new single ‘The Drooling Class’. Six albums into their career, it’s something of a surprise that Hail the Sun aren’t held in higher regard in the UK, but this memorable set in front of a curious (if not rapturous) Axiom crowd won’t have done their stock any harm at all. [Rob Dand]

Coilguns

Within the space of two songs, Coilguns frontman Louis Jucker has broken his microphone whilst on a foray into the crowd. His equipment is replaced, but the band also grapple with a temperamental guitar cable throughout the set. Jucker displays all the hallmarks of an eccentric and passionate character, sometimes appearing agitated by the delays, but he is always quick to smooth things over with the crew after each interruption. He repeatedly expresses his gratitude to the crowd simply for turning up, giving the mic over to the front row on more than one occasion to fill time, and unlike most other bands appearing in the Cave this weekend, demands very little from them in return.

The set itself feels gleefully loose; not quite erupting into full chaos, but entertainingly dynamic. Songs from last year’s excellent full-length ‘Odd Love’ dominate, and Jucker is keen to point out the meaning of the album’s title. He speaks about the importance of embracing our differences, and hammers the point home by warmly embracing as many people in the crowd as time will allow, before himself instigating the moshpit that accompanies their final song. All in a day’s work. [Rob Dand]

Frank Turner

Show number 3054 sees the spirit of 2000 Trees distilled into a worshipful Forest stage. Frank Turner’s been a staple of the Trees experience since its inception, but to hear his seminal ‘Live Ire and Song’ in its entirety, solo and acoustic, is something beyond special for Turner’s many fans. The power invested in every chord of ‘Better Man’ smoulders, and the goosebumps raising on our sunburnt shoulders during the title track feel more than real as we punch the air, each lyric a roared psalm. Re-presenting this album is a sublime, and one that means a huge amount to the FTHC faithful. We’ve been on a long journey with Turner and we’re proud to be here with him at his adopted home. [Kate Allvey]

Trashboat

Over on the main stage, Trashboat are keeping it heavy and current, switching between charismatic chorus and empassioned screams through ‘Be Someone’. Their new album is on their minds, and we’re delighted to hear Tobi Duncan’s “personal favourite” track, ‘Filthy Wretches’, in all its blazing ferocity. Paying tribute to the crowd sticking it out in the heat, ‘Shape’ clatters energetically, rewarding our patience. Trashboat strike such a great balance between grunge and heaviness, never succumbing to either, and making the main stage all their own. Self acceptance is their mantra and they preach it through gloriously original noise. [Kate Allvey]

La Dispute

Opening with spoken word poetry is a bold move, but La Dispute’s desolate post-hardcore charm resonates perfectly with the idyllic Forest Stage. Their descent into howls and delicacy on guitar sparks a gentle clap through the trees, ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’ taut and absorbing. From among the many acts claiming a ‘hardcore’ root to their sound, La Dispute stand out as the most sensitive and intelligent, their songs flowing freely across planes of emotion, enigmatic and veiled behind murmured sentiment. [Kate Allvey]

Coheed and Cambria

With an intro as dreamy as the hillside view, Coheed and Cambria glide onstage. The keenest fans caught their mini-Forest stage set this morning, but the biggest stages are where we expect to see Coheed’s space operas presented in their fullest. ‘Goodbye Sunshine’, their recent single, is unveiled in all its power rock glory, sparkling as brightly as the iconic glittery Trees sign at the top of the hill, extended out for full vocal appreciation. It’s all about the classic rock guitar for Coheed tonight, and there’s something oddly inspiring about how their complex, prog-lite sound can unite everyone from girls in Eras Tour shirts and grandparents in bucket hats alike to rapt appreciation of Claudio Sanchez’s vision. The focus on ‘The Father of Make Believe’ cements their latest album as the last necessary brick in becoming the stadium rockers they were born to be. [Kate Allvey]

Million Dead

2025 has truly been the summer of reunions – but while Oasis and Black Sabbath made most of the headlines, tonight’s show heralds the unlikely return of Million Dead, catching the attention of post-hardcore fans in the Gloucestershire area at the very least. They didn’t so much break up as self-destruct, with the band going their separate ways back in September 2005. Now, twenty years later, and owing in no small part to frontman Frank Turner’s cult-like appeal in the strange bubble of this festival, they’re back for one more hurrah. Now a five-piece, featuring both Cameron Dean and Tom Fowler on guitar (who have never actually been in the band at the same time), they emerge to feverish applause, before launching into a slightly abridged version of ‘The Rise and Fall’.

With only two full length records to their name, Turner wryly acknowledges that the setlist is likely to feature most of the songs that people want to hear, and indeed the hour-long communion includes all the expected singles as well as some B-Sides, all now with fleshed-out instrumentation courtesy of the twin-guitar attack. It’s also great to hear the band confident enough in each other’s company to enjoy some self-deprecating humour. Turner makes a few tongue-in-cheek comments about how hard it is to replicate the vocal range he had in his youth after two decades, but aside from asking the crowd to step in to replace drummer Ben Dawson’s blood-curdling scream on ‘Pornography for Cowards’, everything is delivered faithfully. The chorus of ‘Living the Dream’ soars up into the roof of the tent and the closing salvo of ‘I Am the Party’ and ‘Smiling at Strangers on Trains’ predictably has fists in the air and all hell breaking loose down in the front.

After breaking up before they could ever grace 2000 Trees the first time around, they finally made this stage their rubicon. Welcome back, Million Dead. We missed you. I think you missed us, too. [Rob Dand]

Heriot

As the torturous tyranny of the sun subsides, it’s clear that despite today’s 33-degree heat, the real Hell on Earth scenario is now unfolding inside the Cave. Bathing the tent in a sinister red and orange glow, simulating the unholy ambience of last year’s debut full-length ‘Devoured by the Mouth of Hell’, Heriot cultivate an oppressive atmosphere of their own making – and they are in no mood for winding things down. Vocalist and guitarist Debbie Gough is in a particularly demanding mood. She shreds like a demon and continuously calls for more pit action like a woman possessed by another woman who is also possessed. Their twelve song set is practically relentless in its intensity, with only the brooding ‘Opaline’ offering much in the way of relative relief. As they pull down the curtain with a riot-inducing rendition of ‘At the Fortress Gate’, just three years after opening this same stage, the appreciation in the crowd is a reminder of how confident and sharp the band have become in such a short space of time. A triumphant and commanding headline slot. [Rob Dand]

Taking Back Sunday

Exhausted children are wheeled in wagons to the main arena as we stream in for the day’s dessert, chanting along as ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ punctuates our footsteps. Adam Lazzara flings his mic, posing elegantly, as ‘What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?’ grips us, the post punk whirls of ’S’Old’ spiralling into the darkening sky like a promise. Their “love song, if you will”, ‘The One’ soars a rough edge to Lazzara’s voice before hopeful synths devastate in the slowed instrumental. ‘My Blue Heaven’ pulls together everything we hoped from their set as it moves magnetically through crashing riffs and raw emotion

Whether they’re offering up gigantic choruses to bind us together or keeping it tender and personal on ‘Amphetamine Smiles’, Taking Back Sunday offer us a mature and memorable finish to the day, full of heart and class, dealing out everything from lighters -up moments and fists punching the air to breakdowns for dance moves and pure emotional release. There can’t be any complaints about this one-off spectacular: “We hope all your dreams come true,” Lazzara wishes before ‘MakeDamnSure’ and he just might have fulfilled that before he even finished his sentence. [Kate Allvey]

High Vis slap on the modern hardcore to get us ready, their echoing (it’s when you wanna do more)  the magnet for the wilting crowd. Vocalist Graham Sale claims they’re “just a dickhead punk band”, adding “anyone can do this, it’s just shouting and moaning, innit,” but perhaps that’s what makes them shine so brightly. They could be us, spitting out ‘Mind’s A Lie’ like a premonition of a night out and letting the guitar waft like a much needed breeze over us. His near death experience makes ‘Trauma Bonds’ into a song launched with fervour that flies with its own wings, his new found optimism lending us strength.

A booming rush occurs and then Weezer appear, heralded by a chanted, garage take on ‘Hash Pipe’. They’re keeping their raw style that they threw out at Download Festival and it works for them, allowing the introverted sincerity they hold dear to shine through like they’re musically panning for gold. ‘Dope Nose’ is the finest skater nostalgia, but with a sense of efficient stagecraft, a teenage favourite remastered in front of us. The aching, cartoony quality which Weezer have spread over all of their sound feels too small for the huge stage, and too big to be contained at the same time. ‘Undone’ germinates into a fan anthem, uniting teenagers who got their parents permission to go to the second day of Download and folk who remember this song when it came out in one joyful bounce, and there will never be a time that ‘Island In The Sun’ can’t cast a golden blanket across a huge crowd like this one. For a few moments, everything in the world feels alright as Weezer play ‘Holiday’, pausing for a vocal harmony moment that’s blown away by distortion before they lurch into the joyful simplicity of ‘Beverly Hills’. It’s unintentionally hilarious to hear Rivers Cuomo compare South London to the splendour of LA, but that’s all just part of their awkward charm. As ‘Say It Ain’t So’ draws our song from inside us, it becomes clear that it’s impossible to ignore Weezer’s resurgence. 

Before we’ve realised it, shadows have grown across the gravel and the graphic displaying the headlining band is about to be replaced with reality. Black and white smoke, a casual “hey,” and we’re into ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’: bombastic and mysterious, it’s a hell of an opening salvo. Straight into a poisonous groove, ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ feels raw and spontaneous, the offbeat guitar plucking unnerving. The only respite is for a call for both hands up before frontman Chino Moreno’s barely caged meltdown. Each musical layer is exposed in turn on ‘Diamond Eyes’, sometimes only a lonely electronic pulsing propping up his vocals until a tempo like floating underwater bubbles into a rhythm you can feel in your internal organs. 

The beauty of Deftones’ set is how they play with time, sending one bar meandering as if it’s drifting out to sea before another song that passes in a flash. This is not a show about the band either; it’s entirely a place set aside in space to let their music grow organically. Moreno barely speaks, his occasional chatter limited to observations like “beautiful, fucking beautiful, Sunday afternoon”, but that’s not because he doesn’t want to engage with us. He’s just a bit part in his music’s massive presence and for a show with a five figure attendance, so much of their set feels private which summons whispered, individual song from each of us. From a hypnotic ‘Swerve City’ we’re thrown into the grit and grace of ‘Feiticiera’, all chainsaw riffs with a tempo that flows like a rocky river, the ending word of each line of the chorus dropped like a bomb. As ‘Digital Battle’ expands out to focus on the isolated bridge that echoes like a dropped pebble, the crowd inexplicably begins to wander away. There will be a slow waterfall of people emptying from this point onwards, but their anxiety over train times results in a more intimate set for the rest of us as ‘Rocket Skates’ sets the tone boiling again, the backing vocals a haunted siren. Both the songs where they let loose and when they allow the music to coil slowly hold so much splendour, ‘Sextape’ beaming waves of emotion into the setting sun.

‘Change (In The House Of Flies)’ was always going to be a part of this set, and with the band highlighted in stark red against the  darkening trees, it smoulders. As one, our phones are up and our chests are back, screaming out the lyrics as a release until a squeal of delight almost drowns out the cloaking fuzz of ‘Genesis’. Delicate and devastating in its scope, ‘Minerva’ connects with so many who gaze and mouth the words in time. After an hour of being immersed into Deftones’ world, ‘7 Words’ feels like a release, a lava punch to jolt us back to the reality of nervously being shuffled towards the exits. Our concerns were valid, but Deftones came through for us with a show that felt like a portal into a world where the laws of narrative, physics and the upper limit for distortion were made to be broken. We’re left shaken and invigorated by a band whose life of experimentation and passion have culminated in a show that has plunged us into an otherworldly version of rock music, and we’re already hungry for more.  

KATE ALLVEY

Words: Kate Allvey and Rob Dand  //  Photos: Penny Bennett and Paul Lyme

Gen and the Degenerates

“Cool is dead, this is post-cool!” Gen declares, ironically as she’s presenting a very cool start to the day. With melodic shouting, choppy guitars, and an acknowledgment of how brave we are to deal with the direct sunlight, they light up lunchtime with their everyday charm. New song ‘When My Ex Pulls’ is a punky indie gem, and ‘Big Hit Single’ (with its “very sarcastic” lyrics) is understated danceable gold. Gen and the Degenerates are disarmingly normal, which makes their sherbet cyanide music that little bit more special. [Kate Allvey]

Hidden Mothers

Dragging the pile of smouldering ashes that once resembled a crowd into another scorching morning are Sheffield-based post-hardcore four-piece Hidden Mothers. The band’s music deftly balances thick, bruising riffs with lighter melodic sections, weaving together harsh growls and more delicate vocals that call to mind a combination of Tom Waits and Dustin Kensrue. Opener ‘Defanged’ comes out of the blocks pretty fast, sounding like the lighter end of Converge meeting the heavier end of Thrice head on. Their short set showcases many of the highlights from last year’s debut full-length ‘Erosion/Avulsion’. There’s time for a rumination on the escalating horrors of the outside world, and the galvanising community of festival living, before an ethereal ‘Haze’ brings things to a close. Keep an eye on this lot. [Rob Dand]

Love Rarely

Love Rarely have drawn a huge crowd over on the Neu stage. Whether those gathered in attendance are mathy indie-screamo fans or just exhausted shade-seekers is anyone’s guess, but if a helping hand from Mother Nature is what it takes to put this band in front of more people, that’s no bad thing. Appearing at Trees for the first time, the Leeds-based four-piece sparkle through a set that includes a high percentage of their recorded output to date, including recent single ‘Disappear’ alongside older rabble-rousers like ‘And You Know it’ and ‘Say Yes’. An engaging early afternoon showing from a band with heaps of promise. [Rob Dand]

Last Hounds

There are no airs and graces about Birmingham’s Last Hounds. Their street-level brand of punk possesses a snarl and a swagger that feels both exciting and familiar. Frank Carter-era Gallows is such an obvious point of reference that it feels almost pointless to commit this sentence to print, but here we are anyway. Tattooed shirtless vocalist Mike Skelcher demands a lot from the weary Day 3 crowd, but he seems ready to go to war for his ambitious dream of “making the tent wobble”. He does manage to incite several circle pits, and even a wall of death stretching to the second king pole. Viral single ‘Growing Pains’ and 2023 cut ‘Bubbles’ illicit particularly strong responses, but the band close the set with a rousing rendition of ‘Snakeskin’, complete with a late surprise. Inviting “his friend Jason” on stage, Skelcher is joined by letlive’s Jason Aalon Butler for the climactic final throes – a cameo appearance that, true to form, he goes all in on. [Rob Dand]

Bad Sign

Croydon-based riff merchants Bad Sign are playing their first show in seven years here today on the festival’s smallest stage. It’s a low-key billing for a reunion that hasn’t really attracted any fanfare, but it still feels like a lot of people have turned up for this band – many of them most likely having discovered their music during those wilderness years. Perhaps understandably after so much time away, the set feels a little like a course-correction. There are one or two brief moments where more technical passages and higher notes aren’t nailed with as much ease as perhaps they used to be – notably on the otherwise rip-roaring ‘Square One’ – but the good news is this isn’t a one-time deal. The band are properly back, and new music is on the way. [Rob Dand]

Catbite

Summertime and ska go together like gin and tonic, so Catbite’s snappy ska-punk attitude is perfect for the afternoon. Folk in fancy dress gather at the front of the stage for the costume contest, jamming out to ‘Tired Of Talk’, all while Brittany Luna’s wail ties it all together. ‘Scratch Me Up’, complete with claws in the air overflows with the classic bittersweet ska territory into ferocious sass with a hint of Madness. Catbite are the burst of totally different refreshment on the 2000 Trees bill that we didn’t know we needed, their easy going rocksteady sliding into ‘Call Your Bluff’s party riot.  [Kate Allvey]

Humour

Up the hill, Humour are making waves. Their intriguing blend of everything intelligent and heavy, from post punk contemplation through to full rage-infused howls. The Axiom stays seated to appreciate the chill they cast from their ever-changing narratives, their music a brief respite from the busy outside. Always interesting and ambitious with what they aim to show us: sharp crunching rhythm, fuzz and inspiration.  [Kate Allvey]

Vower

Emerging onstage beneath the rays of the merciless sun, not a pair of shorts between them, Vower launch into ‘Satellites’, with a riff so meaty it should come with a side of peppercorn sauce. The main stage sound is almost always good here, but this could be one of the best-sounding sets of the weekend. The guitars sound deliciously crisp, and Josh McKeown’s soaring vocals are colossal, showcasing just why he’s comfortably one of the best vocalists in this sphere. The band members’ individual talents would be nothing without a collection of good songs – but thankfully, Vower have the songwriting pedigree to match. With only one EP and a smattering of singles to their name so far, their all-too-brief half-hour slot comes to a close with the mighty ‘Eyes of a Nihilist’, and while there’s sadly no room on the setlist for incredible new single ‘Moth Becomes the Flame’ (released almost immediately after the festival), it’s clear that there is much more to come from this band – hopefully soon. [Rob Dand]

Split Chain

Bristol’s Split Chain have, by their own admission, not travelled far to get here. A short hop up the M5, in fact. One of many Deftones-esque bands on the bill weaving hazy shoegaze with 2000s alt-rock, and adding a dash of hardcore, Split Chain are clearly happy to be here and similarly delighted with the size of the crowd they’ve managed to attract. Understandably, they lean heavily on material from their just-released debut full length, ‘motionblur’, opening things up with ‘Under The Wire’ and bringing down the curtain with ‘I’m Not Dying To Be Here’, the single that launched this new era back in January. Having opened up the much smaller Neu stage here last year, this mid-afternoon slot feels like a big (two-) step up, but the packed tent suggests they already have the following to give them a shot even higher up the bill in future years. [Rob Dand]

Future of the Left

Hollered drama and waterfalls of outsider guitar? Yes please. Every lyric from Falco feels like an intoned threat as we camp on the baked floor, before ‘Miner’s Gruel’ slams like a manifesto, pierced with visceral screams. The welsh act forsake genre definitions for blistering authenticity propelled by rocket-engine bass and a desire to blast out what’s on their mind. Even though we’re wilting, their force of will compels us to our feet.  [Kate Allvey]

Girlband! 

Nottingham’s Girlband! have the Neu tent more than packed out as we spill into the sunshine to chant along to the Neo-grunge sincerity- probably the busiest the side stage has been all weekend, in fact. ‘21st Century Suffragette’ and the dance moves it inspires proves that Girlband are getting stronger with every show. Catchy choruses and huge scale old school guitar solos prevail in their Trees debut, and ‘Talk Me Down’ is the best punk song Fleetwood Mac never wrote.  [Kate Allvey]

Vukovi

We’ve long suspected Vukovi might be cyborgs sent from the future to spread ethereal, vicious metal, but today seems to sadly disprove that theory. Janine Shilstone bounces in shining silver, starting a joyous pit, then can barely contain her giggles as a crowdsurfing fan in a huge disintegrating fridge costume crosses her path. She pops on a pair of comfortable crocs (“the floor is like fucking lava”) showing that she’s as human as the rest of us, but her glorious electronic tinged sound, choc full of vengeance and power like ‘Creep Heat’ are a hard reset to reinvigorate our energy.  [Kate Allvey]

Birds in Row

Eschewing the traditional stage lighting set up, as they frequently do, Birds in Row are illuminated predominantly from behind, with only sparse accents of colour allowed to escape from the bulbs overhead. This is the atmospheric backdrop against which the French post-hardcore three-piece emerge, as the stabbing intro of ‘Water Wings’ gets things off to a frenetic start. Much of the material in today’s set list is drawn from 2022 record ‘Gris Klein’, and most of it is fast and bleak, but the groove of ‘Noah’ and the slow build of ’15-38’, taken from 2018’s equally brilliant ‘We Already Lost The World’, does offer some variety. Despite the melancholic aesthetic, the band’s final message is one of hope, and there’s a promise of new music to come. We can’t wait. [Rob Dand]

The Hara

Without all their usual stage dressing to distract us, we’re forced to appreciate how much the Hara are one hell of a rock band. Within seconds of opening they’ve started a pit in the middle of the Forest stage. Of course, their electronica lingers but they’re absolutely focused today on the rock half of their sound: ‘Fire’ slams under its own merit without the distraction of visuals, the pounding riffs enough to impress. Frontman Josh Taylor struts and launches into the air, swimming and posing as he’s carried aloft, climbs the stage and rules the entire space, his emotions on ‘Trophy’ casting twilight through the trees.  [Kate Allvey]

La Dispute

After yesterday’s special set in the forest, La Dispute have ascended almost to the summit of the Axiom lineup, and right from the get-go it’s clear this is going to be a very different proposition. There’s not a poetry book in sight, and very few people are dressed like sick Victorian children, for one thing. Launching into ‘I See Everything’, the Michigan natives focus on some of their more up-tempo material, include early performances of ‘For Mayor in Splitsville’ and ‘Hudsonville MI 1956’. Only ‘Woman (in mirror)’ and ‘Andria’ are repeated, bookending a mid-set trio of new songs from forthcoming fifth album ‘No One Was Driving the Car’, their first full-length since 2019.

Towards the end of the set, vocalist Jordan Dreyer slows things down to give an almost identical speech to the one he gave among the branches and roots yesterday; but although the message is the same, the variations in his phrasing highlight a from-the-heart authenticity. He speaks in broad terms about the situation in Palestine and in Ukraine, as well as the struggles faced by those subject to prejudice, and it’s clear that he means every word. A born orator, Dreyer uses his platform to very respectfully hold the tent’s attention while he talks earnestly about some of the modern world’s most sobering issues, and the power of community in the face of hopelessness. There’s an airing for the rarely-played ‘Why it Scares Me’, taken from their 2010 split with Touché Amoré, before ‘King Park’ wraps things up with a now-predictable finale that has somehow lost none of its goosebump-inducing impact, despite being the band’s signature song. [Rob Dand]

letlive.

There’s a buzz in the air in anticipation of the return of letlive – and it’s not just the army of furious wasps that have bullied festival attendees for the past three days.

The band initially called it quits under something of a cloud in 2017, so tonight’s show promises to be part of a proper farewell. They arrive with a fearsome live reputation, constructed primarily around vocalist Jason Aalon Butler’s wild antics. To everyone’s delight, tonight’s show is no different. After only a few minutes, Butler’s crowdsurfed, dragged various monitors and the drum riser halfway across the stage, poured three bottles of water over himself and thrown one at his drummer, and somehow found time to sing a few songs. ‘Le Prologue’ kicks things off, before ‘The Sick, Sick 6.8 Billion’ and ‘Renegade 86’ continue down a path with foundations built from standout 2010 album ‘Fake History’.

Beneath the theatrics and seemingly boundless energy, connection to his audience is clearly a priority for Butler, but entertainment is never far from his mind either. He gives weighty personal context to ‘Muther’, before literally dragging someone dressed as an amp onstage to join the fun. His commitment to the bit is admirable, and he carries this enthusiasm into another interaction, bringing a fan onstage to enjoy the experience from a unique perspective.

The talking point of their incendiary set arguably comes right at the end, after Butler has relieved himself of most of his clothing and starts to haul his sweat-drenched body up the metallic shell of the stage. He manages to reach the lighting rig and continues set closer ’27 Club’ from here, with the crowd watching on in equal parts awe and horror. Only those at the front can hear the climactic breakdown, though, owing to the fact that the decision has been taken to cut the sound – save for the on-stage monitors. It’s a truly memorable bookend to a set that achieves everything it set out to do. Welcome back, letlive, and so long. [Rob Dand]

Calva Louise

They might be in the smallest stage, but Calva Louise can’t be ignored. ‘W.T.F.’ makes for a clashing opener, their small but very determined fan base loving every second. ‘Third Class Citizen’ emerges strong, sophisticated piano underlining throat-shredding screaming. The scale of their ambition and what the multi-instrumentalists create is what draws in more and more intrigued future fans, and of course the combination of haunting vocals and crunching riffs to get heads banging don’t hurt either.  [Kate Allvey]

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes have played at Trees before, but not quite like this. It’s possible that a fair few in the crowd haven’t seen the band for some time, and those people are about to have their expectations ripped apart and put back together in front of them. At this point in their trajectory, it’s best to just accept that the band standing before us are not about to tear through any of their punchy early cuts like ‘Husk’ or ‘I’m Not Well’. Instead, what they choose to do with their 50-minute headline set on the Neu stage is take their time with just five songs, four of which aren’t on their newest record and one of which (closer ‘The Diving Bell’) is twice as long as the album version, courtesy of an extended jam that hangs in the air like butterflies dancing precariously at grill-height over the M5. It’s a delightfully contrary performance, and while it’s a shame that we might never hear some of those big, spiky rock songs again, there is pleasure to be found in watching Mark Holley’s journey of discovery play out. It’s an assured set from a unique band, who only write and play the music that feels interesting to them at the time. Long may they continue to do so. [Rob Dand]

As December Falls

The viciously independent alt-rockers draw everyone from children in dinosaur headphones to rave teletubbies, and as Bethany Hunter bounces across the stage to deliver modern Paramore vibes, we know we’ve made the right choice about who to watch. ‘Ride’ uplifts before ‘Angry Cry’ assertively smacks backs with throbbing bass and a giant chorus. We answer the call to ‘split the forest in two’, we sing our lungs out to ‘I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great’ and we love every minutes of the band who won us over on the main stage last year with their melodic, unapologetic  tales of survival. ‘Ready Set Go’ hints at a direction with even more bite, with tense drops and drum thrills, and were treated to ‘Everything’s On Fire But I Feel Fine’- the title track of their upcoming album- which gets a live debut scorching enough to send a tiny girl dressed as a fairy crowdsurfing.  [Kate Allvey]

Alexisonfire

Walking out to the epic string crescendo of the ‘Last of the Mohicans’ main theme, as they generally do, Alexisonfire appear ready for a fight. Guitarist Wade MacNeil is literally sporting chainmail, and vocalist George Pettit looks the swelling crowd square in the eyes during the first chords of opener ‘Accidents’: “When this over, I want to see significantly less trees”, he snarls in reference to the festival’s name, and probably only partially joking.

Right from the very first opportunity for crowd participation, though, during the bridge of that first song, it’s abundantly clear that Alexis already have the crowd on their side. A band who head booker James Scarlett has very publically had on “the list” for several years, they already know what this festival means to the UK music scene, and they aren’t about to half-ass their headline slot with lazy nostalgia. Yes, ‘Accidents’ bleeds into the equally well-received ‘Boiled Frogs’, keeping the momentum going, but what’s really exciting is that the band have the balls to work some of their newer material into their set. ‘Sans Soleil’ comes next; a magical moment as MacNeil’s guitar line shimmers out over the heads of the crowd and up the hill toward the setting sun, its tyrannical grip finally loosening in the glowing evening sky.

There are a few fairly surprising omissions (some of them agonisingly cropping up elsewhere on their short run of dates either side of Trees), but otherwise the next hour and a half is a very confidently delivered collection of hits alongside slow-burns like ‘Rough Hands’. It’s a set befitting of main stage headliners who have always excelled at finding balance – light vs dark, humour vs gravitas, Dallas Green’s captivating cleans vs MacNeil’s signature rasp and Pettit’s feral scream, Charlie Sheen vs Henry Rollins. They always were head and chainmail-covered shoulders above most of the bands who tried to emulate their sound (and boy, were there a lot of those for a while back there).

As regular closer ‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’ slides out into the atmosphere, there are no fireworks. No confetti cannons. No pyro. Just the warm satisfaction of having watched five unapologetically individual characters turn in a memorable set that only they could have produced. [Rob Dand]

All the work Spiritbox has undertaken in the past four years since ‘Eternal Blue’ has been poured into their newest offering. ‘Fata Morgana’ opens proceedings with beautiful, choppy guitar-work and pummelling drum work. It’s ethereal and haunting, a perfect soundscape for Courtney LaPlante to demand and command the listener’s attention right from the start. If this is a sign of things to come for the rest of the album… then it’s time to buckle the fuck up.

‘Black Rainbow’ pulses with frantic energy; it’s relentless in its delivery, overflowing with pure power. The riffs are crisp, and the electronic undertones allow Spiritbox to confidently show that they refuse to churn out the same songs over and over. In a similar vein, ‘A Haven With Two Faces’ is another stellar example of the power LaPlante commands with her voice – her solid screams work perfectly with her clean vocals.

Singles ‘Soft Spine’ and ‘Perfect Soul’ need no introduction. The former is still as visceral as the day it was released – it’s aggressive and packs a powerful punch, whilst the latter demonstrates how wide and varied LaPlante’s vocal range can be. ‘No Loss No Love’ was the final glimpse Spiritbox offered fans before ‘Tsunami Sea’s release. The isolation that LaPlante displays during her brief spoken-word passages is a delight, especially when they segue into bone-crushing riffs.

But it’s ‘Keep Sweet’ that will leave listeners slack jawed with it’s poignant lyrics. LaPlante’s vocals are steady, and soar and swell with each guitar lick, each riff, each crushing drumbeat. It’s a stunning track, marrying intense power and poised energy effortlessly, and demonstrates how Spiritbox have constantly evolved and pushed themselves since their debut release ‘Eternal Blue.

And then there’s title track ‘Tsunami Sea’ which is, put simply, devastating. LaPlante’s vocals carry a haunting undertone, marred with something akin to heartbreak, amid Stringer’s clever guitar work. Lines of “You only love the ideation of me” are steeped in melancholy and are staggering; it almost takes your breath away, as it’s such an incredibly raw and powerful line, and one that will surely resonate with most, if not all, who listen to this.

‘Crystal Roses’ is an awe-inspiring display of the hypnotic and entrancing electronica that Spiritbox enjoy flirting with. Stringer’s backing vocals are a brilliant accompaniment to LaPlante’s, adding an incredible depth and layer to this track. There is a chance that some die-hard fans may be put off by what feels like a massive change in the band’s musical direction, but Spiritbox have been playing with these more progressive elements in their newer singles, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Colossal is the best way to encapsulate ‘Ride the Wave’. The choruses are tremendous and are awash with pulsating synth elements. Rounding off this momentous release is ‘Deep End’, which one could argue is the closest that Spiritbox have come to a ballad; lyrics of “Would have lived for you / would have died for you / dived in the deep end / I couldn’t see straight” are beautifully passionate and end ‘Tsunami Sea’ on a high.

From start to end, Spiritbox have demonstrated how much their confidence has grown – ‘Tsunami Sea’ is progressive and truly pushes the boundaries of metal. The band are ushering in a new era, one that’s bright and exciting. ‘Tsunami Sea’ is a true work of art; every step Spiritbox take in their journey will be watched with bated breath.

JESS TAGLIANI

Slower numbers see vocalist and guitarist Maddy Jarvis leaning into the anguished tones of the grunge era, punctuated by screams from drummer Marley Perez which add texture and depth, nodding towards the heavier direction of the newer material. With reverberating bass and some impactful shifts in dynamics, there are moments of intricacy that reveal the band’s evolution. Jarvis downs the guitar for ‘Angels’, the powerful vocals have a primal quality that carry over the crashing drums and driving bass.

Jar of Blind Flies’ performance is still a little rough around the edges at times, but the fundamentals of their modern take on grunge are promising and it will be exciting to see what direction they head in next.

The simple, clean guitar chords to open Vower’s set erupt into a bass-fuelled, intricately layered cacophony of sound that sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Vocalist Josh Mckeown’s unmistakeable tuneful, passionate screams and piercing focus are laid bare in this intimate setting, the emotion apparent with every note.

The post-hardcore and post-rock influences are evident, with the band seamlessly switching between syncopated time-signatures and filling the room with expansive soundscapes. New single ‘Satellites’ has the audience captivated, everyone swaying and nodding heads to the beat, whilst deft guitar work and resonant bass lines explode into the all-guns-blazing closing notes of ‘False Rituals’.

Mckeown tells the crowd “I know you guys are probably aware but you sold this venue out” and the intensity of the music is broken for a moment as he looks genuinely thrilled to be here. Commenting that it’s “truly outrageous behaviour” as they’ve only released five songs, Mckeown perhaps underestimates the impact that this expert merging of such beloved bands has had on fans. Mixing the musical talents of Black Peaks, Palm Reader and Toska was always going to be an intriguing prospect, but these five musicians have combined forces with such skill, balancing tight instrumentation with hauntingly unbridled passion.

Blending slower, groove-laden tempos with achingly heavy breakdowns and meteoric riffs, Vower display a level of synergy that’s rare even for long-accomplished bands. Their talent is underpinned by a sense of authenticity that’s amplified in such an intimate space, where their emotive delivery becomes an immersive experience.

Preceding closer ‘Shroud’, Mckeown once again thanks the crowd for their support and triggers a wave of endearing laughter as he declares “There’s so much love, now I’ve got to be angry”. Unsurprisingly, the room is treated to one final display of controlled brutality as the band thunder through their last track of the evening with a beautifully constructed mix of melodic vocals, devastating riffs and precision rhythms.

It feels like a privilege to have experienced Vower in such a small venue, and if they keep the momentum they’ve already gathered in the short time they’ve been together, it’s likely that much bigger things are on the horizon.

ELLIE ODURNY

DAYTIME TV opens the night, and it’s clear they’ve found their stride supporting a band of Twin Atlantic’s stature. Their punchy riffs and infectious momentum create an immediate connection with the crowd. Tracks like ‘Block Out The Noise’ and ‘Lost In Tokyo’ grab attention with catchy choruses and a solid energy that keeps the room moving. DAYTIME TV don’t just play their set; they command the stage with confidence, seamlessly fitting into the atmosphere and setting the perfect tone for what’s to come.

When Twin Atlantic take the stage, they don’t waste any time asserting their dominance. The opening track, ‘Meltdown,’ surprises with its subtle energy, easing into the room with a quiet optimism that slowly begins to build. The song’s reflective, almost fragile quality stands in contrast to the intensity that will come later, but it draws the crowd in, creating an almost palpable sense of shared introspection. The first notes of ‘Yes, I Was Drunk’ follow, and the mood deepens. Frontman Sam McTrusty, a man of few words, speaks volumes with his presence alone—his connection to the crowd obvious, as he acknowledges the years of loyal support from fans who’ve stood by the band since the beginning.

From the first beat, the tightness of the group is clear. Ross McNae’s basslines anchor the sound, whilst Joe Lazarus’ drumming provides a steady, powerful backbone. Twin Atlantic may be a rock band at their core, but it’s their precision and clarity that set them apart from others in the genre. Each song is executed with an elegance and intensity that feels uniquely their own, a strength drawn not just from their technical prowess, but from their shared understanding as musicians.

The setlist takes the crowd on a journey, navigating through highs and lows, each song contributing to an emotional arc that pulls the audience closer. As ‘Free’ floods the room, warm golden lights bathe the crowd, heightening the song’s message of liberation and possibility. The atmosphere is light, but there’s also an undercurrent of power, the crowd singing in unison with the kind of tangible feeling that only a live show can evoke. When ‘Hold On’ hits next, the mood shifts. The lighting turns cooler—blues and purples swirl with smoke, matching the urgency of the lyrics. The intensity builds, and the crowd responds, bodies swaying together, carried by the song’s unrelenting force.

‘Brothers and Sisters’ pushes the crowd into a frenzy, McTrusty’s voice blending effortlessly with the chorus of voices in the audience. There’s no barrier between band and fans here—it’s a shared moment of connection. The room transforms into one pulsating unit, as the crowd sings in unison, caught up in the power of the music. The camaraderie is electric, a living, breathing thing that keeps the night moving forward with an undeniable sense of unity. The night reaches its peak with ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘Crash Land,’ and by the time the final notes fade, the air is thick with a sense of satisfaction. The applause is deafening, a collective recognition of the emotional journey the band has taken them on.

Twin Atlantic’s performance at Electric Brixton isn’t just about skill—it’s about creating a moment of togetherness, a shared experience between artist and audience. Every note, every lyric, every beat builds a bridge between them, making the show more than just a concert. It’s a reminder that music, when done right, can break down barriers and connect us all. The night lingers long after the lights come up, not just because of the music, but because of the profound sense of kinship that Twin Atlantic fosters. It’s that authenticity, that ability to connect, which makes them one of the most compelling acts in modern rock.

JESSICA MCCARRICK

There’s something that becomes immediately gripping when you’re listening to this, an underlying tension that feels like it’s mere moments from violently snapping. That feeling can be translated into authenticity, and it’s something that the project packs in spades. The whole EP was recorded completely raw – recorded to tape, single takes, zero edits – and the thrill ride it creates is like a teleport to one of their live shows. Close your eyes and you can feel the heat in the room, the lights as they flash past your eyes, the energy pouring out of the music; if you’ve been looking for some new music to shoot electricity through your system, you’ve found it.

There’s a lot of power packed into the six tracks on offer here. Opening number ‘Bad Cop’ kicks things off with a high-octane joyride, presenting fizzy bass lines, jarring lead licks, thick riffs and vocalist Will Gardner’s multi-layered attack. The track was written about familial conflict and you can really feel the hostility, the instruments all fighting one another for their moment in the spotlight. ‘Freaking Out’ offers up a soundtrack that reflects its title with a real dark and dense low end that stalks the entire song, a vocal that moves from passionate verses to banshee shrieks melodies and bonkers pedal effects in the guitar parts often feeling a little hazy and off kilter, but purposely so.

The rest of the tracklisting is teeming with excellence, too. ‘Revery’ is a murky and fury-filled delight that’s both gloomy and exhilarating, ‘Ghost’ is an eerie yet stunning ballad hybrid that’ll have your spine tingling from top to bottom, ‘The Watcher’ is a slick and sleazy rocker with sledgehammer bass tones and some seriously sexy saxophone lines, and then there’s the mind-melting EP closer ‘Another Killer’. The track is a white knuckle ride in every single sense, moving through, punk, doom, math, rock, metal and more in its four-minute run time, but does it ever feel unsure of itself or scattered? Not even for a second. The energy from the live recording really glues everything together, emitting a sense of intention and pure energy that’s impossible not to be hypnotised by.

For a debut release, it doesn’t get much better than this. The songwriting is evocative and exciting, the recording is unique and really captures the bands depth and vitality and, above all else, it makes you wish it was longer. No one knows when we can expect the full length, but ‘Vertebrate’ is delicious enough to fill our appetite until the time comes. An absolute corker.

DAVE STEWART

The team have once again quietly amassed a diverse programme, covering most subgenres of heavy music. The production here has always felt slick but lean, with the team opting to let the line-up speak for itself. This year, there are some notable changes to the site – perhaps in recognition of the added attention that comes with the aforementioned award. Alongside the much-needed dedicated merch space (which frees up standing room on the balcony overlooking the main stage), as well as some important new welfare initiatives, there are also two festival-adjacent events – one of which is a boat party DJd by Dream State’s Jessie Powell. As a result, the whole setup feels a little more professional, and it’s encouraging to see this expansion.

Haggard Cat

If Robert Johnson had sold his soul at those crossroads to play in mid-80s Black Flag, which admittedly seems like quite a niche request, the result might have been something vaguely like Haggard Cat. Equally, it might not. Either way, they’re tasked with kicking things off at The Foundry, on the festival’s main stage. It’s early, but the Nottingham two-piece’s demonic, sludgy interpretation of electric blues-rock laced with post-hardcore has attracted a respectable crowd. We’re treated to several cuts from 2021 EP ‘Cheer Up’, as well as a throat-shredding rendition of live staple ‘American Graffiti’. Any cobwebs can consider themselves well and truly shaken away. Burn it Down is off and running.

Blank Atlas

Over the road at the Apple & Parrot, the line-up on the festival’s most intimate stage is incredibly strong this year. Bristol three-piece Blank Atlas are one of the early points of interest, having finally released their decade-in-the-making debut album last year. Gamely battling through some persistent technical issues, including a brief power cut which threatens to interrupt the climax of ‘Better Off Dead’ (but does not succeed), they lay down a set of angular but melodic alternative rock, that channels the lofty choruses of Deaf Havana and the barbed riffing of Arcane Roots.

Tropic Gold

It’s no surprise at all that Tropic Gold have been turning heads this summer, attracting sustained support from both BBC Radio One and Kerrang magazine. Their high-energy brand of modern metal is smooth and glossy, like a tin of Dulux or a Flat-Coated Retriever, and the mournful undercurrent of contemporary house music is laced liberally throughout. Their early evening set has the venue absolutely packed out, and the reaction to recent single ‘HAPPY’ suggests that the window of opportunity to see them in a grungy little bar, with a pool table just a few feet away, may well be closing.

Enola Gay

Owing to some delays brought on by lingering technical problems, Enola Gay’s Apple & Parrot headline slot sleepwalks into an unfortunate clash with main stage headliners Wargasm. For this reason, there’s a slight thinning of the crowd towards the back end of their set, but anyone who leaves ends up missing one of the highlights of the weekend. A breathless, chaotic performance from the Belfast post-punks ensues, with vocalist Fionn Reilly spending half the set dangling from the adjoining mezzanine. The guitars swirl around his hostile, claustrophobic delivery, and the pulsing bass careens around the four corners of the room at a sweaty gallop, like a wild horse barely contained. A relentless light show hacks away at the backlit curtain behind them, framing the band in some kind of nightmarish Twin Peaks Black Lodge scenario. It’s incredible, captivating stuff.

Love Rarely

Leeds-based post-hardcore five-piece Love Rarely possess a curious, jazzy intricacy to their twisted sound, positioning them somewhere between enduring genre titans Rolo Tomassi and menu screens from imported Japanese video games of the 1990s. Tracks from this year’s debut EP ‘Lonely People’ dominate the set, with ‘Entropy’ and ‘Say Yes’ a particular highlight.

Split Chain

As is customary, there have been a host of mostly beach-themed inflatables in the air at various points during the weekend – this is the English Riviera, after all – but things go up a notch as Split Chain hammer through their mid-afternoon main stage slot. Various objects, including an increasingly sad-looking rubber ring, skim the arms of crowdsurfers as the Bristol band deliver a set of hard-hitting, hazy alt-rock. As they finish with the powerful one-two of ‘Extract’ and ‘Fade’, they appreciatively describe the show as one of the best they’ve ever played.

Unpeople

The early afternoon crowd at the Apple & Parrot is already well-lubricated, and in high spirits. They absolutely don’t need the mischievous lit match that is Toto’s ‘Africa’ playing over the PA moments before Unpeople walk on, but they get it anyway, and after a lung-busting singalong the powderkeg has been well and truly ignited. Right from the opening riff of ‘waste’, it is abundantly clear that this is going to be one of the most energetic and downright fun sets of the weekend.

Just over a year into their existence and already holding the crowd in the palm of their hands, Unpeople offer track after track of muscular pop-rock numbers that already feel like well-worn anthems. Slide in a raucous mid-set cover of Nirvana’s ‘Territorial Pissings’ for good measure (because why not?), and two members of the band in the crowd, and you’ve got yourself a show. It’s most likely the biggest crowd the third stage at this festival has seen to date. The petition for Unpeople to play at every festival forever starts here.

Lake Malice

With just one EP and a host of singles under their belt, Lake Malice are still relative newcomers, but after a memorable debut on the main stage last year, they have little to prove to the Burn it Down crowd. Opening with the punchy ‘Black Turbine’, they plough through half an hour of genre-bending, riot-inducing dance-metal, before culminating in a poignant moment as set closer ‘Blossom’ is dedicated to festival alumni As Everything Unfolds – whose drummer Jamie passed away in the days before.

Caskets

Given the kind of bands that generally get the best reception here, it comes as some surprise that Caskets have never played at Burn it Down before. Their slick brand of anthemic modern metalcore is a perfect fit for this crowd, who it must be said are more than partial to a kick-drum and a minor key chord progression. It’s testament to how quickly the Leeds-based four-piece have established themselves on the circuit that their debut performance comes in the form of a main stage sub-headline slot on a Saturday night. Soaring singles ‘Lost in Echoes’ and set closer ‘Glass Heart’ sound predictably huge, and get the appropriate reaction.

Creeper

After another pitch-perfect changeover playlist that has everyone dancing along to The Protomen, Black Veil Brides and the actual ‘Time Warp’, the gathered crowd are ready for a bit of theatre. Enter Creeper. Last time they played in this venue, they brought costume changes and indoor pyrotechnics to Torquay on a mid-week winter night. Last year’s Jim Steinman-inspired ‘Sanguivore’ made zero attempt to quash those ridiculous tendencies, instead doubling down on the melodramatic antics and ushering in a late 80s vampire horror aesthetic. By this point, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Creeper are about to open their hour-long festival headline slot with a deliciously over-the-top 9-minute epic about murdering angels.

Predictably, the set leans heavily on ‘Sanguivore’. Highlights include the brooding desire of ‘Lovers Led Astray’, the blood-pumping momentum of ‘Sacred Blasphemy’ and the delicate melancholic reprieve of ‘The Ballad of Spook & Mercy’. Towards the end of the night, debut EP track ‘VCR’ gets an airing. It’s been a live staple for a decade now, but in the context of this current production, it presents a rare glimpse into a more grounded past version of the band, offering a breezy reminder of that transitional period between Will Gould and Ian Miles’ former band Our Time Down Here, and the borderline cult leaders on stage tonight.

A word at this point for one of Burn it Down’s regular VIPs, a giant inflatable duck who appears each year to selflessly ferry crowdsurfers to the security barrier. Tonight, in honour of our headliners, he’s had fangs drawn on, and although he doesn’t last long, he raises more than a few smiles.

Coming back on to finish with the now requisite pairing of crowd favourite ‘Misery’ and a frankly throbbing ‘Cry to Heaven’, a lone pink cowboy hat appears at Will’s feet. He briefly indulges. It’s a fleeting moment that unexpectedly highlights just why Creeper continues to work as a concept. This is not simple style over substance. Behind the costumes and the face paint is a hard-working band who take their music seriously, but not themselves.

One of Burn It Down’s strengths has always been its phenomenal undercard, but this feels like the first year where everything going on during the day has built towards a true headline event. Creeper are a fantastic band, this is a fantastic festival, and vampires are awesome. Long live the Creeper Cult.

ROB DAND