Stereophonics Rock Chiswick House

Weather holds off to allow crowds at House Festival to enjoy host of top acts

The organisers of the Chiswick House Festival will have heaved a sigh of relief as the rain predicted for the day fell mainly before the event started.

This meant yet another massive turnout to the event which now looks to be firmly part of the annual calendar.

Earlier acts such as Noah and the Whale and KT Tunstall played to relatively sparse though appreciative audiences but the atmosphere warmed up noticeably later in the day as more people arrived from work and the copious free alcohol started to have an effect.

Ex-Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon, who was compering kept up his tradition of making jokes about how middle class was the event and he will have felt vindicated when Michael MacIntyre told the crowds, "You are my people!" when he was incongruously introducing rapper Tinie Tempah.

The headline act Stereophonics were generally acknowledged to be on good form and provided a rousing climax to the evening.

The other acts included Plan B, Eliza Doolittle, Katy B and Dry The River with Ant and Dec, Fearne Cotton, Jo Whiley and Reggie Yates among the presenters.

A host of other celebs were amongst the audience including Lawrence Dallaglio, Keith Lemon, Craig Revel Horwood, Laurence Llewelyn- Bowen, Jamie Theakston and Tim Lovejoy. Colin Firth was there with his wife Livia who is one of the prime movers in one of the charities being supported by the event.

The only sour note was provided by some of the acts shouting obscenities over the PA system which led to complaints from local residents.

The event, was organised by Soho House group who are working with Chiswick House & Gardens Trust to raise funds for their ongoing projects. This year they will be donating to a project run by The Circle. Working in partnership with Oxfam, The Circle is an affiliation of women who aim to empower women and fight poverty.

March 2, 2012