Thousands descend on Mid Cheshire for Whatfest ’09

Jul 23 2009 by Ben Coulbeck, Chester Chronicle

Thousands descend on Mid Cheshire for Whatfest ’09

THE rain came but nothing could dampen the mood of the thousands of festival goers that descended on Mid Cheshire at the weekend.

More than 5,000 fans braved the mud and stormy conditions at Whatfest and witnessed a hugely successful fun-filled, three-day music extravaganza.

Friday saw 90s indie band Dodgy bring an enjoyable first day’s entertainment to a close which featured performances by Mid Cheshire College students and battle-of-the-bands competition winners Thought Explode.

Saturday, the bar was raised further still with Northwich headliners The Shallow Call drawing a large, energetic following on the main Valley Stage while Eskimo Smile rocked out the Riverside Tent for what was their final live performance.

Chester band The LP also played an impressive set as the sun made a brief appearance, giving those at the Whatcroft site a rare chance for some rays.

Sunday’s deluge meant numbers were lower but the return of Britpop household names The Bluetones brought proceedings to an emotional and fitting end.

Whatfest organiser Simon Bennett said that everyone connected with Mid Cheshire’s biggest live music festival could be proud of their weekend’s efforts.

“We can be very proud, mother nature threw everything at us but everyone still had a great time,” he said.

“The atmosphere on Saturday was very special and we think there was about 3,000 there at the end. And Sunday was just awesome.

“There are a lot of people to thank for their huge efforts but it was such a shame that the rain came when it did.

“We woke up on Monday and the weather is absolutely glorious. It almost rips the heart out of you but there is a lot to be proud of and I’m glad so many people made the effort to come down.”