SUNDAY 21/08/2005 16:14:27
u.tv
Thousands of rock fans basked in festival sunshine at the twin-site V Festival this weekend where top bands such as Oasis and Franz Ferdinand were playing storming sets.
Fears that the site at Hylands Park, near Chelmsford, would be a washout after Friday`s downpours proved unfounded as the sun shone periodically throughout the weekend.
Other bands playing the festival - which takes place simultaneously at Weston Park in Staffordshire - included Super Furry Animals, The Streets, The Chemical Brothers and Kaiser Chiefs.
Chiefs` frontman Ricky Wilson said the Leeds band were keeping their feet on the ground despite their overnight success.
He said: "It`s weird but we`re all kind of living our dreams together.
"We were in a festival in Tokyo, the Foo Fighters were on stage, Coldplay were on in a bit.
"We suddenly realised what are we doing here? We are just from Leeds, we are simple."
Celebrities enjoying the hospitality at the event included Dr Who`s Billie Piper, Cold Feet star James Nesbitt,
Jade Goody and ageing Lothario Micky Rourke.
Oasis thrilled thousands of festival goers last night with an inspired set as they headlined at Chelmsford.
The five-piece band played a tight, high volume selection of their best-known songs - including Live Forever and Don`t Look Back In Anger - which rocked the sell-out crowd.
Before the gig - the highlight of the festival so far - guitarist Noel Gallagher admitted he didn`t enjoy playing open-air festivals.
"We don`t like doing them to be honest, I love going to festivals when we`re not working, they are a great weekend but playing at them is different because you`re working and everyone else is not," he told Virgin Radio.
Acts scheduled to appear tonight in Chelmsford include Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy and Scissor Sisters who are headlining the main stage.
Tony Christie will also be performing following the success of his single Is This The Way To Amarillo?
More than 130,000 people were expected to attend both sites over the weekend.
Essex police said 12 arrests had been made at Hylands Park so far, nine of those for drugs offences.
Further arrests were made at the Staffordshire site, where police said drugs searches had recovered cocaine, cannabis and hundreds of ecstasy tablets from festival-goers.
The West Mercia Police spokeswoman confirmed that 20 people had been arrested for drugs offences, 11 people for theft and one person for robbery.
Officers had carried out 65 searches and found 7.2g of cocaine, more than 300g of cannabis and 206 ecstasy tablets.
