CHARITABLE rockers braved the rain this weekend to mosh in the mud at the 22nd Chalgrove music festival.

The event also hosted a custom bike show put on by the Thames Valley Coalition of bikers, featuring members of the Deviantz Brotherhood and the Wessex Hell’s Angels, in aid of children’s charity Clic Sargent.

Tribute bands included The Bryan Adams Experience, Stayed As Quo and Whole Lotta DC.

Festival director Kelle Nixey said: “We reckon these tribute bands are the best in the world, and we have an incredible crowd even though it’s a bit wet, all of our friends are here which is fantastic.

“It takes six months to organise and probably the last two months you are falling asleep on the keyboard waking up with qwerty face every morning but it is all worth it, when you see the people’s faces when they are watching the bands.

“We are a community. The whole crew work really hard over the whole weekend and everybody does it for the charity, even the security.”

The festival has been running for 22 years, and Ms Nixey took over 13 years ago. Funds were also raised for miltary charity Help for Heroes. Matt King, bass player for Sunday’s headliners Whole Lotta DC was enjoying his first visit to the festival with his daughter Georgia.

He said: “The festival is going really well. We just saw Pure Purple and they were absolutely superb.

“The bikes aren’t really my thing, but they have got some good pieces of heavy metal.”

Georgia, seven, was concerned about the safety of some of the fairground rides, and was sticking to face painting. She said: “I enjoyed the bouncy castle and the band that have been playing. I really did think the body rock looked a little scary when I saw people getting on it.”

On Sunday an estimated 450 people were already rocking out in the rain by mid afternoon, with more expected to come out in the evening.

Wayne Harris, keyboard player for Bon Giovi, said: “It was a bit rainy and a bit sludgy but there was a good turn-out, people were in good spirits.

“It was a great atmosphere really, it was for a good cause, and it was very well-organised.”