Joss Stone, Alison Moyet, Boy George Rock Prince's Trust Rock Gala At Royal Albert Hall

Joss Stone Rocks Out For A Prince

Edith Bowman couldn't decide who her favourite act of the night was as veterans joined younger stars at the Royal Albert Hall for the Prince's Trust Rock Gala, in aid of disadvantaged people.

Bowman, who is an Ambassador for the Trust and co-hosted the event with Irish comdian Patrick Kielty, said this morning, "My highlight was probably Alison Moyet, belting out Slave to the Rythym. My goodness, she's still got it."

Other artists to steal the show included Boy George singing Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - "awesome" according to Bowman - and Welsh songstress Cerys Matthews with Road Rage - "effortlessly cool and so beautiful".

And Bowman also enjoyed the enduring surprise of Joss Stone's big voice compared with her dimunitive appearance. As Bowman described of Stone singing Super Duper Love, "She rocks up with this little dress and bare feet, and then throws out that big voice that just slaps you in the face."

Tim Minchin and Pete Townshend were also among the entertainers at the tenth rock gala, as well as singer-songwriters Chris de Burgh, Nik Kershaw, Julian Lennon, musicians Kenney Jones, Mark King and Midge Ure, saxophonist Yolanda Brown, and classical music star Charlie Siem.

"That was what was so good about it," says Bowman today, "just a complete mixture of music, really something for everyone."

Bowman has worked with the Trust for the last seven years, drawn to the "real benefits it can offer. Especially now with unemployment figures horribly high, the Trust works so hard to make sure that, for some teenagers who might have got into trouble with the law, this isn't the end of the road. Or for people with no obvious direction, it can really help give a leg up. For me, it's a no-brainer."

Martina Milburn, chief executive of The Prince's Trust, said: "We were thrilled to have the support of so many musicians who care as passionately as we do about the future of a very large and growing crowd of young people hit by rising unemployment.

"Money raised by the Rock Gala will help us to change young lives at a very difficult time, when more than a million 16 to 24 year-olds are out of work."

Edith Bowman hosts The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala 2011 which will be broadcast at 9pm on Christmas Day on Sky 3D and Sky Arts 1. Check out the performers and their star supporters in our Slideshow below. Some surprising faces in there...

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