Once again, WinterStorm – Scotland’s Festival of Rock held annually in November on the beautiful and accessible west coast of the country - has curated a diverse long weekend of rock. The line up for the ninth version of the event offers everything from symphonic European metal to UK blues, a touch of Americana, a dose of folk metal.
There is also a good chunk of prog, some US hard rock, punk, funk and a good splash of AOR. And to mark the influence of 1980 on WinterStorm’s creation and history, they’ll be celebrating “The Spirit of ‘80” with a string of rock and NWOBHM artists, 45 years on from the greatest year for hard rock music.
The independent festival has unveiled the first 18 bands (from 40) including Iron Maiden’s founder Steve Harris' British Lion returning to Ayrshire, Californian Rockers Ugly Kid Joe who are guaranteed to electrify the audience, US melodic hard rock band Hardline return after a show-stealing 2021 performance and the legendary Russ Ballard, known for penning classics like "Since You Been Gone" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," promises a set packed with sing-along anthems. Scotland's own High Fade will bring a bit of Funk to the stage whilst Richard Jobson’s Skids will inject a bit of Punk!
NWOBHM veterans Praying Mantis and Demon will bring their classic heavy metal sound to Troon, while The Raven Age - who've toured internationally with Iron Maiden, Killswitch Engage, and Alter Bridge, represent the cutting edge of modern British metal.
Pat McManus Band will celebrate the sounds of Irish rock legends Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher, while Kingdom of Madness keeps the early Magnum spirit alive.
Italian progressive power metallers Vision Divine bring international flavour, and the eclectic Wytch Hazel blend folk-rock with NWOBHM influences.
and represent the local scene alongside returning favourites like Scarlet Rebels from Wales and melodic rockers, Collateral.
Blues-rock enthusiasts will appreciate Derbyshire's These Wicked Rivers, while Scarborough's This House We Built and Victory or Die graduate from last year's Sessions stage to the Steve Strange Main Stage.
Rock fans can explore each of the bands and find festival updates on the WinterStorm website, Facebook page or sign up for the newsletter.