Eighteen Bands Unveiled for WinterStorm 2025
WinterStorm Rock Weekender
WinterStorm – Scotland’s annual festival of Rock at the end of November – has revealed its mainstage line up for the ninth version of the massively popular Classic Rock Festival held annually over three days in Troon on the west coast of Scotland. The first announcement, with twenty more bands yet to be unveiled includes a raft of classic acts including Ugly Kid Joe, British Lion, High Fade, legendary singer songwriter Russ Ballard and a host of other rock, blues and metal bands from across the UK and beyond.
Festival organiser, Ian McCaig, of Plan B Events, explains,
“It doesn’t get any easier putting a line up together and in the current climate all festival promoters are having to work harder than ever with increasing costs and reducing band availability to put together an event that is both affordable and attractive. Once again, we hope that rock music fans will be pleased with the curation of classic and new artistes and, as we always try to do, be intrigued by some of the bands and genres announced. We’ve ticked some boxes with returning and new acts and our theme of “The Spirit of ’80” will be celebrated between now and November.”
So it may well be the same venue, it may be the same three days and two stages as last year but once again WinterStorm have curated an event that celebrates a diverse definition of rock - everything from symphonic European metal to UK blues rock, a touch of Americana, a dose of folk metal, a good chunk of Prog, some US hard rock, some Punk, some Funk and an appropriate amount of AOR. And to mark the influence of 1980 on WinterStorm’s creation and nine-year history, they’ll be celebrating “The Spirit of ‘80” with a string of rock and NWOBHM artists.
The full day splits will be unveiled at the end of March with a four-band line up on the opening Thursday with full days from midday opening on Friday and Saturday. The event organisers still have a major name to unveil later this month (due to touring commitments the announcement has to be held back) but are delighted to list the first eighteen acts on the Steve Strange Main Stage.
The weekend will start again on the Thursday afternoon with doors opening late afternoon - the opening slot on the Steve Strange Main Stage at WinterStorm has become a coveted spot for bands and while they are not revealing the day split until the end of the month, they have confirmed that following on from Gin Annie in 2023 and The Treatment in 2024, returning Welsh Rockers, Scarlet Rebels will continue the theme of blasting the roof off from the start!
Flying in from The States and those that have seen them live will confirm that Ugly Kid Joe are guaranteed to get the WinterStorm audience bouncing. The platinum selling Californian rockers may be best known for their singles such as Everything About You or Cats in the Cradle but their strength is in their live performance!
The Spirit of ‘80” has always been around WinterStorm and it was the early teenage experiences of the organisers 45 years ago that sowed seeds that eventually grew into WinterStorm in 2016. The Ayr Pavilion and The Apollo on Glasgow provided the introduction to, and the seduction by, live rock and metal music that WinterStorm has in some ways tried to re-enact over the years. The festival has slowly ticked off many of the heroes of that era since its beginnings and this year will tick another one of those “Spirit of ‘80” boxes when it welcomes Iron maiden founder and legend Steve Harris back to Ayrshire and the Troon stage with his band British Lion. 1980 saw Maiden perform with Praying Mantis in support at The Piv in Ayr and Harris’ British Lion will bring their straightforward rock n roll approach to WinterStorm on the same day that perennial crowd favourites Praying Mantis will also return.
The Raven Age are hailed as one of the finest bands in modern British metal having performed over internationally across 38 countries alongside the likes of Killswitch Engage, Volbeat, Shinedown, Alter Bridge and Iron Maiden who they are touring with in 2025. Their sound is unashamedly influenced by Maiden and the melodic influences are there. Kerrang put it thus, “What The Raven Age do is straight-up metal. No bells and whistles, no hard turning into TikTok trends, but a collision of “trad metal… with modern metal nuance.”
Russ Ballard is known to everyone for both as guitarist with Argent and for his compositions such as "New York Groove", "Since You Been Gone", "I Surrender" and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" which became hits for other Hello, Rainbow and Kiss during the 1970s and 1980s. He promises a set of sing along classics with his superb guitar playing and stage craft.
In 2021, in between COVID lock downs, WinterStorm introduced US band Hardline to a mostly unsuspecting audience. They melodic rockers stole the show. Johnny Gioeli and band raised the temperature that night with a full-on high tempo performance and stunning vocals, securing both a new fan base and a promised return to Troon’s stage with their melodic, powerful hard US rock.
Scotland’s own High Fade have come to prominence over the past year (and are a personal favourite of WinterStorm’s own MC Tom Russell) and will mix it up bringing a really different Funk, Rock, 70’s, 80’s vibe to the stage.
With High Fade, WinterStorm are continuing their trend of always pushing the envelope a bit when it comes to mixing genres and throwing in left field acts (think Ayrshire Rock Choir, Chantel McGregor’s acoustic or Clann an Drumma’s Celtic drums) but they’ve never taken the opportunity to include some Punk! It is St Andrews weekend so combining this with a bit of iconic punk rock seemed like something worth doing and taking the stage on Friday will be Scottish new wave icons the Skids! This set will be bouncing with the usual high energy of Richard Jobson going through those multiple hits that ran in parallel with the 1980’s sound of metal and rock.
As mentioned above, it’s great to welcome the legend Steve Harris to Troon but The Spirit of ‘80 theme (and indeed the essence of the 1980 Reading Festival) will play a strong part of the Saturday proceedings (not only on the main stage but on the soon to be announced Sessions stage too) with NWOBHM alumni DEMON joining Praying Mantis on the main stage. The early sounds of Magnum will be kept alive by the superb Kingdom of Madness and in between, the memories of the Irish metal, blues and rock influence of 1980 will be paid tribute to by the amazing Pat McManus Band who will celebrate the sounds of Gary Moore, Rory Gallagher, Bernie Torme and perhaps even a wee bit of Mama’s Boys – all of who performed at Reading 45 years ago!
And along with the memories and influences of 1980, WinterStorm’s international theme will continue with the introduction of some progressive power metal from Italian band Vision Divine. English band Wytch Hazel complete the rock metal section and they undoubtedly channel some of the spirit the organisers are talking about, and some, as their own record company quote states, “The combination of the folk-rock eccentricity of Jethro Tull, the mystical harmony of Wishbone Ash & Thin Lizzy, and the exuberance of prime NWOBHM, immersed in sacred medieval influences.”
Since WinterStorm has begun, it has always tried to showcase newer and less well known bands and artistes to the fans on both the main and sessions stage as well as initiatives such as ‘StormBreakers. Every year the event uplifts one of the previous year’s second stage performers onto the main stage and this year they have promoted Scarborough’s This House We Built who’ll open the Friday. The Saturday will be kicked off by another band promoted from the 2024 Sessions Stage with the welcome return of Scottish hard rocking’ band Victory or Die.
Joining these two (and Scarlet Rebels above) through the weekend will be returning act the popular Collateral – they last played in 2021 – with their eclectic sound and powerful stage presence, they will be joined by Derbyshire band These Wicked Rivers with their “blues-infused modern rock, and soulful-bordering-on-spiritual live performances across the UK and beyond.”
So once again WinterStorm brings bands together from the USA, Europe and all parts of the UK –Symphonic Metal. Hard Rock. Melodic Rock. Funk. Punk. Folk Metal. Blues. AOR. Prog. NWOBHM.
And there’s plenty more to come including the Sessions Stage and a major band for the main stage.
WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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