WinterStorm Rock Weekender
The line up for WinterStorm 2024, held each November in Troon on the west coast of Scotland, has been unveiled with another four days of diverse line ups and multiple genres. This is a new chapter for the event, in more ways than one, and in line up terms the organisers believe that the diversity of nationalities and genres spread over the four days make it perhaps one of the most interesting spread of bands they have ever put on.
It may well be the same venue, it may be the same three days and two stages as last year but with bands from eleven different countries and everything from melodic European metal to southern blues rock, a touch of Americana, a pinch of folk rock a large smattering of Prog, a wee bit of old school NWOBHM, some classic Lizzy, at least six female or female fronted main stage bands and an appropriate amount of AOR added in to the mix it feels like one of the most diverse line ups yet.
But one thing is certain, it still quite definitely has the feel of a "WinterStorm Line Up" – but read on and make up your own mind!
Last year's newly added Thursday was unofficially labelled by some fans as "Before the 'Storm" and the promoters have decided to make it stick from here on in!
Thursday's Before the 'Storm has a later start this year with the first band on at 5pm but with the doors opening for food drink and some warm up tunes pulled directly from those original NWOBHM years to build up to the live launch what a gloriously loud and riotous opening it's going to be!
As they keep saying every year, WinterStorm doesn't do “headliners”; similarly it doesn't do “openers” either!
WinterStorm 2024 will hit the ground not only running, but leaping and screaming and going absolutely ballistic as The Treatment return and take a full set and grab the audience by the throat. This will be the loudest and proudest first band on that WinterStorm has yet done with full show and a full concert hall to go with it.
The night will close in the same rumbustious fashion as its opens with the welcome return to WinterStorm of Spike with Quireboys and a line-up that includes Luke Morley, Chris Johnstone, Nigel Mogg and Rudy Richman.
Sandwiched in between these two explosive sets are the first two of our overseas imports with The Damn Truth and Von Hertzen Brothers.
Canada's, much acclaimed (and self-proclaimed "rock n roll hippies") The Damn Truth do the genre bending quite well but their live performances are always memorable and WinterStorm are so glad to have them on board on night one.
Alongside them will be the amazingly talented Von Hertzen Brothers from Finland. Again it would be simplifying it greatly to label them Prog Rock but anyone who has listened to the live album knows just what a musical journey this hour is going to present.
There'll be four bands on the Sessions Stage announced and as the main stage is scheduled to draw to a close nearer to eleven each night - to much acclaim! - there will be an after show bar and music in the upstairs area til midnight for those with the stamina.
WinterStorm DOES NOT DO quiet opening nights. This is just the beginning but what a six hours of live music it is going to be!
As WinterStorm moves deeper into the weekend the doors open at midday on both the Friday and Saturday and the diversity continues. They’ll be announcing the day splits shortly after Easter but here’s what’s on the menu.
As they have always done, bands that have performed on the Sessions Stage are invited back to play the main Steve Strange Stage and this year this will include the return of the revelations from 2023, Brazilian bands Noturnall and Electric Gypsy.
New to WinterStorm for 2024 are two superb UK bands offering divergent styles. Tailgunner will bring a modern take on old school metal and they'll be joined by one of the new British bands that we had up until now failed to secure on the line up and whilst we may not be the only line up featuring them this year we're none the worse for that - it'll be a very warm WinterStorm welcome to Bournemouth's own South of Salem.
In the opening paragraphs, the promoters mentioned six female fronted acts and while this wasn’t something they went to deliberately sculpt it is something that they are delighted with. As well as The Damn Truth on the Thursday, the female contingent includes the return of all girl group JOANovARC with their over the top rock n roll energy; it includes the amazingly powerful and beautiful twin vocals of Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick from Portsmouth’s Brave Rival.
Svetlana Bliznakova fronts Bulgarian band SEVI with a captivating mix of dark and light alternative metal and the most amazing rock vocal. Another band unknown to the audience but who will undoubtedly just blow the place apart.
Cherie Currie hardly falls into the unknown category. How can it be that it was 1975, when aged fifteen, she joined the all-female rock band The Runaways?
And of course Saturday wouldn’t be Saturday without WinterStorm’s “very own” Chantel McGregor stepping onto the main stage with an acoustic set.
So in 2023 WinterStorm roamed a wee bit left field with Focus and some of the best prog classics imaginable and it went down so well they thought they’d try and do something just as far out there as Hocus Pocus! Following on from the Finnish prog of Thursday the organisers are thrilled to unveil that they’ll have the guitar legend, Jethro Tull's Martin Barre performing Aqualung in full with his band! Never without a little deviation at WinterStorm eh!!
The obligatory, classic NWOBHM set features the sounds of classic Saxon with Graham Olivers’ Army. If you saw the band previously at WinterStorm as Oliver Dawson Saxon you'll know that this is just going to be such a blast!
Pushing the boundaries is always something that WinterStorm seek to do and alongside SEVI, above, from Sofia they are introducing Southern Rock influenced Hillbilly Vegas from Oklahoma in The States and bringing another first to WinterStorm they have Indian power rockers, Girish and the Chronicles. This is just fun rock n roll delivered with a smile and power. Can't wait for both of these bands!
They’re also delighted also to welcome back two old friends of WinterStorm; first the return of one Darren Wharton (who as well as fronting DARE was the Thin Lizzy keyboard player) this time with Renegade and the songs of Lizzy. The second will be the usual high energy return of Swedish anthemic melodic rockers H.E.A.T. who absolutely tore the roof off the place last time around.
There will also be a very special hour during the weekend dedicated to the sounds and memories of WinterStorm's lost friend Bernie Marsden. Jim Kirkpatrick who played with Bernie across many years will be joined by Neil Murray and guests and the WinterStorm Choir will provide the live and loud backing vocals. A perfect chance for everyone to fondly remember and the legend.
The Sessions Stage will feature more than a dozen artistes over the three days with its usual pick n mix of live treats and the line up already boasts Jason Sweeney’s new band Victory or Die and Rowan Robertson with Norwegian metal band HEX A.D. Much more will be announced over the coming weeks.
After the ‘Storm is the acoustic chill down held annually on Sunday afternoon after the main event and always sells out to an appreciatively seated audience. The format mixes it up with three seventy minutes sets kicking off about lunchtime and over by late afternoon. It’s become a perfect finish for many regulars and two of the three acts have already been confirmed and the very limited number of 120 tickets are already on sale featuring Dare Unplugged, Chantel McGregor with one more to be announced shortly.
Saturday 30th November is St Andrew's Day – Scotland’s Patron Saint - so over the weekend visitors can be assured of a lot of tartan, a lot of bagpipes, Celtic drums, more tartan, more bagpipes and tons of freshly caught haggis. There will even be a wee bit of live poetry from Robert Burns in there too. The full programme will evolve and expand over the coming weeks as it always does and be updated on the website, social media channels and by email newsletters. Sign up to get the latest in your inbox.
So there it is, a (not so) brief synopsis of WinterStorm | The Next Chapter – there is a lot more to come about the future direction of the event but the organisers believe that the diversity and quality in depth of the line-up will let them plaster SOLD OUT over their ticket page in 2024.
With more than four hundred tickets already sold without naming a band they may have good cause for their optimism.
WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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WinterStorm Rock Weekender
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