Review by Darren McIntyre photos by Scott Anderson
WinterStorm is a festival held in Troon Town Hall that has been rocking the Ayrshire coast since 2016 and has seen many of the world’s top acts grace the main stage and bring us the best music has to offer. This weekend sees the Legends & Legacies come to the seaside and give us a fantastic star-studded, action-packed rock n roll extravaganza that will bring this little piece of heaven to life with the cream of the rock world as we descend to rock out with rock family, friends, musician pals and just have a fantastic 4 days that will be talked about for a long time to come. I rock up to the venue collect my media pass set out my stall and chat with many many friends that I have made throughout my journey in the rock world, I set up my interviews walk into the main arena and feel the energy, buzz and excitement build as we ready ourselves for the day –
Ladies and gentlemen, music enthusiasts, and seekers of sonic euphoria welcome to the electrifying realm of Winterstorm, where melodies dance in harmony with the heartbeat of the universe! 🌟 I’m your guide through this sonic odyssey, and I can assure you, the next few days will be nothing short of a musical pilgrimage.
Picture this: a kaleidoscope of genres converging under the iconic Troon Town Hall building, an alchemical fusion of rhythm and soul that transcends the boundaries of ordinary existence. From the pulsating beats that awaken the spirit to the soulful ballads that tug at the heartstrings, Winterstorm is not merely an event; it’s a transcendental experience, a celebration of the universal language we call music.
We’ve meticulously curated a lineup that reads like a love letter to diversity, classic gems, rock legends, electronic wizards, and everything in between will share a stage to create a symphony of collective consciousness. As the doors open the furore begins to unfold, and the neon lights come to life, prepare to be swept away on a sonic journey that defies explanation.
But it’s not just about the music; it’s about the culture, the community, and the shared passion for the transformative power of sound. Connect with fellow revellers, immerse yourself in the vibrant tapestry of art installations, and let the rhythms guide you through an unforgettable weekend of sonic bliss.
So, fasten your seatbelts, unlock your senses, and let the music take the reins. [Music Festival Name] is more than an event; it’s a portal to a world where melodies speak louder than words. Let the festival begin!
Opening this iconic 4-day festival is Gin Annie, a 5-piece rock n roll juggernaut from The Black Country who has grown in stature with 2 albums under their belt, numerous festival appearances, and support slots to some of the biggest names in the music business.
The boys strolled onto the Steve Strange Stage to rapturous applause from this swelling crowd that was ready for these boys as they ripped open the festival with their killer set that brought us a stellar set of new tracks and old favourites that had this crowd punching the air and stamping their feet as the energy in the room rose to fever pitch as the boys entertained us with delicious riffs and deep basslines that were wrapped in silky smooth vocals from my good buddy David Foster.
The setlist was festival ready and it took us on a journey from where they began to today as they delivered new tracks mixed with their crowd-chanting favourites that just set the tone as they had the crowd in the palm of their hands, we sang, chanted, fist pumped and watched these boys do their thing.
They ran through crowd favourites to killer new tracks from their new album that just let this crowd feel the rawness, energy & drive from these 5 lads, they certainly brought the festival to life and laid down a marker for the rest to follow and set us to know we were in for an incredible day that would live in our memory for a long time to come.
As the stage crew changed settings for the next act I wandered through to the main greeting area and chatted to some bands, many of my rock family and just soaked up the atmosphere that festival organiser Ian McCaig & team have created over the last 7 years, the place is buzzing and just feels magical watching the faces light up when they catch old friends and chat about the days musical icons who will appear before us today.
I stroll back into the main hall as my buddies Romeo’s Daughter make their festival debut and kick things off with the fantastic Devil In The Back Seat from the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise which just let this swelling crowd know that they were gig ready and were gonna bring it, the set was littered with old tracks that we all knew from back in the day to new tracks from their colossal new album Slipstream, I reviewed this stunning new album the other day and I can tell you there is not one bad track on this stunning journey through AOR and beyond.
The crowd were singing and dancing as Leigh and the boys let us feel the groove with classic tracks Cry Me To Sleep, Wildchild, and Devil In The Backseat to a smattering from their killer new album that left us wanting more from this super tight four-piece that was totally blown away by the response from the Winterstorm faithful as they were yelling out and wanting more,
Moving on I took a trip upstairs to catch my buddy Archie Dickson and the boys from GlasgowOfficial as they rocked the session stage that was packed to the rafters and they were even turning people away as it was so busy. I will say that these boys were the band of the day on the Sessions Stage as they delivered a slick well-crafted set that took this packed-out crowd on a real journey with classic tracks that really got the juices flowing and we were treated to a couple of new tunes that were just on fire.
The boys are enjoying a resurgence in their music as we are set for some more new singles in the coming months and I can tell you that we are in for a surprise as they get super tight and bring us slick, clean lines with a thundering rhythm section that will shake us to our very core.
I wandered downstairs to the main hall to catch the legendary Pat McManus as he took to the stage and brought the stage to life with the epic Blacklisted that just ripped the roof off of the Town Hall let me tell you. Pat sounded fantastic and had lost none of his swagger as he strolled around the stage swaying and rocking to the killer licks that were laid before us.
The standout track for me was a nod to Gary Moore with his take on Parisienne Walkways that just took us on a trip down memory lane as he shredded his way through this classic track that had the crowd salivating and watching in awe as he did the great guitar shredder proudly, we got a mixture of his finest work with some classic tunes thrown in for good measure. I had the pleasure of chatting with Pat after his set and we chatted about his passion, career and future thoughts the video will be up soon on jacemediamusic.com for all to watch..
The day was shaping up to be a real doozie as the acts were pouring through the doors and just getting ready to entertain us with their particular brand of rock and roll that we were ready for. Up next on the session stage were friends of Jacemediamusic the fabulous Bad Actress who swept onto the stage and just blew us all away with their energy and zest for life that just poured from the stage. The boys had us singing and throwing our horns in the air as they delivered a 10-song set that was littered with their favourites and a couple of new tracks, the boys gave me grief because I had not listened to their new track, well last night I put that to bed and was blown away by the quality of their musicianship and real songwriting prowess.
I missed a couple of acts due to interview commitments and took some time out to recharge my batteries and grab some food and liquid to ready myself for the run-in that was bringing us the epic blues-rocking prowess of Matt Pearce & The Mutiny as they strolled onto the sessions stage to take us on a journey of blues-soaked tracks that brought in a colossal saxophone intro that was wrapped in soulful powering backing vocals that let Matt do his thing and really deliver an epic set of killer tracks from his impressive back catalogue as he ripped into tracks from his fantastic album through to classic cuts from his impressive career, the place was full to the brim with punters needing their blues fix that was delivered to them in truckloads.
Matt is a real force to be reckoned with as he let his fingers do the talking with slick, clean, crisp licks that were wrapped in his gravelly blues-infused vocals that just transport you to another place and let us lose ourselves in the silky blues that he delivers so well,
The place was buzzing and readying us for the arrival of the guitar legend that is Michael Schenker as he brought his MichaelSchenkerFest to Winterstorm Troon.
The place erupted as Michael wandered onstage to rapturous applause as he launched into 1 & a half hours of classic hits that were a journey through the years with hits like Opener Inton The Arena through the Gears with Doctor Doctor that were perfectly executed by my buddy Robin McAuley with the silky smooth vocals that were a perfect fit for tonight’s show.
The place was ready and willing to rock with the guitar maestro Michael Schenker as he swayed from side to side and dazzled us with his glittering fingerwork that was perfectly in time with messers Mann, Courbois, Schopf & McAuley, the place was alight with beaming smiles singing voices that mimed every word of every song that just took the night into another state as we watched in awe of this fantastic outfit as they drove the Schenker juggernaut with many many classics that just let us take a trip down memory lane as the place was in perfect timing with this electrifying outfit.
The setlist was strong and had many classics bringing us tracks like Lights Out, Red Sky, Shoot Shoot right through to Armed & Ready and the colossal Sleeping Dogs Lie.
We were hurtling towards the business end of the set and were treated to the foot-stomping Rock Bottom which led us into Too Hot To Handle and has a mid-section of Rock Me that let this swelling sold-out crowd leave with huge smiles on their faces and memories in their hearts of an unforgettable first day of this classic Winterstorm Festival that trust me always delivers.
The Sessions Stage is sponsored by Glasgow’s own ShockCityProductions which brought us the very best in new music that was littered with the best talent that the UK has to offer and some of the best talent in Scotland that will have people talking for a long time to come.
The Players –
Gin Annie
Romeo’s Daughter
Glasgow
Pat McManus
Bad Actress
Chez Cane
Sin Dogs
The New Roses
Matt Pearce & The Mutiny
Michael Schenker Group
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