Winter’s End 2019: Full line-up preview

With just two weeks to go until Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset opens its doors to some of finest established and up-and-coming rock bands in Britain, Planet Rock takes a look at all 25 acts performing. Check them out in all their glory below!

Don’t forget, the last remaining weekend tickets (with and without accommodation) and day tickets to Winter’s End are on sale right now. Click here to buy yours.

FRIDAY 8TH MARCH

Massive Wagons (headliner)

Having stormed the inaugural Winter’s End in 2017, Lancaster’s prodigal sons make the rightful leap to headliners on the back of a rip-roaring past year which has seen them smash into the UK album chart Top 20 with ‘Full Nelson’, perform at Download Festival, unleash a series of killer singles and announce some of their biggest headline shows ever. Always a potent live force, Massive Wagons’ headline set will be very special indeed.

Brian Downey’s Alive And Dangerous (special guests)

Brian Downey’s Alive And Dangerous – centring on the founding Thin Lizzy member and drummer, Brian Downey – will perform songs from Thin Lizzy’s seminal 1978 live album ‘Live and Dangerous’ at Winter’s End 2019 as part of its extended 40th anniversary celebrations. With songs like ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Emerald’ and ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ vying for inclusion in the setlist, it’s guaranteed to be a belter. 

Myke Gray

The founder, axeman and songwriter of Skin, Jagged Edge and Red White & Blues unleashed his debut solo album, ‘Shades of Gray’, to the world in 2017 and last summer was one of the standout performers at Steelhouse Festival. As if Myke on his own wasn’t enough to tempt you, he will also be joined by his protégé Kim Jennett for a special guest performance during the Winter’s End set.

Federal Charm

The hard rocking Stockport quintet won over legions of fans when they toured the length and breadth of the country last autumn on their ‘Planet Rock presents’ co-headline tour with Wolf Jaw (formerly The Bad Flowers). Excellent new album ‘Passenger’ was released to the world last year and during their distinguished career Federal Charm have shared the stage with bands including UFO, Y&T and Alive & Dangerous.

Screaming Eagles

Bestowed with the honour of opening Winter’s End 2019 are Belfast rock n’ roll purists Screaming Eagles. Dynamic performers in the live arena, Screaming Eagles will be taking a break from writing their new material to grace Winter’s End. It’s the start of an exciting year for Screaming Eagles that will see them play Ormeau Park in Belfast in June supporting Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. Nice!

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SATURDAY 9TH MARCH

The Wildhearts (Headliner)

A band that truly needs very little introduction, Ginger Wildheart, CJ Wildheart, Ritchie Battersby and Danny McCormack will headline Winter’s End less than two months before the release of their first studio album in a decade, ‘Renaissance Men’, in May. Certain to be a set of grit and fire and packed with towering anthems from their extensive 30-year back catalogue, really The Wildhearts’ headline set can’t come soon enough.

Kingdom of Madness: Classic Magnum

Featuring members of Magnum’s classic-era line-ups, Saturday’s special guests Kingdom of Madness: Classic Magnum will play material solely from the celebrated 1978-94 era of Magnum. Mark Stanway, keyboard player with Magnum for 36 years, says: “There is an extensive catalogue of great songs from the classic years of Magnum which have not been performed on stage in many years and which audiences have been screaming out for. I can honestly say I am looking forward to playing every single song we have in the show.”

Bad Touch

A band who have a very close affiliation with Planet Rock thanks to their appearances on the Planet Rock Roadstars and Planet Rock Live tour in 2017 – not to mention a superb set at Rockstock that same year – Norfolk’s Bad Touch will be making their Winter’s End debut this March. With their critically-lauded 2018 album ‘Shake A Leg’ now also in their musical arsenal, the ever-flamboyant rockers’ set will be as essential as a heartbeat at Winter’s End.

Blackwater Conspiracy

The County Tyrone quintet’s musical palate ranges from anthemic classic rock through to ‘late night dark corner whiskey blues’ so expect a diverse and accomplished set. Certain to be on fine form, their appearance at Winter’s End follows a clutch of their own headline shows and precedes their prestigious support slot on Joanne Shaw Taylor’s Reckless Heart Tour in late March.

Xander And the Peace Pirates

The Liverpudlian blues-tinged rock and soul-ers are charged with opening Saturday evening’s proceedings at Winter’s End and, as anyone who has borne witness to their live shows will attest, they will kick-start the party in style. The band’s debut album, November 2016’s ‘11:11’, was met with widespread plaudits upon its release and last year they covered the Prince classic ‘Purple Rain’ for CALM.

Ryders Creed

Headlining the daytime bill on the Saturday are Staffordshire's Ryders Creed. The five-piece released their self-titled debut album via Off Yer Rocka Recordings last June, which embraced both the heavier and lighter side of the rock genre, and boasted the anthemic single ‘Headspace’. Alongside Winter’s End, Ryders Creed have already lined up slots at Steelhouse Festival and Ramblin’ Man Fair this summer. Nice.

Beau Bowen 

Formerly known as Kaleb McKane, in February the London based rock singer-songwriter announced a change of moniker, writing: “In line with the release of a stunning debut album this year, a brand new project is on its way. For this project to fully reflect the ideology of the new music and the artist/composer there will also be a change of name. You’ll see it in the coming weeks so please look out for it. The name is Beau Bowen.” Intriguing stuff!

Temples on Mars

London quartet Temples on Mars will inject some progressive rock into proceedings on the Saturday afternoon at Winter’s End. Formerly known as Agent, the newly renamed Temples On Mars released their self-titled album to the world last April via Primordial Records, which, according to the band, nods towards Queens of the Stone Age, Bring Me The Horizon, Tool and Tears For Fears.

Dead Man’s Whiskey

Since playing their inaugural gig in Camden in April 2016, Dead Man’s Whiskey have wasted absolutely no time in bringing their infectious hard rock sounds to the masses. Thanks to their dexterous musicianship, penchant for epic riffs and the impossibly effortless rock vocals of singer Nico, they’ve rapidly built a reputation as a scintillating live act. Winter’s End follows two support slots on Stone Broken’s Home Tour in London and Oxford.

Safire

Hailing from Newtownabbey in Co Antrim and fronted by the titular Saffron Gorman, Safire call themselves a ‘female fronted high energy classic rock band influenced by the 80s with a modern twist’. A perfect band to blow away the cobwebs on Saturday morning at Winter’s End, then. 

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SUNDAY 10TH MARCH

Reef (headliner)

Household names in the 1990s thanks to ubiquitous anthems like ‘Place Your Hands’ and ‘Come Back Brighter’, after their split in the early noughties Reef released their first album in 18 years last May – the superb ‘Revelation’. Supporting the record, Reef played the Britrock Must Be Destroyed Tour last spring alongside The Wildhearts and Terrorvision, and last year Gary Stringer lent his dulcet tones to the Planet Rock playlisted Skindred track ‘Machine’. Always a brilliant live act, Reef are a more than worthy band to bring Winter’s End 2019 to a close.

Kris Barras Band

Testament to his fast-rising popularity, cage fighter turned blues rock behemoth, Kris Barras, and his band will play the penultimate set of the entire weekend at Winter’s End 2019. Such was his popularity at Planet Rockstock in December that door staff were forced to operate a one-in, one-out policy – so expect a rammed-to-the-rafters room and searing anthems aplenty! Who knows, they may even throw in their cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock N’ Roll’ into the setlist too?!

Eden’s Curse

Multinational melodic metallers Eden’s Curse celebrated their 13-year career so far by releasing their compilation album ‘Testament - The Best of Eden’s Curse’ back in November and hitting the road with Michael Schenker Fest. Expect epic anthems aplenty when they take to the stage at Winter’s End.

Henry’s Funeral Shoe

Hailing from sunny Ystrad Mynach in South Wales, the brilliantly monikered duo are siblings Aled (vocals, guitars) and Brennig Clifford (drums, percussion). Knocking around for more than a decade now, their captivating music encompasses everything from heavy rock and psychedelic blues. Still relentlessly gigging, this year will see them play a series of festivals, including, of course, Winter’s End.

Amy Montgomery

Another artist representing Northern Ireland at Winter’s End, Amy Montgomery is an incredibly talented and beguiling performer who lists Janis Joplin, Grace Slick and Alanis Morissette as amongst her biggest influences. Having recently released her new single ‘Constitution’, Amy’s appearance at Winter’s End is part of a European trek that also takes in dates in Ireland, Germany, France and Switzerland.

Departed

Topping the daytime bill on the Saturday are the brilliant Departed. Their slot at Winter’s End follows a remarkable 2018 for the band which saw them rock Steelhouse Festival and Download Festival, and support Skindred, Tremonti and The New Roses. One of the zeniths at Planet Rockstock in December 2017, Departed are truly not to be missed.

Fahran

Since their inception seven years ago, Nottingham hard rockers Fahran have already released three studio albums (2012’s ‘Fahran’, 2014’s ‘Chasing Hours’ and last year’s ‘Vapours’) to acclaim, stormed festivals including Bloodstock, Download Festival and Hard Rock Hell, and opened for prestigious bands like UFO and The Answer.

Dante Fox

The Shropshire based AOR / melodic rock band’s career stretches back almost three decades. Their album of original material, ‘Breathless’, came out in 2016 and the following year they released ‘Six String Revolver’ which saw them pay homage to their most popular songs from the first two albums from the '90s. They’ve promised “some surprises” in their Winter’s End set. Intriguing stuff.

Hollowstar

The Cambridge quartet’s appearance at Winter’s End comes on the back of tours with Graham Bonnet Band and Dan Reed Network late last year, and Stone Broken this February. With their sublime self-titled debut album (trust us, it’s good) set to be unleashed in May, expect Hollowstar to be firing on all cylinders at Winter’s End 2019.

Wicked Stone

Opening the final day of Winter’s End 2019 are the lively and loud rockers Wicked Stone. Citing Guns N’ Roses, Alter Bridge and Black Stone Cherry as among their influences, Wicked Stone describe their heady sound as ‘hard-hitting riffs with blistering solos and powerful/melodic vocals.’

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