WINTERSTORM TO LAUNCH CHARITY SINGLE

The WinterStorm Rock Festival is to release a charity single on November 30.

This will be a version of the AC/DC classic ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)’, with the Montrose song ‘Bad Mogor Scooter’ on the B side. This is to be available for download at the end of the month, with the proceeds going to two mental health charities.

Says Ian McCaig from Winterstorm:

“Since we first launched WinterStorm we have tried to ensure that there was a strong charitable and community theme running right through the spine of the event. The RNLI have been doing the cloakroom since it started and that will raise a four-figure sum for them this year; we have our second WinterStorm Beach Clean on the Saturday of the event in association with the Friends of Troon Beach with music fans shaking their hangovers on the front. We work closely with the Ayr and Kilmarnock college campuses and this year will have student working both back stage and running the catering operation.

“So it seemed a logical progression to expand the charity side of Winter Storm and in conjunction with Chris Glen (Sensational Alex Harvey Band), Doogie White (Rainbow and Michael Schenker Group) and Paul McManus (Gun) we selected the two tracks and invited other artistes to add their guitars and vocals. It was logical that we got the Troon BBs Pipe Band in their too!”

“The result is a superb two track digital single that will be available to purchase online with all proceeds being split between the dementia-based charity Playlist For Life and Scottish Action for Mental Health with particular focus on the See Me project aimed at reducing the stigma of mental health in youths.

“WinterStorm is a music event that crosses the generations both on the stage and in the audience. We have bands with artistes into their seventies playing alongside young groups still barely out heir teens. The crowd is made up of folk who grew up in the Apollo in Glasgow or The Pavilion in Ayr in the seventies and eighties but also attracts a strong younger audience too.

It made sense therefore to split the proceeds between the dementia charity Playlist for Life which assists care workers in using music to stimulate memories and brain activity and SAMH who are working in communities across Scotland in assisting youths with mental health issues.”