– Press Release

Over 10,000 bands entered this year’s Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Competition, where approximately 200 unsigned bands will be given the opportunity to perform live on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour. Four unsigned bands were selected to play at each of the 47 venues hit by the summer’s largest mega tour.

“The contest has evolved so much in the last couple years as the musicianship and songwriting ability has dramatically improved. Unsigned music is much more accessible nowadays due to websites like The Battle of the Bands and Pure Volume,” said Brian Ball of Ernie Ball Inc.

The winning bands will play live at this summer’s Warped Tour on the Ernie Ball Local Heroes Stage. Giving musicians the incredible opportunity to sound off to huge crowds, the stage has featured more then 5,000 unsigned bands, including then up-and-comers Bowling For Soup, Sugarcult, Story of the Year, New Found Glory, Avenged Sevenfold, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake, and more. This year, winners will play alongside headlining bands such as Circa Survive, Big D & The Kids Table, My American Heart, The Receiving End of Sirens, A Wilhelm Scream and more. (For a complete list of winning bands and the cities they will play at, go to http://www.battleofthebands.com ”)

The Vans Warped Tour starts on June 18 in Columbus, Ohio and will make 47 stops across the U.S. this summer, ending August 15 in Northhampton, MA. Bands entered the competition by uploading two songs, a bio, a picture, and a band website. All band profiles can be heard online at http://www.battleofthebands.com . In addition to battling for a spot on the tour, bands have two more chances to win:

All registered bands can win 5,000 dollars in rock-n-roll music gear from Battle sponsors in the online voting competition. Fans can vote for their favorite groups at battleofthebands.com from June 18 – August 27. The top four bands will win prizes from Battle sponsors including Auralex, Boss, Coffin Case, DW, Electro-Voice, Ernie Ball/Music Man, Hartke, Kustom, Mesa/Boogie, OLP, Remo, Taylor Guitars, T.C. Electronic, Zildjian, The Music Edge, Guitar World and Guitar One.

Bands who make it to the Ernie Ball Mobile Stage also compete for the chance to be one of four showcase bands chosen to play before industry and record label executives at a major Hollywood venue in the fall ‘05. During their live performance, participants will be judged by a group of Ernie Ball staff and sponsors, along with Nathan Maxwell of Flogging Molly, Phil Sneed of Story of the Year, and John Feldman of Goldfinger. The sold out Hollywood showcase of 2004 saw the band My American Heart win a spot on the entire Taste of Chaos tour and the full upcoming leg of the 2005 Vans Warped Tour ‘05.

Since its debut nine years ago, the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands has given the best local bands from North America the opportunity to showcase their talents in the world’s longest running and largest live music promotion in the music industry.

The Vans Warped Tour heads into its 11th year with a lineup of more than 85 bands on six stages that includes The Offspring, Fall Out Boy and veteran punk rocker Billy Idol (on select dates.).