The world's longest running and largest live music promotion of its kind, the Monster Energy/Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 7 is BACK, BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER. This year up-and-coming bands have three ways to win:
* Be one of 172 bands selected to play at the Vans Warped Tour '03 this summer on the Ernie Ball Local Heroes Mobile Stage
* Be one of five bands to win thousands of dollars in rock-n-roll music gear
* Be one of the four bands chosen to play for a room full of record label executives at the world famous Key Club in Hollywood, CA in October.

Bands anywhere in the world can enter Battle of the Bands 7. To be considered for the Vans Warped Tour, bands must enter by May 21 through uploading photos, a biography and a one-song MP3 audio file on the Battle of the Bands 7 site. Bands will be notified starting May 21 with details on when and where they are playing on the Vans Warped Tour. For each Tour stop, four bands will be selected by a panel of judges to perform on the Ernie Ball Local Heroes Mobile Stage at the venue nearest them. A total of 172 bands will be selected to play.

All bands registering by June 14 will be eligible to win thousands of dollars in great rock-n-roll music gear, as fans vote online June 15 through September 3 for their favorite band. The five bands with the most votes win prizes provided by Battle 7 sponsors including Boss, Digidesign, Drum Workshop, Ernie Ball Music Man, EV (Electro-Voice), Guitar World, Hartke, MESA/Boogie, Monster Energy, OLP, Remo, Revolver Magazine ,Tacoma Guitars and Zildjian.

A panel of judges will also choose four bands from all Battle 7 entries to play at Hollywood hot spot, the Key Club, in October 2003 in front of a room full of industry executives. Possibilities here are limitless!

The Monster Energy/Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 7 is the world's longest running and largest live music promotion of its kind. National Grammy nominated recording artist "Bowling for Soup" will be the opening act on the Ernie Ball Local Heroes Mobile Stage-they use Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and basses and Ernie Ball strings. The Vans Warped Tour '03, the most successful summer music tour and festival for youth, has kicked-off the careers of Eminem, Blink-182, 311, No Doubt, Sugar Ray, Limp Bizkit and more. Scheduled to hit 43 cities in North America this summer, it incorporates music and gravity defying sports including BMX, motocross and skateboarding.

The Ernie Ball Company was the first to offer rock strings with the creation of Slinkys, and further revolutionized the market by offering guitarists Custom-Gauge single strings. Ernie Ball also produces Music Man guitars and basses, volume pedals and accessories.

For more information on the Battle, contact Ernie Ball at (800) 543-2255, or visit www.ernieball.com.