Ernie Ball Announces First-Ever Winter Battle Of The Bands Competition

Dec 23, 2006

In light of their successful Battle of the Bands competitions both nationally and globally, the Ernie Ball Company introduces yet another Battle Event: Ernie Ball's Winter Battle of the Bands, scheduled to piggyback the North American portion of the 2007 Rockstar Taste of Chaos Concert tour this winter.

A variation on past Battles, the Winter Battle of the Bands is the first Ernie Ball endorsed Battle ever to put fans in the driver's seat right from the start, allowing them to nominate their favorite registered bands for a shot at winning a spot on the energizing Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour kicking off this February.

Judges will then choose one of the 20 most-nominated bands from each region to perform live on the main stage on their hometown leg of the 2007 tour. Band signups and fan voting began on December 5 and will remain open until January 30 with regional winners announced February 9.

Also new to the Winter Battle - registered bands will have the opportunity to sell their music through the official Battle website - at the price of their choice - and keep an amazing 70% of the sale price for each song sale.

"This is a great way for bands to earn a little extra cash for their efforts, and to learn more about the new music market," said Brian Ball of the Ernie Ball Company. "Plus, expanding the Battle website into an e-commerce site brings more visibility to both bands and sponsors."

Just as with past Battles, those bands chosen to play onstage are also eligible to win awesome prizes - including a $10,000 shopping spree from Guitar Center, valuable studio time with producer Steve Evetts (Saves the Day and Senses Fail) at the Hurley Recording Studio, and four dates on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour. The top four bands to bring in the most online votes will also win thousands of dollars in loot from Battle sponsors, including instruments, strings and apparel.

"We are really excited about this season's new battle, and there are more reasons than ever to enter," said Ball. "If nothing else, it's a fun excuse to really push yourself, to make some new friends, and - the bottom line - it's a great way to get your music heard."

For more information, visit their web site at www.ernieball.com.