Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The World's Biggest Battle of the Bands Hits Britain

After huge success in the U.S. pitting real musicians playing original tunes against one another, Bodog Battle is heading to Europe to search for road warriors worthy of the staggering $1 million global music contract with Bodog Music. With a lineup of brilliant unsigned bands and some of the biggest names in music hosting, judging and guest presenting along the way, this European road trip is set to be one almighty adventure!

Hot on the heels of the U.S. Battle, the 2008 European tour is set to be even bigger, with over 2,000 bands already signed up. With the cut-off date for sign-ups less than one month away, the competition is going to get fierce.

Bodog Battle's European leg will see the best online entrants belt it out across 12 cities - London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin and Munich, leading up to the March 2008 climax at The Astoria in London's West End.

How do bands get involved?

Bands can register by uploading their music, video, biography and photos online now at www.NewBodogBattle.com. They then need to encourage their friends, family and fans to vote online in order to get them through to the first round of live auditions.

The first round of auditions will take place on September 30, 2007 at intimate venues beginning in London. The 12 cities will feature the top-24 bands in each city.

UK Auditions
London: Barfly – Sept. 30 & Oct. 1 (registration ends Sept. 19)
Birmingham: Birmingham Academy – Oct. 2-4 (registration ends Sept. 18)
Dublin: Crawdaddy – Oct. 6, 7 (registration ends Sept. 22)
Glasgow: Barfly – Oct. 9-11 (registration ends Oct. 25)
Manchester: Manchester Academy - Oct. 12, 14, 15 (registration ends Sept. 28)

It's up to the bands to tease, tempt and delight the judges and fans at the auditions into voting them through to the next stage, which is a live show in each region, showcasing the 12 best bands from each.

Once the best band from each city has been chosen, they will move on to battle it out for the $1 million recording contract in the European final at London's The Astoria in March 2008.

Tickets to attend the first round of auditions, priced at £10, can be purchased online at www.NewBodogBattle.com.

Following the success of the U.S. TV show on fuse TV, Bodog Battle will team up with U.K. broadcasters so friends, family and fans alike can follow every exciting move. From the audition trail, right through to the final, viewers can follow the bands on their journey to win a $1 million recording contract.

Bodog Music recently hit the U.K. music scene hard, kicking-off European expansion with a monumental night at London's Hammersmith Apollo, featuring an epic show from the Wu Tang Clan, the newest addition to the Bodog Music label.

"Did you see the Wu-Tang show we put on in London?" says Bodog Music Founder Calvin Ayre. "That's just a taste of Bodog Music. The U.K. and Europe have given the world some of its best acts - David Bowie, U2, Massive Attack, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones - and it's my mission to find the best unsigned band in the land and give them a $1 million recording contract with Bodog Music."

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO BODOG BATTLE

1. SIGN UP YOUR BAND

Entrants must be at least 16, unsigned, and living in the European Union or the U.K. Bands can have three to 12 members and can sign up now at www.NewBodogBattle.com!

2. BUILD YOUR PROFILE

Bands need to upload their bio, photographs, mp3s, contact details, website URL and lyrics. The Bodog team will then add them to the Bodog Battle site.

3. EARN YOUR STRIPES

Having submitted all the necessary information, bands need to get the word out to their fans and get them to sign up and vote! Voting closes October 27, 2007. Band sign ups close two weeks prior to the first audition show in each city.

4. AUDITION TIME

Outstanding bands and those with the most votes move on to audition in front of a panel of music directors and industry experts LIVE! The top-24 bands from each city will be invited to audition. Bands are encouraged to get their fans together to attend the audition as the public will play a vital role in voting them through to the next round.

5. IMPRESS THE JUDGES

Following the first round of auditions, the top-12 bands move on to battle on stage in front of a panel of judges. This is their time to shine and show the judges their worth. The stage is the battleground and bands have to fight for their right to battle on. Selling tickets in the "Impress the Judges" round is key. It's more than just outplaying 11 other bands - they have to out-promote them too. This is about bands showing the judges that they have what it takes to fill a venue and win new fans. Four winners will be selected at the show by a combination of music directors' scores and fan ballots. The 5th and 6th place "Wild Card" bands will be chosen based on the greatest number of online votes achieved in the week following their performance, which means increasing the online presence is a key element!

6. CITY FINALS

Only one band from each show will make it out of the City Finals round, keeping the dream alive to battle it out in regional finals. One "Wild Card" band will advance from each show based on the greatest number of online votes achieved in the week following their performance.

7. REGIONAL FINALS

Only one or two bands from each show will make it out of the regional finals, surviving to do battle another day. One or two "Wild Card" winners will be chosen via online fan voting for one week after the show. To raise the stakes at this point, Bodog will be filming it with a TV production crew to make a reality TV series.

8. BODOG BATTLE

Bodog Battle shows will be broadcast on network television and wrap up with one wicked band being awarded a Bodog Music recording contract worth $1 million.

Fame Comes at a High Price - It's a Good Thing We're Paying!

Let the Battle Commence...

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