Global Battle of the Bands Competition Gives SA Bands a Chance to Take the Stage in Rome

Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg has called on emerging local talent to rock out for the opportunity to take the stage in the heart of the Roman Empire with Hard Rock Rising, the world’s largest and most far-reaching battle of the bands competition!

Starting on Wednesday, 5th March 2014, Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg began a series of live battle events where South Africa’s undiscovered talents will vie for the top spot to represent the city in Hard Rock Rising’s global battle of the bands competition. The lucky Grand Prize winner will receive the chance of a lifetime – an all-expenses paid trip to Rome, Italy to perform at the first Hard Rock Live Rome music festival this summer!

The votes are in and Facebook fans from around the world have narrowed down more than 10,000 bands to its top competitors with only a select few moving on to the next round of live performances. Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg has hosted the 1st performance round where local bands MXO and the Peppercorns, Yesterday Never Dies and Beloved have competed against each other, seeing MXO and the Peppercorns come out tops. The 2nd round saw Soniq, Propane Parachute and Evolver One compete where Soniq took the win. On the 19th March Andy Fisher, Because of Betrayal and Rob May will battle it out in the 3rd performance phase.

The bands are judged by a panel of four local industry experts who include Diane Coetzer, Music Editor for Rolling Stone magazine, Melissa Conradie, booking agent from Breakout Agency, Julian von Plato from Balcony TV and Alex Caige, popular radio DJ on Highveld’s afternoon drive.

One winner will be chosen from each round to compete in the final local battle on Wednesday, 26 March, 2014, where judges will select one band to represent Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg as they move on to compete against other winners from Hard Rock Cafe locations around the world.

Once the local winning band is chosen, they will join other city winners in the global competition where fans will vote on participating Hard Rock Facebook pages to narrow down the 80+ local winners to the top twenty-five bands. Once determined, an esteemed panel of celebrities and music industry professionals such as Steven Van Zandt, Bonnie McKee and more, will select the Grand Prize winner and two runner-up bands. The Grand Prize winner will perform at Hard Rock Live Rome, an outdoor music festival that will embrace more than 50,000 fans from across Italy, and the selected runner-up bands will each receive new music equipment and gear valued at $10,000.

For full rules and a list of participating locations, visit www.hardrock.com or www.facebook.com/hardrock

What: Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg Hosts Hard Rock Rising

Wed 19th March
19:30 Andy Fisher
20:15 Rob May
21:00 Because of Betrayal

Wed 26th March
FINAL LIVE PERFORMANCE ROUND

The winner from each round battles it out in the finals
Starts 19:00
Ends 22:00

Where: Hard Rock Cafe Johannesburg
Nelson Mandela Square
8 Maude Street, Sandton
+27 11 784 3144

Visit www.hardrock.com/cafes/johannesburg/