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Two flights to Ireland for Irish Music fans

50 bands have taken their battle to YouTube in an online music competition to claim the title of Best Irish Band 2010.

Flights and accommodation to Ireland are on offer complete with a performance on 18th July at the high profile Celtic Fusion Music Festival in County Down.  This prize has brought entries from all across North America, Ireland and the UK to battle it out online.

Organisers have been overwhelmed with entries for this online battle of the bands competition which is free to enter, free to vote and free to watch.  With no travel necessary unless you’re the winner of the competition; it’s green in every sense of the word. 

Voting begins on Monday 15th March 2010 on www.slbc.ie with all voting email addresses going into a prize draw for the two tickets to fly to Ireland and watch the band perform.  Each video entry can be viewed on www.youtube.com/irishbotb2.

“The diversity of the video entries has been incredible” said Grace Mercer, Competition Organiser, “bands from right across North America, Ireland and the UK have entered the competition.  Everyone has their favourite act and we are very pleased to announce that it is finally time to place your vote.  Voting lines are open for one week only from Monday 15th March until 22nd March 2010, with the top five finalists being announced on 23rd March 2010.”

Many favourites from the last competition have entered Battle of the Bands Two.  The Galway Hooker Band from California who came within one hundred votes of claiming the title last year are among those entered for another chance at claiming the Best Irish Band title for 2010.  Paul Wilson from The Galway Hooker Band commented. “We want to extend our thanks to Strangford Lough Brewing Company for putting on this great event again and we look forward to the coming competition.  We thoroughly enjoyed the first event and, they have done a great thing for independent artists Worldwide.  We hold them in the highest regards.”

Strangford Lough Brewing Company and Celtic Fusion are supporting this online Irish Battle of the Bands competition to raise awareness of Irish music and the great annual Celtic Fusion music festival where some of the biggest names in Irish music gather to entertain crowds of thousands of listeners.  Nicholas McCrickard, Network Manager from the East Down Rural Community Network commented “We have confirmed a number of high profile celtic bands.  Among them Eddi Reader, formerly of ‘Fairground attraction’ and ‘Aislann’ will be performing.  We look forward to offering the best of celtic music from Ireland, Scotland and New Foundland, and we will soon be welcoming the winner of Battle of the Bands Two, combining American Talent as well.”
For further information including rules of the competition, please visit www.slbc.ie or email us at gracem@slbc.ie

The competition is also planned to raise awareness of the SLBC beers in North America, St Patrick’s Best and Legbiter, their two most famous Ale’s were launched in February of this year and are already available in 20 states.

“We are excited by how well our beer has been received in the American market” said Tony Davies, Managing Director of SLBC, he continued “Second orders have already been placed ahead of schedule which we are obviously delighted about.  Having a beer called St Patrick approaching March 17th is good for business, especially when it tastes as good as ours!”

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