Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 9 Declared Premier Opportunity by Participating Bands

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (August 9, 2005) ? As the ninth annual Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands prepares to wrap up its national tour on August 15, there?s no need to question whether this year?s event has been as successful as the past eight. Ticket Sales for the Warped Tour are up an estimated 8 % while crowds for the Ernie Ball stage have grown tremendously.

Now it seems that everyone from producers and managers to aspiring musicians and eager fans anticipate the Battle of The Bands year in, year out. For Warped Tour attendees, the Battle offers a sneak preview of the next big thing, while top music industry executives see the Battle as a type of quazi-recruitment camp for new talent, and participating bands know that the Ernie Ball Stage is the ultimate music platform on which to be seen. With the Battle now more than two-thirds of the way through its summer tour, Ernie Ball wanted to know how battling bands felt coming off of the well-reputed Ernie Ball stage. Here?s what some of them had to say:



?Performing in the Battle was amazing. It was one of the most exciting
and exhilarating moments we have had yet in our band. We would do it
again in a heartbeat!?



-Oliver ? A Day In Attica (Kansas City)





?Personally, I?d jump at the chance to play another Ernie Ball event at
Warped Tour, or any tour for that matter! Ernie Ball knows that the
Warped Tour is a great opportunity for independent bands to not only get
their name out there but to also network with other bands on both the
local and national level, and that?s exactly why their Battle events are
so important for unsigned artists. Ask anyone in a band, no matter what
instrument they play or what kind of music they?re into--chances are
they?ve heard of Ernie Ball and know about the kind of things they?re
doing to help up-and-coming bands make a name for themselves.?



-Nick Herdzik, Bass ? Before I Go (Detroit)





?I can honestly say that playing in the Battle was everything I thought
it was going to be. For one day we were almost on par with some of our
favorite bands! The ride is not over for us, and we will always remember
the unbelievable opportunity that the Ernie Ball Company gave us.?



-Aaron Hewitt, Vocals/Bass ? Antagen (Long Beach)





?Playing the Ernie Ball stage was incredible. In past years, I always
thought, ?Who would come see our band over the other bands scheduled to
play Warped Tour?? But, we finally decided to do it and see how the
turnout was. It was overwhelming. Everyone was singing along, and there had to be
close to 500 people watching us. As for the stage itself, we couldn't
have asked for anything better. The guys running the stage were awesome,
the sound was great, and we'd love to do it again!?



-Steve Neske, Vocals/Guitar ? Rushmore Academy (St. Louis)





?We would absolutely love to perform again?it was fabulous! We were
trying to find someone to bribe to get us on the rest of the tour! We
were so sad to go home after playing that evening knowing we weren?t
following the circus to Long Beach the next day. It just felt like we
were in the right place.?



-Jared Hren, Drums/Vocals? Off Track (San Diego)





?The Ernie Ball Stage was so fantastic! It was an amazing experience?all
the guys on the crew were great, front of house was great, and we had
one of the best monitor mixes EVER! Those guys really knew what they
were doing and treated us, unsigned local artists, like absolute
professionals. It was awesome.?



-Justin Andrews, Vocals/Sax ? The PirQlaters (Boise)





?It was a blast playing the Ernie Ball stage this year?the kids were
just so responsive and energetic in the crowd. Even after having our
$45,000 truck and trailer with all of our merchandise, money and
equipment stolen from the hotel parking lot, it was still a great
experience. We would do it for 40 more years if we kept getting invited
back!?



-Jonathan Cook, Vocals - The Flipside (Dallas)





?Performing on the Ernie Ball Stage was quite an experience. The sound
system was excellent and we were really able to capture some new fans.
We had friends tell us it was the best show they had ever seen us play.?



-Reid Guidry, Guitar/Vocals ? Bennington (Houston)





?The Ernie Ball stage was amazing! To see bands that you have admired
for years walk by and watch your set-- words can?t describe it. Ernie
Ball gives you a great stage, great equipment, and great sound guys. We
made so many fans from that show!?



-Gary Price, Vocals/Guitar ? Blank Logic (Fresno)





?Performing on the Ernie Ball Stage was the experience of a lifetime.
The stage crew and sound engineers did a great job. We were in a great
spot for maximum exposure, and everything ran smooth. To those who
haven?t performed yet:



Get ready for a great experience! Ernie Ball has set the stage. Take it
with all you have!?



-Ernest Isaac, Vocals ? The Naos Project (San Antonio)





"It was so hot that we all were wiped out, laying on the ground, with
huge smiles on our faces. We just rocked the Ernie Ball stage on the
Warped Tour! Sign me up for more!"



-Jeph Preece, Bass ? Side Dish (Salt Lake City)





?Performing on the Ernie Ball Stage was an amazing experience. The
experience actually far exceeded my expectations. I did not realize how
large or well placed the stage would be. It was fantastic.?



-Kate Forrest, Vocals ? The Two-Bit Terribles (Indianapolis)





?Getting up there was amazing! We were completely shocked by the amount
of kids that came out to see us and how friendly everyone was as a whole.
I know the whole band would kill to play every day of the tour if we
could. It was a huge thrill for us, and something we won't soon forget!?



-Scott Sanderson, Vocals ? Sydney (Toronto)





?Playing the Dallas date of the tour was the most exhilarating feeling
we?ve ever felt as a band. We felt blessed by the opportunity to play in
front of hundreds to thousands of kids! The crowd was going crazy--and
it was our music that put them in such a hype. It was amazing!?



-Junior Hernandez, Vocals ? Drive by Romance (Dallas)





?Playing on the Ernie Ball stage was definitely everything we thought it
was going to be. I remember pulling up to the Peoria Sports Complex
and not having to wait in line. It was kind of like a ?wow this is
really happening? moment. Amazing.?



-Evan Knisely, Drums ? Haffo (Phoenix)





The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 9 tour kicked off on June 18 in Columbus, Ohio and is wrapping up on August 15 in Northampton, Massachusetts. The Online Voting Battle, which awards $25,000 in rock n? roll prizes to each of the top four bands with the most votes, also began on June 18 and will continue to run until August 27. Visit the official Battle of the Bands 9 website at www.battleofthebands.com to cast your vote before it?s too late!

Since its debut nine years ago, the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands has given the best local bands from North America the opportunity to showcase their talents in the world?s longest running and largest live music promotion in the music industry.

The Vans Warped Tour heads into its 11th year with a lineup of more than 85 bands on six stages that includes The Offspring, Fall Out Boy and veteran punk rocker Billy Idol (on select dates.).

Ernie Ball is a leading innovator of guitar strings. The company was the first to offer rock strings with the introduction 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 other accessories. Strings and accessories are available in more than 5,500 music stores throughout the U.S. and in 75 countries. For more information, contact the Ernie Ball Company at (805) 544-7726, or visit their website at .

These products are Ernie Ball trademarks registered in the USA and many foreign countries:

ERNIE BALL®     CUSTOM GAUGE®     SLINKY®     EARTHWOOD®
MUSICMAN®
STINGRAY®     SILHOUETTE®     AXIS®
STERLING®     4+2®     3+1®

Trademark ownership is indicated by the symbol ®, however, for the sake of brevity it is omitted during the story.

Contact:
Brian Ball
Ernie Ball, Inc.
(800) 543-2255

Media Contact:
Keith Negrin
MORSEKODE
(952) 853-9555