Fans Determine The Live Music Lineup at Hard Rock Stages Across The World

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- You vote – They Rock! Hard Rock Rising gives fans the power to decide who performs at Hard Rock Cafes worldwide as the battle of the bands gears up for the local, live music phase of the competition. More than 12,000 bands have entered the Hard Rock Rising competition for the chance of a lifetime, to be on the bill with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and additional headlining performers at Hard Rock Calling 2012 in London.

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The Rise of a Local Legend
Beginning on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Hard Rock Rising allows fans to choose the live performance lineup for local events at Hard Rock Cafes around the world. Fans can vote by downloading free tracks from bands of their choice at their local Hard Rock's city-specific, Facebook page.

After fans choose their favorites, participating Hard Rock Cafe locations around the world will host a series of live competitions featuring the local bands who received top votes. Bands will then be judged live by a panel of local industry experts and participating bands' representatives, with one winner being selected from each location. For full rules and a list of participating locations visit www.hardrock.com.

"At Hard Rock live music is at the core of our brand, in 2011 we put on more than 17,000 live music events across our properties," said John Galloway, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Hard Rock International. "We are privileged be able to offer the hottest up-and-coming bands a chance to showcase their talent on our local cafes stages and the shot to play at Hard Rock Calling 2012."

Rising to the Occasion – the Road to Hard Rock's Main Stage
Local winners will then compete against 86 bands from across the world, via an international fan voting round on Hard Rock Facebook pages. Finally a panel of celebrity judges and music industry professionals will select the top three winners.

The first place winner will be flown to London for the ultimate rock star treatment, including a spot on the bill at Hard Rock Calling 2012. Second and third prize winners will receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, in ReverbNation PROMOTE IT credits, a revolutionary tool that creates targeted, highly effective Facebook advertising campaigns for musicians and venues promoting songs, Facebook pages and concerts.

Greetings From Hyde Park – Hard Rock Calling 2012
Hard Rock Calling, an iconic festival now in its seventh consecutive year, has established itself as one of the UK's premier outdoor music events. The 2012 festival will take place from Friday, July, 13 to Sunday, July 15 in London's Hyde Park. Headliners for the festival will include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who will take the Main Stage for their second Hard Rock Calling performance. Hard Rock Calling 2012's performers will join a long line of rock 'n' roll greats who have previously taken the stage at this iconic festival including: Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Pearl Jam, Peter Gabriel, The Killers, The Police, Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi.  Hard Rock Calling, produced by Live Nation and presented by Hard Rock International, is a unique and historic musical event with a main stage, second stage, renowned bands, on-site Hard Rock Cafe, as well as a variety of additional attractions. For further information on the 2012 artist lineup and ticket details, visit www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.      

Visit www.hardrock.com for details on event dates and times, and head to a Hard Rock Cafe location in your city to watch your favorite local bands battle for the opportunity of a lifetime!

About ReverbNation
ReverbNation provides over 1.8 million artists, managers, labels, venues, festivals/events and other music industry professionals with powerful, easy-to-use technology to promote and prosper online. Their array of distribution and promotional solutions provide the hands-on tools and actionable insights that allow them to reach their goals in an increasingly complex music industry. The company operates worldwide with customers on every continent. Over 30 million visitors come to reverbnation.com every month. For more information, visit ReverbNation.com and follow ReverbNation on Twitter: www.twitter.com/reverbnation.  

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 174 venues in 53 countries, including 137 cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore and Punta Cana.  Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced including Panama Megapolis, scheduled to open in 2012; Cancun and Vallarta scheduled to open in 2012; and Riviera Maya, Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013.  Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com.  For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

SOURCE Hard Rock International