Slash and Guitar Center Launch Nationwide Search for Opening Acts to Join Legendary Guitarist on Upcoming Fall Tour

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Guitar Center – the worlds largest music retailer – and legendary guitarist Slash have teamed up to offer an incredible opportunity to twenty unsigned American bands. By submitting an original song at GCOnstage.com, bands can enter for the chance to open for Slash on his upcoming fall tour, supporting his new album, APOCALYPTIC LOVE, out May 22, featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. In the fourth installment of Guitar Center On-Stage, twenty bands hand selected as Slash's opening acts will perform at stops on the tour closest to their hometown. At the closing of the tour, one of the opening bands will be named by Slash as the grand prize winner of Guitar Center On-Stage.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120501/LA98043)

Not only will the twenty selected bands be opening for one of the worlds greatest guitarists, but they will also be receiving a tour support prize pack that includes gear from Ernie Ball, Zoom, Dunlop, Monster Cable, Pro-Mark, and Converse. The top performing band on the tour, as selected by Slash, will be named the grand prize winner and take home $10,000 in guitars from Gibson and Epiphone, a $5,000 shopping spree at Guitar Center and much more.

How to Enter: Starting today through June 30, 2012, unsigned bands across the United States are invited to submit their unique music track at www.GCOnstage.com. The twenty bands handpicked by Slash will be announced in August.

Guitar Center On-Stage: Slash Grand Prize Winner to Receive:

• $10k in guitars from Gibson and Epiphone
• A $5k shopping spree at Guitar Center
• New gear and products from Ernie Ball, Zoom, Dunlop, Monster Cable, Pro-Mark, Orange County Drums and Percussion, and Converse.

"I'm a strong believer that the best way to get your music heard is to get out there and play shows," said Slash. "There are tons of talented bands that simply don't have the resources to go on tour, so I'm stoked to be able to host them on my tour and at the same time introduce my fans to great, undiscovered artists."

The twenty chosen opening acts will each perform in one of the following markets:

• Atlanta, GA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Austin, TX
• Chicago, IL
• Cleveland, OH
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX
• Indianapolis, IN
• Kansas City, MO
• Nashville, TN
• New York, NY
• Norfolk, VA
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• San Francisco, CA
• Sayreville, NJ
• Washington, DC

Guitar Center On-Stage exemplifies Guitar Center's ongoing commitment to developing unique programming that provides musicians with the opportunity and exposure to further their success. Previous editions of Guitar Center On-Stage featured Jane's Addiction, Motley Crue and KISS, with Motley Crue's winning band, The Last Vegas, going on to win iTunes critics' 2009 "Rock Single of the Year" with their hit single "I'm Bad".

Partners include Gibson, Epiphone, Ernie Ball, Zoom, Dunlop, Monster Cable, Pro-Mark, Orange Country Drums and Percussion, TuneCore, Converse, and Whooznxt.

About SLASH:

Slash is widely considered one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. He has received countless accolades and awards including his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012. In 2007, Slash was inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk (located in front of Guitar Center in Hollywood) alongside his idols Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. An original member of iconic rock band Guns N' Roses, the Grammy-winning Slash helped the band create signature sounds like the guitar riff of #1 hit "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Welcome To The Jungle."  The band dominated the 1980's and 90's music scene selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and ushered in a decade of hard-charging rock music. After leaving the band, Slash went on to critical acclaim in his personal project Slash's Snakepit, and global success with the supergroup Velvet Revolver.  He has been widely sought after by the biggest musicians of all time, performing with everyone from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Ray Charles.  Slash recently landed on the top of the charts with his first true solo album, Slash.  In addition, Slash was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection for 2011 to receive a star on Hollywood's iconic Walk of Fame. In February 2011, he performed at the Super Bowl XLV half time show, seen by more than 106 million people, becoming the most-watched program in U.S. television history (Nielsen Co.). In November 2011, Slash released his first ever live solo album, Made In Stoke 24/7/11, a double-disc CD, with a special-edition 2CD+DVD package (featuring five bonus tracks and an exclusive interview with Slash). He will release his second solo album Apocalyptic Love -- featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators -- May 22, 2012 and tour globally.

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates more 224 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

SOURCE Guitar Center