LAS VEGAS, Nev. (MuseWire) – Strangford Lough Brewing Company (SLBC) and the Monte Carlo Casino Las Vegas Resort and Casino are launching a ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition for bands who play Irish music. The prize is an amazing chance to play at Diablo’s in the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas! The competition coincides with the launch of SLBC beers in the USA, which will be sold at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. “There are so many good Irish bands around,” said Grace Mercer, competition organizer. “In Ireland live music is part of our culture and this is also seen across many parts of the USA. Running a live competition wouldn’t give a true representation of the wealth of talent there is out there, as the cost of transporting bands across the USA and Ireland would be prohibitive.”

She add “This way we are bringing the competition to a screen near you with the entire competition run on YouTube. The competition is green in both senses of the word, an Eco friendly Irish competition! While celebrating our heritage is important, more importantly and what everyone knows is, we Irish are fun! Going to Vegas to play Irish music on St Patrick’s Day is all part of that, especially Diablo’s, where part of the venue is literally over the Strip.”

The competition is open to any band from the USA or Ireland that plays Irish music. To enter the competition all bands have to do is send SLBC a link to a video of them playing. The email address to send links to is gracem@slbc.ie .

Videos can be loaded via YouTube or transferred via Big File transfer software. Full details of the competition can be found at http://www.slbc.ie .

Entrants must submit a video of their band playing before 22nd November 2009. All entries will be uploaded from 9th November until the 23rd November when voting begins to decide who will be in the final! The voting for the finalists will commence on 7th December with the winner of this innovative online music competition being announced on 21st December. What a great Christmas present for a band!

“Going to Vegas to play will hopefully entice talent from all parts of the USA and Ireland. We’re currently in the process of contacting over 2,000 Irish themed bars and just under 1,000 bands. As the competition is easy to enter we are hoping that people who might not normally enter a music competition will ‘give it a go.’ This may be their opportunity for the wider world to appreciate their talents. Also, imagine being introduced in the future as ‘Winner of the 2009 Battle of the Bands.’ For me that would be as good as going to Vegas – well almost!” said Grace! “We are contacting about 2,200 Irish bars in the USA as well as approximately 800 bands from Ireland and USA to tell them about the competition.”

The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino was Gold Key Award winner for 2007 in Las Vegas. “We are delighted to be associated with this competition,” said Steven Drehle the General Manager for Diablo’s at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. “We are always keen to be associated with projects that showcase our town and establishment. This new and innovative competition complements the profile of Diablo’s completely. Diablo’s is known for its great range of drinks and partnering with the new Irish Beer sensation is a pleasure for us. Diablo’s is a great venue for any band to play, it literally is on the strip!”

SLBC who are launching two of their Irish Ales across North America in January 2010, St Patrick’s Best and Legbiter, are proud to promote this event and promote Irish music and celebrate Irish American heritage.

For further information including rules of the competition, please visit http://www.slbc.ie .

About SLBC:

Strangford Lough Brewing Company was established in 2004 by Tony Davies and Bob Little in Ireland. SLBC is based in Killyleagh, Co. Down. Currently selling beer in Ireland the UK and Norway, SLBC has developed of exporting its product from Ireland, not in bottles, but in a concentrated form. This makes SLBC’s Immigrant Beer one of the freshest on the market, while still containing all the goodness of Ireland.

There are SLBC Licensees throughout North America who are launching St Patrick’s Best and Legbiter in January across the United States. For more information please visit our website www.slbc.ie .

SLBC owns the registered trademark for St. Patrick’s for ale, beer, lager and stout in the United States.

About Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort and Casino:

The Monte Carlo exemplifies a solid fusion of European refinement, American dazzle and true Vegas hospitality. A 90,000-square-foot casino is augmented with a great range of dining options. Rooms are tastefully accented with brass fixtures, Italian marble and polished granite. With a resort this fresh and exciting, one can expect all varieties of invention and be satisfied.

About Diablo’s:

Diablo’s is run by the Light Management group. Sultry and spicy, the sirens of Diablo’s greet Vegas passersby’s in front of Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. This two tier hotspot is your one stop destination regardless of what time of day it is. Diablo’s welcoming party atmosphere and energizing vibe draw the eclectic audiences that peruse Las Vegas Blvd. This innovative hotspot combines one part restaurant with one part nightclub.