Rock For Experience 2009

Ross Brassil at the 2008 Rock for Experience

It's that time of year again, Samhlaiocht is planning events for its annual Easter Arts Festival, and with that in mind, dates have now being set for the annual Rock for Experience, an event that highlights the wealth of young talent in Tralee's music scene. The 2009 Rock for Experience will take place on Easter Monday, April 13th.

"The theme for this year's festival is 'Imagination'," said Michele Sheehan, organizer of Rock for Experience. "We're anticipating a fantastic buzz and an atmosphere that's even more electric than the past few years. And they were brilliant!"

Rock for Experience provides an opportunity for budding musicians to perform in front of an audience using a professional PA system which is provided free of charge by Samhlaiocht. The organizers will also supply a drum kit, but bands will need to bring their own instruments and snare drum. It's a non-alcoholic event for all ages and will take place in Benner's Hotel in The Syndicate Rooms in Tralee.

Mike Foley, a co-ordinator of the event, added, "We're filming and recording this year's Rock For Experience live, and we'll make it available to download from the web. We're very excited about this and it's wonderful to be able to take Rock for Experience to the next level. The feedback we're received from the bands, even at this early stage, is extremely positive."

"This is the second year that we're using the Syndicate Rooms," said Michele. "It's an amazing venue, the audience can see the bands playing live on eight screens which are located through out the venue. It's a huge plus for young bands and a fantastic experience for younger musicians to play in a venue like this. We had a fantastic turnout last year with 10 bands and more than 500 screaming fans in the audience. Roper headlined the gig last year and we'll bring in another big name act to play with the younger bands this year."

Samhlaiocht is currently searching for the young bands to star in this extravaganza. "We've built up a huge following over the years and our regulars are a great asset but we'd also encourage younger, up and coming bands to apply. You never know when we'll unearth the next Metallica or Led Zepplin," said Mike with a laugh.

Application forms are available to download from the web on www.samhlaiocht.com Interested parties can also get in touch with Michele or Mike in the Samhlaiocht office in The Old Presbytery, on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. Please call 066 712 9934 for more information or email Mike on mike@samhlaiocht.com

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