Now in its 5th year, SEA SESSIONS SURF MUSIC FESTIVAL is once again gearing up to be one of the hottest festivals of the summer. Following the success of the award winning festival’s 2011 stellar line-up, event organisers are pulling out all the stops to bring you what promises to be this year’s biggest beach party, jam-packed with exciting activities and pumping tunes all in the surrounds of beautiful Bundoran, Co. Donegal!

LAUNCH PAD FOR IRISH ACTS:

Over the years, Sea Sessions has proven to be a major launch-pad for Irish talent, and this year is no different, with the announcement that three of the acts who played last year; BELL X1, CASHIER No 9, and THE JAPANESE POPSTARS, have been nominated for a Choice Music Prize.

The organisers have always been inundated with requests from Irish acts looking to get in on the party in Bundoran, and as a result Sea Sessions have joined forces with Red Bull Bedroom Jam to bring you a battle of the bands with a difference.

The competition is open to acts nationwide, from Bundoran to Bandon, and Derry to Dublin, where young local bands will be given the opportunity to get a leg-up the music ladder, and into the industry. With a prize that will take them onto the stage at Sea Sessions 2012 and eventually one of them into a recording studio, this could be a real life changing experience for many.

Sea Sessions organiser Daniel Brown welcomes Red Bull Bedroom Jam as an exciting new addition to the festivals popular battle of the bands competition; “Over the past few years we have supported home-grown acts on stage and behind the scenes with Niamh Hamill literally listening to thousands of band entries, and it’s fantastic to see our hard work and commitment being recognised and supported by a major brand like Red Bull. We are delighted to be working with Red Bull on what is a real and exciting opportunity for up and coming Irish acts to showcase their talent.”

The focus of the competition, along with making and sharing great music, is to successfully market your band online, using the power of social media. This is a battle of the bands that is not just about voting; it’s a complete social media experience.

HOW TO ENTER Red Bull Bedroom Jam:

Fledgling Irish bands (all members aged 17+, with one member aged under 25), can upload a video to the competition website www.redbullbedroomjam.ie, and from February 27th all activity or ‘buzz’ will then be monitored and displayed in a league format on the bi-weekly Bedroom Jam Buzz Chart. Bands will be encouraged to share and promote their music online, which in turn generates buzz and moves them up the league table.

The six bands which generate the most ‘buzz’ will be filmed live from the comfort of their own homes, while the world watches online. From those six, three will be chosen by Red Bull’s panel of expert judges to perform at the biggest Irish music festivals of 2012, including Sea Sessions.

Finally, one band will be crowned winners at a live final next Autumn, winning a week long recording session with a top producer in the Red Bull Studios. This is a prize like no other so bands…get uploading, and you could be on the way to the biggest year of your lives!

LAMA AWARDS:

The 2012 Local Authority Members Association (LAMA) Awards have announced that Sea Sessions are among the finalists for the Best Tourist Attraction category.

At the launch LAMA spoke about how they are once again “delighted to bring forth the LAMA Awards, now in their sixth year, where we hope to further highlight and recognise excellence at local, county and national level.”

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The annual LAMA Awards ceremony commends individuals, initiatives, private companies and people, for their outstanding contributions and projects of benefit to the community.

Sea Sessions co-organiser Daniel Browne explains,
“Failte Ireland have been hugely supportive of what we have created here in Bundoran. They have helped us every step of the way to grow and promote Irelands biggest beach party. The local Council in the town have been really progressive as well. It is only with forward thinking support like this that award winning events like Sea Sessions can thrive”

IRISH FESTIVAL AWARD:

The festival team had the honour of scooping the award for Best Small Festival at last year’s Irish Festival Awards and once again we have been nominated for six gongs and would like your VOTE. The Irish Festival Awards honour the organisers and people behind the scenes of the Irish Summer festivals.

Sea Sessions has been shortlisted in the following categories:
Best Small Festival, Best Line-up, Best Family Festival, Social Responsibility Award, Best Service Award, and Best Toilets!

To be in with a chance of getting your hands on Sea Sessions tickets along with tickets to all the other Irish festivals, vote for Sea Sessions at www.irishfestivalawards.ie and you could be in with a chance of going to every festival that wins an award. Voting closes 31st January, so get in there and VOTE NOW!

This year’s festival will play host to another finely-tuned mix of Irish and international acts, with the line-up to be announced at the end of March. It will also showcase some of the top surfers from around Europe who will be pitted against Ireland’s finest surfing talent in The Sea Sessions Expression Sessions.

BOOK NOW:

Weekend tickets for Sea Sessions 2011 are just €79.95.Tickets can be bought directly from www.seasessions.com. Camping, self-catering accommodation, bed & breakfasts and hotels are readily available in the surrounding area of Bundoran, and along the west coast of Co. Donegal.

For further information please visit www.seasessions.com or contact
Lorna Fox and Karen Spellman – info@seasessions.com
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