Grammy-Award winning producer Don Was has partnered with Ford Motor Company for the second year in a row in an eight-month competition to search for the best independent musicians and bands. For those of us crazy enough to call ourselves “artists,” this is what is known as the Big Break.
This is a chance in a lifetime to be discovered by millions online, and record a track with a legendary producer who has worked with the biggest names in the industry – from the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt to his current project with John Mayer and American Idol. But right now, he’s searching for YOU! Like the 'it factor' Was saw when he first heard Garth Brooks' voice resonating in the studio (The Celebrity Café), Was says that the winners of the "Gimme the Gig" contest will have a certain "panache.”
Did 20 Million People Really fit in Don Was’ Garage?
Last year, the Gimme the Gig competition garnered over 2,500 bands and over 4 million views of the finale event broadcast on KTLA where Was announced Gig Harbor, WA natives Perry Acker as the winners.
Overall the competition reached over 20 million people and culminated in a finale event that brought together an eclectic group of 7 bands and musicians from all around the Western US. Bands were judged along the way by number of votes on their posted submission, overall musical appeal & originality, and something unique to this competition – their social networking presence. This year, fans will have the chance to earn bonus points for their favorite bands by sharing videos on their Facebook page.
You may have an impulse to hastily click off to Gimmethegig.com and enter your band A.S.A.P., but read on, because it gets even better. (And you can’t enter until June 15th anyway. This isn’t a test in speed-reading).
3 Winners, 1 Track Each, and a Pimped Out 2012 Ford Focus
The twist (yes there is a twist): this year there will be not one, but three winners that will get to record one track each with Don Was. An even twistier twist is that we’re not just taking the show on the road; we’re taking the studio on the road too.
The good folks at Galpin Auto Sports (of ‘Pimp My Ride’ fame) are helping us turn the all-new 2012 Ford Focus into our personal mobile mixing board. The car is loaded with such features as a Premium 10-Speaker Audio System powered by 355 Watts, and specially designed features to keep road noise outside and the music inside.
The Biggest Secret of the Competition (Shhh)
The starry-eyed will read no further than the headline, enticed by the final prize. But here is the biggest secret of this competition and what makes it truly unique – Gimme the Gig II is an 8-month journey, not a set and forget submission contest. When you enter Gimme the Gig, you could be strategically promoting your music in an online battle of the bands in front of an audience of thousands, packing up your tour van to perform at one of our exclusive live venues across the Western US, and if you’re good enough, you could be performing live in front of the legendary Don Was himself. “Gimme the Gig was an amazing experience for us. We called on our fans to support our music, check out cool Ford cars and experience a dream recording project with Mr. Don Was. We will share this story for many, many years!” - Perry Acker Band, Gimme the Gig I Winners
Ready to Show the World What You Got?
Starting June 15, enter at www.gimmethegig.com and submit your songs for votes.
Follow Gimme the Gig on Facebook & Twitter for up-to-the minute news:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/GimmeTheGig
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gimmethegig
Check out photos from last year’s finale and Don Was’ recording session with Perry Acker:
http://www.flickr.com/gimmethegig
SOURCES:
Vaccaro, Michelle (2010, June 2). Interview with Don Was http://thecelebritycafe.com/interview/don-was-06-02-2010
