International rock festival for Jamaica
JAMAICA will have its biggest rock festival in decades this May when 24 international bands and models converge on Negril and battle to share US$30,000 ($2.6 million).
The Observer has learnt that the five-day festival Rock Saga will include a competition with bands from Australia, US, UK, Canada, and Jamaica including local-based Crimson Heart Replica. Another local bands, Robot Taxi (formerly Gas Money), is requesting to be included. These signed and unsigned bands are vying to share US$20,000 in prize money. There will also be a contest in which 15 models will battle to share US$10,000.
Queries to the organisers went unanswered up to print time. The festival’s website, however, asserted that the competition would be the largest ever “interactive” battle of the bands. The reason is that social networking sites and audience participation would largely determine the winner.
“This interactive platform will help the bands gain major international recognition. The battle will last for two-days on the hot white sandy beaches of Negril. In addition, RockSaga.com will feature an innovative band selection process where you, the fans can submit the name of your favourite band that you would like to see performing in Jamaica,” stated the website.
Bands already confirmed include: The Lovehammers, The Lifeline, Powerage, Todd Carey, Nothing More, Nova, Define the Line, Charetta, Those Mockingbirds, Praise the Fallen, Blackwater James, Crimson Heart Replica, and Codejak.
The competition will be held during the same weekend as the Calabash Literary festival also on the south coast.