Midnight Zoo Wins Battle of the Bands

Three remarkably talented bands – Moonlight Zoo from Glasgow, Scotland, Sweet Fever from Nashville, U.S. and Napkin from Curitiba, Brazil – took the stage on World Music Day, Friday June 21, 2019 at Hard Rock Cafe New York for the final round of Hard Rock’s 2019 Battle of the Bands competition. After blowing away fans and regional music industry judges throughout three preliminary rounds of the competition, and a dynamic live performance on the iconic former Paramount Theater stage at Hard Rock Cafe in the Heart of Times Square, it was Moonlight Zoo from Glasgow that took home the $15,000 grand prize as the winner of the competition after hitting a high note with the esteemed panel of major music label and industry executive judges.

Formed in 2015 in Dunfermline, Scotland, Moonlight Zoo made a splash with the launch of their first single, “Breaking or Broken” before launching their follow up single, “Wild” in 2018. On the same day the band took home the grand prize for their final performance at Hard Rock Cafe New York, Moonlight Zoo launched their latest single, “Survive”, which will be a big part of an EP album and supporting tour that will take off later this year. Fans can learn more about Moonlight Zoo and listen to their hit singles by visiting them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and SoundCloud.

“Winning Hard Rock’s Battle of the Bands competition is an experience that has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said Sean Francesco, front man for Moonlight Zoo. “We are so grateful for the opportunity Hard Rock has given us to come to New York City and showcase our talents on stage for hundreds of fans and industry executives. This is a moment none of us will ever forget.”

The impressive group of industry judges that determined the outcome of the 2019 Battle of the Bands included Enrique Abeyta, Co-founder and CEO, and Brandon Geist, Editorial Director and Chief Content Officer from Revolver Magazine, Emi Horikawa, Senior Director of Creative from BMG, Frank DeCicco, Head of College Marketing from Sony Music, Hiba Irshad, Director of Artist and Industry Relations from JioSaavn and Jeff Leven, Partner at Davis, Shapiro, Lewit, Grabel, Leven, Granderson & Blake LLP, one of the most influential law firms representing premier talent in the music industry.

“Now in its ninth year, the Battle of the Bands competition continues to be a success for Hard Rock, our guests and the talented, up-and-coming musicians that showcase their abilities for the world to see. This year was one of our most diverse competitions we’ve seen in years past with a variety of musical styles, backgrounds and genres on display, drawing a unique connection to the ‘Love All – Serve All,’ ‘Take Time to Be Kind’ and ‘All is One’ mantras that Hard Rock was founded on,” said Ken Blaustein, Director of Music and Artist Relations for Hard Rock International. “We’d like to thank all the bands for showcasing the eclectic direction our music programming is moving toward here at Hard Rock. Special appreciation goes out to our music industry friends and fans for being a part of the activation, and we congratulate Moonlight Zoo on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

The 2019 Battle of the Bands competition is brought to fans through a partnership with Pepsi, combining Hard Rock’s iconic brand and worldwide music program with Pepsi’s strong music initiatives. The battle enables undiscovered talent to kickstart their music careers by introducing them to Hard Rock’s global audience.

To see a recap of the 2019 Battle of the Bands competition visit https://youtu.be/JnRxOYH0neA. Those looking to dine at Hard Rock Cafe can find their local Cafe and make a reservation by visiting www.hardrockcafe.com/locations.aspx. To purchase Hard Rock Cafe merchandise, visit the online Rock Shop® athttps://shop.hardrock.com. For additional information on the Hard Rock Cafe brand, please visit www.hardrockcafe.com.

Hard Rock International

With venues in 74 countries, including 186 Hard Rock Cafes, 240 Rock Shops®, 29 hotels and 12 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s most valuable collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise available in global Rock Shops and online at https://shop.hardrock.com. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands including Hard Rock Live performance venues. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydneyand Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. Another exciting Hotel & Casino location includesAtlantic City. Hard Rock Hotels are located in vibrant city and resort destinations such as Bali, Cancun, Daytona Beach, Desaru Coast, Ibiza, London, Los Cabos, Orlandoand Shenzhen. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Kathmandu, Nepal, Kyoto, Japan, Asuncion, Paraguay, Puerto Madero, Argentina and Chandigarh, India. New Hard Rock Hotel, Casino or Hotel & Casino projects include Amsterdam, Berlin,Budapest, Dublin, Madrid, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Sacramento, Dalian and Haikou in China. In 2018, Hard Rock International was recognized as a Forbes Magazine Top Employer for Women and Land Operator of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards. In 2019, Hard Rock International was honored as one of Forbes Magazine’s America’s Best Large Employers and Forbes Magazine’s Best Employers for Women. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com.