Oxegen Battle of Bands wins Chambers Ireland Excellence Award

We are GP like to see the big guys given a nod of appreciation when they do good stuff for the Irish music scene and here we have just that. The Kildare only Platform V Battle of the Bands competition which gives lucky bands in the area a chance to live the dream and play at a music festival, specifically Oxegen.

The initiative has been given the nod of approval from The Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Award for the sustaining the arts. The Kildare County Council Arts Services in partnership with MCD have for four years being giving a launch pad for top talent in the area and over the years they have gone on to give places at the festival to Seven Days, Miracle Bell, Juliets Rescue and last years winners, Funzo and Awake Young Soldiers. All these winning bands also received three days free recording at the Platform 4 recording studio in Leixlip Library.

Lucina Russel, Art Officer at Kildare county council said

“’One of the best aspects of this project is that was developed from
an idea by a local musician. Every year we are heartened with the
amount of entries we get from bands and solo artists all over Kildare.
The standard of the bands is also growing year on year, as new Kildare
bands are listening to previous winners and knowing they have to be able
to play at a certain level in order to compete. It makes them all up
their game; which can only be a good thing.

MCD have been instrumental to the success of the ‘Platform V Oxegen
Battle of the Bands’ competition. The fact that Kildare bands get to
make direct contact with MCD is also a real plus. I would like
particularly to thank Niall Morris in MCD for his support and enthusiasm
for the project ”