Guitar Center On-Stage is revolutionary program developed to organically scout and launch unsigned artists by providing career altering opportunities through partnerships with some of the world’s greatest artists.

Starting July 1st, Guitar Center launched a grassroots campaign leaking word that one band would be given the chance to “make rock history” with one of the world’s greatest rock bands.

Teasers

On August 1st, 2008, at a press conference in Hollywood, California, Guitar Center officially announced it would team up with the world’s most notorious rock band, Mötley Crüe, to launch the first edition of Guitar Center On-Stage: Your Chance to Make Rock History.

Offering unsigned bands across the country the chance to win the greatest prize ever awarded in rock, nearly 8,000 bands registered at MakeRockHistory.com for their chance to win an opening slot on Mötley Crüe’s 2009 U.S. Tour, $25,000 cash, $20,000 in new gear from Gibson Guitars, management from 10th Street Entertainment and a recording deal with Eleven Seven Music.

From 8,000 undiscovered bands, 30 were chosen to perform one song at the historic Guitar Center Hollywood on Sunset blvd for a panel of industry experts including the Eric Sherman (President of Fuse TV), Julie Pilat, (program director at Los Angeles’s 98.7), Chris Nilsson (10th Street Entertainment) and Frank Wordworth (General Manager, Eleven Seven Music). 

After 2 days of performances, 30 bands were narrowed to 6.  The top 6 undiscovered bands in the country included The Dirty Pearls from NYC, The Heroine from San Antonio, TX, Lorene Drive from Victorville, CA, The Spittin’ Cobras from Seattle, WA, Waterstreet from Peoria, IL and The Last Vegas from Chicago, IL.

Guitar Center’s On-Stage: Mötley Crüe finals were held on November 10th, 2008 at the world famous Whisky A Go-Go. The 6 finalists each performed 3 songs to a capacity crowd and rock’s ultimate judges, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil and were also let in on a some breaking news -  the winner of Guitar Center On-Stage would be opening for the Crüe that Friday at the Palladium in Los Angeles, Ca.
 

 The Winners

After being announced as the next great undiscovered rock band, Guitar Center On-Stage winners, The Last Vegas, immediately went into the studio with Marti Fredrickson, DJ Ashba and Nikki Sixx to record their new single “I’m Bad” which debuted as a top rock feature on iTunes and AOL Music November 24th.   On November 14th, The Last Vegas opened their first show for their new label-mates, Mötley Crüe, rocking a capacity crowd of 3,500+.  Before they hoped on plane to Europe to finish their UK tour, they pulled into GC Hollywood to grab $20k worth of new Gibson Guitars and handled press with Fox, Billboard, APTV and RollingStone.

The Last Vegas are now back home in Chicago, IL gearing up for their 2009 U.S. Arena Tour with Motley, Hinder and Theory of Deadman  which begins this February.