Heineken Music Thrist

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Thirst III ambassadors revealed – Roger Sanchez and Steve Lawler
Kuala Lumpur, 15 February 2005: Heineken Music Thirst is back, but this time it is an unparalleled Global DJ competition. Launching in Indonesia in April, Thirst will push the boundaries of dance music with never-before-seen unique live sets and collaborations from some of the Worlds’ biggest names in dance music including Roger Sanchez and Steve Lawler, while continuing the Global search for fresh DJ talent.
Thirst will travel to 25 cities, resulting in four regional heats and culminating in the first ever Global Final in January 2006.
Picking up the reigns from previous Thirst DJs Paul Oakenfold and Tiësto, Roger Sanchez and Steve Lawler have both been appointed to lead the Heineken Thirst 2005 tour through its new global competition format.

Recently voted ‘House DJ of the Year’ Roger Sanchez’s influence in the dance industry is testament to his multi-faceted approach to music which include his ‘Release Yourself’ compilation CD’s, record label ‘Stealth’, club nights and a US and UK radio show. Following a sell-out date in Denmark for Thirst in June 2004, Roger has been signed as one of the 2 headline Thirst DJs for 2005 and will be supported on tour with exclusive live performances by his New York band. Roger states:
“I am particularly looking forward to the opportunity to tour cities with Thirst where my fans don’t get to see me too often. I’m also especially pleased that we have created a very special and unique performance exclusively for Thirst. As everybody knows, I am all about encouraging new DJ and production talent, so giving it an extra push through Thirst will be very exciting”.
Joining Roger for dates in Asia is dance maestro, Steve Lawler. A definitive DJ, producer and remixer, Steve is currently enjoying huge success with his recent Billboard US Number One remix of Dido’s hit single.
It’s been a steady rise from the infamous ‘motorway raves’ of the early 90’s, to his legendary sets at Mambo and Space in Ibiza, and his current triumph with the Lights Out tour / compilation concept in America and his Harlem Nights event at The End, London.
In addition, Steve also runs his own labels i.e. Harlem Records, Harlem Trax and Harlem Electric, signing only the finest underground tracks from across the world. His acute ear for a good tune will no doubt be at the forefront of the minds of this year’s Thirst finalists, when Steve acts as an international judge for Heineken Thirst 2005 across 6 Asian countries.
Steve says of Thirst: “I am delighted to be a part of Thirst, as it has managed to take the concept of the DJ talent search to a global level. Dance music has always been about embracing the new, and it’s great that there is now a competition like Thirst to help fast-track DJs to a higher level.”
Steve Lawler will also create the first ever-regional interactive clubbing concept exclusively for Heineken Thirst. Diving back into his expansive back catalogue, Steve will remix a classic dance track chosen through public voting which he will reveal exclusively at Thirst events throughout Asia this Spring.
Clubbers will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite track to be remixed from three all-time-classic tracks to dictate a future dance anthem. These tracks include JUNIOR VASQUEZ ‘GET UR HANDS OFF MY MAN’, DONNA SUMMER ‘I FEEL LOVE’ and JAYDEE ‘PLASTIC DREAMS’ (R&S). Clubbers will be able to log onto www.heinekenmusic.com/thirst from March onwards to cast their vote.
Since its beginning in 2002, over 250,000 clubbers have attended a Heineken Thirst event and over 7,000 aspiring DJs have entered the competition which has helped further the careers of over 50 DJs. Heineken Thirst gives local talented DJs the once in a lifetime opportunity to play alongside internationally renowned DJs, maximising their exposure and status.
Entrants for Heineken Thirst 2005 will be encouraged to be creative, by incorporating vocals and live elements where possible. Discovered via a series of local heats, 2 finalists will compete in front of a packed crowd at the main Thirst show, which also features a unique live set from both top international talents.
In addition to a range exclusive prizes and widespread National media attention, the winner is awarded automatic entry into a regional final where he / she will fight to win the prestigious title of best DJ in their region, with the chance to go on to compete in the Global Final.
Heineken Thirst Malaysia Semifinal will be taking place on Saturday, 16 April 2005 at Zouk, KL. Short listed contestants will then be narrowed down to 2 finalists, who will then perform at the Heineken Thirst Malaysia event on Saturday, 30 April 2005.
The showdown will take place at the Grand Stand, Sepang F1 circuit from 9pm onwards, where the overall winner will take home with him/her a grand prize of RM5, 000 and
a chance to attend one of the other Heineken Thirst events in another market.
To sweeten the deal, the overall winner will then represent Malaysia at one of the 3 regional Thirst Asia Semi-finals. Should he/she win the regional Thirst Asia Semi-final, he/she will then battle it out with 2 other contestants from the other semi-final venues at the Thirst Asia Final on 21 May 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Information on how budding DJs can take part in this successful Global campaign can be found on www.heineken.com/malaysia.
Heineken Thirst will also be supported and promoted on www.heineken.com/malaysia throughout the year. This continually updated website provides information on all up and coming Thirst events, dedicated pages for Thirst winners, charts, exclusive mixes from the Thirst DJs and local winners, reviews of past events, latest dance music news and interviews, plus competition entry information.
About Heineken:
Heineken is undoubtedly The World’s No. 1 International Premium beer served in over 170 countries around the world since 1873. It is the leading imported beer brand in many European and Asian countries. Heineken is the popular choice among discerning drinkers around the world.
About GAB:
Guinness Anchor Berhad evolved from the merger between two brewing giants, Guinness Malaysia Bhd and Malayan Breweries (Malaya) Sdn. Bhd. The company’s principal shareholder is GAPL Pte Ltd based in Singapore. GAPL Pte Ltd is a joint venture between Diageo PLC and Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd.
Listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE), Guinness Anchor Berhad produces, markets and distributes Guinness, Tiger Beer, Heineken, Anchor Smooth Beer, Anchor Ice, Baron’s Strong Brew, Kilkenny, Anglia Shandy and Malta.
Issued by: Heineken
Through: 141 Worldwide (Malaysia)
For more information on the Thirst III Campaign, kindly contact:
Farrell Tan
141 Worldwide (Malaysia)
Tel: 03-2296 8987, Fax: 03-2296 8989
E-mail: Farrell@141-msia.com

ROGERS BAND
Joining Roger Sanchez on the revolutionary Thirst 05 Global tour are Lisa Pure, GTO and Freak.
Former MTV dancer and international singing sensation, Lisa Pure, provides the female element to Rogers band. “I’m over You” is the single that launched Lisa’s career and enabled her to begin touring the U.S. She has had dance floor success with her vocals on Carl Kennedy’s “The Love You Bring Me” and is featured on various tracks on Roger’s album scheduled for release later this year. About to finish her debut album, Lisa is really looking forward to joining Roger on his inaugural Thirst tour.

GTO began his career in the early eighties working on classic rap tunes. His music is pure conscious ghetto funk, rekindling the legacy of James Brown and Isaac Hayes. Singing with a gritty voice that is pure and unmistakably soul, GTO adds an emotional and original feel to Rogers set. Lighting up stages for many years he is one of the original ‘smooth operators’.
Freak is a musical phenomenon. Playing a myriad of instruments including lead and rhythm guitar, violin and piano, he is also an accomplished producer and vocal coach, to name but a few of his staggering musical talents. He has contributed his talents to productions and remixes as diverse as Alica Keys “Butterflies” and No Doubts “Hella Good”.
A lot of thought and love has gone into making this band a unique live performance, one which will perfectly compliment Rogers set. Thirst aims to provide an experience that clubbers across the world will never have encountered before, one which will stay with them for years to come.
www.lisapure.com
www.freaknyc.com