It’s all over. After 6 months of music and concerts, after 4000 gigs, endless solo’s and storms of notes, Emergenza choose the winner of the Emergenza Festival 2002 in front of a crowd of more than 15000 people. The best upcoming band from Europe and Canada for 2002 is Munshy from Paris. The jury was highly impressed by their sound and originality. Although the other bands playing at the three-day festival in Rothenburg were of a high quality there was only one band with such revolutionary music, which placed them in a class of their own. The five French artists are now getting ready for their first American tour, organized by Emergenza, in cooperation with Music Man Ernie Ball. The second best upcoming band Kerosin from Berlin also impressed the jury. Special recommendations go out to Uncle Rock from London for their powerful and tremendous sound, Direct Line from Montreal because of their professionalism, Stone Park from Stockholm for their beautiful songs and, last but not least, Itchy Poopkzkid from Mannheim for their spectacular and amusing thirty minute performance. The prizes for technical excellence on guitar went to Munshy from Paris and Verdrengungskünstler from Hamburg. They all won a Custom Music Man Axis sport. The best bass-players, Jay Kod from Brussel and Kerosin from Berlin, went home with a fabulous Music Man Sting Ray. Ners from Bologne, Uncle rock from London, Verdrengungküstler for Hamburg, Yay Kod from Brussel, Itchy Poopzkid from Mannheim and Desert Rain from Dortmund won guitars and basses from OLP. The best drummer was the one of Munshy. His prize, the dream of every drummer, is the mythical Mapex Deep Forest. The drummers of Stone Park, and the one of Kerosin also won a splendid set of UFIP cymbals. The Stone park, the Kerosin and the Munshy received a digital amply Crate DX 212 in recognition of their unique style. Sennheiser has awarded Munshy with a complete wireless system and Faustine the amazing singer of the French band, judged as the best female singer of the super final 2002, with a professional wireless system. Complete results of the final and details of the judging can be found in a special area of this magazine. I would like to add that, without any doubt, the level of this year contestants exceeded all expectation. Due to this especially high caliber, many deserving musicians and bands did not receive their due attention. There was just too much talent concentrated in one event. That’s what happens when you gather the best 150 young musicians, from the two sides of the ocean, together. With this first issue of the Emergenza Internet Magazine I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone whom has participated in this event during the past eleven years, helping to create and realize a wonderful music festival. With warm regards till the next edition, Lidia Veerman