U.S. Fans Make Australian Rock Band Hillsong United A Bonafide Grassroots Sensation

a_CROSS//the_EARTH: Tear Down The WallsROCKETS TO #2 ON U.S. iTUNES TOP
ALBUMS CHART

Contemporary Christian Rock Band Sells Out Atlanta-Area 12,000-Seat
Verizon Amphitheatre on Current North American Tour

NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- American fans of Hillsong United, the
Australian rock band, are building a grassroots bonfire under the group
as a_CROSS//the_EARTH: Tear Down The Walls, the band's newly released
live album, rockets its way to the #2 position on the U.S. iTunes Top
Albums chart.

A musical dark horse on the iTunes chart, a_CROSS//the_EARTH: Tear Down
The Walls catapulted over mainstream competition last week from Adam
Lambert, Keith Urban, Green Day and Lady GaGa.

Fans have been generating standing-room-only ticket sales for Hillsong
United on the North American leg of the group's
a_CROSS//the_EARTHSpring Tour 2009 (please see itinerary following). On
Wednesday night (May 27), Hillsong United sold-out the 12,000 seat
Verizon Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia, just outside Atlanta,
delighting their ecstatic fans with an evening's worth of electrifying
spirit-filled rock presented in an astounding concert environment of
state-of-the-art light and sound.

Hillsong United is the music-making world-touring youth ministry of the
Hillsong Church, a pentecostal congregation located in Sydney,
Australia. Featuring Brooke Ligertwood and other charismatic worship
leaders and performers, Hillsong United host Encounter, an annual youth
conference, in the U.S. each summer, drawing thousands of fans from
across the country. This year's Encounter conferences will take place
at the Anaheim Convention Center (August 21-22) and the University of
Miami (August 28-29). For more details, please visit
www2.hillsong.com/united/#/encounter.

The Hillsong Church produced its first praise and worship CD, The Power
of Your Love, in 1992. The first Hillsong United release, the four-song
EP One, was released in 1998 and bundled with the annual Hillsong live
album. Since those humble beginnings, more than 6 million Hillsong CDs,
DVDs and other branded units have sold in the United States, with
Hillsong United selling more than 560,000 pieces in the U.S.

a_CROSS//the_EARTH: Tear Down The Walls, the latest in a line of live
Hillsong United albums beginning with 1999's Everyday, has been drawing
rave reviews:

Kevin Davis, writing for the Christian Music Review, called the album
"...a must have for your praise and worship collection."

Andree Farias, in Christian Music Today, found "...a combination of
stadium-sized praise rockers and ballads..." in the album while noting
that "Hillsong United goes back to their old ways with energy and
passion....In case you've been living under a rock, take heed: Hillsong
United is the biggest youth worship band on the planet."

"Hillsong United return with their first live CD recording since 2006,"
wrote Leigh DeVore in Charisma magazine. "a_CROSS//the_EARTH: Tear Down
The Walls features 12 songs, including 11 new tracks, in Hillsong
United's signature power, pop-rock worship melodies. The crowd stays
involved on this rousing CD, with its good mix of feet-stomping tracks
and heart-moving ballads....Hillsong United continue to usher crowds
into the presence of God with energetic, faith-building songs. Fans
will be so glad to hear them again...."


   Hillsong United - U.S. Tour dates
   Fri 5/29          Birmingham, AL        The Basement at Cathedral of the
                                            Cross
   Sat 5/30          Nashville, TN         Curb Event Center
   Mon 6/1           Columbia, MD          Merriweather Post Pavillion
   Tue 6/2           Ocean Grove, NJ       Great Auditorium
   Wed 6/3           Virginia Beach, VA    Wave Church
   Fri 6/5           New York, NY          Roseland Ballroom (sold-out)
   Sat 6/6           Toronto, Ont.         Christian Heritage Day
   Tue-Wed 6/9-10    Chicago, IL           Willow Creek Conference
   Fri-Sat 8/21-22   Los Angeles, CA       Hillsong United Encounter - LA
   Fri-Sat 8/28-29   Miami, FL             Hillsong United Encounter - Miami

www.hillsongunited.com

www.IntegrityLive.com

www.columbiarecords.com

SOURCE Integrity/Columbia Records