A wrap-up of 2004

Those of you who follow The Pride know that 2004 was, in many ways, the best year yet for the band. We had more corporate gigs than we'd had in any previous year and we inked a deal to be the house band at a quirky, fun little bar called the Mirabel, here in Montreal. We've been there for over 6 months with no end in sight. A great spot to go if you like dancing, as the regulars love to kick up their heels.

2004 was also the year for personnel additions. When we decided to add a female vocalist, we really lucked out. Samara Daniels, an extraordinary singer and performer, officially joined our ranks in February and The Pride has never sounded, or looked, better. Since that time we've added several other exceptional singers - Linda Grenon, Micheline Celestin, Marie-Josee Noury and Sofy Boudreau - who all perform regularly with us. We've also added yet another guitarist to the line-up - Stephane Hebert, an excellent musician and singer. Since the addition of these performers, especially the ladies, we've bulked up our repertoire by at least 50 new tunes and we now offer over 560 songs.

We wrapped up the year with not only the house gig, but a flurry of both daytime and evening holiday gigs. Yes, 2004 was an extraordinary year, but things look even better for 2005! Stay tuned for more news.

Marc C.