Local band grabs $50K

Photo: Facebook - Van Damsel

A Kamloops band took home $50,000 Thursday night at the Peak Performance Project in Vancouver.

Van Damsel performed at the Commodore Ballroom along with the other top three bands in the contest, Bed of Stars and JP Maurice, at the project's finale.

“Playing the Commodore was awesome because it’s like a dream venue to play and has been since I first saw shows there,” said Sebastien Ste Marie, lead vocalist in the band.

Van Damsel took home third place, while Abbotsford’s Bed of Stars won the top prize, taking home $102,000.

"The outcome wasn't ideal," Ste Marie said. "We would have liked to get first, preferably, or second, but we still get 50 grand out of it.

Van Damsel has been playing together for six years and the four members still in live in Kamloops, despite the pressure to join the larger music community in Vancouver.

“The Kamloops music scene isn’t exactly a hot bed, but it’s supportive and it’s quiet enough to the extent that there are no distractions,” said Ste Marie. “We’ve been able to hone in on and put the time into creating and writing and rehearsing without the distraction of constant shows.”

Rather than moving to the big city, Ste Marie said they would rather just hit the road.

“Rather than pay really high rent in Vancouver, there’s a bit more of an appeal to be on the road and not have to worry about that,” he said.

And the recent winnings at the Peak Performance Project will help make that goal a reality.

“We do plan on touring next year, so fuelling our bus, paying for accommodation,” he said. “It’ll go fast.”

The Peak Performance Project was launched in 2009 by the Peak FM, a Vancouver radio station, and looks to promote local British Columbia talent.

2015 marked the final year of the seven-year project, a program that has invested $5-million into the B.C. music community. It has been funded by the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

Previous years winners include Kelowna’s We Are the City, Victoria’s Current Swell, North Vancouver’s Kyprios and Vancouver’s Dear Rouge.

For the bands involved, the value of the program goes beyond just a cash prize.

“It’s a full package,” said Ste Marie. “They really teach you the business aspect, from marketing to your branding to entertainment law, how to deal with record labels, how to deal with radio.”

At the end of August, the top 12 bands participated in a weeklong ‘boot camp’ where they are taught the ins and outs of the music business.

“They basically give you a week of training on what being a professional musician is,” Ste Marie said. 

With 2015 being the last year of the project, Ste Marie said it will be missed in British Columbia’s music community.

“It really is a great educational development program, we owe a lot of what we’ve done to it,” he said. “It’s going to leave a hole all right, especially for younger bands. … I don’t know if something’s going to come in and fill the void but it’s definitely going to leave a hole.”