Proud Presents

Record contract and prize money up for grabs in the hottest unsigned musical talent competition

With a highly desired prize, the best musicians in the country and the exclusively public vote, this is a battle of the bands like no other.

Proud Camden is giving unsigned musicians a reason to celebrate with the re-launch of Proud Presents from Tuesday 20th April. The platform for undiscovered hopefuls is to be a monthly fixture at the legendary venue, which in recent months hosted household names including Florence and the Machine, Sting and Babyshambles.

While the venue has been at the heart of the local music scene since it opened, the support of amateur talent has recently become more important to its ethos than ever.

Budding stars can submit their work on the Proud Presents blog www.proudpresents.blogspot.com , which will act as a forum for sharing music and seeking advice. The bands with the most public votes, submitted via the blog and directly through Proud, get to play a Proud Presents night; with semi-finals taking place every six months. Just to shake things up a little, the venue will be giving away a record deal and £1,000 to the act with the most public votes!

Alex Proud, Director, says,
“Here at Proud we’ve always been behind unsigned and up-and-coming artists. It’s really important for local bands to feel they’ve got somewhere to play and I’m glad we can support them in this way. Good luck to you all!”

There is still a great incentive for musicians to get involved even if they don’t make it through to the finals. The crowd pays 100% of their entry fee directly to the band they have come to see and think deserve it, with all unspecified door money to be split evenly between the bands to encourage their growth in the music industry.

Proud Camden is issuing a call to arms to musicians of all genres and line-ups, with Tuesday nights showcasing indie, rock, folk and electro acts, and genres such as acoustic, soul, jazz and blues, funk and world being represented at free weekend daytime sessions, beginning Saturday 6th March.

We also welcome electronica maestro and champion of the Gameboy David E Sugar at Be on Saturday 6th March, and with the April opening of the canteen-style restaurant Proud Kitchen in the South Gallery, things are hotting up indeed.