The Parachute Club

The Parachute Club

The Parachute Club is a Toronto new wave and pop music collective active from 1982 to 2014. It forms in the Queen Street West neighbourhood of clubs and art galleries that develops in Toronto during the 1980s. The group is founded by singer Lorraine Segato and percussionist Billy Bryans.

Line-up and membership

The band changes in size and personnel over its history. Longtime members include Dave Gray on guitar, Margo Davidson on saxophone and percussion, Lauri Conger on keyboards, Julie Masi on vocals and percussion, and Keir Brownstone on bass. Other members include Art Avalos, Steve Webster, Rebecca Campbell, Aaron Davis, and Rebecca Jenkins. The final concerts take place on 20 and 21 July 1988 at Ontario Place, with a dozen musicians performing.

Recordings and songs

The group’s first and biggest hit is “Rise Up” from 1983, taken from the album The Parachute Club on Current WAVE-2. Its music combines socio-political lyrics with exuberant rhythms. Other popular singles include “At the Feet of the Moon” from the 1984 album of the same name on RCA KKL1-0553, and “Love is Fire” from the 1986 album Small Victories on RCA KKL1-0573. Canadian sales of At the Feet of the Moon exceed 100,000.

Awards and touring

The Parachute Club wins Juno Awards in 1984 for single of the year for “Rise Up” and as most promising group, in 1985 as group of the year, and in 1986 for best video for “Love is Fire”, directed by Ron Berti. The group performs throughout Canada, appears in the United States in 1985, and tours West Germany in 1987.

Later activity

After the group’s run, Segato begins a solo career in 1989 and forms Big Jump with Dave Gray and others, recording the album Phoenix. Bryans, who had previously produced recordings by Lillian Allen, Downchild and Dutch Mason, returns to production and also accompanies Allen, Buffy Sainte-Marie and others.