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January Way Jay kicks off concert season REVIEW By Paul Intermittent snow unusual timing and a price did little if anything lo discourage attendance at Sunday after noons rock concert in the Way Jay Club in Norval where more than fans sat with mixed through back toback sets by Torontos Battered Wives and Goddo The concert underway at and over by was the first in a new series of rock oriented product ions being by WayJay Dotes are already set for shows by with Wireless and for British Columbian folksin ger Valdy Plans are being finalized bring Tcaze Max Webster a return visit for a band that drew 1200 on lis first dale and Lang John Baldry and internationally known per formers like Dan Hill Murray McLaughlan and Burton Cum mings are reportedly interest ed There were predictably enough no feminists picketing WayJay last weekend when the Battered Wives came to town to warm up Goddo a audience Womens libbers protested the bands name choice and accused them of beating when the Battered Wives shared the bill with Eng lands newest superstar Elvis Cos I el lo at Torontos Centre and later in Montreal The bands initial reaction to was to drop word Battered from their name and appear as The Wives but lhat didnt last long and as it turned out nobody really cared although Rolling Stone magazine recently mentioned in passing that Wives are now Battered again These days Battered Wives who emerged on the Toronto pub rock circuit at about the same time their immediate the Teenage Head and one or two others were getting bored with the socalled New Wave scene are allegedly booked for repeal performance wilh this lime touring the S instead of Canada If this is true then il serves to verify what WayJay co- manager Pete Robertson had say Sunday about club becoming a launch pad of sorts for bands about to embark on tours According to Mr Robertson a number of name acts are intrigued by of playing WayJay because It gives litem an opportunity to Iry out I heir tour material and does not conflict any upcoming dates larger Toronto halls The WayJays ability accommodate modem rock technology at least audio portion was demonstrated Sunday by a longcsta blishcd bar band with two a I bums its credit and another on the way filters its Battered Wives lead linger Toby Swan was suitably obnoxious toward bis audience of BOO at the Club Sunday for a veteran pub rocker who appeared on the local rock scene shortly after the emergence Toronto socalled rock movement The much publicized Battered Wives wanned up crowd for sound with phascrs and other sound justice Goddos thunder took a devices lo effect a fuller Anyone who made book be- bath Using the rock Ino reproducl fore the show on speculation mat established by Cream ion The acoustics in the Way Battered Wives pulled off the kind of Jays circular hall did the their recent media blitz could pervasive full sound en NOW IS THE TIME Guaranteed Finish Never to require waxing for as long as you own your car YOUR CAR IS AN ASSET HOLD ITS VALUE W1 protect your car against the corrosion from salt ft winter wear Auto Cleaning Services 71 Mountainview Rd Georgetown PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT WITH SMI A SHINE STONE GUARD SCOTCH GUARD PROTECTS AGAINST Heal and FaOirm Sun Chrome ablcs Canadian rock and roll trinities like Rush and Tnu headline concerts in hockey arenas around the Goddo rarely wandered from the heavy metal formula also used by those same head liners The single exception to heir stream of fast paced tightly knit roll tunes was the band s hit single Under My Hat a slower moody piece with jazz flavor vocals More strongly rooted in Ihe rock of the 1960s Ihe Battered Wives rely heavily too ily on variety of pcrformon cc devices originally gave Ihe socalled punk rock move ment a great deal of publicity The fact that the Battered Wives enjoy verbally abusing I heir audiences white whipping heir luncs into a frantic froth of fast paced power demonsl rates at least some allegiance on I heir part to punk flag but the band itself has rejected all suggestions thai there Is a link After all bands musical tightness and visual polish testifies to tad ieasl two of its members can claim prior inv much respected rockers in their native Eng land The lead guitarist In fact once played with Jeff Beck The Wives performed a firm crosssection of their music much or It included on only album thus far Songs like Uganda I Won It All and Think Im Going to Pass Oul underlined some of the bands interests and affect ions as did a passing invocat ion of the laic Rev Jim Jones AUDIENCE REACTION II is noteworthy that memb ers of both the Battered Wives and Goddo commented on I poor audience reaction during I he course of Iheshow Impas sivc spectators must be ex pec led might for concerts held on Sunday after noons who knows how many of these fresh faced young fans had Just come from church in unlicensed quarters Another possible reason for the rclallvc quietude of audience was suggested by a fan who complained about being searched as she entered the building by WayJay employees scanned coals and purses of ticket holders lined Ihe entrance and managed conf iscate a modest assortment of bottles and wineskins The bands might like know the fans pointed out many members of their audience were understandably turned off by the light security The liming factor added an extra problem in the form of mediocre lighting Daylight pouring in windows either side of stage cut back on effect of colored lighting from banks of lamps sel up for the show Pete Robertson predicted afternoon unlicensed concert situation will continue through ihe next few concerts In the current series but a more orthodox approach could be forthcoming The various band booking prices availability of a liquor licence for such events and the security as well as Ihc physical security of the Way- Jay Club must all be consider-