Watch, The - Rockin' Tonight

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	I Don't Know What to Say	03:22
	2	I'll Never Lose It	03:25

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Canadian Girls	03:18
	2	Good Rockin'	03:29

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

The Watch were a band based out of Cochrane, Ontario formed mostly from the ashes of the Guelph heavy metal band, Toyz, which had formed in 1979. This is their first record, but their first recordings were for the Q107 Homegrown albums - they were selected to record and laid down a few tracks, but the following day, Q107 retracted the offer - probably not commercial enough to make the final cut.

Barry Bevan continues to be an active bass player in Cambridge, Ontario and plays with Sapphire City.

"There are many new wave bands -agents are pushing this change. But only a few heavy metal bands can ride it (the new wave trend) out - they will come back on top and we'll make it" -Bill Henry (Toyz' roadman and sound technician).

Tony Annoni (Toyz): lead vocals
Barry Bevan (Toyz): bass, vocals
Dave O'Connor: guitar, keyboards, vocals
Lance Mapplebeck (Toyz): percussion, vocals

Produced by Orchard Studios and The Watch
Recorded at Orchard Studios

Photography by Jeff Evoy
Front cover by Warren Scott

TOYZ APPEARS IN FERGUS THIS WEEK
Young group has ability to match the club circuit

BY JOHN TIMMINS
Staff Writer

FERGUS — "There is more to the picture than meets the eye,” are words from a popular song by singer-songwriter Neil Young about the debilitating struggle of young rock bands aspiring to superstardom, or even, for that matter, survival.

Toyz, appearing at the Blue Horizon in Fergus this week — through Saturday — is one such hard-driving band.

All four musicians and two of the roadies are from Guelph. They are barely old enough to work legally in a bar — yet they are already well into the rock band scene.

Bill Trip, manager of the six-month-old band and a three-year veteran of the road.

“The truth is most bands fold up. I’ve worked with a few bands and I’ve seen good bands go into bankruptcy. You have to operate in the red for a long time.”

DECEIVING
Both Bill and road manager Rob Tripp of Guelph agree that the music business appearances can be deceiving. The rock lifestyle is not all glitter, it is directed at altering impressions of the consumer audience.

“Most consumers expect to see the same bands. But when the selling falls off—regardless of the name—someone is in trouble,” says Rob.

David Scryer, lead guitar and vocalist in the band, studied music theory and took private music lessons for five years. He was raised in a musical home, and heavily influenced by groups like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. He has played guitar for over ten years, the last three on an electric guitar.

“Some over-night musical successes are just a reflection of a temporary change in public taste—a change you’ll never see again.”

“The agents change you. It is as if you change their style.”

“We want to be on the front line of new ideas, not locked in with old ideas,” says Bill.

“We are New Wave,” said Bill. “We don’t want an old house band gig.”

On this note Bill contends that the spirit of rock and roll that plucked the heart strings of a whole generation was in part contrived by the money magnates of the music industry.

“He said people are sold on music trends and forced to consume albums and concert material in one massive hunk—then left to sort out the pieces.”

“Every year, like clockwork, a new Led Zeppelin cassette hits the store and someone somewhere eats it up. That person is usually the same person that ate the same cassette last year.”

“The trend has to be changed, and quickly.”

“New groups are more conscious of the economics of the whole thing. They know the chances of success are slim, but the stakes are high.”

“There are dives, not bad places, and good bars… we’re somewhere in the middle right now.”

He said the competition is stiff and dance bookings—floors—are hard to come by.

“Some places have not changed their rates in years. Bands have to have their own P.A. system which costs us $2000.”

“You have your roadies, truck rental and credit? You can run up an overhead of $700 a week.”

Toyz have toured steadily since October and will go on to the west coast in February.

“Clubs are booked months ahead and there are good times, bad times,” said Bill. “It’s not always a case of sell, sell, sell.”

A whirlwind tour of club gigs through the Maritimes and Quebec with four tons of equipment in tow, living in close quarters, at sites with each other at all times, not even playing the circuit (that pays) in Quebec City, that pay up to $1700 per house band, to work for some rooms that pay out a total of $200, to sleeping on couches in old lodges and hotels… all of it wears on a person’s nerves.”

The road is demanding and the band must change continually to please an audience.

“You must have more than musicianship. You must have showmanship,” said David.

The stage act is changed about every three weeks and is as critical as the quality of the music.

“You change your set, tear it apart and pack it in 10 minutes… you learn to run on empty,” said Rob.

The group wants to enter the recording studio and has received support from agents and bookers.

“We are trying to build an identity, a name that stands for itself,” said Rob.

“Sure this job is hard to take, but so is pretty hard to take,” said Rob.

“Sure this job is hard to take. It’s not a job, it’s a career.”

“If you don’t enjoy the road, then don’t go. If you want a steady job and a family life — then don’t go.”

“You need the family life to go on.”

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