Tim Ray & A.V.

Tim Ray was among the first wave of "new music" pioneers in Vancouver, releasing his first single 'Time Waves' in 1977. Ray’s music always had more in common with the experimentation of the Velvet Underground or Television than the punk of the Ramones or Sex Pistols.

After seeing The Furies at Japanese Hall, Tim Ray and Bill Napier-Hemy set about forming a band in early 1978. They added drummer Brock Smith and bassist Randy Wright. They called the band AV. Colin Griffiths replaced Brock Smith, and in May they opened for The Patti Smith Group at the Commodore Ballroom. In August 1978, Tim, Bill and Colin recorded the four-song 7-inch 'AV EP', the inaugural release on the Quintessence Records label. Then Bill and Colin left to concentrate on their new band, The Pointed Sticks. By the time the 'AV EP' was released that fall, Tim Ray had formed a new version of AV, with Martin Brown (bass) and Ronnie Cargill (drums).

 
In April 1981, Ray recorded "Seen A Fight" with Payola$ bassist Marty Higgs, Ronnie Cargill, and keyboardists Bill Barclay and Peter Helliwell. ("Seen A Fight" surfaced on the Zulu Records compilation CD 'Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988'.) In June, Ray (whose band now included Alex Varty of AKA, and Danice MacLeod of UJ3RK5) was the opening act for John Cale on the west coast leg of his tour. In the mid-to-late ‘80s, Tim Ray moved to New York and pursued a visual-arts career. He also was an important figure in the underground “Anti-Folk” movement. [SOURCE: PUNK MOVIE AND NEW WAVE MUSIC DOCUMENTARY - BLOODIED BUT UNBOWED]