Namesakes #76: The Audience

And you thought that the whole point of becoming a rock star was to get up on stage and feel the adulation of the crowd below you...?

Not always, it seems.

These guys would rather be in the audience!

AUDIENCE #1 

We start with an Audience lacking the definite article, originating in that London back in 1969. They started out as a soul band called Lloyd Alexander Real Estate (no idea who Lloyd Alexander was - he certainly wasn't in the band) before getting a record deal and a residency at Ronnie Scott's nightclub as Audience. They drifted away from soul towards the pretensions of Art Rock, released four albums, and toured with Rod and the Faces, before it all fell apart at the end of '72. Vocalist Howard Werth was momentarily considered as a replacement for Jim Morrison in The Doors, while other band members went on to join Stackridge, The Nashville Teens and previous Namesakes, Hot Chocolate. 

Here they are at the height of their powers in 1971...

THE AUDIENCE #2

British post-punkers, verging on goths if you ask me, from 1982. The only tracks listed on discogs were on compilations, so I was surprised to find some audio...

THEAUDIENCE #3

The Audience for whom I have the most time arrived on the scene in 1996, differentiating themselves with a portmanteau name (or perhaps their space bar was broken). Lead singer Sophie Ellis Bextor was the daughter of former Blue Peter presenter Janet Green, and there were slight mumblings of nepotism from certain corners of the Britpop community. However, Theaudience were a far more interesting prospect than Menswear or The Ordinary Boys or any number of lesser Britpop lights, so stuff 'em all. 

Sophie went on to solo fame in the pop world, reinventing herself during lockdown with her Kitchen Disco performances. Her career got a further boost recently when her track Murder On The Dancefloor was featured in the soundtrack of controversial movie Saltburn... and as a result, you'll have a hell of a job finding a decent priced copy of Theaudience's sole album from 1998 right now. They were going for 10p a copy 6 months ago... such is the fickle world of pop.

Here's a song I knew I was going to love as soon as I saw the title...

  

THE AUDIENCE #4

From Santa Cruz in 1997 came another The Audience - or Das Audience - though they'd soon change their name to Vue, like the cinema chain. The song titles on their sole album sound promising... Doctor Huh, Painless Dentistry and Love A Doorframe - but I think they may have set the bar too high.

AUDIENCE #5

A Spanish Audience who got together in 2002 and may still be kicking around. Could be worthy of further investigation...

THE AUDIENCE #6

German indie types led by guitarist Sebastian Wild and singer Bernd Pflaum, active between 2005 and 2012.

 

THEE AUDIENCE #7

New York power-poppers with an extra E from about a decade ago...

THA AUDIENCE #8

Finally, I want you to close your eyes and imagine you're in a particularly noisy video game arcade back in 2014...

Which Audience is deserving of your applause... and which would you boot out into the street?