Audience is a cult British art-rock band which existed between 1969 and 1972, and reformed in 2004. Members: Howard Werth (guitar, vocals), Trevor Williams (bass, vocals), Keith Gemmell (sax, clarinet, flute, 1969-72, 2005-present), Tony Connor (percussion, vibes, vocals, 1969-72), Patrick Neubergh (sax, 1972), Nick Judd (keyboards, 1972), John Fisher (drums, 2005-present) The original band consisted of Howard Werth on nylon-strung electric acoustic guitar and vocals, Keith Gemmell on tenor sax, flute and clarinet, bass guitarist and vocalist Trevor Williams, and drummer/vocalist Tony Connor. Audience rose from the ashes of a semi-professional soul band named Lloyd Alexander Real Estate, which had included all the Audience members with the exception of Connor, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the earlier band. However, when Werth, Williams, and Gemmell decided to form their new band, it was Connor who came to mind as the right man to complete the line-up. ...show more

Audience is a cult British art-rock band which existed between 1969 and 1972, and reformed in 2004. Members: Howard Werth (guitar, vocals), Trevor Williams (bass, vocals), Keith Gemmell (sax, clarinet, flute, 1969-72, 2005-present), Tony Connor (percussion, vibes, vocals, 1969-72), Patrick Neubergh (sax, 1972), Nick Judd (keyboards, 1972), John Fisher (drums, 2005-present) The original band consisted of Howard Werth on nylon-strung electric acoustic guitar and vocals, Keith Gemmell on tenor sax, flute and clarinet, bass guitarist and vocalist Trevor Williams, and drummer/vocalist Tony Connor. Audience rose from the ashes of a semi-professional soul band named Lloyd Alexander Real Estate, which had included all the Audience members with the exception of Connor, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the earlier band. However, when Werth, Williams, and Gemmell decided to form their new band, it was Connor who came to mind as the right man to complete the line-up.

Within weeks of starting rehearsals, Audience had acquired management, a publishing contract, a residency at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and a recording contract with Polydor, with whom they recorded their first album Audience. The band, however, was less than pleased with the record company's promotional approach, and went into hiding in Switzerland to avoid getting involved with banal publicity stunts. By the end of the year, the band was drawing public and journalistic acclaim for their songs, arrangements, and stage act. They had also been commissioned to write the score for Bronco Bullfrog, an East End skinhead film directed by Barney Platts-Mills, which established a genre subsequently taken up by Mike Leigh.

None of this was wasted on Tony Stratton-Smith, Director of Charisma Records, who spotted the band supporting Led Zeppelin and signed them up to his label immediately. Audience recorded three albums with Charisma, the members producing and designing the first Friends Friends Friend themselves before bringing in legendary producer Gus Dudgeon and top record sleeve designers Hipgnosis to get the best from their follow-up albums House on the Hill and Lunch. Dudgeon's first 45rpm production for the band, "Indian Summer", took the band into the lower reaches of the U.S. charts, but by this time they were exhausted and fractious, having worked virtually non-stop for three years. ...show less