theaudience

[mayer]

A bit of a repost, but the last one is awol. Anyway, I came across the LP for the first time in ages a few weeks back and.... it's pretty poor. Too many dodgy tracks that I'd erased from my mind at the time. I thought the album was pish then, and pretended otherwise in the interim. I think it's half-pish now, but it still has some great standouts.



Bextor was always destined to be a star though. Beautiful in appearance and voice, and style, and charisma, and she was the reason why theaudience weren't yet another wank band playing shit venues in Camden, and still elicit quite a large amount of fondness from people cynical enough to know better.

I Never Have Been Done (Live - some NME CD)

Ne Jamais Decu (some b-side... Wherewithal EP)

I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough) (original version - LP bonus CD)

[The Plunger]

Thanks for the mp3s. Am I right in thinking the original album is pretty scarce these days ?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I remember A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed. Thanks to Youtube I managed to track it down after not buying the single even though I couldn't get it out of my head for a week. That's still really good. I always found Sophie miles better looking in her theaudience days as well, I think it was the clothes and make-up...oh and she did music that was OK. To think, my brother's actually seen her,...I mean them live...

[Marty McFly]

I saw them live too.. NME tour thingy. They were on first, followed by Warm Jets (claim to fame: the singer was going out with Zoe Ball at the time) followed by Asian Dub Foundation, and then the headliners: Stereophonics. Ah, 1998..

[chand]

I saw them at a free festival in Manchester in I think 1997. They were second on the bill to Shed Seven, and above Clint Boon Experience, Wireless, Intastella, Phoenix-something and a bunch of other bands I've forgotten. I was with a mate who absolutely hated Sophie Ellis-Bextor and spent the entire set saying how annoying she was, he was almost spitting with rage. They were alright, but as has been said above they did seem to be a reasonably mediocre indie band blessed with a charismatic singer.

[ccbaxter]

I remember being very excited by them after hearing "If You Can't Do It When You're Young...", and loving each of the first three singles - and a fair few of the B-sides, including their deftly-done covers of "Penis Size And Cars" and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do". The album sounded a little too noodly in places, but Sophie clearly had real star quality early on, and it was great seeing her emerge from theaudience and thrive afterwards.

I interviewed her dad, Robin Bextor, a couple of years ago regarding a book about Paul McCartney he'd co-written - seemed a very friendly chap, and especially came alive with quite touching excitement to hear of someone who'd been a fan of theaudience - told enthusiastically about how he'd helped take the photos, shoot the videos, at the time, in a real proud-parent, proud-to-be-involved way. Clammed up a bit as to how and why band-leader, and Sophie's ex, Billy Reeves had gone, well, a bit weird, though...

I like the strong singles SEB has released as a solo artist, and am enjoying her latest album - though thinking it would be nice if, along with the synthy pop beats and beeps, there was a little more theaudience-esque guitar jabs. Though the current single, the lovelily-crunchy "Catch You", does seem more of a move in that general direction.

Incidentally, I did like her response to Frank Skinner grinningly asking her, at the Brits: "Why the wide face?"
Hers being: "I dunno, Frank - why the ugly face?"

If only, as she admitted, she'd actually said that at the time, instead of only thinking of it a few minutes too late, off-stage again...