The Lens was a British progressive‑rock group founded in Southampton in 1977, active until 1981, and later revived in 2010 as a studio project. The band is best known as the precursor to IQ, one of the key acts of the 1980s neo‑progressive movement. The origins of The Lens trace back to 1976, when guitarist Mike Holmes, vocalist Peter Nicholls and drummer Niall Hayden met—according to long‑standing band lore—while waiting in line for Genesis concert tickets. Their first attempt at forming a band was under the name The Giln, before settling on The Lens after recruiting bassist Rob Thompson and keyboardist Peter Blackler. The Lens debuted live in 1977, though the lineup was far from stable. Drummer Niall Hayden was frequently replaced by Brian Marshall, and on some occasions both drummers performed together. Peter Nicholls, although officially a member, often appeared only sporadically due to living in Manchester; at one concert he introduced songs and told stories on stage but did not sing. The lineup later expanded with the arrival of keyboardist Martin Orford, while Hayden departed and the bass position was taken over by Les Marshall, Brian’s brother. The band’s first cassette release, No TV Tonite, featured a mixture of space‑rock, psychedelic material and more complex progressive‑rock compositions. The tape sold surprisingly well for an independent release. Live, The Lens became known for ambitious stage presentations, using lights, film projections and even small‑scale pyrotechnics, regardless of venue size. Their shows became increasingly theatrical, especially after Carmine Brudenell, a colleague of Mike Holmes, began performing interpretive dance in front of the band during concerts.
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Sleep Until You Wake
Slowdown
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Choosing A Farmer Part IV
Choosing a Farmer (Part 1)
IQ On Stephen’s Castle Down
Dreams
Childhood’s End
A Little Robot Juice
Shafts of Light
Twenty Eight
Of Tide and Change