That Petrol Emotion

That Petrol Emotion

That Petrol Emotion are an alternative rock group from Derry, Northern Ireland, active from 1985 to 1994, with a later reunion in 2008. The band forms out of the Derry Hitmakers, Bam Bam and the Calling, and The Undertones.

Formation and line-up

Guitarist John O’Neill and second guitarist Raymond Gorman form the group after DJing together at Derry’s Left Bank club. Drummer Ciaran McLaughlin joins after moving from Derry to London, followed by John O’Neill’s brother Damian O’Neill, who first plays bass. American singer Steve Mack completes the line-up while working in London. After John O’Neill leaves, the bass role passes to John Marchini and later Brendan Kelly. The listed members are Steve Mack, Ciaran McLaughlin, Réamann Ó’Gormain, Damian O’Neill, John O’Neill and Seán O'Néill.

Recording career

The band’s debut single, “Keen”, appears in 1985 and marks a move away from their Undertones connection towards a darker, more political sound. Their first album, Manic Pop Thrill, follows in 1986 on Demon Records and reaches number one in the UK Indie Chart. Their second album, Babble, is issued in 1987 on Polydor and enters the UK Top 40 album chart. The single “Big Decision” also appears in 1987 and reaches number 42 in the UK singles chart, while “Genius Move” is banned by the BBC.

The third album, End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues, appears on Virgin in 1988. By this point John O’Neill announces his departure, and the sessions reflect a more tense period for the band. Their fourth album, Chemicrazy, is released in 1990 on Virgin and develops a heavier alternative rock sound while keeping a strong pop element. Singles from the album include “Sensitize”, “Tingle” and “Hey Venus”. After the band leaves Virgin, their fifth and final album, Fireproof, appears in 1993 on their own Koogat label. It reaches number one in the UK Indie Chart and features Brendan Kelly on bass.

Style, reception and influence

That Petrol Emotion draw on a wide range of influences, including The Beatles, Afrika Bambaataa, Television, Sly & the Family Stone, Captain Beefheart and Can. They are known for combining indie rock with funk, dance and sample-based ideas, and for a live reputation built on tight musicianship and intense performance. Critics describe them as sounding like “The Clash crossed with Creedence” and as a “youthful Rolling Stones” mixed with “revved-up Television”.

The band receives strong critical notices for Manic Pop Thrill and Babble; Rolling Stone critics vote Babble among the albums of the year, and Robert Christgau gives it an A- grade. Although they do not achieve the commercial profile of some contemporaries, their work is later regarded as influential on Britpop and indie-dance, and on bands including The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Manic Street Preachers, Blur and Radiohead.