Lloyd Cole and the Commotions was a British pop band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1982. Between 1984 and 1989, the band scored four UK Top 20 albums and five UK Top 40 singles. After breaking up in 1989, Lloyd Cole embarked on a solo career. The band reformed briefly in 2004 to perform a 20th anniversary mini-tour of the UK and Ireland. Signed to Polydor in 1984, the band was known for combining Clark's twangy guitar style with Cole's low-key singing style. Particularly notable were Cole's literary lyrics (he was studying Philosophy at the University of Glasgow when the band started) and name-dropping the likes of Norman Mailer, Arthur Lee, Grace Kelly, Truman Capote, Eva Marie Saint, Simone de Beauvoir, and Nancy Sinatra. For a period in the mid 1980s the band was one of the most successful indie acts in Britain, vying with The Smiths. The band broke up in 1989 amid reports of personality clashes between members, and Cole moved to New York City to pursue a successful solo career. The band reformed in 2004 to perform a 20th anniversary tour of the UK and Ireland. Band members Lloyd Cole (born 31 January 1961) - vocals, guitar, lyricist Blair Cowan (born 1960?) - keyboards Lawrence Donegan (born 13 July 1961) - bass guitar Neil Clark (born 3 July 1955) - guitar Stephen Irvine (born 16 December 1959) - drums Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.