the autograph collection of
Brian Borup
Lloyd Cole
The Zephyr - Nov 9th 1995
Jennifer and I met Brad and Elizabeth at the Zephyr in Salt Lake City. They had already been there for a few minutes before we got there.
When I came in, Brad informed me that he had already gotten Lloyd Cole's autograph on a cocktail napkin. Well, that really got me going.
I decided that I should go buy a t-shirt so I would be prepared.
The warm-up band was Ivy and they were pretty good. In fact they were so good that Lloyd had come out and was listening to the band. I spotted him and asked him if he'd sign my shirt. There was only one problem. I had no pen and neither did he. So he said that he'd sign it after the show. Which he did.
I was really impressed with him. I had only seen pictures of him looking very serious and therefore I thought he must have a kind of dark personality. But before, during, and after the show he smiled a lot. And he joked around a lot on stage. While in the middle of his songs he excused himself to go to the bathroom.
I think that the Zephyr is a great place to see someone in concert because it's so personal.
About Lloyd Cole
Through both his lauded work fronting the Commotions and his more eclectic solo efforts, Lloyd Cole established himself as one of the most articulate and acute songwriters of the postpunk era. Born January 31, 1961 in Buxton, England, Cole formed the Commotions in 1982 while studying philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Originally a large soul band, the group eventually trimmed itself down to a quintet which included keyboardist Blair Cowan, guitarist Neil Clark, bassist Lawrence Donegan and drummer Stephen Irvine.The uncommon quality of Cole's songwriting earned the Commotions a contract with British Polydor, and in 1984, they debuted with Rattlesnakes, a wry, heartfelt record of jangling guitar pop stuffed with references to the likes of Jules and Jim, Simone de Beauvoir, Norman Mailer and On the Waterfront; "Perfect Skin," the shimmering first single, reached the U.K. Top 30. Produced by the hit-making team of Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer, 1985's Easy Pieces, was a slicker effort that included the singles "Lost Weekend" and "Brand New Friend," both of which earned significant airplay on alternative radio outlets.
Following the release of 1987's Mainstream, Cole disbanded the Commotions and moved to New York City to establish himself as a solo performer. There he joined forces with noted session drummer Fred Maher, who enlisted ex-Voidoid Robert Quine on guitar and an up-and-coming singer/songwriter named Matthew Sweet to play bass for Cole's eponymously-titled 1990 solo debut, which continued much in the vein of his work with the Commotions. 1991's Don't Get Weird on Me, Babe, however, marked a major artistic shift, as the entire second half of the album explored lush, string-sweetened cabaret music, arranged by Paul Buckmaster (known for his work with Elton John and the Rolling Stones).
Commercial success continued to elude Cole, however, and it took 1993's Bad Vibes -- a diverse effort touching upon psychedelia and electronics -- a year to find U.S. distribution. By the time of 1995's Love Story, his sound had come full circle; a return to the more minimalist, folk-rock inspired work with the Commotions, the LP not coincidentally marked Cole's reunion with the band's guitarist Neil Clark.
-- Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide
Other Lloyd Cole CDs
