That Petrol Emotion

Following the dissolution of the Undertones, Sean O'Neill—previously credited as John—joined forces with Derry DJ Reámann O'Gormain to launch That Petrol Emotion. Sean's sibling and former Undertones colleague Damian O'Neill later switched to bass once the group relocated to England. Though the new outfit leaned more political and abrasive than its predecessor, it retained the earlier combo's propulsive melodic drive. Their debut release, Manic Pop Thrill, positioned That Petrol Emotion as critical darlings while attracting a solid domestic audience across the U.K. Throughout subsequent releases the group continued to draw from an ever-widening pool of independent guitar-rock styles, resulting in recordings that sometimes lacked cohesion yet consistently contained standout tracks. Sean departed after the third album, End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues, a set that already hinted the band's restless eclecticism was losing steam; the two follow-ups confirmed the material had grown thin. Eight years after forming, That Petrol Emotion disbanded in 1994.