Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often eschew any recognisable language. Fraser's vocals included unknown words she found in foreign language books, adding to the band's dreamy ambience. They pioneered the 1980s alternative subgenre of dream pop and helped define what would become shoegaze.
Cocteau Twins in 1986, from L-R: Simon Raymonde, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie
Cocteau Twins promotional shoot to promote the release of The Moon and the Melodies (1986)
Lead singer Elizabeth Fraser performing live in 2006
Guitarist Robin Guthrie performing in 2008
Grangemouth is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Falkirk, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Bo'ness and 13 miles (20.9 km) south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001 Census. Preliminary figures from the 2011 census reported the number as 17,373.
A view over Grangemouth from Dumyat, December 2013
Grangemouth Town Hall
Grangemouth Refinery
View from Dumyat (Clackmannanshire) looking south-east towards Grangemouth's cooling towers, December 2013