The Alarm

Event information

Welsh Punky Rockers

This cult Welsh outfit have sold 5 million records.

Started by Mike Peters in 1977, the early Alarm sound featured a daring mix of amped up acoustic guitars, harmonica and passionate vocals that invited the enduring description "Bob Dylan meets The Clash". This is the sound of The Alarm that has been heard around the world ever since with 17 Top 50 UK singles, a host of successful albums and over 5 million sales worldwide. (The Alarm's most recent UK chart hit was 'Superchannel' (from 'Under Attack'), which went Top 30 in February 2006. In the USA, 'Three Sevens Clash' (the lead track from the band's 'Guerilla Tactics' release), reached number 7 on the Independent Rock Radio Chart in July 2008.

However, an all together darker dimension was added to the ever evolving Alarm story when Mike Peters was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL), just before the release of 'Under Attack' in January 2006. Despite having to undertake a heavy schedule of chemotherapy, Mike Peters carried out all his duties as front man of The Alarm. In between monthly chemo sessions he played every show booked in the UK and even two tours of the USA including an emotional performance at The Joey Ramone Lymphoma Research Benefit Concert in New York City. Whilst in New York Mike Peters received the news his family and Alarm fans worldwide had been hoping for when he was declared to be in remission.
The BBC had been allowed to capture Mike's cancer battle from the beginning, and a powerful and revealing TV documentary 'Road To Recovery' was broadcast in 2006. Since then Mike Peters has formed his own Love Hope Strength Foundation (www.LoveHopeStrength.org) taking the fight against cancer to new heights including leading a team of musicians to 18,500 feet on Mt. Everest and breaking the record for the world's highest concert on land. "Everest Rocks" was captured on film and has appeared consistently on MTV's Palladia ever since. Mike has just returned from a similar successful trek to the summit to Kilimanjaro, Africa (19,335').

'21' is the 4th album to be released by the modern lineup of The Alarm and features originator / songwriter Mike Peters (lead vocal & guitar) with James Stevenson (Gen X) on guitar, bass guitarist Craig Adams (Sisters Of Mercy / The Mission) and Steve Grantley (SLF) on drums.

21 Facts About The Alarm

01: 21 is the brand new album from Wales' most enduring rock and roll band - The Alarm.
02: 21 features twenty one of the absolute best songs cut by The Alarm during the 21st Century.
03: 21 also features a DVD with a video performance for every single track.
04: The Alarm was begun by Mike Peters in 1977 after seeing the Sex Pistols in Chester.
05: The Alarm scored their first ever hit in America with 1983's The Stand.
06: The Alarm's first hit in the UK was 'Sixty Eight Guns' in the same year.
07: The Alarm have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.
08: The Alarm have scored 15 Top 40 Chart singles in the UK (the most recent - 'Superchannel' reached 26 in 2006). A hit for each decade of the band's existence.
09: In 2008 The Alarm's 'Guerilla Tactics' album was released globally after an audacious acoustic concert by lead singer, Mike Peters in New York's Times Square.
10: Also in 2008, 'Three Sevens Clash' the lead track taken from 'Guerilla Tactics', reached number 7 on the American Independent Rock Radio Charts.
11: The Alarm have been joined on stage by Bono (U2), Neil Young and Bob Dylan amongst others.
12: The Alarm's Mike Peters is a 2 x cancer survivor and founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation taking the fight against cancer to new heights. www.lovehopestrength.org
13: In 2007, Mike Peters sang at 18,505' on Mt. Everest in what was officially recorded as the World's Highest Concert on Land.
14: The Alarm was one of the first band's to have a dedicated website - www.thealarm.com first established in 1992.
15: Alongside founder member Mike Peters, The Alarm's 21st Century line-up features Craig Adams (Sisters Of Mercy / The Mission) on bass, James Stevenson (Generation X / The Cult) on guitar and Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers) on drums. Although still considered 'the new boys', the band has now played together longer than the originals.
16: The Alarm's Gathering Weekend is now in it's eighteenth year.
17: The Alarm's last album 'Guerilla Tactics' is the band's third best selling album of all time on iTunes.
18: In 2004, The Alarm caused controversy in the UK when they had a hit record with the song '45 RPM'. Released under the pseudonym The Poppy Fields and featuring a fake band of eighteen year-olds on video, 45 RPM charted at number 24 after being championed on-air as one of the "best new band's in Britain" by unsuspecting DJ's. The true identity of the Poppy Fields was revealed by Mike Peters on the BBC News website and in the subsequent fall out, The Alarm became the centre of a global news story appearing on prime time America's CBS News with Dan Rather.
19: In 2010, John H. Williams (Producer of Shrek) and Welsh film director Sara Sugarman will begin shooting 'Vinyl'.; a new film loosely based around the '45 R.P.M.' controversy.
20: Mike Peters is the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards from the Welsh Music Industry.
21: 21 is released on November 2nd 2009 and supported by a UK 'Release The Pressure Tour' Spring 2010