The Alarm were one step away from becoming an alternative rock super-group, and making the jump from college radio to pop music without compromising their integrity. The two groups to whom the Alarm were most often compared, R.E.M. and U2, are still around today and selling millions of albums. But, for reasons unknown to this critic, the Alarm could never take that next step. Former lead singer Mike Peters has gone solo and is on tour in anticipation of his 1996 debut release.
Unlike other singers who eschew their past (Morrissey immediately leaps to mind), Peters let there be no doubt about how his fame arose. Interspersing songs with anecdotes from the Alarm's past - the attempted kidnapping of a British journalist, to force him to see how "great" the pre-Alarm (Seventeen) were, or an introduction of a fan who was quite literally the world's biggest Alarm fan - Peters created a friendly atmosphere which made the audience realize how fortunate they were to be in attendance. Rather than take on the air of a huge pop star, Peters instead came across as a long-lost relative, performing at a family gathering. And the smile on his face - when the crowd of less than two hundred people sang along with nearly every song - was priceless.
The classics were all there - "The Stand", "Rain In The Summertime", "Strength", "Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?", "Rescue Me" - and Peters introduced a couple of his new songs, which were performed with the same passion and integrity which gripped his previous hits. The chills in this author's spine were present through most of the other audience members.
Peters also performed a few rare (only performed live) B-sides; these were recently recorded by Mike on an album titled Second Generation, which consists of ten songs, half electric and half acoustic. The album is available in the U.S. by phoning 716-827-1244 or writing to MPO at PO Box 213, Buffalo, NY 14220-0213. Web surfers can order it through Peters' Web site at http://www.demon.co.uk/alarmpo - the cost is $15 + $2 shipping.
There's always the opportunity to see a band in a large setting, *after* they've made it big - it's much more difficult to see a rock superstar in smaller, intimate venues. Peters' return to his roots is something that absolutely should not be missed - possibly the event, for any fan of the Alarm (or any modern rock fan), of the year.
