The Alarm

The Alarm are a Welsh new wave, punk and rock group from Rhyl, United Kingdom. They begin in 1978 under the name Seventeen, with Mike Peters on vocals and guitar, Dave Sharp on guitar, Eddie Macdonald on bass and Nigel Twist on drums. After a period of limited success, they reform in 1981 as Alarm Alarm, then take the name The Alarm after BBC DJ John Peel compares them with Duran Duran and Talk Talk.

Early years and move to London

After adopting the new name, the band move to London and share a small flat to save money for their first single, Unsafe Building / Up For Murder. They build an early profile on the live circuit and come to the attention of U2 in 1982, supporting them on tour and returning to that role on later occasions.

Albums and singles

In 1983, Sixty-Eight Guns becomes their biggest hit, reaching number 17 in the UK charts and giving the band their only appearance on Top of the Pops. Over the 1980s they release further albums including Strength, Eye of the Hurricane and Raw. Their singles include Spirit of 76, Rain in the Summertime, 45 RPM and The Stand, and they are credited with 15 UK Top 50 singles in total. The band also records 10 albums and sells more than 5 million copies worldwide.

Line-up and later activity

For most of their career, the core line-up consists of Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist. The group splits in 1991 after tensions within the band, including disagreements over song writing, and Mike Peters later fronts a second generation of the band with James Stevenson, Craig Adams and Steve Grantley. The Alarm return to the singles chart in 2004 with 45RPM, released under a pseudonym, from the album In the Poppyfields. In 2007, Peters launches the Love Hope Strength foundation to raise funds and awareness for cancer causes.

Style and collaborations

The Alarm use acoustic guitars as a distinctive part of their sound, which brings them into contact with artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young and U2, all of whom appear and sing with the band on stage. The group remains active and continues to appear in different forms, with members including Eddie MacDonald, Dave Sharp, Mark Taylor, Nigel Twist, Mike Peters, Craig Adams, James Stevenson, Smiley and Jules Jones.