The Alarm

The earnest guitar-dominated band the Alarm first came to the attention of American audiences when it opened U2's 1983 tour. Like U2, the Alarm sought to forge a new, idealistic arena rock, one marked by a sense of band-audience communion and punk's galvanizing spirit. Eschewing electronic effects, the Alarm's Mike Peters and Dave Sharp strummed acoustic guitars.

The quartet came together in their native Wales while all were in their teens. Peters and Nigel Twist were part of the Toilets when Eddie MacDonald and Sharp joined them in 1978. Inspired by the Sex Pistols, for a while they called themselves Seventeen. In 1981 they relocated to London, where, after gigging steadily in clubs, they were signed by I.R.S. Records. The following year they became the Alarm. Despite scoring hits on rock-oriented radio with such songs as “Strength” (#61, 1985) and “Rain in the Summertime” (#71, 1987), only one album broke the Top 40, Strenght (#39, 1985). Sharp released is first solo album, Hard Travellin’, in late 1991; the band broke up in 1992.

Peters moved on to a solo career, releasing four albums in five years. The third, Rise was accompanied by an all-request tour, in which fans determined the set list for each concert date via fax and the singer’s Web site. At the same time, Peters began a collaboration with Billy Duffy, onetime guitarist for the Cult. Their band, ColourSound, released an eponymously titled album in 1999. To promote an Alarm box set, Peters embarked on the Mike Peters Alarm 2001 Tour, with a lineup (guitarist James Stevenson, bassist Richard Llewellyn, and drummer Steve Grantley) that had performed together in 2000.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)