Back when I lived in Buffalo, Mike Peters from The Alarm played a show at Nietzsche’s in Allentown. After the show, some friends and I were just hanging out at the bar up front when he came over and struck up a conversation. He stayed and talked with us like we were old friends, not just fans—laughing, sharing stories, and genuinely connecting with us until they finally kicked us all out at closing and he headed to the tour bus or a hotel.
That night meant more than he probably ever knew. He made us feel seen, appreciated, and welcome—like we mattered to him in a profound way, which perhaps we did. We werent gushing over him, and we treated him like a local, not a rock star. 
Rest in peace, Mike. You had a rare kind of kindness, a songwriters heart, and the gift of gab that night, and I’ll always remember how special you made me feel.
If memory serves, he insisted that he pay for the last round.

Dave Fletcher
______________________________________

Remember the live concert that was broadcast from UCLA on MTV? As a fourteen-year-old Alarm fan in middle America’s hinterlands, I waited with my fingers on the VCR to record that show the moment it started. Loved Mike Peters, loved the band. When news broke of Mike’s death, I went to YouTube and re-watched that concert for the first time in forever. Mike’s sincerity (“…feels like today as if my dreams are coming true…”) and his band’s performance are a kind of heartfelt we could use more of these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taq1pnJvT7s

Hayden Blake
______________________________________

I was at that U2 concert at Red Rocks when I was in college at DU. Never even heard of U2 before. A friend had an extra ticket and asked If I wanted to go (if I drove) and it was a cold, nasty rainy day. They asked everyone to move down to the front as they were going to film it and I am saying to myself, film it? Who do these guys think they are?

I found out fast who they thought they were. I was literally blown out of my seat. Amazing. I still watch the concert film now and then but I can’t find myself in it.

Barry Levinson
______________________________________

Mike was the best, both an inspiration as a human and as an artist who followed his own path. If you haven’t heard this great slowed down version of Strength he did on the Anniversary record for Strength it’s terrific 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btH9eNp5hec

Stay Healthy 
Gregg Simon
______________________________________

The Stand is where it started for me. My favorite book turned into a fookin’ great rocker!

Mark Dodson
______________________________________

Their live ep, Electric Folklore was/is amazing. For whatever reason, it’s one of the few albums I had on cassette vs cd or vinyl. It lived in my car for years and particularly in the summer. No better album for a summer drive. Mike was a friend of a friend and apparently SUCH a good guy. A rock star in just about every sense.

Tim Wood
______________________________________

This was a beautiful tribute to Mike Peters. When the EP hit in 1983, my music-junkie roommate Dave and I were blown away. We passed it up and down the dorm floor and every single person who brought it back to us had become an Alarm convert. It sounded like the next Clash. We loved them that much.

Gary Judson
______________________________________

Thanks for sharing about The Alarm -- wonderful, woefully underappreciated band. I had heard a bit of their stuff before seeing them open for The Pretenders in March 1984. The Alarm blew me away, great songs and what PASSION! And I don't think I ever heard acoustic guitars that loud before...or since. I was a Pretenders fan, had seen the original band a few times (sharp, with James Honeyman-Scott), but after The Alarm, their set, albeit good, was just too safe and mannered.

Mike Peters RIP.

Todd Ellenberg
______________________________________

Hey BOB, you mentioned a great deal about U2 in this post… I was VP of promotion at Island Records When BLACKWELL had just obtained U2 from Warner Brothers. They were still relatively unknown and the 2 WB releases, Boy and October Had only done about 75,000 units between both of them. CHRIS came into my office At the end of the day and handed me a 15 IPS tape of the WAR album, Told me to spend some time with it and Wanted my opinion. I took out the tape and placed it on my TEAC Machine, closed the door, cranked it up and started to listen. I was immediately excited and thought we had something very special, but wanted to double check myself so I listened to the whole thing again… I knew it was the goods, so I hooked up the seven cassette machines I had in my office and started making copies to send out to my Indies, since I didn’t have a promotion staff at that time. I think I spent half the night there making copies. Chris told me he’d be in first thing in the morning, So I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep and came in the office to meet with Chris and.RON GOLDSTEIN, the president of the company. I told him how excited I was, and that I had a plan but needed a boatload of money to execute it. They agreed, so I brought in a bunch of the undies for a meeting and played them the album… They were All stoked! I told them that we were running with the first track “Sunday Bloody Sunday“ And that I wanted it on every major FM station in the country immediately. I offered them double their fee in order to make this a priority, because I was up against all the majors and Island Records was just really Thought of as a boutique label, With Bob Marley as their major artist. I gave them each both a cassette of the album and a cassette of just Sunday Bloody Sunday. I told him I wanted to focus on the single, but they could tease their stations by playing them some of the album, but not to leave it with anyone, just focus on the single! Since we were being distributed by Atlantic at that time, I then made appointment to go over and meet with the Atlantic Staff and play them the album to get them stoked as well and told them what my plan was… The Indies would get the record started, and then the Atlantic staff would kick in. within days, we had set up a Listening party at Atlantic to hear the record… Meet the group and their manager, Paul McGuinness. as I met the BAND and their manager, they could feel my excitement and we hit it off immediately. PAUL and I immediately became friends as did Bono and The Edge. He told me they would help in anyway that they could, so I had them up to my office to do “live” phoners That I had offered to the major stations In exchange for heavy AirPlay! The point of this whole long. story BOB is to tell you how proud I am to be recognized by my peers as the promotion guy who broke U2 and the War album On radio in the US. They’re touring close the deal!

Be well,
Michael Abramson
______________________________________

I remember finding Electric Folklore Live '87-'88 at The Great Escape in Nashville on 21st Ave. It was probably '89 or '90. As you know, buying music back then was often a gamble and I felt like I'd won the music lottery that day. I could not have imagined back then that 30 years later, my son would discover The Alarm and I'd be driving him to school as we cranked up and sang along to "Rescue Me." What's even more strange and beautiful is that the track was recorded on April 26th at the Wang Centre in Boston, my son's birthday and the town where he'll be studying music at Berklee in a few short months. What a wonderful world. Rest easy, Mike - you gave us all you had and inspired more than you knew.

Aubrey Parker
______________________________________

Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Mike Peters.

I’ve been a fan since 1984, when I was in college. While it may not have been U2 at Red Rocks, The Alarm’s performance on the campus of UCLA in April 1986 - broadcast live on MTV - was absolutely epic. That night cemented my love for the band and my respect for Mike as a frontman and artist.
 
Years later, we had the privilege of working with Mike on a few live shows and got to know him a bit - which wasn’t hard. Mike was one of the kindest, most generous people you could ever meet.
 
Here’s a story that says it all. In 2016, I was telling Mike about a new music festival we had just launched in Cleveland. True to form, he didn’t ask to play the event. Instead, he asked if there might be room for his Love Hope Strength Foundation - not to promote himself, but to raise awareness for cancer research. He even offered to pay for the space. We, of course, welcomed the Foundation and charged nothing. That was Mike - always leading with heart, always thinking of others.
 
Years ago, my wife and I were lucky enough to see Mike perform with Big Country, stepping in to honor the late Stuart Adamson. Before the show, Jennifer asked me, “Do you think they’ll play any Alarm songs?” I said, “No way - that’s not Mike. This show will be all about Big Country.” Sure enough, Mike crushed that set. It was powerful, selfless, and deeply respectful. Stuart would’ve been proud.
 
This one hit me hard. The world lost a great artist - and an even greater human being.
 
With respect,
 
Denny Young
______________________________________

This sucks badly and if you hadn't posted it, I probably wouldn't have heard the news. I was an alarm fan from the get-go and saw them on my first trip to London at the Lyceum in 1985. They rocked the walls of that ancient building. and it was one of the most intense, purely passionate shows I'd seen since The Clash in 1979. I also got to hang out with the band in Toronto after a Masonic Temple show a year or so later. A nicer bunch of guys you'd never meet and Mike Peters was post-show full of enthusiasm and optimism, and truly believed it was only a matter of time before the band and their message broke through. And if life were fair, they would have. I hope the folks that don't know this act will take your advice and give them the listen they deserve. I'm so sorry to hear that. MIke didn't make it, despite his valiant efforts to overcome a sh*tty disease.

Mike Campbell
Programming Director 
thecarleton.ca 
______________________________________

Gutted to hear this. The Strength album has been a favorite since I was a kid. It's one of those albums that really should be in every household. Every song a lesson in being human. Something to give you a bit of strength when you´'re down.

I ain't gonna preach, no I ain't gonna teach
I'm just gonna sing about the things that I need
A little bit of love, a little bit of hope
A little bit of strength, some fuel for the fire
To build the ships to set the sails
To cross the sea of fools
To be dealt the cards
To play our hand
To win or else to lose
In this cruel world that kicks a man when he's down.

Káre Garnes
______________________________________

Thank you for sharing his storry. In  2006,7,8, Mike would play my venue Canal Room in NYC, Him and Jules were a match made in heaven. When you have a wife like Jules by your side for the ride, you have fully succeeded in life. Mike was always thankful to play my 500 capacity room, even though he was desreving of playing mch larger venues. A true gentlemen. A true artist. 

Best,
Marcus 
ML Presents
______________________________________

Thanks for this Bob. “Spirit of ‘76” still makes me cry every time I hear it; I too find myself in reverie when it comes on. 

Like I did yesterday. Went down an Alarm rabbit hole as soon as I heard the news. So many great tunes. Such passion, such desire for truth in the man’s voice & lyrics. And yes, the band was top notch. 

One of the best concerts I’d ever seen to that point, The Alarm at the Cal State Fullerton gym.  I have a distinct memory of Mike Peters spraying a deck of playing cards over the heads of us down front, in a strobe. Simple stagecraft. Cheap, even. But so effective. Man, my friends and I were hooked.

 Some friends got married and had the singer of our band, Fear & Faith, sing “Walk Forever By My Aide” a capella at their wedding. 

Such memories, such passion, such desire for truth. 

Guys like Bono & Mike brought urgency, sincerity, and earnestness back to music in the early 80s. Big Country. Hothouse Flowers. It was a whole subgenre. 

And the Alarm were among its best. 

RIP Mike Peters. Thanks for the music, and the memories. 

Jonny Langston
______________________________________

Nobody mentions "The Stand" - that's what hooked me.

And seeing the Alarm open for U2 (who had yet to graduate to large venues or stadiums) at Pier 84 in Manhattan back in June of 1983 was a memorable gig.

The sun was setting behind the audience at the same time it was lighting up the musicians.

R.I.P. Mike 

Thanks,

Stuart Taubel 
______________________________________

There goes the sound of my adolescence.

Growing up in suburban New Jersey, we didn't have cable (few of my friends did in the early '80s), so I couldn't watch MTV.

But we DID have UHF channel U68, which was close enough for this piano-playing, music-obsessed kid. I had it on heavy repeat.

"Strength" was in constant rotation back then, and yesterday when I heard Mike Peters passed, I could still sing the words, some four decades later.

Time races by. 

Jon Regen 
______________________________________

On April 6th, 1988, I saw Bob Dylan at Sammis Pavilion in Carlsbad, CA. The Alarm opened, and they were fantastic. I think their performance probably motivated Bob to give a particularly energized show, and Mike and his bandmates seemed so thrilled to open for the legend.

I’m listening to the playlist, and wow- what great songs! “Sold Me Down The River” sounds like a soulful b-side to “Hot In The City”, and “Rain In The Summertime” always gives me chills. What a voice. Rest in Power.

Ralph Waxman
______________________________________

Putting aside their Welshness, I think its important to note that the 80s was about anything but optimism is the UK, it was grim, angry, violent and depressing.  That’s not to say there wasn’t fun to be had but in terms of overall mood, certainly outside the south east, it was dark.  Until acid house saved the day but that’s a different story of course, the 90s started in 1988.

Keep on keeping on

Will Nicol
______________________________________

RIP to Mr. Peters

I love the album and Rain In The Summertime was always part of my DJ repertoire for all the years I played the pubs and clubs from the time it came out till I retired from DJing around 2015. 

I still listen to the song regularly and is a permanent fixture in my Spotify playlist along with Strength. I will always cherish what those songs and what the Alarms music meant to me on a personal level.

Thank you Mr. Lefsetz for recognizing and sharing the Alarm with all your friends.

Mike from Mission
______________________________________

I threw a party over a decade ago for the launch of my company, at my office and he just randomly showed up.  Not sure who invited him or why – but I was so excited, who invited Mike Peters?  Awesome....  Rain In The Summertime was the first song I ever heard from them and then I worked backward and loved every song the deeper I was able to dig.  One of the under-celebrated bands of their era, hope the catalog has a moment and more people can appreciate how great The Alarm was.

Lucas Keller
______________________________________

I saw The Alarm at the long-gone venue the Birmingham Odeon in the UK in summer '84. I'd heard the album a few times, and some tracks were getting decent radio airplay over here. Mike and the band blew me away - he was a real rockstar as you say. Had the audience along the entire way, and after the encore Dave Sharp and Mike smashed their guitars onto the stage. Class acts. Mike will be missed.,

Nick Wilson
______________________________________

My first ever concert was The Alarm in 1984, back in my hometown of Lund in Sweden. They had just released their first full length (Declaration) but my older brother had the The Stand EP already. I was 14. And hooked. Big hair, big tunes, big hearts. They opened with Declaration, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding and Sixty Eight Guns, which is just such a killer statement. 

I stayed with The Alarm through Strength and Absolute Reality (the single version, not album), saw them live again in 1988 at the Brixton Academy, but then we drifted apart. 

The thing is though, I still regularly return to those two first albums. They sound fresh. They sound relevant. Just take the combination of devastating lyrics wrapped in a poppy beat that is Father To Son should be impossible, but it works so well. Why no one ever made a successful cover of Walk Forever By My Side doesn't make any sense either. Not that anyone would top the original, but the music deserved a much bigger audience.

But I'm OK with that. I have The Alarm and my memories. 

Gunnar Larsen
London
______________________________________

In the early 90's, I booked a show with Mike Peters & The Poets Of Justice.

When the band turned up at the venue, I heard someone saying "where's the promoter?" - it was Mike and my heart sank. I sheepishly introduced myself and was expecting to have my ear chewed off by an entitled, musician about why everything wasn't to his liking. Instead, Mike shook my hand heartly, looked me straight in the eyes and said "I'm Mike Peters and I want to thank you for having the faith in booking my band. We won't let you down. I know we haven't sold out but hopefully you're not losing any money". I was gobsmacked. Needless to say, he didn't let me down and the show was epic. I booked a number of his shows over the next few years and he was always a joy to work with.
Mike cared.

Andy Copping Live Nation
______________________________________

Thx for sharing your Mike Peters story and shedding light on a tremendous talent.
Have been a fan since those early days and had the pleasure to promote their show on March 21, 1986 at the University of Kansas courtesy of Jorge Guevedo at Premier Talent Agency who entrusted us with the play as Strength was breaking. The night of the performance, Mike was feeling a bit under the weather, and the label rep from IRS, Phil Costello, was requesting hot Welsh tea be brought to the dressing room immediately just minutes from show time. The rider didn’t mention either of those so being on a university campus, it became quite the scramble.  The solution came when someone remembered a teacher who kept a tea kettle during class. This led to breaking into their office to quickly procure…well…borrow.  The band then went on stage and it was powerful and electric, the rare show that still floats in your head decades later. Rock star for sure. 

Ps. Phil was a terrific mentor that night, demonstrating artist relations to a bunch of young college concert enthusiasts as he stood stageside with hot tea until the show ended. Not sure he realized he influenced some career choices for a couple students making us realize you can actually do something like this for a living.

Steve Traxler 
______________________________________

So sad to hear this about Mike Peters.
So glad I saw and heard The Alarm in '89.

Thank you for this Bob!

David Evans
______________________________________

Everything about Mike Peters screamed inspiration.  From the first time I heard the Alarm opening for U2 at the LA Sports Arena where he was putting it all into his performance to later in life when he was battling his health, everything he tackled he did at 100%.  Mike Peters was special and he left the world a better place. 

Bill Gagnon
______________________________________

Mike Peters was the real deal.  I had no idea until...

...a few years back Mike, Slim Jim Phantom, Captain Sensible and Chris Cheney from The Living End toured clubs as the Jack Tars (previously Dead Men Walking, I think, with a slightly different lineup).

They picked up extra players in each town.  Via an intro and recommendation from Duff McKagan, who was out of town at the time, I and Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) joined the Jack Tars at a gig at the Crocodile.

We did Stray Cats and Damned and Alarm songs and some other classics.  Mike fronted the band and had the audience absolutely in the palm of his hand from start to finish...I was blown away.  Truly charismatic and, as is always most important in music and art of any kind, driven by a sense of authentic, unshakeable conviction.  

RIP Mike.  You inspired me. 

best,

dave dederer
______________________________________

Thanks for this Bob. I was excited to see them at CSUN way back when and it was brilliant! Mike and his wife and many others that volunteered have done such great work with their Love Hope Strength Foundation. RIP Mike!

Mark Southland
______________________________________

Interesting to read an American music biz take on The Alarm. I was a teenage devotee of The Clash when the Welsh quartet came on the scene. I’m Canadian but my family spent a year in Oxford when I was 13-14 – a year that formed my musical and cultural tastes.
Anyway, The Alarm seemed gimmicky at first – the cowboy outfits and acoustic earnestness felt too contrived. But there was no denying the vitality of Unsafe Building, The Stand, Sixty Eight Guns, Where Were You Hiding…, Spirit of ’76.
At one point, maybe 1984, they felt like heirs apparent to the idealistic vision of Strummer and co., albeit without the funky reggae swing.

John Kendle
______________________________________

“Come on down and meet your maker.   Come on down and make the stand”——in 1983 my BFF and also next door neighbor at the time, Scott Sandler and I landed 2 tickets to see U2 at The Sports Arena in June, 1983.   We had both just graduated from High School a month earlier    Scott was to head to UCSB in the Fall and I to the University of Colorado, Boulder.   But before that I happened to see U2 at the US FESTIVAL Memorial Weekend a month prior    The Sunday lineup at the US FESTIVAL was headlined by David Bowie    His first live performance in America in god knows how long.   (Yes, that’s the year Stevie Ray Vaughn famously turned down Bowie’s offer to be his touring guitar player.)   But also on the bill on that Memorial Weekend Sunday included Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, Missing Persons, Quaterflash (barf me out with a spoon—1983 Valley lingo, baby) and this band from Dublin, Ireland who was 3rd on the bill called U2.   Simply put…..no U2 at the US Festival no Gary Spivack in the music business.   Life changer of a show.  Bono and the band played EVERY song like their life was on the line    The ONLY way a real rock ‘ roll band should play a live show.   They stole the day.   So much that when they announced that following Sunday in the LA TIMES Calendar that “U2’s first arena headline show ever will take place June 17, 1983 at the LA Sports Arena”,  Scott and I called Monday morning at 10am (cause THAT is what you did back then) and scored two balcony GA seats at “the dump that jumps”.   OK, now I can get to my point.   The opening band on 6-17-83 at the Sports Arena was……..THE ALARM    We knew absolutely nothing about them.   The Alarm played their guts out   They knew this was a big deal    We knew it was for them   You can feel it.   Rock ’n Roll was SO alive that night    They set the stage for what was a jaw-dropping performance from U2.  The Alarm stood their ground.    They won us over    They won the crowd over Sure, they were a poor man’s U2.   And there was nothing wrong with that…..nothing at all.   We loved them    But when Bono took the white flag into the upper Balcony and preceded to jump from the Balcony to the GA Floor (as chronicled by Robert Hilburn in his famous LA Times review the following Monday) it was game over.    This was ALL before the Red Rocks performance    By the time Red Rocks had happened, I was unpacking my bags in my CU Boulder dorm room and the word was out about U2.    But i already knew it.  “Oh, and if you dig U2 check out the band The Alarm too”, I said.   Pulled out my vinyl and blasted 'The Stand'——out”.

Gary Spivack
______________________________________

You nailed it. The Alarm was U2 without the trappings, just the passion and the will to lean across the divide and connect.
Those records had urgency! Immediacy! It was injustice in Reagan's America: different from ours, but palpable.
AND somehow Mike Peters made you feel empowered, like you could change something, make a difference (even if in my case, it was only hugging the occassional man crying in the Mayfair on King's Road, crying -- hard or soft -- because his lover's family had arrived + locked him out for the final throes of death from AIDS)
Holy stuff, but joyous. That was the crazy part. In the protest and the truth, those chiming guitars and his voice delivered joy.

When I got Rey Roldan's press release, my throat turned to a fist. Sixty-six is so young for someone who'd fought leukemia and seemingly won; who'd given his energy to awareness and helping other register for stem cell matches. Amazing work, but as you say, even more amazing creating a spark in so many people across listening stations, Alternative Radio, MTV and buying records that stirred you.

Sadly,

Holly Gleason
somewhere on the fringe
______________________________________

Mike affected people well beyond his music with the Love Hope Strength Foundation.  He was the rare star that actually donated his time to charity rather than just lending a name.  

R. Cummings
______________________________________

Many thanks for your tribute to Mike Peters. I have not listened to the Alarm in many years, but you reminded me what an energetic and great band they were back in the 80’s. I saw the Alarm a few times but my most memorable show was their performance at UCLA in 1986, which was broadcast live by MTV. I was at USC and slept outside near Sunset all night and was able to get up front for the show. Can’t believe I did that, but I’ll never forget it. 

Take care and keep up the great work,

Charlie Howard 
______________________________________

Thank you for that moving piece. Mike truly reached people in a way few artists ever do, and not just through his music but through the way he lived.
I had the joy of working with Mike for 25 years as a promoter, doing shows in wonderfully intimate venues in San Francisco, from Slim's to The Chapel to my little spot, The Red Devil Lounge. What began as a professional relationship became something far deeper. I came to know Mike, his beloved wife, Jules Jones Peters, and their boys, Dylan and Evan, who I watched grow up backstage and on the road, surrounded by the love and purpose that defined their father's life.
Mike led with his heart. His presence made you feel seen. His voice carried not just songs but messages of love, hope, and strength. Whether he was playing to thousands or in a small room, he gave everything: his story, his spirit, his soul. Every f*ckin' time. It was a site to be seen. 
He raised the bar for what it means to be an artist, a friend, a father, a fighter, and a human being. 

I truly appreciate you putting all of this into words. It meant a lot to read.
We are forever better for having known him.

Warmly,
Jay Siegan
______________________________________

I last saw Mike perform at UCLA in April 2017. Billy Duffy from the Cult joined the band on guitar for a couple of songs. It was truly a joyous inspiring performance. 

I had an opportunity to meet Mike after the show. He was promoting his documentary “Man in the Camo Jacket” which is a must watch showcasing his good nature, resilience and lust for life. 

I’ve never met a kinder, authentic individual. He was a true sweetheart. 

Rest in power Mike. 

Andrew Paciocco
______________________________________

To borrow a line from Springsteen: ‘I learned more from a 3 minute record, baby, than I ever learned in school’. 
The songs of Mike Peters & The Alarm spoke directly to me as an awkward Connecticut high school 17-yr-old. They made me ‘feel’ something. (God knows my father never sat me down to explain life or pump me up with confidence to face the unease of walking those hallways as a skinny, geeky kid.) But music, and Mike Peters in particular, had a way of breaking through so much of the classic rock dreck (which, granted, I still love for the deeper cuts) that was being played on Hartford’s WHCN & WCCC in those early 80’s. Tracks like ‘The Stand’, ‘Marching On’, ‘68 Guns’, ‘Shout To The Devil’, ‘We Are The Light’, ‘Knife Edge’, ‘Absolute Reality’, ‘Spirit of ‘76’, ‘Strength’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ and YES, the fantastic ‘Rain in the Summertime’ you so eloquently wrote about in your piece, all filled me with a sense of possibility. Of breaking out of my small Connecticut town of Glastonbury to deliver the promise of, well, MORE. 

I recall having gotten a ticket to see The Pretenders as they were just about to start touring their Pretenders II record but then, bassist Pete Farndon OD’d in James Honeyman-Scott’s footsteps and the entire tour was scrapped. So, by the time they returned to tour ‘Learning To Crawl’ in ‘84 at The Bushnell in Hartford, it was a dream come true to finally get to see Chrissie & ‘the girls’ LIVE but also with special guests THE ALARM! I was absolutely NUTS for both bands and as Mike & Eddie & Dave raised their strumming guitars straight-up against each other just before breaking into ‘Marching On’ off ‘Declaration’, I swear I damn near elevated off the Bushnell floor. 

I would proceed to see The Alarm another half dozen times over the years, preferring the original quartet. But Mike always ‘brought it’ even when performing solo & acoustic. Those 3 Alarm albums - ‘Declaration’, ‘Strength’ & ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ - were absolute perfection to me.  So much hope, naivete & innocence in a time when there was SO much to be cynical about. 

Flash-forward several years back, my wife & I were flying off to our beloved North Shore of Kauai, a supremely easy flight from LAX that lands directly on the island. Just as the attendants were getting ready to close the doors, a bedraggled blonde family raced to their row of seats directly in front of ours. My Gawd! It was Mike Peters with his wife & 2 boys. My eyes bugged out with one of my rock heroes just a shoulder tap away.  They all immediately passed out for the entire trip so I dared not bother them. But after we landed and were awaiting the plane to deboard, I’m standing in the aisle directly behind Mike. I rarely bother my rock heroes when I see them but this was just too good to be true. ‘Mr. Peters?’ I asked. He turned around with a big smile, ‘Oh no, Mike please’. I nervously went on to tell him what his music meant to me over the decades and he gave me a soul handshake and thanked ME for sharing! He then went on to share how they had travelled all day from Wales to NYC to LAX to Hawaii for a benefit show for cancer research he was to perform over the following days and if I had planned to be there. Of course, I had no idea about it but I again thanked him for his music & his time as the exit line started moving. His generosity to his fans was palpable even all those years following the big Alarm success. Which also made me think of the ‘Bands Reunited’ episode where they actually got the original 4 Alarm members (including Twist on drums, who they had found working at a San Francisco city clerks office!) to reunite for a one-off show. Sure enough, they held their guitars aloft as they vigorously strummed the opening intro chords to ‘Marching On’ and I was 17 all over again. Thanks again for taking the time to acknowledge Mike. Not just a rock & roll showman but a grounded & humble man, always with a warm, inclusive & inviting smile who showed the world how to live in joyous postivity despite the odds. 

Mark Atherlay/Burbank, CA


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