(v) 9th October 1979 : Seventeen – Music Machine, Camden, London NW1, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
Three band bill with The Fixations and The Killermeters


(v) 21st January 1980 : Seventeen – Music Machine, Camden, London NW1, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
Support from The Heroes


19th April 1980 : Seventeen – Picketts Lock, London N9, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
The First National Eight-Hour Mod Festival 3pm to 11pm capacity 2,000                 
The Festival line up was : Skatalites, The Mods, Squire, Gangster, Seventeen, The Step.
Mod, Ska, R&B + Disco DJ Andy (The Bear) Ruw.  Event included badge bar, clothes stalls etc.   

7th August 1980 : Seventeen – Three Tuns, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Greater London KT1 England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

29th August 1980 : Seventeen – Town Hall, Ealing, London W5, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

31st August 1980 : Seventeen – The Kensington, London W14, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

15th September 1980 : Seventeen – The Bridge House, Canning Town, London E16, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
Supporting Les Apache
(Venue website with some history about the venue, no mention of Seventeen but check out some of the other names that played there that have had connections then, now and in the future to Mike, Dave, Eddie and Nigel The Bridge House website)


19th September 1980 : Seventeen – Crystal Palace Hotel, Upper Norwood, London SE19, England
Supporting The Associates
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

21st September 1980 : Seventeen – The Trafalgar, Shepherds Bush, London W12, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
Free entry was given to the unemployed as a response to the DHSS investigation

22nd September 1980 : Seventeen – Old Queens Head, Stockwell, London SW9, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

23rd September 1980: Seventeen – Crawdaddy Club at The Star Public House, Croydon CR0, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

24th September 1980: Seventeen – The Windsor Castle, Maida Vale, London W9, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

26th September 1980 : Seventeen – The Acklam Hall, Notting Hill, London W10, England
Supported by Fanatics
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

28th September 1980 : Seventeen – White Lion, Putney, London SW15, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

29th September 1980 : Seventeen – Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London WC2E, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

12th October 1980: Seventeen – The Trafalgar, Shepherds Bush, London W12, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle

March 1981 : Alarm Alarm – The Half Moon, Herne Hill, London SE24, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Buckle
Only show performed as Alarm Alarm as this was to fulfill an agreement made as Seventeen to play this show

(v) 10th October 1981 : The Alarm – Camberwell Art College, Camberwell, London SE5, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
We were seen by a journalist from Sounds at that gig, and also by a secretary from Wasted Talent saw us playing there. They all liked the band. As soon as we finished the gig, we leapt into the audience as we had all these tickets for Upstairs At Ronnies and we were giving them out – Mike Peters

(v) 7th December 1981 : The Alarm – The Venue, London SW1E, England
Supporting The Fall
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
“There was another guy in London that we knew from Rhyl, whose name was Louis Parker. I phoned him up one day and said “Louis, have you got any gigs you could help us get”. He said I’ve got this band that I don’t know that much about, but nobody else would be their agent, they’re called The Fall. Usually they have like drag acts as their support, but if you phone up their manager, who’s a girl, you can try and get a gig. They’re playing at The Venue in Victoria, which is kind of a very prestigious gig in London at the time. I was detailed the job of phoning the manager. I got in the phone box outside the flat, it was a girl called Kay Carroll. She picked up the phone and I said we want to try and do a gig with The Fall, we’ve seen that they’re playing at The Venue, and Louis Parker said we should call you. She said, “Do you sound anything like The Fall?”. I thought “Hmm, should I lie and say yes so we get the gig, or should I be honest?”. I thought no, I’ll be honest, “No actually nothing like The Fall”. She said “Thank god for that, we hate bands that sound like The Fall” and we got the gig.“ – Mike Peters

I’d Just nonchalantly wandered into the Fall gig at the Venue and was heading straight for the bar end of the building, lest my weary frame be subjected to yet another run-of-the-mill support band. Without prior warning these four geezers leapt to the stage, three touting acoustic guitars and one a harmonica, and they began a super-sprightly campfire singalong, a kind of radically re-directioned, politicised skiffle. Good grief. I choked on my Branson burger. The passing of songs revealed the hollow-bodied portions of the set to be equally split with electrically-plucked material. In the staid Venue setting the band’s fervent enthusiasm permeated right through the crowd to the last row of optics behind the drinks counter. I copped a handout, blagged their self-produced ‘Unsafe Building’/’Up For Murder’ single and finally caught up with the band at the massive Deeside Leisure Centre where the quartet were supporting the Jam – Mick Sinclair – Sounds May 1982


(v) 9th December 1981 : The Alarm – Upstairs At Ronnie’s, Soho, London W1D, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Sarah Jane Olsen, who worked at Wasted Talent, was lured to the show by Mike and Dave and their Unsafe single. She tells her boss Ian Wilson about the band.
So we moved to London armed with all this stuff and we actually got a gig at Camberwell Art College and we managed to get a gig at Ronnie Scotts. There was a place upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, the jazz club in London, called Upstairs At Ronnie’s. Me and Dave used to spend days and days walking round London with rucksacks of Unsafe Buildings on our backs and calling in all these music business establishments, trying to get gigs, or trying to get recognition. We managed to get this gig at Upstairs At Ronnie’s – Mike Peters


(v) 19th December 1981 : The Alarm – The Rock Garden, London WC2E, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Ian Wilson from Wasted Talent, the booking agent for U2, The Clash, The Police, The Pretenders sees the band and agrees to become their manager. His ties to those other bands help The Alarm get started. In effect Wilson becomes the de-facto 5th member of the band, and the relationship lasts until 1988.
This Upstairs At Ronnie’s gig and that sort of triggered it all off. This agent, whose name was Miles Newby, wasn’t really an agent. He was just the guy who made the tea for all the other agents, but he pretended to be the big shot agent and he invited us down for a meeting the next day and he was like “I wanna be your manager!”, smoking a cigar. We didn’t fall for that, but he said “Look, I can get you a gig”. So he phoned up the Rock Garden and got a gig within the minute, ’cause he was from a top agency. We thought “that’s why we can’t get gigs in that place”. We played about three or four days later, and Ian Wilson, who became our manager, came to see us at that gig. The buzz had gone out in the industry and a lot of A&R men came to see us. It happens really fast like that. The secretary and Ian Wilson, they barricaded the dressing room so none of these other guys from other record companies or managers could get in to see us. They waited there until they’d all gone home. We were sitting in the dressing room thinking we’ve just played a really good gig, how come nobody’s come in to say hello?“ – Mike Peters

(v) 20th December 1981 : The Alarm – Lyceum Ballroom, London WC2, England
Supporting U2 on the October tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Jools Holland is also listed as support for this gig


(v) 21st December 1981 : The Alarm – Lyceum Ballroom, London WC2, England
Supporting U2 on the October tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 26th January 1982 : The Alarm – The Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London WC2E, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 28th January 1982 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supporting Stiff Little Fingers also Flying Padovanis on line up on the £3.50 or Below tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 11th February 1982 : The Alarm – The Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London WC2E, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 24th February 1982 : The Alarm – Polytechnic of Central London, London W1B, England
Supporting The Jam on The Last Year : 1982 tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 5th March 1982 : The Alarm – London School of Economics, Holborn, London WC2A, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 22nd March 1982 : The Alarm – Thames Polytechnic, Greenwich, London SE10, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 23rd March 1982 : The Alarm – City of London Polytechnic, London EC2N, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 14th April 1982 : The Alarm – Dingwalls, Camden, London NW1, England
Supporting Syl Sylvian & The Teardrops. Support also provided by The Marquee
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 24th April 1982 : The Alarm – Half Moon, Herne Hill, London SE24, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 27th April 1982 : The Alarm – The Greyhound, Fulham, London W6
Supported by Fancy Goldfish
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 6th May 1982 : The Alarm – Hope & Anchor, Islington, London N1, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


(v) 10th May 1982 : The Alarm – Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Support from The Outboys
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

Fan comments – Nick Moon
39 years ago tonight, Monday 10th May 1982, I saw The Alarm in the basement bar of The Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith. Admission was £1.00. As I remember it there was only about 30 people there. It may have been more but it was certainly a small crowd. Mike Peters was to be seen wandering around in the crowd after support band, had played, selling copies of Unsafe Building from a small holdall. I’d already bought it from a shop in the West End but often wish I’d bought it directly from him instead.
Fan comments – Mike Hanagan
My fave days of The Alarm – the early days. If my memory serves me right, I remember the set list wasn’t that big and they played 68 guns twice in a set.

24th May 1982 : The Alarm – Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set List : Shout To The Devil, Marching On, For Freedom, Third Light, Second Generation, Pavilion Steps, The Deceiver, Up For Murder, Sixty Eight Guns, Across The Border, What Kind Of Hell, Reason 41, Marching On, Breakdown, Up For Murder, Sixty Eight Guns
Audio Link – Taken from an audience recording

7th June 1982 : The Alarm – Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

21st June 1982 : The Alarm – Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


3rd October 1982 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supporting The Beat on the Special Beat Tour also playing were Aztec Camera
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
The Beat were an act I brought to Wasted Talent which explains why The Alarm were on the show. In 1982 The Alarm were on every Wasted Talent bill going!Promoter Nick Leigh joined Derek Block as I left for WT. He used to DJ the Marquee – Ian Wilson – Wasted Talent/Alarm Manager


28th October 1982 : The Alarm – Klub Foot, Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supporting Brilliant also playing were Outbar Squeak
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


21st November 1982 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Supporting Chelsea
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
The band were booked under an assumed name as the booking agent at the time would not book The Alarm, once they saw them on stage and the crowd reaction there were no more issues of them being booked to play The Marquee.

5th December 1982 : The Alarm – Lyceum Ballroom, London WC2, England
Supporting U2 also supporting were Zerra 1
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

6th December 1982 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supporting U2 also supporting were Zerra 1
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
This is the night in which Mike Peters taught Bono how to play “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and Bono joins The Alarm on stage to play it


22nd December 1982: The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Supporting Lords of the New Church
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

(v) 13th January 1983 : The Alarm – The Venue, Victoria Street, London SW1E, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Supporting The Farmers Boys


(v) 30th January 1983 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Support from Apocalypse and resident Marquee DJ Jerry Floyd
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist


16th February 1983 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set list : Shout To The Devil, Marching On, Up For Murder, The Stand, The Deceiver, We Are The Light, Tell Me, Third Light, Unsafe Building, Across The Border, Sixty Eight Guns, What Kind Of Hell

22nd March 1983 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supporting U2 on the War Tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set list : Shout To the Devil, Declaration, For Freedom, Marching On, The Stand, Blaze of Glory, We Are The Light, Tell Me, Third Light, 68 Guns, Up For Murder, Maggie May


29th March 1983 : U2 play Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Supported by Big Country.
Mike Peters joins U2 and Stuart Adamson on stage for an encore of Knockin’ On Heavens Door
Audio Link – Audience recording hosted on dougm1971 Youtube channel

31st March 1983 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

11th May 1983 : The Alarm – Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Support from Under Two Flags and Mercenary Skank
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

28th May 1983: The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set List : Shout to the Devil, Declaration, For Freedom, Marching On, Reason 41, Lie of the Land, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?, Up for Murder, Blaze of Glory, The Stand, Tell Me, Unsafe Building, Across the Border, What Kind of Hell. Encore : We Are the Light, Sixty Eight Guns Encore : A Legal Matter, Marching On, Encore : Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Sixty Eight Guns (acoustic)
A recording of the gig can be listened to here – Audio Link

(Gig ticket via Barney Rubble, May event listing poster originally from the Alarm40 facebook group)

29th May 1983 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Fan comments – Tim Darvell
I first saw The Alarm on Sunday May 29th, 1983 at The Marquee and it remains the best gig I have ever been too. I was 17 and I went with 3 school mates having heard John Peel play The Stand a couple of months earlier. It was like seeing the silhouetted characters from the cover of The Stand burst into life. The sheer power generated by the acoustic guitars blew me away. Quite incredible. Changed my life!

(v) 14th February 1984 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
The Sound And The Fury Tour
With Support from Jake Burns & The Big Wheel, The Kissing Bandits and The Lost Loved Ones
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set list : The Peace Train (Introduction), Declaration, Marching On, For Freedom, Shout To The Devil, The Deceiver, Tell Me, Third Light, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, Howling Wind, Sixty Eight Guns, Blaze Of Glory, The Stand, The Chant Has Just Begun, Lie Of The Land


Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show
This gig was released in 2002 on CD The Twenty First Century Recording Company – ARCC002
Website Review of the CD
Originally a BBC Radio Show, it was recorded at The Hammersmith Palais Feb 14th, 1984 (and subsequently bootlegged as “First Rebel Carriage” and “Live In London”). Mike Peters has painstakingly remastered recreated this show by taking the BBC source, and his personal live tapes to create one of The Alarm’s most commanding performances ever recorded. Sonically, this *IS* The Alarm for the history books. On this record we hear the band that pioneered the use of acoustic guitars for 80′s rock. We hear the songs and sounds that would inspire others bands to take and run with through the 80′s. One listen to “Howling Wind” on this disc will have you wondering just where U2 got the idea for “BAD” and if maybe all those the comparisons should have ran in the opposite direction. We hear the “shake your bones” electro-acoustic guitar that caught the imagination of some many young fans in those halcyon of the early 80′s. We hear the fire, the passion, and the unstoppable force that was The Alarm in 1984. I’m hard-pressed to find any “favorites” on this record, because every track is magnificent. “The Chant” is surprising here because it shows just how much the original song was brother to “The Stand”, and shows just how much a band can get twisted-up when they enter the recording studio. I would suppose though, that the finale of this album, “Unsafe Building” is the ultimate highlight.


(v) 23rd December 1984 : The Alarm – Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist

Set List : Majority, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, One Step Closer To Home, Shout To The Devil, Tell Me, Third Light, Across The Border, What Kind Of Hell, The Chant Has Just Begun, Declaration / Marching On, Blackside Of Fortune, Unbreak The Promise, Howling Wind, The Stand, Absolute Reality, Blaze Of Glory, Sixty Eight Guns, Unsafe Building, Second Generation, The Bells Of Rhymney, This Train Is Bound For Glory, Knockin’ On Heavens Door, The Deceiver, Maggie May, Reason 41, Thoughts Of A Young Man, A Legal Matter, We Are The Light, Merry Xmas Everybody

Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show

(v) 16th October 1985 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Fan-club Night
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist, Mark Taylor
Set List : Deeside, Majority, Father To Son, One Step Closer To Home, Dawn Chorus, Strength, Knife Edge, Spirit Of ’76, The Chant Has Just Begun, Absolute Reality, Sixty Eight Guns, Marching On, The day The Ravens Left The Tower, Blaze Of Glory, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?,

Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show
“This was supposed to be a secret gig. In fact it was so secret, that hardly anyone turned up! The one person who did was DJ Mike Reid from the BBC who loved the show and announced on his Radio One Breakfast show the next morning that he had been to see us play. The next night the Marquee was full to bursting point.” – Mike Peters

(Photo by Pauline Redman)

(v) 17th October 1985 : The Alarm – The Marquee Club, Wardour Street, London W1F, England
Fan-club Night
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist, Mark Taylor
Set list : Strength, Deeside, Marching On, One Step Closer To Home, Dawn Chorus, The Day The Ravens Left The Tower, Spirit Of ’76, The Chant has Just Begun, Father To Son, Knife Edge, Absolute Reality, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?, The Stand, Majority, This Train Is Bound For Glory, Up For Murder, Blaze of Glory, Sixty Eight Guns

Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show
“When it came time to release the follow-up single to the LP’s title track, the Alarm held a vote. After a performance at the Marquee Club in London, group members handed out slips of paper and asked fans for their choice. ‘Spirit of ’76’ was voted No. 1 and thus became the new single. ‘Deeside’, which came in second, was the B-side.” – Barbara Jaeger, The Record – Sunday, March 9, 1986

Review – Melody Maker 26th October 1985 by Carol Clerk
“They’re gonna knock this place down and turn it into something else. This is the last chance we’ll ever have to play here. it’s also our chance to make this the greatest gig they’ve ever seen in The Marquee. Let’s all go for it one more time!” With that, The Alarm leapt into The Stand, the first of many encores and the climax of two fan-club nights at The Marquee. I don’t know about this greatest-ever-gig business that’s possibly a mite ambitious, Mike, old son, But I will say that these were the two most invigorating evenings I’ve personally spent in Wardour Street this year. You’re probably surprised to hear it, it is, of course considered something of a critical misjudgment to like The Alarm. People like us, we could be sent to the Tower for finding any virtue in the things that this group embrace: a little bit of love, a little bit of hope, a little bit of strength. But this is neither the time nor the place to pursue the debate. Why get all defensive about a music so positive and optimistic? You can forget all the old cliches about banner-waving, breast-beating, finger-pointing and relentless sloganeering. For besides the striking anthem uplift of Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?, 68 Guns and Blaze of Glory, The Alarm performed their new and surprisingly varied album almost in its entirety. The dramatic impact of The Day The Ravens Left The Tower, Dawn Chorus and Spirit of 76 comes from a careful matching of subtlety with aggression, while Deeside, Father to Son and particularly Knife Edge, hit home with a fiery dynamic unequalled in any previous Alarm set. certainly, this one is shaping up to be a monster. Take my advice and set your Alarm right now for the tour in December. And in the meantime, keep your eyes open …… “This won’t be the last of these low-key secret gigs, I promise you that”, said Mike Peters. I believe him. because no matter what else happens, The Alarm can be relied upon to stick to their 68 Guns.

(v) 11th July 1986 : The Alarm – Wembley Stadium, London HA9, England
Supporting Queen on the Kind of Magic Tour
The concert started at 4.00pm with tickets costing £14.50
Four bands performed in the following order: INXS, The Alarm, Status Quo, Queen
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist and Mark Taylor
Set list : Declaration, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?, Howling Wind, Knife Edge, Spirit of ’76, Blaze Of Glory, Strength, Sixty Eight Guns

Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show
Going to Wembley Stadium to perform almost a year to the day after being there at Live Aid in the audience, was an incredible experience. I was so hyped up when I got up on that first morning to go and play the first of the two shows. We were all picked up nice and early by mini bus and the last person to be collected on route was Nigel Twist. When we got there, his wife told us that he’d only just got in from a night out at the Limelight Club in London where he had met up with Michael Hutchence from INXS (INXS were also playing on the bill). Explaining that, as Nigel had been involved in all kinds of late night shenanigans involving nefarious substances and copious amounts of alcohol, it might take her a while to get him out of bed and into a cold shower! I was far too excited to want to sit around for an hour while Nigel was exhumed from his bed, and so I decided to head up to Wembley on the tube train. Mark Taylor (our keyboard player), came with me and it turned out to be an amazing journey. The tube train was packed full of Queen, Status Quo and Alarm fans all heading in the same direction and they all stopped to wish me luck and take photos as we disembarked from the train and headed down Wembley Way to the Stadium, with its famous twin towers. I was overwhelmed by all the well wishes from people who were obviously as excited as me. It was great to arrive early and in such a way that helped mark the day as something very special and gave the event a meaning that might have escaped, if I had just arrived in the van and ushered through security at the back gate. Also, because Mark and I got there early, we were able to have a kick about on the hallowed Wembley turf – the scene of so many famous sporting battles of my youth including the time when another famous member of the Peters tribe (Martin), scored for England in the World Cup Final of 1966.” – Mike Peters

“Word came down on to the pitch that the band had arrived and so Mark and I headed back to the dressing room. I was shocked to see the state Nigel was in. He was lying flat out on the floor and looked half dead. I couldn’t see for the life of me how he was going to be able to go on stage and perform in front of 75,000 people. It was going to be a tough show as it was, and we all needed to be 100% if we were going to win the day and leave an impression on an audience who were mainly there to see Queen. Somehow, a mass intake of super strong black coffee got Nigel back on his feet and we hit the stage. It has to be said, that Nigel was not at his best that day and nearly lost it all together during ‘Where Were You Hiding’, but somehow we all managed to pull a great show out of the bag and the picture of 75,000 people clapping along to ‘Spirit Of ’76’ tells it’s own story – Mike Peters

(Picture taken by Ian Wilson on Bob Peters Instamatic camera)
After the show we all went to the ‘Its A Kind Of Magic” party at the roof gardens in Kensington. We had all been given these invites which were rolled up inside magic wands. It was very decadent and all the waitresses were completely naked except for clothing that had been painted on to their bodies. Freddie Mercury was holding court and wearing an outrageous green Hawaiian shirt. He called me over and said he had love the fact that The Alarm had been the show and said thanks for helping to make it such a memorable event. He was such a lovely affable person and very gracious with an incredible zest for life. I can’t believe I never saw him in person again. – Mike Peters

The UCLA gig should have been our finest moment to date. But as it turned out, the Queen gig at Wembley Stadium was the winner. A truly amazing experience! – Eddie Macdonald

(Picture taken by Jonathan Shaw)
Today, I still meet so many Alarm fans who say ‘I was at Wembley when The Alarm supported Queen’. It was a defining moment in the history of the band in the UK. – Mike Peters


(v) 12th July 1986 : The Alarm – Wembley Stadium, London HA9, England
Supporting Queen on the Kind of Magic Tour
The concert started at 4.00pm with tickets costing £14.50
Bands performed in the following order: INXS, The Alarm, Status Quo, Queen
Band line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist and Mark Taylor
Set list : Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?, Howling Wind, Knife Edge, Spirit of ’76, Absolute Reality, Strength, Sixty Eight Guns

Click on image above for a live audience recording of the show

15th February 1990 : The Alarm – Brixton Academy, London SW9, England
The No Frontiers Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist, Mark Taylor
With Support from Salvation
Set list : Change, Devolution Workin’ Man Blues, Permanence in Change, Strength, Where a Town Once Stood, Prison Without Prison Bars, One Step Closer to Home, Love Don’t Come Easy, No Frontiers, Rain in the Summertime, Rivers to Cross, The Stand, Declaration/Marching On, Absolute Reality, Sixty Eight Guns, Blaze of Glory, A New South Wales,  Hardland, Sold Me Down the River, Rescue Me, Rockin’ in the Free World, Spirit of ’76  

15th April 1991 : The Alarm – Town & Country Club, Kentish Town, London NW5, England
Raw Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
With support from Looking For Adam
Set list : Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke, Sixty Eight Guns, The Road, Raw, Moments in Time, Hardland, The Wind Blows Away My Words, Shelter, God Save Somebody, Absolute Reality, Devolution Workin’ Man Blues, We Are The Light, Rain in the Summertime, Sold Me Down the River, Spirit of ’76, Rescue Me, Rockin’ in the Free World, Marching On, The Stand, Blaze of Glory, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door  

16th April 1991 : The Alarm – Town & Country Club, Kentish Town, London NW5, England
Raw Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
With support from Looking For Adam
Set list: Change II, The Road, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke, Sixty Eight Guns, Raw, Moments in Time, Hardland, Knife Edge, The Wind Blows Away My Words, Shelter, God Save Somebody, Devolution Workin’ Man Blues, Rain in the Summertime, The Deceiver, Absolute Reality, Sold Me Down the River, Rockin’ in the Free World, Rescue Me, Spirit of ’76, This Train Is Bound For Glory, Deeside, Blaze of Glory, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door  

30th June 1991 : The Alarm – Brixton Academy, London SW9, England
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist
Set list : Blaze of Glory (acapella), Rockin’ In The Free World, The Road, Knife Edge, Sixty Eight Guns, Raw, Hardland, The Wind Blows Away My Words, Shelter, God Save Somebody, Absolute Reality, Devolution Workin’ Man Blues, Howling Wind, Rain In The Summertime, Strength, Sold Me Down The River, Spirit of ’76, Rescue Me, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, The Stand, Moments In Time, Blaze of Glory
– Click for audience recording of full gig

(v) 7th August 1991 : Dave Sharp & The Barnstormers – The Borderline, London W1D, England
Support from Tori Amos and Toby Bourke
Band Line Up : Dave Sharp, Reverend Charlie Mackintosh, Rockabilly Billy Penn, Dr Joe De Lorenzo, Chris Rioux
Special guest appearances from Eddie Macdonald and Jeff Trott
Set list : Change II, God Save Somebody. Wonderful World, Twistin’ Wind, Reason 36, My Land Your Land, River Still To Cross, In The Dead Of The Night, Joey The Jone, Hard Travellin’, Drivin’ Hard Rain (with Jeff Trott), Ain’t Long For The Day (with Eddie Macdonald), Long Black Night, In The City, Last Smilin’ Villain From The South
– Click for audience recording of full gig


(v) 11th August 1991 : Dave Sharp & The Barnstormers – The Marquee Club, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H, England
Band Line Up : Dave Sharp, Reverend Charlie Mackintosh, Rockabilly Billy Penn, Dr Joe De Lorenzo, Chris Rioux
Special guest appearance from Eddie Macdonald


(v) 26th August 1992 : Dave Sharp & The Lil Travellers – The Borderline, London W1D, England
Band Line Up : Dave Sharp, Reverend Charlie Mackintosh, Dr Joe De Lorenzo, Anthony
Special guest appearance from Eddie Macdonald
Set list : Drivin’ Hard Rain, Tender Mercy, Easterhouse, In The City, I Will Be Waiting, Don’t Have To Be This Way, Ghost Train, It Ain’t Long For The Day, Wonderful World, Passing Through, My Land Your Land, Stranger Blues, Downtown America, Playboys and Playgirls (with Eddie Macdonald), Freedom
– Click for audience recording of full gig

5th September 1992 : Mike Peters and The Poets of Justice – Exodus Tour – Wembley Arena, London HA9, England
Support slot to Marillion on their Xth Anniversary Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Ethan Johns, Dave Watkins-Clarke, Martyn Barker, Jules Jones-Peter

7^th September 1992 : Mike Peters and The Poets of Justice – Abbey Road Studios, London NW8, England
Exodus Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Ethan Johns, Dave Watkins-Clarke, Martyn Barker, Jules Jones-Peters
Recording session for the songs many of which would appear on Breathe. The Abbey Road Sessions were released on a CD on Twenty First Century Recording Company (Catalogue Number 21C003) in 1995. The evening session had a live audience invited to witness the event and be a part of the recording process.

13^th November 1992 : Mike Peters and The Poets of Justice – Mean Fiddler, Harlesden, London NW10, England
Exodus Tour
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, Ethan Johns, Dave Watkins-Clarke, Martyn Barker, Jules Jones-Peters

3rd June 1995 : Mike Peters – Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush, London W12, England
Supporting The Stranglers on their 20th Anniversary Tour


29th April 2005 : Mike Peters – Islington Academy, Islington, London N1, England
Mike Peters The Voice of The Alarm Interactive Tour 2005 – Solo show

21st September 1998 : The Barfly, Camden, London NW1, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Billy Duffy, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley
Set list: Under The Sun, Where Do You Want To Go?, Strength, State Of Independence, Fountainhead. All Kinds OF Wonderful, Rain, This Perfection, Fade In Fade Out Fade Away, Heavy Rain, Alive


28th September 1998 : The Barfly, Camden, London NW1, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Billy Duffy, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley

Ticket supplied by Ian Francis

7th February 2003: The Alarm MMIII – Mean Fiddler, London WC2H, England
Support from Kirk Brandon

Ticket supplied by Ian Francis

8th November 2004: The AlarmMMIV – The Marquee Club, Leicester Square, London WC2H, England
Band Line Up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley
Set List : Federal Motor Voter, Deeside, Mercenary Skank, Rescue Me, Right Back Where I Started From, Few And Far Between, Trafficking, Coming Home, The Stand, Knife Edge, Absolute Reality, Blaze Of Glory, The Unexplained, Marching On, Edward Henry Street, Wherearewegoingandwhatarewegoingtodowhenwegetthere?, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, Up Downtown, The Drunk And The Disorderly, Close, Sixty Eight Guns, 45 R.P.M., One Step Closer To Home, Sold Me Down The River, Spirit Of ’76, In The Poppy Fields
This gig was released on DVD in 2005 as Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, live at The Marquee Club
Review
Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, live at The Marquee Club, on 8th November 2004, at the legendary Marquee Club in Leicester Square, London was packed to the roof and the band was on top form, playing a unique set of classics and modern originals. 1-2-3-4 the songs come thick and fast from the opening rush of ‘Federal Motor Voter’ / ‘Deeside’ / Mercenary Skank / Rescue Me’, the and hardly pause to draw breath until the elegant acoustic medley of reworked ‘Alarm’ classics ‘The Stand / Knife Edge / Absolute Reality / Blaze Of Glory’, is sung with the passionate raised voice of the entire audience. The band’s origins are honoured via the sound and fury of ’45 R.P.M.’ (the song that brought The Alarm back to prominence in 2004) before the timeless ‘Spirit Of ’76’ gives way to the poignant modern closer ‘In The Poppy Fields’.

(v) 1st April 2001 : Dead Men Walking – The Ocean 2, Hackney, London E8, England
Band line up: Mike Peters, Kirk Brandon, Pete Wylie, Glen Matlock

(v) 21st March 2010 : Los Mondo Bongo – The Purple Turtle, Camden, London NW1, England
With support from The Duel and Night of Treason
Band line up : Mike Peters, Pablo Cook, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Derek Forbes, Steve Harris, DJ Ray Gange

15th April 2011 : Big Country – Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush, London W12, England
Dreams Stay With Me Tour
Band line up : Mike Peters, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson, Tony Butler, Mark Brzezicki

(v) 24th November 2019: Smalltown Glory – The Black Heart,  London NW1,  England
Support from Mike Peters Solo Acoustic
Band line up : Eddie Macdonald, George Haworth, Ben Townsend


(v) 6th March 2020: Smalltown Glory – The Water Rats, London WC1X,  England
Band line up : Eddie Macdonald, George Haworth, Calle Engelmark, Dave Blackman, Ida Cohen, Ben Townsend

(v) 25th September 2022 : Eddie Macdonald – 100 Club, London W1D, England
Eddie Macdonald solo acoustic
Supporting Department S
Set list : Requiem for A Queen, To Late To Say Goodbye, Say It Like You Mean It, Can’t Stop The Waterfall, Red Sky Warning, Ghost Of Rock N Roll, High High High, A Northern Soul, Third Light


(v) 21st September 2023 : Smalltown Glory – The Water Rats, London WC1X,  England
Support by Desperate Measures
Band line up : Eddie Macdonald, Dave Blackman, Calle Englemark, Marino Donati, Ivan Hoe

Set list: Burning Sky, Sold Me Down The River, Crash & Burn, To Late To Say Goodbye,Requiem for A Queen, Say It Like You Mean It, Can’t Stop The Waterfall, Red Sky Warning, Making The Angel, High High High, Ghost Of Rock N Roll, Sixty Eight Guns, Smalltown Glory, A Northern Soul, Third Light


(Pictures by Ralf Edge, Tina Barnett, Mark Heybourne)

(v) 17th January 2024: Eddie Macdonald – The Troubadour, London SW5, England
Eddie Macdonald solo acoustic
Supported by Paul Evans and Billy Liberator
Set list : Declaration, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, Third Light (The Young Known Soldier), Sixty Eight Guns, We Are The Light, Shout To The Devil, Blaze Of Glory, Tell Me, The Deceiver, The Stand, Howling Wind, High High High, I Won’t Back Down, That’s Entertainment, Rockin’ In The Free World
(Set list via Tina Barnett)

Fan Review
Last night’s gig at The Troubador was immense in every sense of the word. Firstly, hats off to Pete Cole for all his hard work making the evening such a success. The three artists were brilliant. It was my first time seeing Paul Evans and a very talented class act for sure and the icing on the cake was seeing him and Eddie performing “Smalltown Glory” at the end of the night. Billy Liberator just gets better and better each time I see him and is growing in stature all the time. Another talented musician whose two albums I can’t recommend highly enough. He definitely deserves a slot at a Gathering… Eddie was on great form and was mingling with everyone throughout the evening and on top of everything else he was actually doing rather a good job as a cloakroom attendant!  Obviously we all wondered how Declaration in full was going to sound and basically as soon as he broke out from Declaration into Marching On the place was rocking in full voice. It really was one of those nights you had to pinch yourself that you were seeing this happen. What really made it for me was Eddie putting his own stamp on the songs with some really great arrangements. Looking to the future let’s have that long awaited album Eddie On a personal note last night reminded yet again what a special community and family we have with The Alarm. Meeting up pre gig with friends literally from all four corners of the planet, just amazing – Tim Darvell 18/01/2024




(Pictures by Nancy Langfield, Tina Barnett, Mark Heybourne. Tim Darvell)

11th October 2024 : Eddie Macdonald & Dave Sharp – Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London WC1V, England
Gig cancelled and rescheduled to November 2024

23rd November 2024 : Eddie Macdonald & Dave Sharp – Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London WC1V, England
Rescheduled date originally due on 11th October 2024


(v) 18th October 2025 : Eddie Macdonald / Smalltown Glory – Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London WC1V, England
Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm presents Strength a 40 Year Celebration
Smalltown Glory lineup : Eddie Macdonald, Paul Evans, Ivan Hoe, Dave Blackman
Stength set lineup : Eddie Macdonald, Paul Evans, Ivan Hoe, James Stevenson, Dave Blackman
Smalltown Glory set – High High High, Can’t Stop The Waterfall, All Stand Tall, Broken Heart Of A Northern Soul, Smalltown Glory
Strength Set : Knife Edge, Strength, Dawn Chorus, Spirit of ’76, Deeside, Father To Son, The Day The Ravens Left The Tower, Absolute Reality, Rescue Me, Sold Me Down The River, Sixty Eight Guns, Marching On, Rain In The Summertime, Blaze Of Glory


(Pictures by Sean Atkins, Craig Judd)

(v) 19th October 2025 : Eddie Macdonald – Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London WC1V, England
Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm presents Strength a 40 Year Celebration
Smalltown Glory lineup : Eddie Macdonald, Paul Evans, Ivan Hoe, Dave Blackman
Stength set lineup : Eddie Macdonald, Paul Evans, Ivan Hoe, James Stevenson, Dave Blackman, Steve Norman
Smalltown Glory set – High High High, Can’t Stop The Waterfall, All Stand Tall, Broken Heart Of A Northern Soul, Smalltown Glory
Strength Set : Knife Edge, Strength, Dawn Chorus, Spirit of ’76, Deeside, Father To Son, The Day The Ravens Left The Tower, Absolute Reality, Rescue Me, Sold Me Down The River, Sixty Eight Guns, Marching On, Rain In The Summertime, Blaze Of Glory

(v) 18th December 2025 : The Lexington, Islington, London N1, England
Support from Billy Liberator
Band line up : Matt Peach, Eddie Macdonald, James Stevenson, Steve ‘Smiley” Barnard, Dave Blackman
Set list : Declaration, Marching On, Absolute Reality, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, The Stand, Rain In The Summertime, Strength, No Frontiers, We Are The Light, Deeside, Sixty Eight Guns, Sold Me Down The River, Knife Edge, Rescue Me, Spirit Of ’76, Blaze Of Glory
(Set list provided by Chris Dowell)


(Photos by Michelle Burton, Cathi Simpson, Glenn Fuller, Nigel Williamson)

(v) 19th December 2025 : The Lexington, Islington, London N1, England
Support from Billy Liberator
Band line up : Matt Peach, Eddie Macdonald, James Stevenson, Steve ‘Smiley” Barnard, Dave Blackman
Set list : Declaration, Marching On, Absolute Reality, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, The Stand, Rain In The Summertime, Strength, Third Light, We Are The Light, Deeside, Sixty Eight Guns, Sold Me Down The River, Knife Edge, Rescue Me, Spirit Of ’76, Blaze Of Glory

(Set list provided by Barry Gray)

(v) 20th March 2026 : The Lexington, Islington, London N1, England
Awakening Tour Spring ’26 with support from Billy Liberator and Explode The TV
Set list : Knife Edge, Absolute Reality, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, The Stand/The Chant Has Just Begun, Rain in the Summertime, Strength, We Are The Light, Tell Me, Marching On, Deeside, Sixty Eight Guns, Sold Me Down The River, Rescue Me, Spirit Of ’76, Blaze of Glory


Two years ago, the prospect of an Alarm performance stripped of Mike Peters’ signature clarion call would have seemed an impossibility. Yet, in the wake of Peters’ passing last year, original bassist Eddie McDonald has reconstituted the group as The Alarm 2.0—less a replacement, and more an act of preservation for the songs he co-wrote.
The evening opened with Billy Liberator, whose acoustic set provided a sturdy, melodic foundation. A veteran of the fan community, Liberator navigated the nostalgia with ease, delivering a rhythmic “Beat My Retreat” before a poignant cover of “Lie of the Land.” Closing with “Only the Thunder,” he provided the perfect primer for the heavy hitters to follow.
As the main event commenced, the compact King’s Cross stage was occupied by a formidable collective of post-punk aristocracy. Macdonald has stepped into the breach, trading his bass for a six-string and embracing the unenviable task of lead vocals. He was flanked by a lineup that reads like a “Who’s Who” of the 1980s underground: guitarist James Stevenson (Chelsea, Generation X), bassist Craig Adams (The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission), and drummer Steve “Smiley” Barnard (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros). With keyboardist Dave Blackman rounding out the group, this was a gathering of long-term collaborators intimately familiar with the Peters songbook.
Opening with “Knife Edge” and “Absolute Reality,” the vocal shift is noticeable. Macdonald lacks Peters’ piercing upper register, occasionally leaning into an almost spoken-word delivery. While he cannot replicate the almost spiritual fervor Peters held over an audience, Macdonald’s sheer sincerity carried the set through its transition.
The energy peaked early with “Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke,” which retained the frantic, acoustic-punk urgency of the original Declaration recordings. Between songs, the set was punctuated with historical markers; Macdonald dedicated “Tell Me” to former guitarist Dave Sharp and “Strength” to the audience, noting the specific influence of Kirk Brandon (Theatre of Hate, Spear of Destiny), who watched on from the crowd. The hits were afforded a fresh coat of paint: “Deeside” was partially reimagined with a leaner edge, while “68 Guns” held its own before resolving into the anthemic “Rescue Me.”
The encore of “Spirit of ’76” and “Blaze of Glory” transformed the room into a communal sing-along. For the converted in attendance, any lack of vocal perfection was secondary to the survival of the songs themselves. With a full reunion of the three surviving original members—Macdonald, Sharp, and Nigel Twist—already slated for August at The Garage, this performance served as a gritty, successful audit of the band’s enduring catalog. There is an undeniable ache in the absence of Peters, but at The Lexington, his collaborators proved they still have plenty of heat left in the fire – Review by Marco Gandolfi of music-new.com

(v) 26th February 2026 : 100 Club, Oxford Street, London W1D, England
Support from The Sukis
Band line up : Evan Peters, Carwyn Williams, George Williams, Dave Moriat, Jules Peters
Set list : My Town, Beautiful, Superchannel, Strength, Cenotaph, Right Back Where I Started From, Walk Forever By My Side, High On The Hill, Breathe, Without A Fight, Next, Rain In The Summertime , Sold me Down The River, Sixty Eight Guns, Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?, Blaze of Glory. Encore : Spirit of ’76, 45 rpm, The Stand
(Set list provided by Claire Neale)