Seventeen were formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1978, in the wake of an explosive punk scene. Each member of Seventeen had previously been in rock and punk bands in and around the town. Mike Peters, Eddie Macdonald, Dave Sharp and Nigel Buckle (later known as Nigel Twist) had known or known-of each other since their pre-teen years, and had played together in previous bands
The previous bands they had been a part of were The Toilets – Mike and Nigel, Quasimodo – Dave and Nigel, Chuck Burial and the Embalmed – Dave, Pax – Dave and Nigel and Amsterdam – Eddie
Seventeen’s ideals were much like those previous bands. They were going to muster the teenagers, sign a record deal, hit it big on the Radio and conquer the world. The band was formed at the soundcheck of the Toilet’s last performance when Mike and Eddie performed together for the first time. They had been boyhood friends growing up on Edward Henry Street in Rhyl. It was during the soundcheck that they and jammed their way through some embryonic new songs. Mike sang for the first time and with Eddie’s guitar deftly handling the counter melodies, the two could immediately sense the dynamic possibilities that lay ahead. The Toilets went on to play their last show but for Mike Peters it was not the end, it was only the beginning
Seventeen tried to achieve their lofty goals in a rather ordinary way with ordinary results. They played reasonably competent, yet unremarkable, mod-flavoured power-pop, inspired by the popular styles of the day (The Jam, Rich Kids). In March 1980 they had released a single Don’t Let Go / Bank Holiday Weekend on the Vendetta Records label. The songs had been recorded in 1979 and the single was used by their manager Peter Buckle to help get the band gigs at the end of 1979 and beginning of 1980. The single was officially released for sale in March 1980 with adverts appearing in the recorded press in April 1980. They got a break in 1980 when they toured with the Stray Cats
Seventeen: Don’t Let Go / Bank Holiday Weekend (Vendetta)
Seventeen hail from Rhyl, North Wales. Have gigged around for about six months (inc. Music Machine and Venue) and now here’s their first single. It comes to something you’re glad NOT to have PROMO pictures of a band so you can’t even see if they’re ready-boxed … anyway if Seventeen are mods (and the lyrics of Weekend point to it) then they’ve made the best record to come out of that whole debacle. This is assured, melodic and explosive with a dynamite production and I can’t wait to hear the LP Best of British it comes from. Maybe a nod to The Jam here and there but it they’re only as old as the name this lot are teen prodigies – Review Zig-Zag magazine issue 98 1980
Don’t Let Go is a nippy little pop song and a far cry from the punk brashness that was their previous punk guise. Filled with plenty of harmonised ‘Oh’s’ that would become synonymous with The Alarm’s song writing! The flip side Bank Holiday Weekend perhaps gave away their new Mod leanings as bank holidays were a part of Mod culture, although, this catchy tune was more about being in Rhyl amongst the tourists than fighting on the beaches – Review – unknown source
When we were in Seventeen, we got to tour with the Stray Cats, they were a big influence on our whole band. We had some great times, we managed to blag on this tour with the Stray Cats. We went up to this studio in north London, and the Stray Cats were there making Runaway Boys with Dave Edmonds. We sort of hit it off with the band straight away, it was really lucky. They were from America and they didn’t know anybody, we were from Wales and we didn’t know anybody. We kind of got on really well. So, we got the gig, they let us play at the Crystal Palace Hotel, and in the party afterwards we got on great. They then invited us to go on the whole tour, which we did – Mike Peters, Alarm 2000 Day
However, Seventeen were short-lived. After trying to kidnapped a journalist to get him to listen to their music, After a chance meeting with Kevin Rowland of Dexy’s Midnight Runners, the band thought they got the break they needed when Seventeen landed a tour with the then Mod outfit, but after the opening night the hosts decided Seventeen weren’t good enough to support them. In return Mike Peters got a bit too honest and told Dexy’s he thought they sucked. They were thrown off the tour. Despite this setback, Seventeen played countless shows across the UK, full of self-belief, energy and enthusiasm. The band were known to spray their own name on the walls of every town they played, a feat picked up by an impressionable Ian Brown who caused furor in Manchester when a nascent Stone Roses publicised themselves in a similar manner in the early eighties. While things looked bleak, they went on hiatus for a few months, and ended up rediscovering why they had wanted to be in a band in the first place
Seventeen played gigs across the UK from their first show as part of the Pop Generation night at the Bee Hotel in Rhyl on Saturday 27th May 1978 until they played their last song which was either 68 Guns or Breakdown by The Buzzcocks in January 1981
The only release that occurred whilst the band were active between 1978 and early 1981 was the single but a demo recording of what was basically the bands live set were recorded in 1979 at Wallasey Recording studio in Liverpool. These songs were released on an album called A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement on the Vinyl Japan label in 2002. Originally there was going to be an album release in 1980 called Best of British but this never surfaced at the time. There was a release in Japan by this name in 2006 that featured Don’t let Go and Bank Holiday Weekend alongside other songs by bands signed to vendetta records at the time 
Legend has it that Seventeen publicised themselves by getting arrested for changing the lettering on the local Apollo cinema hoarding to advertise a gig, a homage to this event is featured in the 2013 film Vinyl. Although Dave Sharp was keen to play down the folklore and admitted they only had a ‘severe ticking off’ from the police. The publicity also attracted the wrong attention from the local DHSS office who began inquiring as to the band’s income when they were all claiming unemployment benefits. ‘The Dole’ were saying that Mike, Dave, Eddie and Nigel couldn’t play in a band and claim benefits because that would make them unavailable for a job they might be offered. This was quite bizarre considering the country was experiencing its highest unemployment ever! This led to the band being investigated, followed to gigs and ‘aggressively’ interviewed by the local department before being forced to repay some of their dole money back to the DHSS. The case was taken up by the MP Sir Anthony Meyer and earned national press
Relentless gigging for Seventeen did not kick down the doors to stardom they craved, they were crafting a new sound, a culmination of punk, folk, rock and blues and they needed a change of name as well as the change of direction. Names like Men of Harlech, Uprising, Black Sheep and Drums ‘n’ Guns were thrown into the hat until Eddie recommended Alarm Alarm after The Toilets song. So it was at that final gig in Herne Bay that Seventeen announced to a disinterested audience that they were changing their name to Alarm Alarm. They returned home to Wales and spent six months regrouping. [taken from the book ‘This Patch Of Land’]
Known songs performed by Seventeen
Don’t Let Go – appears on 7″ vinyl single and A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Bank Holiday Weekend – appears on 7″ vinyl single and A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Talking About The Weekend – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Stop Thinking About Yourself – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
I Can’t Control Myself – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Street Of A Thousand Faces – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Hear Me Out – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Night’s Over Now – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Please Please Me – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Say What I Think – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Nothing Lasts Forever – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
It’s Only Natural – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Every Night Of The Week – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Here Comes Tonight – appears on A Flashing Blur Of Stripped Down Excitement album
Destiny Calling- performed live and recorded in 1980 on an unreleased demo
Four Minute Warning – performed live and recorded in 1980 on an unreleased demo
Sixty Eight Guns – performed live and recorded in 1980 on an unreleased demo
Seventeen on Bored Teenagers website page 1
Seventeen on Bored Teenagers website page 2
(Page updated 07/06/2022)