The Gathering 4
Held at Aberconway Centre, Llandudno, Wales
Friday 12th January 1996 – Acoustic Performance
Saturday 13th January 1996 – Full electric performance
Band line Up :
Press Release
This year’s Gathering is being filmed by MTV and will be undertaken just a couple of weeks after a fantastically successful tour of the US coasts that included a gig with former Stray Cats front man Brian Setzer.
From Show Report Press Release
On January 12th and 13th, over 1,500 from around the world – some from as far as Australia and California – participated in “The Gathering”, a weekend long music festival held in Mike’s home town in Northern Wales. The weekend was comprised of an acoustic in-the-round concert, personal films from The Alarm’s, and Mike’s solo tour, a charity soccer tournament, and a 3 1/2 hour – 38 song electric show.
During the weekend, many fans were stunned by an unexpected and dramatic personal revelation from Mike Peters; the details of his recent cancer scare. While debuting material from his upcoming solo record, Mike explained that in October, after feeling lumps in his throat, he had been diagnosed by two specialists with Lymphoma. Mike embarked on an already planned tour of the Eastern United States, believing that immediately following “The Gathering”, he would be faced with a bone-marrow transplant and several months of chemotherapy.
Determined to show that you could beat the disease, Mike started to write and record new material about his situation in the midst of a hectic tour schedule. After Peters and those around him resigned themselves to the fight ahead, Mike’s family received astonishing news. A third specialist reviewed all the tests and determined that the singer was suffering not from cancer, but from a rare (but temporary) virus that mimics Lymphoma. After 3 months with the spectre of cancer looming over his head, Mike Peters was given the “all clear.”
With the schedule of chemotherapy now discarded, Mike Peters made immediate plans to continue his heralded, acoustic tour of the United States. These shows have been Mike’s way of reintroducing himself to the large following of The Alarm. The shows have been running for up to 2 1/2 hours, and contain many Alarm favourites as well as rarities from the Second Generation record, material from his upcoming solo debut and astonishing cover songs.
