U2 War Tour 1983 – (Tour) – The Alarm Archive

In 1983 The Alarm were invited by U2 to support them on their world wide War Tour in the UK and then the USA dates, playing 6 dates in the UK and 18 dates in the USA. These USA dates were the first time The Alarm played live in the USA. The tour included the legendary “Red Rocks” show in Colorado, where U2’s “Under A Blood Red Sky” album and video were recorded, but the Alarm were unable to play on the day of the show due to bead weather. Mike Peters regularly joined U2 during their set to play “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” – the song that Mike taught Bono how to play

In May 1983, The Alarm were embarking on a short UK tour to support their new single The Stand, released in April of that year. With Ian Wilson as their manager, they slowly, but steadily built a following across the UK. Wilson, once U2’s agent, helped The Alarm gain multiple support slots with U2 throughout late 1981 and 1982. Both bands had a similar energy and spirit that made them compatible touring bands. Now with their new single released on IRS Records, The Alarm were embarking on a headlining tour of their own. Still without any real commercial success, The Alarm had become a legendary live act. It was not long before U2 came calling once more.

UK Dates : March 1983
(v) 13th March 1983: Top Rank Suite, Brighton, England
The Alarm’s Mike Peters and a saxophonist join U2 for Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, which is the first of many times U2 cover the Bob Dylan song (though Bono himself had previously sung the song with The Alarm on 6th December 1982)

(v) 22nd March 1983 : Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
This is the night in which Mike Peters declares he taught Bono how to play Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door and Bono joins The Alarm on stage to play it
Set List: Declaration, For Freedom, Marching On, The Stand, Blaze Of Glory, We Are The Light, Tell Me, Third Light, Sixty Eight Guns. Encore: Up For Murder, Maggie May, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

(v) 24th March 1983: Tiffany’s, Glasgow, Scotland
Set List: Shout To The Devil, Declaration, For Freedom, Marching On, Blaze Of Glory, The Stand, Reason 41, Third Light, Unsafe Building, Across the Border, Sixty Eight Guns

(v) 25th March 1983 : Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, England

(v) 26th March 1983 : City Hall, Newcastle, England
Set List: Declaration, For Freedom, Up for Murder, Marching On, The Stand, Blaze Of Glory, Third Light, Across The Border Sixty Eight Guns. Encore: Unsafe Building, Marching On

(v) 29th March 1983 : Hammersmith Palais, Hammersmith, London W6, England
Support for the night was Big Country
Mike Peters and Stuart Adamson of Big County join U2 onstage for Knocking On Heaven’s Door
“U2 were soundchecking at the Hammersmith Odeon in March 1983. Backstage Paul McGuinness took me aside and whispered “We want you to play with us on the US leg of The War Tour. Can you do it?’. Without a penny to our name or the prospect of a proper record contract to support us, I confidently answered ‘Yes, of course!.’– Ian Wilson

The Alarm had to cancel their The Stand single support date tour dates in Glasgow, Coventry and Bradford for the tour with U2. While The Alarm were garnering a small but enthusiastic word-of-mouth following, they had still not broken through to mainstream in the UK.
“One of the good things that Miles Copeland brought to the band (probably the only good thing he brought really) was that he was connected in America. Probably the main reason why we signed to IRS, at the end of the day, was because they were an American driven record label, and Miles had broken The Police in America. A lot of British bands in the seventies & early eighties never made it in America. America never got punk and they didn’t get the early eighties stuff until much later on. The first band to break America in a long long time were The Police and they were driven by Miles Copeland. He engineered the whole thing, funded them going to America. He got them a van & Sting and all that lot drove round America and powered their way through as many gigs as they could get, and they started making it in America, creating a name for themselves. When Miles saw us, he kind of understood about America really, so when we got offered the chance to go and play with U2 in America, Miles could grasp the concept that it would be good for the band, even though we had had no discernible success in Britain at that point. It was very unusual for a band to go to America as early in their career as we did and we were unknown. We got the U2 tour because they’d been on tour so long that they were homesick and wanted some people that they knew to come and join them on tour. We’d built up a relationship with them during the beginning of the War tour and Ian our manager happened to be their agent (which kind of helped as well), Ian and their manager Paul McGuinness had a conversation while we were playing a gig with U2 at Hammersmith Palais. He’d asked Ian if we’d be up for touring with U2, and Ian said yes. But he didn’t tell us until it became something definite”. – Mike Peters

The original touring party that first flew in was: Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Nigel Twist, Eddie Macdonald, Simon Watson – Tour Manager and Sound Engineer Redeye (John Selwyn Edwards) -Backline Tech and in house comedian, Gaz Top (Gareth Jones) – Backline tech and also in house comedian (and photographer). They were joined by Georgia (Red’s girlfriend of the time) from the LA Arena show onwards and then by Ian Wilson (The Alarm’s manager and U2’s European booking agent) from Florida to New York.

USA Dates : June 1983
(v) 1st June 1983: San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA
Additional support act provided by Romeo Void
This show was the first time The Alarm would play live in America.
This was the first date of the 18 date U2 support tour. The Alarm landed in Los Angeles and had to deal with culture shock before making their way to San Francisco for the first date of their support tour with U2. They almost didn’t make it.
“San Francisco: After an eight hour drive from LA, we had our first taste of what we had all imagined was America. Driving over the Bay Bridge into S.F., the view was unreal – the high-rises all reached up for miles, and with Alcatraz prison on the right and behind it The Golden Gate Bridge, you’ve got to be there to really feel the power of the view. We headed for the Civic Centre, an almighty venue with a capacity of 10,000. As we prepared to go on stage for our first ever gig in America, the tension in the air was tremendous, especially as we had not had time to soundcheck or change our guitar strings. The light of experience filled the hall and we ran out to the largest audience we had ever faced in our lives. The feeling of performing in front of all those people, who had never heard a note of music by The Alarm, was a great experience. It was such a challenge to reach to the farthest corners and try to win every single soul.” – Mike Peters Tour Diary 1983
We got to America, the first thing any American ever said to us as we were coming through immigration was “Oh My God”. We had to go from LA to San Francisco to play with U2. It’s 250 miles, we thought “no problem, about three or four hours, hammer it up there”. We get in the hire vehicle (a U-Haul Truck), hit the highway, giving ourselves enough time to get there for the soundcheck. It won’t go past 50, it’s got a limiter on it. First gig in America, we’re late. We get to the gig in San Francisco and Bono & The Edge are waiting for us. They’re excited that we’re coming .
We get all the gear out, pile all the gear on stage, we didn’t have a soundcheck and the next minute the house lights are out and we’re due to be on stage. We get the guitars on and think, s***, these strings have been on for like five days. We start playing Declaration and my strings go “boing, boing, boing” and Dave’s are going as well. It’s like “Mike, tell some stories”. I thought ‘What do you say?’. So it’s “Hello San Francisco” and I get a little applause. I said “It’s our first night ever we’ve played a gig in America” and the Americans cheer. I thought this is good this. On the way over I’d been playing a Bruce Springsteen bootleg called “Live in San Francisco, Live in the promised land”. So I was going ‘It’s really nice to be in San Francisco, really great to be in the promised land’, and they’re going wild. By that time I’d got my guitar back on and wham off we go into the set.” – Mike Peters Alarm 2000 Day, May 28th, 2000

(Ticket via U2Gigs website, Photographs by Helen Mesquita)

(v) 3rd June 1983: Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
The Alarm opened for U2, but had equipment problems prior to the concert and ended up borrowing U2’s.
The Alarm toured in a Dodge Ram mini bus that was driven at various times by Simon Watson, Nigel Twist and Mike Peters. U2 kindly transported their equipment. At one point, U2 even let The Alarm use their tour bus for some of the mid-west dates: after it had broken down on route to Salt Lake City and the Irish rockers flew to a few shows to catch up on some rest.
“Salt Lake City : We drove all night from SF to Salt Lake City and I took the wheel at about midnight. A terrific thunderstorm lit up the sky and I was so taken by its beauty that I ended up driving all the way into Salt Lake. On arrival everyone went straight to bed, except Redeye (part of The Alarm road crew) and myself, who decided to get something to eat. We set off up the road but had to turn back after only 200 yards due to all the locals freaking out over our haircuts. In Britain, people may be conservative but over here they’re wild.” –Mike Peters Tour Diary, 1983
U2 Fan comment – Mark Bradley – I was a 15 year old kid a t this show and U2 was my favorite band. I showed up at 1pm in the afternoon to secure a good seat since it was general admission. I ended up in the third row. About 1/2 way thru The Alarm’s set most of the chairs had been removed to make room for dancing. Both bands put on a stellar show and U2 came back for several encores
U2 Fan comment – Roobah – The Alarm opened the show and I hate to say it, they were completely flawless and played a very fine but short set of about 6 songs or so. They made a great warm-up to the start of the show. My guess is the few audience members didn’t appreciate Bono’s quirkiness and a bit of singing out of tune after such a fine performance by The Alarm. What I remember most about the Alarm (from the front row) is how YOUNG they were. Later I found out they WERE young, much younger than my early-twenty something age.
U2 Fan comment – Youngblood85 – The Alarm opened and played a phenomenal set. They were called out for a second encore and told us that they had played all of their songs, but if we didn’t mind, they would play “Marching On” one more time. We approved and they blazed through the song.

(v) 5th June 1983: Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Denver, Colorado, USA
The Alarm were scheduled to be the support act but their set was cancelled due to bad weather. U2 went ahead despite the rain later and filmed their “Under a Blood Red Sky” video.
Nigel Twist – I remember Red Rocks, U2 had painted the stage right after our sound check and it was still wet before our show so we couldn’t play that night. It was probably the best show on the tour. Edge broke a string on Adam’s bass so they borrowed Eddie’s, you can see it on ’40.

(v) 6th June 1983: University of Colorado, Events Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Additional support act provided by The Divynls
This show was added to the schedule as a backup in case the Red Rocks concert and film shoot was either cancelled or spoiled by heavy rain
The Alarm also joined U2 during their later set for an encore of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”. The funny thing was that Bono decided to do the final verse on his own and told The Alarm to get off stage as they were no good at playing it ! But he did say they were the future of rock and roll !!
“We were actually starting to get a few ideas of how things might pan out for us in America and so at this gig we decided to make a grand entrance. We approached Pete Williams U2’s lighting designer with an idea for the start of our set which involved us walking onstage to the music that was the theme tune for the classic movie ‘Once Upon A Time In America’. We came up with the idea of walking down to the stage from the top of the arena while the intro music was playing. The only thing wrong with the plan was that we didn’t rehearse it. We had not realised how difficult it was to walk down the steps of an arena with only a spotlight to light the way, especially Nigel Twist who had to do it in his dark glasses, we were trippng and stumbling and it took a lot longer than we imagined. We also had not allowed for the fact that we had to walk behind the stage to get on stage and by the time we got there the audience were slow hand clapping us. When we came off stage after our set, Pete Williams was waiting for us with a big grin on his face. He knew all along that our grand plan was destined for failure but you can only learn from those sort of mistakes for yourself – by trial and error. When Bono called us up to play ‘Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’ (which we had planned to do the previous night at Red Rocks), some of the audience started throwing coins at me when it was my turn to sing. Bono came and stood next to me so that they would stop which was a really great gesture. The version we played was pretty terrible as we had all forgotten how to play it to be honest. We had learnt it in the dressing room at Red Rocks but by the time we got on stage at Boulder it was all a blur and that’s why Bono sent us off…. and that included Larry Mullen Jr.!!” – Mike Peters 1983 Tour Diary 1983

(v) 7th June 1983: Cotillion Ballroom, Wichita, Kansas, USA
Debate is if the gig happened or not but if it did The Alarm did not play
We were driving off to the next gig. The next gig was in Witchita, Kansas, but this is what America is like. U2 were massive, and first gig was to 8000 people in San Francisco Civic, but four days later they were playing Witchita in Kansas and they were having to cancel shows because they were only selling 70 tickets. It was really weird and we couldn’t get our heads round it. So we had a day off because they’d cancelled one of these shows, so we decided we’d have a scenic route trip round America and go off the highway. We stopped in this place called Craig, Colorado, we came in our little van & it was dead silent. There was a fairground going on, with all of these ferris wheels, so we wound the window down. You know like in British fairs you have Abba’s Dancing Queen pumping out usually – well this one was dead silent and all you could hear was these “Whoop, Ye-haa”. We pulled into this little café and we walked in, all the spurs going and chains and things. This guy says to me “Hey! You boys have picked the wrong town”. We just did what you’re doing and burst out laughing ’cause it was straight out of John Wayne. Once he’d heard our accents and realised we were from outer space or somewhere he served us and we had a brilliant time.” – Mike Peters Alarm 2000 Day, May 28th, 2000

(v) 8th June 1983: Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
Additional Support is listed as The Shapes

(v) 9th June 1983: The Brady Theatre, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
The Alarm arrived late to the gig because of van trouble.

(v) 10th June 1983: Lloyd Noble Centre, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
U2 Fan comment – Scott S – I was introduced to The Alarm that night, who played an all-acoustic set, which was very daring at that time

(v) 11th June 1983: Southpark Meadows, Austin, Texas, USA
“Austin : Saturday night in Austin, Texas, and after the gig the only place to be is Sixth Street which is packed with bars, discos and restaurants. Everyone was very friendly, even though they were taken back by our appearance, which, as I’ve explained, receives a more fierce reaction than in Britain. The advent of MTV has revitalised the grapevine in the USA, something which has been missing since the sixties. Before MTV, bands had to play America state by state, the only real exposure being the radio, which only caters for a local city or two. Obviously, it was very hard for bands to have an impact on the American public as a whole because there was no national focus like NME or Radio One. However, MTV has provided exactly this focus and a talking point across the nation.” – Mike Peters Tour Diary, 1983
U2 Fan comment – Amy Bogen – We headed to the stage, hopeful that we would be able to get close. There wasn’t any problem with that, most people were sitting on the hillside on blankets! We went to the stage and stood with the few faithful fans and then we waited for the first group to play, which was The Alarm- a fantastic group from Wales!

(v) 12th June 1983: KZEW Radio Station, Dallas, Texas, USA – Radio Interview
“This was the show preceded by the KZEW interview with George Gimarc that featured myself and Bono. It was the first time we played the Mick Glossop recording of ‘Blaze Of Glory’. The gig was amazing and the interview made us some actual real ‘Alarm’ US fans in the Dallas area who were waiting for us to arrive and get autographs.” – Mike Peters
On June 12th, Mike Peters and Bono appeared together on KZEW for an interview with George Gimarc. The most interesting part of the interview relating to The Alarm:
George Gimarc: What a terrific tune. Excuse me from interrupting it like that. Golly, Mike!
Mike Peters: That’s a track we recorded just before we came to America. It’s going to be on our album and we’ll be finishing the album off when we get back from the States.
George Gimarc: That’s called ‘Blaze of Glory’
BONO: That is a blaze of glory. I mean you talk about a No.1. Sort of No.1 or nothing!
George Gimarc: I hate to tell you Bono, but you’re gonna have to move out if he keeps this up.
BONO: It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Mike Peters: I’ve got a few more songs like that up my sleeve.

Bono and Mike Peters at KZEW Radio Station, Dallas

(v) 13th June 1983: Bronco Bowl, Dallas, Texas, USA

(v) 14th June 1983: Houston Music Hall, Houston, Texas, USA

(v) 17th June 1983: Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, USA

(v) 18th June 1983: The Club Lingerie, Los Angeles, California, USA
The Alarm’s first ever headlining show in the USA, on a night off from the U2 tour. Bono could not get in and The Alarm had to sneak him in the back.
“Los Angeles : While in LA, we did our first headline show. When we arrived, at the Club Lingerie, lots of people were being turned away, including all of U2. We managed to persuade the management to let our Irish pals in but most people were being turned away because they did not have ID to prove that they were over 21. It was unfortunate that we were not informed of this in advance, but American clubs are very strict about the legal drinking age. As a result, young audiences never experience the closeness of a good club gig.” – Mike Peters Tour Diary, 1983
Review
Talent In Action, The Alarm, Club Lingerie, Los Angeles. Admission $7.50
IRS Records is very hot on its new Welsh band, the Alarm. The group had opened the night before this showcase for the “in” Irishmen, U2, at the Sports Arena, and U2’s lead singer Bono Vox hyperbolically called his cohorts “the future of rock and roll.
Actually, there’s more than a touch of the past in the Alarm: you could call them the post punk Byrds, or Folk rock of the 80s. With acoustic guitars and harmonica, against a painted backdrop of Student Union graffiti, they sing socially relevant songs of pacifism and solidarity. And they do it very well.
The June 18 presentation as the Lingerie saw a crowd heavily peppered with press and record company types, but the paying audience itself was visibly drawn into the band’s power and emotion. these youngster were all too obviously sincere in their message,, and that honesty shone through.
The 65 minute set featured material from the Alarm’s new EP and from the album due this fall: Marching On, Make A Stand, Hands Held High, The Deceiver. Propelled by the urgent hammering of drummer Twist, the group drove home their statement with musical verve. Club acoustics are less than idea for hearing lyrical content, but even when you don;t know precisely what they were saying, you knew it was something more than “lets dance”.
The Alarm may not be “the future of rock and roll” but it’s fair to say that they are rock and roll with a future – Ethlie Ann Vare

(v) 21st June 1983: Jai Alai Fronton Hall, Orlando, Florida, USA
U2 Fan comment – David – I remember being highly impressed by the opening act, The Alarm. The album they were promoting, Declaration, is still one of my all-time favorites.

(v) 22nd June 1983: Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, Florida, USA
“Florida : This is where we first felt the heat, with everything else paling into insignificance in the mad rush for cold drinks and air conditioning. By this stage of the tour, the travelling and gigging had begun to take its toll, and we saved our energy for the stage and the interviews that were starting to come in thick and fast as news of The Alarm spread.” – Mike Peters Tour Diary, 1983
U2 Fan comment – GV – The Alarm opened the show with a fantastic set featuring a great version of The Stand.

23rd June 1983 Sunrise Musical Theater, Sunrise, Florida, USA

24th June 1983 Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

(v) 25th June 1983 The Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
U2 Fan Review – Paige Bridgeman – The opening act was The Alarm who at the time I considered kind of a “U2 Jr” with their rebellious lyrics and stage act. They were very impressive also and that was only time I was able to seem perform live.

27th June 1983 New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Additional support act provided by Marshall Crenshaw

28th June 1983 Centrum in Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

29th June 1983 Pier 84, New York City, New York, USA