Just witnessed your
best live gig?..send us a review!
THE ALARM
Scala, Kings Cross, London 1 March 2004
Bit of a treat this one as I last saw this band back in my sixth form
days at school in 1986 and they were only the second gig I ever went too
(Blue Oyster Cult was my first taste of live rock ‘n' roll)! Back then the
Alarm were having top 20 singles galore, fast forward to 2004 and the Alarm
have just had their first top 30 hit single in nearly 15 years, albeit
posing as a hip new band called the Poppy Fields. My first time at the
Scala, which is used for showcase gigs mainly and tonight was special as it
was St. David's Day (Alarm main man Mike Peters is Welsh). A sell out crowd
(I believe the venue holds 700) and the whole gig was being filmed for
future DVD release, hence the break mid-set.
Of the original line-up only vocalist/guitarist Mike Peters remains but
he has a strong and experienced band consisting of guitarist Jamie Lawrence
(ex-The Cult/Kim Wilde), bass player Craig Adamson (ex-Sisters of Mercy) and
drummer Steve (didn't catch his surname, ex-Stiff Little Fingers). The show
started with ‘Coming Home' a nice up-tempo rocker to get the crowd going,
although they needed little encouragement! Then ‘Unsafe Building' with the
line I love ‘Declare yourself an unsafe building'. The Alarm have a knack
for anthems, none more so than the excellent '68 Guns', ‘Where Were You
Hiding' and ‘Absolute Reality'. There were slower moments for the crowd to
catch their breath like ‘Rain In The Summertime', a glorious slab of pop
rock.
Mike Peters was in fine voice and belted out the tunes, with special
mention to the drummer who was superb. Mike Peters paid tribute to the late
Stuart Adamson, of Big Country and they did a moving version of ‘In A Big
Country'. Of course their new hit was aired '45 RPM', a real pop punk tune
that is over no sooner than it began!
Such a memorable gig and a band well worth seeing live as they can't be
faulted in passion, songs or musicianship. Personal highlights for me were
the acoustic run through of ‘A New South Wales' and ‘Blaze of Glory' - the
latter defines musical anthem. Special thanks to Dave Clarke at Planet Earth
Publicity for arranging the ticket, providing the set list and also the
competition prize for the Newswire.
Set List
Coming Home
Unsafe Building
In The Beauty Of My Surroundings
Absolute Reality
Right Back Where I Started From
Knife Edge
Rain In The Summertime
The Stand
The Rock And Roll
Declaration/Marching On
Where Were You Hiding.....
In A Big Country
The Drunk And Disorderly
Sixty Eight Guns
Close
Rescue Me
45 R.P.M
Spirit of '76/Walk Forever..../Spirit Of '76
A New South Wales
Bell's Of Rhymney
Blaze Of Glory
Get Down And Get With It
Review: Jason Ritchie
|
