Mike Peters, front-man of The Alarm, has died at the age of 66. As I write this on a very busy morning, I feel badly that what I write will not do justice to this special musician. His contributions to this thing we all love called rock n roll were significant. I could write pages about Mike Peters, but on this morning, I have only a few minutes. So perhaps I will follow this up with something more lengthy in the future.
Peters succumbed to a long battle with cancer. His wife - who survives him - has also battled cancer. Mike Peters and his band The Alarm became prominent in the 1980’s with great, anthemic songs like “Sixty-Eight Guns.” I saw The Alarm open for The Pretenders back in the mid-eighties. On that night, the band played a spectacular set, almost (but not quite) upstaging the headliners. During their set, Mike gave credit to The Sex Pistols for inspiring him to pick up a guitar and start the band. I saw the band in subsequent years, including once fairly recently. The band played all of their older hits, giving the crowd what they wanted. But I was mildly disappointed, because The Alarm has never waned in making fantastic records over the years.
If you have not followed them, you really should comb through their entire catalog. Much of the best music they made is thoroughly obscure for the most part. In addition to The Alarm, Peters had some side projects worthy of a listen as well. He was certainly prolific. In fact, The Alarm has a new record on the way, set for an August release, called Transformation, and the two singles released in advance are both outstanding. Below are videos for a classic, and a brand-new song.
Mike Peters influenced many musicians, had a positive attitude always, and actively tried to improve the world we live in. He will be missed.
JCE, or John to his friends, was born in the Nation’s Capital. He grew up in the VA suburbs of D.C. His earliest musical memories are tied to a transistor radio with a single earphone that he carried everywhere listening to AM radio. His wife of 33 years says he’ll never grow up, and she’s exactly right. He attributes that to his lifelong love affair with all things rock n roll.