THE ALARM added to bill for The Cult’s huge Cardiff Castle outdoor show as frontman MIKE PETERS kicks off UK tour – new album ‘FORWARDS’

The Alarm
Credit: Stuart Ling

Welsh rock legends The Alarm have been invited to perform as special guests with The Cult on American Independence Day (July 4th 2023) at the band’s huge outdoor show at Cardiff Castle. Despite very close links between the bands, it will mark the first time that these two classic British groups (who both generated huge successes in the USA) will have ever shared a stage together.

“The Alarm and The Cult go way back, and I’ve always personally admired the fact that, like The Alarm, The Cult has maintained a fiercely forward-facing creative vision with an eternal ambition to write and record new music.” says The Alarm frontman Mike Peters. “I have also had the privilege of working creatively alongside Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, recording two albums for the Coloursøund project. I have always dreamed of this scenario, and I’m sure fans of both The Alarm and The Cult will be as excited as I am to be at Cardiff Castle on July 4th.”

Also on the bill at the Cardiff Castle show are The Mission, featuring founder members Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams, both of whom share very close ties to The Alarm.

Tickets for Cardiff Castle are available here.

In further news, The Alarm lead singer Mike Peters has just started out on a spring 2023 UK tour, having recently returned from a US promo trip presenting the new album Forwards at various US press, radio and TV outlets, including an appearance on Outlaw Country with Steve Earle who gave the new album a ringing endorsement. Mike also made a special guest appearance at the Alex Theatre in Los Angeles, performing ‘Baby Please Don’t’ Go’ with Wayne Kramer from the legendary MC5 alongside guitarists Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Band) and Peter Buck (REM).

Described by Bono of U2 as “the second greatest rock and roll band in the world”, The Alarm release their forthcoming brand new album Forwards, on the new date of 16th June 2023, followed by a two-night stand at The Gramercy Theatre in New York on June 23rd / 24th.

“I’m lucky to be here,” says lead singer Mike Peters after emerging from a year of serious life challenges during which he faced down both pneumonia and a serious leukaemia relapse. “I was in hospital for such a long time, I had my guitar brought on to the ward and I began writing songs in between IV sessions. The first people to hear ‘Forwards’ were the very people who were trying to keep me alive.”

Forwards is alive with melody and invention and destined to contend for a top place amongst The Alarm’s extensive discography, one that boasts over 17 Top 50 UK singles and over six million album sales worldwide. In fact, the previous three Alarm albums have all featured in the Top 10 of the UK Rock Album Chart – Equals (No. 2 in 2018), Sigma (No.1 in 2019) and Omega (No.8 in 2022).

The release of Forwards has already generated new momentum for The Alarm, with BBC Wales set to broadcast a new 30-minute ‘Alarm TV Special’ in the run-up to the album’s release date. BBC Radio 2’s Gary Davies has already featured Mike Peters on his Sounds of the ’80s show, and Mike Peters also revealed his Rock God on the Johnny Walker Rock Show to be the late Steve Marriott of Small Faces (a recently published interview from 1987 has revealed that Steve Marriott was a self-professed fan of The Alarm).

The new album’s title track has been added to the BBC Radio Wales playlist while Mike and the band have this week kicked off their new UK tour in support of Forwards’ release – a full list of Mike Peters and The Alarm’s forthcoming UK live dates is;

30 May Newcastle – The Cluny

31 May Tring Court Theatre

3 June Sale Waterside Arts Centre

4 June Stroud Subscription Rooms

6 June London Union Chapel

7 June Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

8 June York – The Crescent

9 June Hull Welly

4 July Cardiff Castle (w/The Cult)

17 August Holmfirth Picturedrome

18 August Ottery St Mary – Beautiful Days Festival

Tickets for all the above shows available now via https://thealarm.com/upcoming-shows/

“There’s always another way forwards”, says Mike. “A mantra and a phrase that has proved itself to me time and time again. Even in the most simple phases of life when a door seems closed, or life impacts on your direction of travel. I’m a believer that there is always a solution and always an option in any given situation. Forwards.”

 

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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