The Alarm - still the most internationally successful rock group ever to come from Wales - achieved massive worldwide recognition throughout their ten years together from 1981-1991 with 14 Top 50 singles, seven successful albums with over 5 million sold worldwide, packed out venues on both sides of the Atlantic and most importantly, a loyal following...

Although the band were critically underrated in the UK, internationally things couldn't have been more different. In an era dominated by synthesiser bands, The Alarm's pioneering use of the acoustic guitar was championed by the foreign media bringing the band into direct contact with the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and U2, who have all appeared and sung on stage with The Alarm. "I taught Bono and U2 to play 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' at Brighton Top Rank on the 'War' Tour in 1983," remembers Mike with a fond smile. "After that Bono and I duetted the song many times at various Alarm / U2 concerts around the world."

At home, The Manic Street Preachers (although they might not like to admit it...) were devotees of their early Cardiff shows. Super Furry Animals' bi-lingual musical approach was surely inspired by The Alarm who were the first band from Wales to sing in both Welsh and English. Also, because The Alarm had a policy of having only Welsh language bands support them in Wales, Y Cyrff (who went on to become Catatonia), supported them in 1989. Ten years later, Stereophonics answered Alarm lead singer Mike Peters' call to help save the Snowdon Mountain and played their first gig in North Wales because of it. The Alarm are still the only Welsh band to be able to truly use the terms global or international when it comes to describing their musical success.

In fact the band had its first chart success in the USA with 'The Stand', flying back from America to appear on their very first Top Of The Pops, when they scored their first British chart hit with the rousing '68 Guns' which made the Top 20 in September 1983. 'Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke' was another chart success before the release of their debut LP, 'Declaration', which went Top Five in its first week of release.

The Alarm's second album, 'Strength' (the title track becoming The Alarm's first US Top 40 hit) was released in 1985 and spawned Mike Peters' autobiographical 'Spirit of '76'. At this time, The Alarm also made history by playing the very first global satellite concert, their own now legendary 'Spirit of 86' Concert which was performed to an audience of 26,000 fans at UCLA and screened live around the world by MTV.

Third album, 'Eye Of The Hurricane' (1987) sported the hook-laden international hit, 'Rain In The Summertime'. A series of world tours ensued, including a critically acclaimed two?month US outing with Bob Dylan. "Dylan invited me onstage at the Greek Theatre in LA to perform 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door', after we'd built up a rapport discussing Welsh poets," remembers Mike. "Bob must have enjoyed himself because he asked me to join him for a second time in Santa Barbara, California - only this time the song was in a different key!"

The worldwide success of their intensive touring solidified The Alarm's reputation for all-out live shows and culminated in the band's first ever collection of live songs, the 'Electric Folklore Live' EP.

'Change', The Alarm's fourth album, proved to be a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1989, with 'A New South Wales' reaching the Top 40 in the UK and the bluesy 'Sold Me Down the River' becoming a US Number 1 Rock Hit. The touring continued and at a sellout concert in New York City, The Alarm were joined on stage by a very special surprise guest. Mike recalls: "We had been performing Neil Young's 'Rockin' in the Free World' for some time prior to Neil's official release during our North American Tour. Neil came down to New York to hear us performing the song live and couldn't resist joining us on stage at the Ritz, NY NY."

After the release of the 'Raw' album in 1991, The Alarm played what would turn out to be the final night of the 'Raw' tour at Brixton Academy, London on June 30th 1991. The show came to a dramatic close when Mike Peters announced onstage to both band and fans alike, that his time in The Alarm had come to an end.

Despite many offers to reform, the original line-up have never played together since. However, The Alarm's special relationship with their loyal fans continues to thrive: in 1992 The Alarm became one of the first bands to have a dedicated internet website when Peters established www.thealarm.com, which attracts music fans from all over the world. All of this interaction is encapsulated annually at 'The Gathering' event (now celebrating it's 10th year), held and promoted by Mike Peters in North Wales every January.

Last year, the hugely successful 'Alarm 2000 Collection' box set was released via Peters' own label, the Twenty First Century Recording Co., to massive critical acclaim. The Collection gathered together The Alarm's entire catalogue of albums into a nine-CD box set, along with a bonus 'dedication' CD where Mike would personally record and dedicate the Alarm song of the purchaser's choice. Never before had such a gesture been undertaken by a recording artist, and the unprecedented success of the Collection has seen Peters record literally thousands of individual Alarm songs for fans throughout the world. Mojo magazine were so excited by Mike's inspired idea, that they requested their own dedication - what else but 'I Got My Mojo Working'!

Guitarist magazine awarded the collection a full 5/5, describing it as "superbly remastered… a staggering achievement and beautifully presented… so tastefully done that hopefully it will inspire many other bands to take control of their own recorded past" while Q magazine called the box set "immaculately packaged… to keep diehard fans in raptures for ever". Classic Rock praised it as "an amazingly comprehensive selection of rare songs… that every fan will want to have in their collection". As Record Collector summed up: "The Alarm are being recognised as the forefathers of Cool Cymru!"

And now, all seven of the original Alarm albums are being re-released individually. Each of the albums - 'The Alarm' (1981), 'Declaration' (1984), 'Strength' (1985), 'Eye Of The Hurricane' (1987), 'Electric Foklore [Live]' (1987), 'Change' (1989) and 'Raw' (1990) - has been remastered by Mike Peters from the original master tapes and reissued by the Twenty First Century Recording Co. Each album features original artwork, together with complete lyrics, archive photographs and extensive sleeve notes with contributions from all the original band members.

The catalogue will be available in two stages: 'Eponymous' and 'Declaration', released in November; 'Strength', 'Eye Of The Hurricane', 'Electric Folklore', 'Change' and 'Raw' out in December. Each of these specially re-packaged albums are available in record stores nationwide or by mail order via The Alarm's official website www.thealarm.com or by phoning 01745 571571.

And in celebration of 20 years of Wales' most internationally successful rock group, Peters is heading out on a 13-date Acoustic Storyteller Tour in November and December. Mixing music and narrative, these special multimedia shows journey through the musical history of the million-selling rock phenomenon, with acoustic sets performed by Mike Peters and interspersed with stories, recollections, and classic archive footage of The Alarm. Highlights will include tales of Peters' guest appearances with Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bono, Freddie Mercury and many more. As an added bonus, prior to each show Mike will be hosting preview screenings of the brand new Alarm 2001 Greatest Hits live DVD, not yet seen in the UK. The 22-song DVD film was captured at a special concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire, which rounded up their sold-out 'Second Generation' 2000 UK tour.

Having just returned from the American leg of his Acoustic Storyteller Tour, Mike has been showered with rave reviews for his packed-out shows by the US media. Billboard witnessed the phenomenal closing show in New York, hailing Peters as "an engaging storyteller" and marvelling at how "an emotional version of 'These Moments In Time' brought the crowd to its feet."

Mike's UK acoustic tour is crowned by two electric Alarm 2001 shows at London Shepherd's Bush Empire and Cardiff Coal Exchange, featuring the full stellar line-up of Peters, together with guitarist James Stevenson (The Cult, Generation X, Gene Loves Jezebel), drummer Steve Grantley from Irish punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers, and Welsh bass player Richard Llewellyn (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci).

Prior to the tour kicking off, on 27th November, Mike Peters will be honoured in his home country of Wales by being presented with a 'WRIT' - a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Welsh Record Industry - in recognition of his work as a musician and songwriter. The spirit of The Alarm's music is alive and in good hands: a new original album for 2002 is being created in the recording studio, with video diary updates on the internet at www.inthepoppyfields.com. "I want to go forward from here," says Peters. "It is great to celebrate the past, as long as the past has a part to play in the future."

Mike Peters' 20th Anniversary / Acoustic Storyteller Tour kicks off on 29th November,
crowned with two full line-up electric shows with The Alarm 2001 on 18th & 19th December
in Cardiff and London (see attached for details).

The complete back catalogue of The Alarm is available on seven individually-packaged CDs available in record stores nationwide or by mail order at £14.99 each (plus £1 p&p in UK) via The Alarm's official website www.thealarm.com or by phoning 01745 571571.

For more info: Petrina at Work Hard on 020 769 6713
020 8677 8466
petrina@workhardpr.com