News
Tuesday 11th May
TOUR VIDEO SNIPPETS.
A new video is posted in the videos section of band and crew during the last 3 days of the tour. Including when the power went off at the O2 Academy in Glasgow.
Tuesday 4th May
NEW REVIEWS.
There are a few new reviews in the 'Reviews' section. More will be added as they arrive.
Tuesday 20th April
WILLIE NILE STRANDED IN ITALY.
Due to the air flight disruption Willie Nile is unable to join the tour at Bristol. Willie is working hard to make it over as soon as possible. Our apologies, but we will update you as news arrives and we are confident Willie should make it over by the end of the week.
Monday 19th April
TWO NEW REVIEWS OF DIRECT ACTION.
A review of Direct action from Ian Hall at Liverpool Student Media is available in the reviews section. "The Alarm have created an album full of decent tracks".
There is also a review and promotional article by David Owens at the South Wales Echo. "The Alarm’s new album Direct Action is a rallying cry for the disaffected and disenfranchised".
Tuesday 12th April
FIRST REVIEW OF DIRECT ACTION.
The very first review of 'Direct Action' is now available to view in the new 'reviews' section. The review is by webmaster Steve Fulton. "The Alarm in the 21st Century have never sounded better".
Monday 11th April
RELEASE THE PRESSURE released!
The brand new album from The Alarm, 'Direct Action' is released. The album can be ordered from the online store and is also available to download through iTunes and other download stores. 'Direct Action' can be experienced by joining with The Alarm on the 'Release The Pressure' tour, where the album will be available to buy, and you can take direct action now by checking out the videos on the videos page.
Monday 11th April
DIRECT ACCESS
In order for everyone to have DIRECT ACCESS to DIRECT ACTION, there will be a daily tour blog with photos (and possibly a bit of video). Alarm fan 'Duds' told us he was planning to get to all the gigs on the tour, and so has agreed to give us some words from each venue. MrPloppy will be taking some snaps...so check out the site as the tour progresses and feel free to add your own reviews to the forum. Click on the 'Daily Tour Blog' option in the menu for 'Duds' blog, with input from other crew and MP. There will also be regular twitter updates, which will feature on the site, and you can sign up up to follow thealarm on twitter.com.
Thursday 8th April
RELEASE THE PRESSURE VIDEOThe 'Release the Pressure' video is now available in the video section. This track evolved from an earlier unformed version in collaboration with Ranking Roger from The Beat. One of the first musicians to ever join The Alarm on stage, Ranking Roger helped re-write the lyrics and develop the song into its current version. Surely another live favourite!
Thursday 8th April
PRE-ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN
'Direct Action', the album and DVD package is now available to pre-order from thealarm.com store. The CD / DVD package will only be available exclusively via www.thealarm.com 'Direct Action' will also be available as a download at most online retailers from April 12th onwards - the download version also features a bonus track unavailable elsewhere.
Thursday 1st April
MIKE PETERS TO PLAY CUSTOM GUITAR ON 'RELEASE THE PRESSURE' TOUR!!!
Check out the photos of Mikes brand new, customer built 'Love Hope Strength' guitar, lovingly crafted by Mike's guitar tech, Andy Gray. Mike will be playing this amazing guitar on the 'Release The Pressure' tour, and read on to find out why Andy built it.
Hi, my name is Andy Gray some of you may know me from some of the work I do for Mike and The Alarm at The Gathering.
I have been guitar teaching for over thirty years and got to know Mike about four years ago when he picked up my business card from a music shop in Rhyl.
Since then we have become great friends and I have done all sorts of work for Mike and the band, most of this work and blog I will put up on The Alarm website later.
Well here we go... this is the hardest part for me, last year I was diagnosed with ALS a terminal form of Motor neurone disease I and my family were devastated with the news, hey but life must go on and I need to keep busy, each time I get hit with another problem I strive to beat it, my speech has deteriated badly over the last 6 months but I am still active and won’t give up!! ( I’m starting to sound like Mike now!!).
Mike Peters well what can I say that most of you will all ready know! This guys energy is just beyond belief writing lyrics, recording, rehearsing, touring and charity work and mixing this all in with being a father and husband, he never stops!!
He always has time to talk to anyone, he is always texting and phoning me to see how I am and that goes for Jules’ too, so with the mushy side of things out of the way lets talk about the guitar!!
When the tour was rescheduled at the end of last year it freed up some time for me so I asked Mike would it be ok if I could build him a new white Telecaster as his old one is now about to be retired to which he replied he would be honoured to have me build one.
I had an ash body which was a stock item that I had never got around to using so this was the start of it, the neck blank was made for me by an old friend Kevin Jones from down Mid Wales (now retired) I took most of the measurements from Mikes old Tele to work the profiles, as you will see on some of the build photo’s, I shaped the neck to a C profile and fitted med / jumbo frets, locking quick change machine heads, Graphtec stringsaver saddles all CTS pots, cloth wiring, and Seymour Duncan pickups, now that was the easy part for me!!
The next thing was the ideas for the graphics as I wanted to build this to promote the LHS Foundation which is close to most of our hearts, so I thought it would be great to put the main logo on the front behind the bridge and put all the event fund raisers and mountains climbed to go around the edge of the body, it was then Mike came up with how about doing the back in CAMO!!!!!!!
Yeah.... thanks Mate !!
Four Months later it was finished and it needed 4 weeks for the 12 coats of lacquer to dry. It's now ready for the tour and I dropped it off to Mike 30th March 2010..
I hope you enjoy it Mike as much as I did building it for you .
I can’t wait for the tour to start and see you use it in anger. It’s there to be played and enjoyed...
Cheers for being a great friend..
Andy.
Wednesday 31st March
ONE GUITAR VIDEOA taster of the amazing track "One Guitar" is now available in the videos section and on the home page. The Alarm performed this Willie Nile song for the first time at The Gathering in January. It went down a storm there and the band will be performing the song on tour with Willie. "I'm gonna fight those songs with one guitar!".
Friday 26th March
DIRECT ACTION VIDEO
The first video, and the title track from the brand new Alarm album 'Direct Action' is now available on the Videos page. More videos will be added soon.