The Alarm: Still Ringing The Bell

Rising from the ashes of the post-punk movement, The Alarm, along with bands such as U2, The Cult, and Simple Minds, gave music in the eighties an injection of hope and energy with a strong dose of self-belief.
 
Lead by the charismatic Mike Peters, The Alarm is still going strong forty years later. Despite health issues (Peters has had a relapse of his leukaemia and pneumonia over the last twelve months), the dogged determination and spirit of punk rock music have seen the band continue to thrive.
 
Appearing at the Holmfirth Picturedrome, The Alarm took the audience on a journey that, for many, was the soundtrack to their youth. As Peters rattled through the songs at breakneck speed, there was no time for any in-between-song banter. If Peters had wanted to show that his health was no longer an issue, he had proved that with a fighting spirit, you defy any odds stacked up against you.
 
My Town sounded magnificent as an opening invitation to witness one of the most underrated acts in the country, with influences from The Clash to Bob Dylan being displayed finely.
 
With a setlist that began to resemble the greatest hits show, hearing tracks like The Stand, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke, and Sixty-Eight Guns demonstrated the power, passion, and optimism evident in these uplifting numbers.