Mike Peters of The Alarm 25 Feb 1959 – 28 Apr 2025
In their early years, The Alarm was often considered to be something like the Welsh U2. Like U2, they had a pretty discernible Christian bent. I had the privilege of seeing the band twice here in Salt Lake City at the old Paladium in Sugar House in the late '80s. Several years back, I went to a small initimate show of Mike's at The State Room downtown.
One distinct memory from my first Alarm concert at the Paladium, which was a fairly small venue and jammed that Sunday night is indicative of the kind of person Mike was. Everyone stood, there was no seating, because we danced and sang along. A couple of guys towards the front starting roughing people up. Mike stopped the show and said, "Oy! There's enough of that out there. We'll have none of it in here. Am I clear?" The guys nodded, indicating they heard him. He didn't have them tossed. There was a sense of solidarity in the room even greater than before after that.
While Peters was pretty oblique about his faith, he made it clear he is a believer. His message of faith was that of hope. And so, he was not at all pushy let alone obnoxious about it. While not Catholic, he certainly was a pilgrim of hope as he battled the disease that ultimately took him home.
For some years, Mike fronted the Scottish band Big Country. Of course, Big Country was founded by the late Stuart Adamson. You should take the time watch the short (about 25 minute) documentary The Song That Changed My Life - In a Big Country. "In a Big Country" is a song I listen to when I feel very down. I only wish that Stuart had heeded his own imperative_ "Stay alive!" (see "With the dream in her eyes no one's seen").
While The Alarm's most popular song was "Rain in the Summertime" (and it is a great song), "The Stand" seems a better traditio for this first Friday of the month of May. Mike Peters, you made your stand. Requiscat, Mike, in pace
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