Mike Peters of The Alarm is knighted; has new album, tour on tap with Modern English, Gene Loves Jezebel

PA Pictures

I'm very excited to hear about this news featuring three acts I've either interviewed or reviewed live many times over the years. Check out my 2017 interview with Mike Peters here:

https://newwavegeo.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-chat-with-mike-peters-of-alarm.html

Mike Peters and The Alarm, Modern English, and Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel will join forces for a North American tour this summer. See initial dates below.

The Sigma LXXXV Tour tickets go are on sale now and information is available at all three bands websites: www.thealarm.com, www.modernenglish.me,www.genelovesjezebel.co.uk

Mike Peters and The Alarm will release new album Sigma to coincide with the tour on June 28, alongside a reissue of their 1985 album Strength (available March 15). Strength is available to PRE-ORDER now from thealarm.com.

All individual CD and LP pre-orders placed through thealarm.com will qualify for a Free CD that is exclusive to the alarm.com entitled: ‘The Alarm – A Story of Strength‘ featuring a host of exclusive Alarm tracks and narration by Mike Peters. This CD tells the entire story of The Alarm’s Strength period from 1985-1986. A special Limited Edition package of 300 is also being made available to pre-order which will include both the CD and LP Editions, a free CD copy of The Alarm – A Story of Strength, along with a very special Replica Strength Era Backstage Pass personally signed by Mike Peters, that can be used to create a unique ‘collectors’ edition. The Limited Edition Collectors package is only available at thealarm.com All titles have been remastered from the original master tapes by mastering engineer Pete Maher (u2, White Stripes…) under the supervision of Mike Peters.

The Alarm will perform a full and lengthy set at Irving Plaza on April 13th as part of their US/NYC “Gathering” concerts and will also headline The Gramercy in NYC the day before (April 12) performing a set list that was originally performed by the band during the “Spirit of ’86” concert that was historically broadcast around the world via MTV on April 12, 1986.

Sigma acts as the sequel to 2018’s critically acclaimed EQUALS release and features musical contributions from original Alarm guitarist Dave Sharp and Billy Duffy from The Cult. Full details on Sigma will be revealed in the coming weeks.

In addition, Mike Peters was recently honored with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) Award by HIs Royal Highness Prince Charles Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace (pictured above). The MBE is one of Britain’s highest honors. Mike was awarded for his services to charity having raised thousands for cancer care projects in the UK and abroad and dedicating his life to giving hope for families affected by cancer.

Modern English first toured on a double bill with The Alarm back in 1985/86 during the Strength tour. Modern English released their latest album Take Me To The Trees in 2017, and are still a staple of American First Wave Alternative radio station playlists with amongst others, their classic hit ‘I Melt With You’.

Also hailing from Wales UK, are Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel, who first broke onto the American charts in 1985 with a cocktail of infectious hit songs such as ‘Desire’, ‘Jealous’ and ‘The Motion Of Love’, and will be joining the Sigma LXXXV Tour in support of their most recent album release, Dance Underwater which was received with delight by their legion of fans.

Throughout the Sigma LXXXV Tour, members of all three bands will join together each night for a Grand Finale version of the ‘Love Hope Strength’ charity anthem to highlight the additional life-saving aspect of the tour.

Love Hope Strength is a charity dedicated to ‘Saving Lives One Concert at a Time’ and throughout the Sigma LXXXV Tour it will be hosting bone marrow drives at each concert aimed at finding donors for people suffering from Blood Cancer who need a transplant for a second chance at life! The charity has already registered over 200,000 individuals and located some 4,000 plus potentially lifesaving matches. Visit www.lovehopestrength.org for more information.

Alarm Fans attending the tour will also have the opportunity to enhance their participation by purchasing EXPERIENCE SIGMA LXXXV TOUR 2019 passes which will be limited to '85' which matches the tour theme, and will feature additional and exclusive pre-show acoustic performances with Mike Peters, along with an interactive Q&A / Record signing session and a guaranteed photo opportunity Attendees will also have the opportunity and to catch up with exclusive tour merchandise along with the most recent Alarm record releases in the tour ‘pop up record store’ and merchandise emporium.

"The Sigma Tour will bring out the best that The Alarm has to offer the 21st Century, and along with our friends Modern English and Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel, we look forward to taking part in an event that will hopefully, live long in the memory for all our fans." says Mike Peters. "Our music, which still gets played on the radio every single day, gives us all a platform for creativity that will shine through every second of the Sigma Tour. Fans can expect collaboration, moments of reflection, camaraderie and also the unexpected. The tour will be alive on all the social media platforms allowing fans from around the world to see what its like for British bands to be on the road in the USA. Each show will be presented by an in-house MC / DJ and play host to intimate pre-show events that will connect fans to the musicians in a setting away from the spotlight. Up on the main stage every night, The Alarm will be celebrating the release of a new music album entitled Sigma, and honoring the 1985 Strength album reissue that has literally changed and saved lives through Love Hope Strength, the charity which sprang from the intention of the lyrics. The Sigma Tour will look, sound and feel like no other. It's an opportunity for our generations of fans, to make themselves heard, and for us as artists to prove that we are still as relevant as when we first helped shape the musical landscape of America, and when it's citizens looked to British bands for inspiration and alternatives."

"We are so excited to be touring the U.S. with our dear friends The Alarm & Modern English." says Jay Aston. "We all go way back back of course. I remember The Alarm & Gene Loves Jezebel regularly playing different nights at the legendary RockGarden in Covent Garden and as a fellow Welshman, I always kept an eye on their incredible progress. We opened for Modern English early on in our career & often bumped into Rob & the lads at our label (Beggars Banquet) in London. Always great fun to see them and I can vividly remember Ivo (A&R man at 4AD), playing me songs from “After The Snow” & being concerned at rising studio costs (I think 4AD might have got a fair return on their investment…). I once played solo gigs with thee Mike Peters in the UK of course and James Stevenson has been playing with the The Alarm for some time. It’s actually amazing that we haven’t toured together before! We can’t wait to play songs from our “Dance Underwater” album and music from all our albums on the upcoming tour. We’re all planning to make it a very, very special tour."

"We are all really looking forward to it." says Modern English vocalist Robbie Grey, "Three bands all from the same era, still creating and performing and coming together for this summer tour. The response has been amazing from promoters and fans alike. Modern English has known Mike Peters and The Alarm since the 80's, same with Jay Aston and Gene Loves Jezebel. It’s going to be fantastic. Modern English are looking forward to performing our early post punk material including 'After The Snow' songs, along with tracks from our most recent album 'Take Me To The Trees' and hopefully a new song which will be the first Modern English single in a long time (that’s a maybe by the way!!). When Mike said did we want to do it ? We said f…k yes".

Sigma LXXXV Tour 2019 Dates

Friday, July 19, 2019 

Austin, TX
3Ten Live

Saturday, July 20, 2019
Dallas, TX
Gas Monkey

Sunday, July 21, 2019
Oklahoma City, OK
Tower Theater

Thursday, July 25, 2019
San Diego
House of Blues

Friday, July 26, 2019
Temecula
Wiens Family Cellars

Saturday, July 27, 2019
LOS ANGELES
MICROSOFT THEATER

Friday, August 02, 2019
San Francisco
Regency Ballroom

Saturday, August 03, 2019
Sacramento
Ace of Spades

Monday, August 05, 2019
Portland, OR
Aladdin

Tuesday, August 06, 2019
Seattle, WA
Triple Door

Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Spokane, WA
Bing Crosby Theater

Friday, August 09, 2019
Denver
Oriental Theater

Saturday, August 10, 2019
Lawrence, KS
Liberty Hall

Monday, August 12, 2019
St. Louis
Delmar Hall

Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Minneapolis
Fine Line

Thursday, August 15, 2019
Milwaukee
Turner Ballroom

Friday, August 16, 2019
Chicago
House of Blues

Saturday, August 17, 2019
Detroit
St. Andrews

Sunday, August 18, 2019
Cleveland
House of Blues

Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Boston, MA
Paradise

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Asbury Park, NJ
Asbury Lanes

The Alarm “Gathering New York” solo shows:

April 12 Gramercy Theatre New York – Performing “Spirit of ‘86” setlist

April 13 Irving Plaza New York – Full electric concert

Gathering NYC 2019 Weekend Passes and Tickets are on sale now exclusively via ticketmaster.com

Fans who purchase weekend ticket passes for both events, will also receive a commemorative collectors laminate pass as they enter the venue on April 12.