I didn't realise he was still actively making music. I only have Change on CD. Good band.
Mike Peters never stopped making music.
After he walked away from the original band, he carried on as a mostly independent artist under a solo moniker plus backing bands in the ‘90s + he did some stuff with guitarist, Billy Duffy of the Cult
He revived the Alarm moniker under a new name Alarm MMVII in 2000 with a more rock/punk sound.
Also in that time period, he managed to acquire the rights to the past I.R.S. era music and rereleased it in a boxed set along with rarities and the band’s preferred mixes
In 2004, He pulled a hoax that got a song into the top 30 in Britain. Being frustrated that the band wasn’t being taken seriously because their image was outdated, he got a young group of kids and created a fake band whose style was in tribute to the Clash & Rancid. They released the single “45rpm” under the fake band name along with a fake video featuring young musicians. The song was a brief hit until word got out it was a hoax.
2013 saw him partner up with the remaining members of Big Country for an excellent album (The Journey) and tour.
Around 2015, he got into a phase of revisiting the past with reworkings of original I.R.S. era music and live performances.
In 2017, he released two new albums (Blood Red / Viral Black) that are currently exclusive to the Alarm.com. The music is a bit of hybrid of his poppier solo output and the more raw Alarm style. Good stuff!
Mike was an early originator of the modern fanclub residency convention. For 25 years, there has been an annual weekend celebration (typically somewhere in Wales) to celebrate the band. Featuring Bruce Springsteen length sets, past band members, and related era artists - They call it the Gathering and brings in fans from all over the world.
Oh and through all of this, he has fought with leukemia and was a founder of the Love, Hope, Strength Foundation which raises awareness and funds to benefit people with blood cancers. One of their main programs is setting up at concerts to promote people signing up for bone marrow donoation list.
The guy is inspiring. Check out the documentary - The Man in the Camo Jacket.
