Hello Everyone,

Looking forward to some good dialogue over the next 21 days..... keep the questions coming...

Here are the answers to the first few...

one of my favourite periods of mike peters was 93 to 98, especially the breathe period... why aint those songs played live anymore on the road...... lee aherne.

Sorry Lee..... but maybe you've not been at the gigs where songs from that period have been played!!! I played a lot of them in LA and NYC this year and have plans for another interactive kind of UK tour next year where you will definitely get another chance to hear more of those songs, especially if you put your request in!! Those songs haven't been forgotten though... for instance, 4 songs from Rise, plus Breathe and 21st Century were performed during the electric set at last years Gathering and I played even more on the acoustic Friday... POETIC JUSTICE, WHO'S GONNA MAKE THE PEACE?, FEEL FREE, BROKEN SILENCE, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOVE WE MADE, TRUE LIFE, FIRST LIGHT, HIGH ON THE HILL all got a hearing!!! Make sure you are at the Friday night at this years Gathering 2010... you won't be disappointed I promise!!!!!!! Also, check out the new 'Feel Free' reissue it's a whole new look at that album and sounds even better than the original especially the 'lost' 'Psychological Combat Zone' version. Thanks Lee - for all your loyal support - Mike

Hi Mike, Congrats on Kilimanjaro, the upcoming releases, and the recent East Coast shows. So back to back summers of short greatest hits sets on Rockin' the Colonies, and a nice Friday night acoustic with you in April in LA this year..... Will any of your 21 day announcements include plans for a full blown full Alarm tour of the United States in 2010?? Also... Every Gathering released on DVD expect for my first, G13 in 2005 which was right after the release of the Gathering box set. Is there any chance will ever see G13 on DVD? Great to have G16 (my second Gathering) on DVD, but your Friday night performance was incredible and deserves a DVD release as well. Looking forward to your posts over the next 3 weeks, as well as to the new website. Thanks, David Wess Minneapolis

Hi David, hopefully there will be a US tour next year but will have to wait and see what opportunities present themselves to us (Got some irons in the fire so to speak!!). Will keep you posted. As for G13 DVD, it was filmed but only in a limited way and so maybe somewhere along the line something will come out along with footage of the other missing Gath performances like acoustic G16... you never know...... Mike

Hi Mike, 1, It's quite some time now since the cd box set, which song was the most requested for the dedication, and what was the most unusual, obscure request that you had ?

'Walk Forever By My Side' (Most requested), and most unusual was 'Blaze of Glory' for someone's future funeral!!!

2, Most people talk of their favourite Alarm, Mike Peters song, but this question is brought on by a conversation I had with The good old Captain Sensible at the ABC earlier this year when we discussed what Damned venture he was most disappointed in and Why, great response and wonderful story by the Captain, so same question to you Mike, what do you think the studio version didn't do justice to and why?

The latest track 'All Seeing' is a good case in point..... really good song but I probably didn't put the best arrangement around it when it got cut for ITPF Bond but think I've managed to get it right this time... although will be interesting to see what people who loved the original will think!!! Another case is the original version of 'Feel Free'...... check out the re-issue for the (long) story behind that one!!!!

3, Three diner guests at the Peters household (dead or alive) who would you invite and why?

Just had breakfast with all three of them.... Jules, Dylan and Evan!!!

Someone asked me the same question recently and I said two would do me fine and it would be both my parents as I miss them incredibly
I know how you feel..... hence my answer also....

Take care, James

Thanks James... Mike

hi mike ,hope all is well with you?it's sylvie here from belgium,i have just a question about the news realese,the news realese it's available in belgium mike?.and you not go so in belgium during the tour mike?. hope you read my question? love hop and strength to you all best wishes sylvieXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hi sylvie, thanks for the question.... we are trying to fit together a tour of Europe for next year around the release of the new album so fingers crossed for Belgium!!! Love, HOP and strength to you.... Mike

Hi Mike congratulations too you and Jules and all the love hope and strength team on making it to the top of mount killimanjaro that climb made rhondda rocks look like just a walk in the park with some friends amasing as that day was it was nothing compared to killimanjaro and the experiences you both have had with that. Anyways I have loads of questions that id like to put to you as will most of us its been an amasing couple of years since the release of guerilla tatics which was fantastic collection of music as usuall from yourself and the alarm. The guerilla tatics residency gigs at the point in cardiff (sadly now closed venue) through to your birthday bash at clwb ifor bach another amasing night and loads in between the gathering last year in particular the satuarday night was the best satuarday night set list i'd seen you play in years i mean 3 hours who else could pull that off apprt from you and maybe ( Mr Springstein) Anyways that leads me nicely on to my question. This years gathering claire and I are really excited about it and looking forward to january already. Over the years the gathering has become a massive event from way back when i attended my first gathering which was gatherin 4 for me and five through to gathering 10 with dave sharp and the last 5 years in a row have been amasing. For us tha gathering has become more than just a celebration of mike peters and alarm music its about and the extended family that comes with that. This years gathering comming home there are loads of rumours going round as to how your going to format the weekend from playing the shorter sets throught the day to having battle of the bands competitions etc. But personally i love the 3 hour set on the sat night is there anychance of this happening this year or are all the rumours true and you will be playing shorter sets or in true Mike Peters fashion will it possibly all change on the night !! Just like at your 50ht birthday concert you announced doing a series of short sets then mingling with the crowd but on the night you surprised us and completely changed threw the set list out the window and played two hours solid which was amasing and extiting and created an excellent atmosphere in clwb ifor bach all the best, Chris and Claire and Rhys Puxley

Hi the Puxleys.... thanks for sending messages to Jules and I whilst we were on Kili....much appreciated.....OK The Gathering.... there will be just as much music played at this years Gathering (probably even more than ever!!!!). The new venue gives us scope for so much more than previous years...... so still working up the format but there will be both short (er) and long sets (electric and acoustic and some in-between)......... I don't think anyone will go home without seeing or hearing some part of my music career represented in some way. Sorry for not being too specific....I just don't want to spoil the surprise just yet by giving too much away!!!! See you on the tour and at The Gathering - Mike

Hello Mike! I've been to many hundreds of gigs over the years, seeing a whole host of people, but one of the greatest 'events' I've been to was the Guerilla Tactics In The UK tour. I was only able to go to the London gigs, but the enjoyment of a weekly concert by The Alarm in what I felt was a really good venue for the concerts is right up there with experiences like sitting in the front row for Neil Young at Hammersmith. Do you have any plans for doing something like this again? And when is the next London gig? I was gutted to miss the Damned gig this year in London as it was my 10th wedding anniversary and had been hoping for a gig with The Beat. In years gone by I'd have made a trip somewhere but now I have a little lad to look after it's a different story! Good luck with everything and thanks for all the good times and fantastic music. Cheers. Paul PS - I know this incarnation of the band have been together a long time now, but I just want to say what a great band it is and they are The Alarm, and you're writing some of the best Alarm songs ever.

Hi Paul, I'm sure there will be other residency ideas in the future.... I do enjoy that sort if gig format as it helps to keep us / me on top of our game so to speak.... Sorry you missed the last London show... it was a great one!!! Got 2 kids myself so know how you feel about making a road trip..... There will be a London show next year with the new album but until then the closest for you is Hatfield Forum in Herfordshire on Saturday December 5th... see you there maybe???? Thanks for the compliments also.... Mike

Mike Congrats to you, Jules and the team for Kilimanjaro. Always an inspiration! On the subject of the 21 Days project I was wondering how you determined what songs would appear on this album? Apart from 'Love Hope Strength', what song gave you the greatest joy in including it in this project and why? See you in Glasgow in November Doug Watson

Hi Doug, The determining factor behind the song choice on '21' was pretty much based on the songs that made it through to the 'live' concert. In fact there are more than '21' songs on the album 22 in fact because I couldn't leave one of them out...... The DVD has even more tracks and includes all of the video performances for tracks like 'New Home New Life' and a version of 'True Life' that was the original demo (and probably the best version of the song).....watch out for the video over the next few days.... it was shot at the time of the original poppy fields photo session in Wales that was the source of all the cover shots at the time..... I'm very proud of this album as I think it brings every song to life and is a vast improvement especially on the mixes / performances that were on the In The Poppy Fields album released in 2004 (check out 'Coming Home' and 'Trafficking' if you don't believe me), and although I still like the mix of 'Under Attack', the mixes of 'My Town' and 'Without A Fight' are more representative of the power of the songs as they developed on stage...... I'll be posting previews throughout the next three weeks so stay tuned.....Cheers Mike

I must have missed this bit - how do I go about asking a question?

Many thanks.

Steve W

Hi Steve,

Just fire away on here.... or reply to the twitter on the home page or just send an email to alarmcalling@mac.com

Easy as 1-2-3-4

Mike

Mike,congrats on climbing the mountain.I m a big Alarm and Fixx fan from nr Mold,whats the chances of you inviting Cy and the boys over to support you on tour?

Thanks Dave, I actually talked with Cy about bringing The Fixx to this years Gathering... you never know.... but we will play the UK together one day I'm sure.... THANKS MIKE

Mike,
I've seen many shows - from Barrowlands, Glasgow for the Change tour, to this years Los Mondo Bongo show in Toronto. All great memories! Congrats on all you've done and one quick question - what keeps you going after all these years?
Martin

Hi Mike , firstly congrats to you Jules and the team on the Kilimanjaro climb , you are an inspiration to us all !. Just to edge away from the 'Alarm' for a sec , even though ive been to hundreds of gigs over the years i seem to miss too many these days due to work and family commitments . But i never seem to miss a 'Mike Peters' acoustic gig ! . So maybe im on my own with this but will there be more MP acoustic in the future ....thanks Christian .

hi mike chris puxley here again well another blinding question for you ! Claire and I bought an IPOD classic this year and like everyone else whose bought one your always keen to show people how many tracks you have on there I looked at mine this week and im proud to say i have just over 811 mike peters /alarm related tracks on mine so far ! Cool hey! How many tracks have you actually put pen to pencil to by now not necessarily all in a recorded format but altogether complete written works of mike peters! ??? from early alarm to mike peters solo to current alarm!?

Hello Mike- All the recent time you and Jules spend in the New York / New Jersey area I'm thinking of contacting Mayor Bloomberg of NYC and submitting your names for consideration as honorary New Yorkers.


Bill

Hi Martin,

Love, hope and strength from all around me keeps me going.... Mike

Hi Christian,

Got a very interesting acoustic solo show coming up on November 1st at the Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University in Wrexham, North Wales. The show is going to be broadcast 'live' on community radio stations across Britain and also on the net via a delayed signal (more about that the closer it gets)... I plan to to play the 21 songs that have been at the core of The Alarm story from the beginning to the present day. There will be q&a between each song hosted by J.J. who does the end of year session CD interviews. It's going to be a very special night indeed. I am also looking at further acoustic shows next year.... See you there hopefully, Mike

Hi Chris,

Not sure how many songs I've written down the years... but I'm sure someone out there has the answer!!!

Hi Bill,

Honorary New Yorker!!!! Now that would be something!!!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike

As part of my midlife crisis ive grown my hair and bought a couple of guitars..having never played in my first 42 years on the planet !!( as i tell my wife a guitar isnt going to kill me whereas a motorbike...), things are coming together ok, im struggling picking and stuff, but at the moment im a happy strummer; thing is id love to play some of the great alarm tunes acoustically but am struggling to find decent tab / chord online, have you ever thought of releasing chord books whether in book format or as downloadable pdfs ?

Id be your first customer !

Looking forward to the Winter shows and releases alot..

ta andy

dear mike...can you tell me the cheat codes for 'mike tysons punch out' on the playstation...i'm stuck on 'big bubba'...i've tried R1, R2, up, left, left, R2 and down, but no luck..
thanks.

sorry...seriously..


coloursound was a great project and lots of folks have some great
memories of that time 98/99....i accept that there may be no more
coloursound, but what about those songs, there are a great collection
of tracks there...would you {and the band} consider resurrecting those
songs in some way...bring some of them into a live alarm set ?
also, i was chatting with johnny donnelly a few times this year at
different events...he has very fond memories of working with you solo
and coloursound...how did you find working with him ? {he is a bit of
a legend over here :-) }
and...when's the next irish date mike ??...come on lad, don't be
forgetting about us :-)

best regards as always

doug.ie {the irish variety of doug...there's a few of us doug's around here}
sligo, ireland.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dougm,

I've been so out of the loop for a very long time. I so admire what you've done with your life and applaud your perseverance. My son was born in '92 and he, as you know as a parent, is the center of my life -- no more trotting the globe for Alarm shows (I went to 50 shows before '92). Through Facebook I've just recently been in touch with Lily and Mike (from Connecticut) and now all this Alarm stuff is coming back to me, and I see what Lily posts on Facebook. Next time you're in the US I will come to a show. I don't really have a question -- just wanted to send love and blessings and all good things your way. Thanks for all you're doing. Peace and Blessings to you and your family, Karen Brown Cain (By the way, my son is lead guitarist in a heavy metal band -- so now I go see him play all the time, and I feel young again!)

Hi Mike,firstly well done to you and Jules and all those who went up Kilimanjaro and it was great to be able to watch and read about the treck via the journals and videos!!(Hope the Football scores helped!!)
Looking forward to the new releases and the gigs coming up and The Gathering in Jan!it seems a far cry from the first one we where all at in Rhyl Town Hall and at your brothers pub the night before!!!Its become over the years the most unique and best weekend in music!!!
I noticed your friends The Dammed are touring with Motorhead and as a rock music fan myself and i know you have toured with Quo i wondered whether a tour with someone like Motorhead would interest The Alarm?I just think it would open the eyes to so many people who i have been preaching(for 25 plus years!) for so many years that you and the band are one of THE best live rock bands around!!!!
See you on the road!!!
Mick Thompson