Mike Peters

Michael Leslie Peters (25 February 1959 – 29 April 2025) was a Welsh musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the Alarm. After the band broke up in 1991, Peters wrote and released solo work, before revamping the Alarm in 2000.

Additionally, he was co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation. Between 2011 and 2013, Peters was the lead vocalist for Big Country as well as the Alarm. He was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to cancer care.

Early life Peters was born at Chatsworth House in Prestatyn, Denbighshire in North Wales, on 25 February 1959, and grew up living at the Crescent Hotel on Edward Henry Street, Rhyl, with former The Alarm band member Eddie MacDonald. The name of the street became the inspiration for a track on the album of the same name, released as part of The Poppyfields Bond of albums. On "Edward Henry Street", Peters describes his life growing up in Wales.

Peters' first job was a computer operator for Kwik Save. He worked on an old IBM System/3 mainframe. when he fronted Hairy Hippie (named by the disc jockey James Alexander Barr), a band formed with his schoolmates to perform at his sister's 21st birthday party at the Talardy Hotel in St Asaph. The first song performed that night was a cover version of "If You Think You Know How to Love Me" by Smokie.

His first proper band was the Toilets, formed after he saw the Sex Pistols play at Chester in 1976. The first song the Toilets played live was "Nothing to Do" at the Palace Hotel in Rhyl.

Peters, along with MacDonald, Dave Sharp and Nigel Twist (then called Nigel Buckle), formed a band called Seventeen in 1978. The first song Seventeen played was "Pop Generation" at the Bee (now Station) Hotel in Rhyl on 27 May 1978. One single was released in 1979 on the Vendetta label titled "Don't Let Go".

1980s In 1981, the Alarm was formed and they moved to London to tour the club circuit. They were signed by the IRS label. The band took their name from a song named Alarm Alarm, that was one of the first songs written by Peters for the Toilets. On BBC Radio 1, John Peel commented that with Duran Duran, Talk Talk and now Alarm Alarm perhaps he should call himself John Peel John Peel, so the name was shortened to the Alarm.

The Alarm played their first gig in the Victoria Hotel in Prestatyn on 10 June 1981. Peters released his second solo venture Feel Free. The album included a take on Grandmaster Flash's influential old-school hip-hop track "The Message". The American release of Feel Free also included a special hidden track called "Gone Elvis".

In 1998, Rise was released, to a wider audience this time. Rise was a change of musical direction for Peters. "White Noise Part II" found Peters experimenting with studio sound manipulation and drum machines, whereas "My Calling" featured Peters' signature acoustic/electric roots-rock sound. The album also featured the song "In Circles", which Peters co-wrote with Cult guitarist Billy Duffy.

Peters followed up the release of Rise by touring the U.S. under "The Interactive Acoustic Works U.S. Tour", which started in Boston on 10 October 1998. That year also saw the release of the album Live (From a Broadcast). This set included a version of the Alarm's best known song, "68 Guns", which reinstated an extra verse that the band had trimmed out early in the writing process.

In 1999 Peters again worked with Billy Duffy, forming a band called Coloursound with Duffy, Duffy's former Cult bandmate Scott Garret, and Craig Adams (formerly of the Mission). They recorded one eponymous studio album.

From 1993 onwards, Peters held an annual weekend event called "The Gathering" at Llandudno. It was attended by various guest musicians, including former Alarm band members.

2000–2025 The new millennium saw Peters release Flesh and Blood, based on the stage play of the same name written by Helen Griffin.

In 2000, Peters decided to reuse the Alarm brand name. After he left the band in 1991, Peters had signed over rights to the name to the other band members. This caused former drummer Nigel Twist to threaten to sue. Peters thereafter used the Alarm brand name, sometimes with added Roman numerals for the year.

In 2001, Peters went on the road again as part of supergroup Dead Men Walking. Featuring Pete Wylie (of the Mighty Wah!), Glen Matlock (former Sex Pistols), Captain Sensible (the Damned), and Kirk Brandon (Spear of Destiny), the band played a mixture of old and new material spanning their combined careers.

In 2004, Peters released the single "45 RPM" using the pseudonym the Poppy Fields, using the guise that this band was a teenage band based from Chester; this hoax was the source of the subject of the film Vinyl. Peters came eleventh in an online poll to find 100 Welsh Heroes.

He joined members of the Mescaleros in 2010 to perform songs of Joe Strummer under the name Los Mondo Bongo.

In 2011, Peters joined Big Country for their UK tour and released a single with the band that August, titled "Another Country", followed in April 2013 by the album The Journey. On 9 November 2013, it was announced via the Big Country Facebook page that Peters had departed the band.

Musical influences Peters stated various artists had had an influence on his musical direction. In "Edward Henry Street" of the album with the same name, Peters sings "bought Aladdin Sane from Greaves Records" in reference to the album by David Bowie.

Woody Guthrie was also an influence.

Personal life

In 1986, in the middle of the height of the fame of the Alarm, whilst based in London during the week, Peters was still living with his parents in Rhyl. Having hitch-hiked home one weekend, he met his future wife, Jules, then an undergraduate student at Bangor University studying English. The couple were engaged two weeks later, and had two sons, both conceived through IVF. The family lived in Dyserth, North Wales.

He was a regular member of the running group the NightCrawlers, who run every Thursday night around various locations in the North East Wales area.

Peters was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Clwyd in December 2008. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to cancer care.

Illness and death Peters had cancer for three decades; he was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995. and began recording and touring again, sometimes with members of the re-formed band. He also presented a regular show called Bedrock on BBC Radio Wales. In 2005, he discovered that he was suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

In September 2024, Peters was reported to be in remission from Richter's Syndrome following a clinical trial at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester. In December 2024, he reported that he had not been able to achieve complete remission and undertook chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in early 2025.

Peters died from the illness on 29 April 2025, at the age of 66. His funeral was held on 29 May 2025 in his hometown of Dyserth. A musical tribute was screened in Peters' honour in the village square, before the funeral service was held the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan. The service was attended by 150 invited guests, with around 2,000 fans watching outside the church on a large screen.

Discography Albums

Singles TitleOther tracksRelease date"Back into the System""A New Chapter", "21st Century (demo version)", "Back into the System"1994"Nol I Mewn I'r System" "Y Bennod Newy", "Canrif 21 – Fersiwn Demo", "Nol I Mewn I'r System" "It Just Don't Get Any Better Than This" "Devil's Word", "White Noise""Shine On" "113th Dream", "Safe European Home", "Going Underground"1996

Promotional recordings

Filmography Videos

DVDS