THE ALARM & DAVE SHARP

How many bands that have been going for 40 years can play over thirty songs in 100 minutes without letting the quality drop? How many bands can be relied upon to deliver a great set whenever they play? The answer to both questions is not many but THE ALARM is one of those bands. This may not be the “classic” line-up, with main man Mike Peters (vox/guitar) being more than ably backed up by wife Jules Jones Peters on keys, drummer Smiley and guitarist James Stevenson. 

It has to be said that The Alarm aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, even when they were at the height of their fame in the 80s. They do however inspire intense dedication in those that do get them. This set clearly shows why that is. Peters is a thoroughly engaging - if slightly hammy - frontman, constantly in motion, running between the four (!) mic stands at the lip of the stage.The set opens like a regular gig with Tribes (Stop The War). There’s chat between songs, a storming take on Absolute Reality, a mass singalong during Rain In The Summertime, a stunning version of Massive Attack’s Safe From Harm. But then, 10 songs in, the band launch into In The Poppy Fields and a medley of 20 songs, new and old, including Deeside, Shout To The Devil, Marching On, Unsafe Building, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke, My Town, Sixty Eight Guns and Spirit of  76. After briefly leaving the stage, there’s a well deserved encore Sold Me Down The River and Warriors. Cracking stuff. 

Ex-Alarm man DAVE SHARP opens with an acoustic set that is a pleasant enough diversion. As with the previous time The Alarm came to Norwich and were supported by Sharp, there is a surprising - and frankly disrespectful - amount of chatter during his set. As I said last time, Sharp is perhaps not the most attention-grabbing solo artist but he plays with charm and commitment and deserves more attention than he gets.