rivers2cross

Congratulations to Mike Peters on being awarded an MBE. The frontman of The Alarm, who has lived with cancer for more than 20 years, has been recognised for his services to charity having raised thousands for cancer care projects in the UK and abroad, dedicating his life to giving hope for families affected by cancer through his Love, Hope Strength Foundation.

The music of Mike Peters and The Alarm has been the soundtrack to my life since 1983, when I first heard John Peel play ‘The Stand’ listening to a tiny radio in bed late at night on a school night. This led me to going to see The Alarm at The Marquee in May 1983, and the start of a lifetime of going to see the band and buying their music. However, it is perhaps in more recent years that the music has taken on an even greater relevance during life-changing events for me.

In 2009 my dad died from sepsis / pneumonia after a very short illness. Music has always been with me everywhere, but for a while after his death I was unable to listen to anything such was my feeling of loss. It was only after I listened to the Mike Peters solo track ‘Train A Comin’ that the door to music reopened for me.

“Father oh father I believe we’re gonna meet again someday I don’t know where I don’t know when I know we’re gonna meet again some day On the train a comin’ Comin’ round the bend.”

In 2012 my mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer, and since then I have probably experienced the biggest changes to my life. In 2014 she was in remission, and I was busy writing the Lives & Times fundraising book for Beating Bowel Cancer. I went to Abbey Road to take part in The Scriptures, which was the recording of the world’s longest song by Mike Peters for LHS. This was a significant moment for me. Until this point I had always been a loner when it came to The Alarm. I always enjoyed going to see the band with mates, but when I went on my own I would pretty much keep to myself knowing just a few other fans. At Abbey Road I began the process, albeit very slowly, of integrating myself into the community of fans. On the day I also got to see first hand the effects of living with cancer, as Mike in very poor health dragged himself through a gruelling day, whilst still having time for everyone and making it a truly special day.

I’d known Jules Peters well enough to say hello to over the years, especially after supplying the band with printed carrier bags some years previously. At Abbey Road, she made me feel very welcome and part of the day, and very kindly arranged for me to photograph herself and Mike for Lives & Times. I managed to meet all four original members of The Alarm for the book, which meant so much to me.

In 2015 I published Lives & Times, and over the last three years so much has happened. The fans of The Alarm all over the world have bought the book in amazing numbers, and supported all my fundraising projects. I have been blessed to make so many new and wonderful friendships. The change has been massive and so very rewarding. It only took in excess of 30 years to discover this!

Sadly mum died from bowel cancer in 2016. Since then I have been working on my new fundraising book, The Record, and once again I have had amazing support from The Alarm with Smiley and James both on board as well as a number of chapters with Alarm connections. I was tantalisingly close to getting Jules for it as well: definitely hit the underside of the bar with that one…

In 2018 the music of The Alarm and Mike Peters has continued to mean as much to me as ever. There has been the brilliant new album Equals to enjoy, and I have seen The Alarm in Llandudno, New York, London and Reading. Being made so welcome by the American fans in New York on my first ever visit to The States helped to make it a trip that I will never forget.

So well done Mike for everything that you have done. The MBE is well deserved, and here’s to a very successful 2019, and for many more adventures to follow.