Alarm convention The Gathering set for first ever Cardiff takeover

The Alarm are one of Wales most iconic bands and most certainly its biggest rock and roll export to date, having amassed a global audience through over 40 years of international touring, 15 top 50 hit singles and over six million albums sold.

The bands audience of travelling fans will descend upon Cardiff from January 18th – 21st to be part of The Gathering – an Alarm fan event which was first established in the group’s hometown of Rhyl, North Wales back in 1992. Having outgrown venues in North Wales such as Venue Cymru the 31st annual Gathering comes to the nation’s capital Cardiff for the first time in its long running history.

While Mike Peters and co will make the relatively short journey from North Wales, fans will be coming from the USA, Australia, Japan, Canada and from cities and towns across Europe and all corners of the UK taking over Cardiff at various venues in the city.

Thursday 18th January is the first chance for fans to gather at Official Alarm fanzones in Temple Bar and the Old Arcade (which is home to the famous Mike Peters mural). The now infamous Ga’THUR’ing will be hosted by former Alarm roadie and now TV presenter and broadcaster Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones, bringing early arrivals into the city centre together for an informal night of acoustic music, guest appearances and banter to get the ball rolling ahead of the official Alarm concerts at Cardiff University.

On Friday afternoon from midday until 2pm the build-up to the first of The Alarm concerts will intensify with a pop-up art exhibition by Mike Peters at the Umbrella Art Collective Studio in the Capitol Building on Queen Street. The exhibition will feature a human presentation of Alarm banners painted by Mike Peters that highlight lyrics and symbols from the band’s debut album DECLARATION which celebrates a 40th Anniversary since its first release back in 1984.

At 7pm on Friday the action moves to Y Plas at Cardiff University for a special night of music celebrating the early days of The Alarm in the form of a musical journey that will include performances of music from the bands that gave birth to The Alarm including The Toilets (the short lived punk band created by Mike Peters in 1977 who burst into the punk scene supporting The Clash and The Buzzcocks), followed by songs from the mod power pop outfit Seventeen that featured all four future members of The Alarm from 1978 -1980 and who once supported Stray Cats at the legendary Cardiff Tiger Bay club The Casablanca in 1980. Friday evening will conclude with a full-on set of Alarm songs as performed during the original 1984 Sound and The Fury Tour including all 12 songs from Declaration.

Saturday morning will see Alarm fans in town at the Temple Bar and The Old Arcade for a day long film fest of historic concert footage and material from The Alarm Archive while gathering for a pint where they can drink in the atmosphere of Alarm music and song.

Fans will also be attending the Official Alarm Convention at Y Plas in Cardiff University from 10am to 3pm where the first item on the agenda will be a first ever Hi Definition screening of The Alarm’s landmark BBC documentary – Blaze Of Glory, which was first aired in 1989 and documents The Alarm’s attempts to incorporate the Welsh Language into its music and bring together people from all sides of the cultural divide that existed throughout Wales at that time. The film will be followed by a Q&A with director John Geraint and Mike Peters. At midday, the famed Alarm Mastermind will feature with host Richard ‘Mod’ Jones (who has been a fan and friend to The Alarm since 1979), and who will no doubt bring a host of hilarious stories and fascinating anecdotes to share between the questions and challenges for the groups and individuals attempting to become the Alarm Mastermind Champion of 2024.

At 2pm there will be a special Keynote presentation by Mike Peters unveiling future shows, events, and Alarm releases for the year ahead.

The Great Hall at Cardiff University on Saturday night will be the scene for The Gathering finale which will feature a full-on electric set from the band with a celebratory set of The Alarm, with music of the past, present and future followed by an aftershow party for one and all.

Sunday morning will see The Alarm community descend on Cardiff Bay for a congregation of Love Hope and Strength at the Senedd. Love Hope Strength is the Welsh charity formed by Mike and Jules Peters following their joint struggles with cancer. Mike has been facing down Leukaemia since first being diagnosed as long ago as 1995 while Jules survived a harrowing Breast Cancer diagnosis in 2017 involving, chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy treatment. The Love Hope Strength charity was founded in 2007 and has helped to build cancer centres in Africa and Nepal, support Stem Cell Donor programs in the UK and USA and through event such as Snowdon Rocks, has raised millions for cancer care programs throughout Wales. The Sunday morning event at The Senedd will feature speeches and song, followed by a fund-raising walk across the Cardiff Bay Barrage and back for a Mike Peters / Alarm Acoustic Set / Communal Love Hope Strength Sing-Along on the steps of the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

Following the event, fans and supporters will have a further chance to be photographed with Mike and get personal items and memorabilia signed during an informal signing session and before saying farewell and dispersing back to all the corners of the globe from whence they first came.

All weekend passes are now sold out but there are limited tickets for the Saturday night Gathering Finale at Cardiff University’s Great Hall and are available at www.thealarm.com

THE GATHERING 2024 – Event Itinerary

THURSDAY 18th JANUARY – THE GA’THUR’ING @ TEMPLE BAR, 6 HIGH ST. CARDIFF

1900 – Late – THE GA’THUR’ING

Join Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones in The Official Alarm Fan Zone at the Temple Bar, Cardiff for a night of spontaneous entertainment, live music performance, chat, banter, and bonhomie as The Gathering gets underway and The Alarm community takeover of Cardiff begins. Expect the unexpected, with acoustic sets from Smiley, James Stevenson, Chris Summerill and another very special guest indeed!!!!

Throughout the day, the other official Alarm Fan zone at The Old Arcade (Home of the infamous Mike Peters Mural), will also be primed and ready to welcome all you early bird arrivals to The Gathering 2024.

NB: Both Temple Bar and The Old Arcade will be open throughout the Gathering Weekend with each venue playing Alarm music and videos all day and night! The Temple Bar will also be the venue for an all-day Alarm film festival on both Friday and Saturday (see below for film programme). On Saturday night before the concert at The Great Hall, The TAF bar at Cardiff University will also be available to Gathering attendees.

FRIDAY 19th JANUARY : UMBRELLA ART COLLECTIVE STUDIO @ THE CAPITOL, QUEEN ST,CARDIFF

12:00 – 14:00 Alternative Declaration

A first ever live art exhibition presented in person by Mike Peters with music and paint inspired by the 40th Anniversary of The Alarm’s classic debut album Declaration.

FRIDAY 19th JANUARY : Y PLAS @ CARDIFF UNIVERSITY 2nd Floor, Park Place, Cardiff

An Evening at 13 Emu Road, Battersea (The Alarm’s flat in London from 1981 – 1984), with Mike Peters and Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones presenting music from The Toilets, Seventeen and The Alarm. The date is February 12th, 1984, the night before the official release of Declaration.

19:00 – Doors (Early arrival is a must as the performance begins immediately).
19:00 – Live Action and Records from 1972 – 1976
19:45 – The Toilets (MCMLXXVII)
20:00 – Live Action and Records from 1977 – 1978
20:15 – Seventeen (MCMLXXIX)
20:30 – Live Action and Records from 1980 – 1983 including music played at The Gallery, Rhyl
21:00 – The Alarm (MCMLXXXIV). Mike Peters presents The Sound and The Fury Tour Set List from Hammersmith Palais February 14th, 1984, including all 12 songs from Declaration plus B-sides, covers and other significant songs performed during the era.
22:30 – Live action and Records from 1984-1985
23:00 – Goodnight from Emu Road with Mike Peters and Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones.

NB: – Following the performances, The Gathering continues until late at both Temple Bar and The Old Arcade.

SATURDAY 20th JANUARY DAYTIME CONVENTION – Y PLAS @ CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

10:30 – Doors
10:45 – 12:00 BLAZE OF GLORY BBC DOCUMENTARY from 1989 followed by a Q&A with Director John Geraint and Mike Peters.

A first ever hi-definition screening of the John Geraint directed Alarm documentary from 1989. This important BBC Wales commissioned film captures The Alarm (and Wales), at the end of the Eighties both facing up to the challenges of the future at a most pivotal time in history. Blaze of Glory – The Alarm will be presented on the huge screen of Y Plas.

12:00 – 14:00 Alarm Mastermind with Richard ‘Modnuss Modnusson’ Jones Enter a team and test your understanding of all things Alarm ­­related. Spot Prizes and special appearances will occur throughout the afternoon with some great Archive Alarm footage and illuminating stories along the way.

14:00 – 15:00 A Keynote Address from Mike Peters

Join Mike Peters for a very special announcement about two very special album releases for 2024 plus the unveiling of The Gathering 2025 Not to be missed!!!!

SATURDAY 20th JANUARY : THE GREAT HALL @ CARDIFF UNIVERSITY FIRST FLOOR, SENGHENEDD ROAD, CARDIFF

19:00 – Doors
19:45 – MIKE PETERS IN CONCERT
20:30 – THE ALARM IN CONCERT

THE AFTERSHOW

The venue will remain open to all for a late-night party with sounds from The Red, Wales and a playlist of records curated by Mike Peters.

SUNDAY 21st JANUARY : SENEDD CYMRU Senedd, Pierhead St, Cardiff CF99 1SN

LOVE HOPE STRENGTH WALKATHON, FUNDRAISER AND COMMUNAL SINGALONG!

10:30 – Meet and Congregate
11:00 – Love Hope Strength Walkathon
12:00 – Communal Alarm Sing-Along with Mike Peters at Senedd Cymru
13:00 – Hail and Farewell

Love Hope Strength’s Kirsty Thomson and Jules Peters will present future LHS events based around our international trek to El Camino Santiago in June 2024 and an update on how your support of Love Hope Strength’s makes an impact in the lives of people and families living with cancer.

Throughout the morning there will also be moments to take a photo with Mike Peters and get your Alarm memorabilia signed.

Gathering 2024 Film Festival Programme

Temple Bar Friday
From 11am onwards.

The Gathering 20 (Pontins)
Forwards (The Album) Official Videos
Under Attack (The Album) Official Videos
Blaze Of Glory (Brixton 1991) (Widescreen Upscale)
Poppies Falling From Above
Rockpalast Lorelei (Widescreen)
Rock and Roll Circus (Marquee)
Spirit of ’86

Temple Bar Saturday
From 11am onwards.

The Gathering 23 (Llandudno)
Bands Reunited
Direct Action (The Album) Official Videos
Warriors Live In Manchester
Poppies Falling From The Sky
Rockpalast Markthalle (Widescreen)
21 (The Album) Official Videos

The Old Arcade Friday
From 11am onwards

The Gathering 23 (Llandudno)
Bands Reunited
Direct Action (The Album) Official Videos
Warriors Live In Manchester
Poppies Falling From The Sky
Rockpalast Markthalle (Widescreen)
21 (The Album) Official Videos

The Old Arcade Saturday
From 11am onwards

The Gathering 20 (Pontins)
Forwards (The Album) Official Videos
Under Attack (The Album) Official Videos
Blaze Of Glory (Brixton 1991) (Widescreen Upscale)
Poppies Falling From Above
Rockpalast Lorelei (Widescreen)
Rock and Roll Circus (Marquee)
Spirit of ’86

NB: All event timings and content subject to change