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Thursday 13 February 2014

Declaration - The Alarm: 30 Years Old Today



It's a bit of a special day today for myself and a lot of my friends. Today, 13th February marks the 30th Year Anniversary of the release of an album by a band that I've loved from the moment I set eyes upon them supporting U2 at the Lyceum Ballroom in London in 1981. It had been a long wait for the album to come. Their debut single 'Unsafe Building' was released in 1981 and was backed by 'Up For Murder'.

In 1983 The Alarm had been out on the road in the USA supporting U2 on the 'War Tour'. In November that same year they went into the studio to record their debut album.

68 Guns became their first Top 20 Hit (peaking at #17) and it got them a spot on Top of the Pops.
On it's release, 'Declaration' peaked at #6 (though The Alarm's website states that it went Top 5!) in the UK Album Chart and #50 on the U.S. Billboard Charts.

 The Declaration Album
All songs written by Eddie MacDonald and Mike Peters, except where noted.

  1. "Declaration" — 0:45
  2. "Marching On" — 3:35
  3. "Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?" — 2:56
  4. "Third Light" — 3:25
  5. "Sixty Eight Guns" — 5:49
  6. "We Are the Light" — 3:16
  7. "Shout to the Devil" (Macdonald, Peters, David Sharp) — 4:10
  8. "Blaze of Glory" (Macdonald, Peters, Sharp) — 6:04
  9. "Tell Me" (Sharp) — 3:14
  10. "The Deceiver" — 5:05
  11. "The Stand (Prophecy)" (Macdonald, Peters, Sharp) — 4:44
  12. "Howling Wind" — 6:44
Rolling Stone magazine wrote: "This is one of the best new live bands I heard last year, and they've put a lot of that power into their first album."

Promo Vids/TV.
Mike Peters
Declaration Tour Dates
Feb. 14th Liverpool O2 Academy
Feb. 16th Oxford O2 Academy
Feb. 20th Keighley Gassienda
Feb. 21st Wrexham Central Station
Feb. 22nd Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Feb. 27th Derby Flowerpot
Feb. 28th Neath Gwyn Hall
Mar. 01st Ebbw Vale Institute
Mar. 02nd Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
Mar. 05th Birmingham O2 Academy
Mar. 06th Sheffield O2 Academy
Mar. 07th London Islington O2 Academy [SOLD OUT]
Mar. 08th Bristol Thunderbolt [SOLD OUT]
Mar. 15th Iridium, New York (One night // Two shows) [SOLD OUT]
Mar. 20th Preston 53 Degrees
Mar. 21st Chester The Live Rooms
Mar. 22nd Worcester Marrs bar
Mar. 23rd Exeter Cavern
Mar. 28th York Duchess
Mar. 29th Glasgow King Tuts [SOLD OUT]
Mar. 30th Aberdeen Lemon Tree
Apr. 04th Otley Korks [SOLD OUT]
Apr. 05th Manchester Deaf Institute
Apr. 06th Newcastle Cluny

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