The music community lost a great one this week. Sadly for us, Mike Peters of The Alarm has passed from this life and into the next. The Welsh singer/guitarist was 66. Peters had first been diagnosed with cancer in 1995, and fought throughout the better part of 10 years before being diagnosed with yet another form of cancer in 2005. All throughout this time, Peters continued to perform, sometimes with The Alarm, sometimes solo, and at other times collaborating with others.
He briefly fronted a version of Big Country, and also collaborated with Billy Duffy of The Cult in a project called Colorsound. One of Peters’ most endearing stunts came in 2004, when he released a new punk single anonymously but under the moniker The Poppy Fields. He knew that the music press of the time wouldn’t go for a new song from The Alarm, who would have been seen as too old, so he pretended the band was made up of teenagers from Chester. In a humorous twist, the song went to the top 30 in the UK charts at the time.
Peters was also known for his humanitarian work, particularly in cancer care, a field near and dear to his own heart. He founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation in order to fundraise and beneft people fighting various types of cancer and leukemia. He was inducted as a Member of the Most Excellent British Empire (a prestigious award) in 2019 for his work in this field.
Through his music with The Alarm, Peters sang boldly of faith, love, and humanity. The Alarm personified the “not a Christian band, but Christians in a band” scenario along contemporaries like U2, Simple Minds, and Midnight Oil, though the band never scored a mega-hit like the others. They were, however, one of a very small number of Welsh acts to make a commercial impact in the United States (the others being Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler, and Super Furry Animals).
“Rescue Me” to me feels like a prayer. It describes someone on the run and in need of rescue. Whether literal or spiritual, it’s hard to say, but I’m inclined the believe the latter.
Running all my life
Running all my day
Running through the night
Seems like forever
Take me now
I’m so tired
Take me now
This time, forever
Whoa-oh-whoa-oh rescue me!
Peters died on April 29, 2025 at age 66. “Rescue Me” was originally released on the band’s 1987 full-length Eye of the Hurricane, but we’re using the live version from the most excellent live EP Electric Folklore Live, released in 1988. I first bought this tape in a gas station clearance rack in the mid-80s and was blown away by the urgency and the rawness of the live recording. This version of the song is more than 8 minutes long, but every minute is dripping with the nectar of life, and it’s well worth your time. Pay close attention to Mike’s mini-sermon starting around 4:10.
“I accept The Bible as being the truth”, Mike Peters told Smash Hits. 😇
Thanks for the quote!