THE ALARM’S MIKE PETERS ANNOUNCES
‘THE GATHERING 2024 GOES TO CARDIFF’
TICKETS ON-SALE THIS WEEKEND FOR JANUARY 2024 THE ALARM MEGA FAN EVENT
The Gathering 2024 Goes To Cardiff offering fans a brand-new adventure in Alarm style rock’n’roll over the weekend of January 18th – 21st 2024 at various special venues and historic sites across Cardiff – the capital city of Wales – birthplace and home of Mike Peters and The Alarm.
“Reflecting on the amazing 30th Anniversary Gathering this January and with the imminent release of our new album ‘Forwards’ (out 2nd June), I believe that the time is right for new Gathering adventures,” The Alarm lead singer Mike Peters said today. “By reversing the role of fans travelling to my hometown, we will all now travel to Cardiff – the capital city of Wales – to once again celebrate our unique history and music; past, present and future.”
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Alarm’s classic debut album ‘Declaration’ (1984), which will be honoured by The Alarm and played in full (for the first time ever) at Cardiff University (Y Plas) on Friday January 19th along with other songs featured on the band’s legendary 1984 Sound And The Fury Tour.
“In my opinion, Y Plas is one of the best venues to see a band in Cardiff “, continues Mike. “The Alarm played there during the Blood Red Viral Black Tour in 2017 and, with an audience packed onto the venue’s main auditorium floor and fans looking down at the stage from all sides of the balcony, it was an electric atmosphere. For The Gathering 2024, Y Plas offers the perfect place for myself and the band to perform an album like ‘Declaration’, which was honed in similar hot and sweaty halls and ballrooms across the country back when the sound and fury of The Alarm was first unleashed.”
Saturday evening (January 20th) will see The Gathering fraternity descend on The Great Hall at Cardiff University, where The Alarm will be performing a full-on electric set, armed with tracks selected from all the various eras of the Mike Peters and The Alarm songbook, from their earliest beginnings to the present day (recent years have seen The Alarm score three UK Top 10 rock albums beginning with 2018’s ‘Equals’ (No.2), followed by ‘Sigma’ (No.1 in 2019), and ‘Omega’ which debuted in the Top Ten in 2022.
“The Gathering has always provided a tonic for the new year blues, becoming an essential fixture in the diary for Alarm fans and band members”, reflects Mike. “Year on year, The Gathering has pushed our community forwards with all manner of challenging and celebratory concerts, creating a unique platform whereby we can honour the past and also share in future visions by revealing new music and ideas for the very first time.”
The hub and Fanzone for The Gathering 2024 and this full-on weekend of music from Mike Peters and The Alarm in Cardiff will be situated at two locations – Temple Bar and The Old Arcade [both pictured below] in the heart of the always vibrant Cardiff city centre. The Old Arcade is the oldest pub in Cardiff and the site of the Mike Peters mural which has been a popular attraction for Alarm fans visiting Cardiff since it first appeared in 2020, whilst Temple Bar is one of the city’s newest music venues.
The opening night Ga’Thur’ing will be held at the Temple Bar (6 High Street), again right in the heart of Cardiff’s bustling city centre. The same venue will kick-off proceedings on Thursday January 18th with an event hosted by Alarm legend Gareth ‘Gaz Top’ Jones and featuring special guests, live music and conversation.
The Alarm Fanzone will also be held at Temple Bar throughout the day on Saturday from 11am until 5pm, with MC Gareth Jones presiding over a packed event itinerary introducing both new and special-guest artists performing live, along with all manner of popular traditional Gathering happenings such as the legendary Alarm Mastermind quiz.
The Alarm Film Festival (curated by Alarm archivist Gary Overington) will also feature throughout the day at Temple Bar where there will be an exclusive screening (in broadcast quality), of The Alarm’s 1989 BBC TV documentary ‘Blaze Of Glory’ along with other rare and essential historic films that capture and document the story of The Alarm in Wales and beyond.
Friday and Saturday night Gathering pre-concert get togethers will be held at the Old Arcade meeting point, where a continuous jukebox of Alarm classics will be played all Gathering long (The Old Arcade is only a 10 minute walk to the main Gathering concert event venues at Cardiff University).
The now infamous official Gathering Aftershow Party will be held after The Alarm’s concert in The Great Hall (Saturday 20th January),with ALT-DJ Badge spinning the late-night sounds. On the way to the shows at Cardiff University, Gathering attendees can also visit the famous Cardiff University Bar (The Taf) which boasts some of the most affordable beer prices in all of Wales and will boast a curated pre-show Alarm music playlist to get fans in the mood for the main Gathering events.
“Since the very first event at Rhyl Town Hall in December 1992, The Gathering has attracted Alarm fans from all over the globe who have themselves gone ‘on tour’ to see and hear the music of The Alarm in its hometown.” continues Mike. “The Gathering whether it be held in Rhyl, Llandudno or (for a few years in-between) in Prestatyn has created some incredible Alarm moments in time, and become an integral part of the international folklore of the band. I can’t wait to bring The Gathering to Cardiff in 2024 where travelling fans will now get to see and hear The Alarm’s music in our capital city and home country, and experience a welcome in the hillsides like no other.”
Sunday 21st January features an early morning Love Hope Strength Sponsored Walk, starting at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay and continuing across the Cardiff Barrage towards Penarth and back, with an acoustic Mike Peters/Alarm Singalong held at the footsteps of the imposing Senedd Building, which is the office of the First Minister of Wales and the devolved Welsh government – this event also provides the opportunity for an informal Signing and Photo Session with Mike Peters.
Ty Hafan, the children’s hospice based in Sully, Cardiff will also be joining the Love Hope Strength Sponsored Walk. They provide comfort, care and support to children who are not expected to live into adulthood, along with support for the whole family. The families they care for are some of the most vulnerable in our communities and the support they give is a vital lifeline as they deal with the most difficult thing anyone could ever be faced with, the loss of their child.
“By bringing The Gathering to Cardiff in 2024, we now have a huge resource of possibilities to add to the experience of The Alarm’s flagship event. I do hope Alarm fans everywhere will welcome this opportunity to celebrate with myself and the band and rejoice in the music and songs that have brought us all together. Forwards.” Mike Peters.
Weekend Only Ticket Prices;
The Alarm – Gathering 2024 Weekend Event Pass = £84 (plus booking fees). Guaranteed entry to both Cardiff University concerts (Y Plas and The Great Hall), including the 40th Anniversary ‘Declaration’ performance. Weekend Passes also grant access to all Gathering day/evening events at The Old Arcade and The Temple Bar (subject to capacity).
The Alarm – Gathering 2024 Weekend Event Passes exclusively on-sale Sunday March 19th 2023 from 19:00hrs GMT exclusively via thealarm.com and www.cardiffboxoffice.com
The first 300 tickets sales via www.thealarm.com will qualify for a special ‘Mike Peters presents The Alarm Acoustic’ CD, recorded live at the 30th Anniversary Gathering 2023. The exclusive disc features a selection of the very best songs performed by Mike Peters on the night, including the heart-wrenching version of ‘Walk Forever By My Side’ sung by Alarm fans as Mike Peters entered the stage following his recent well-documented health issues.
