Frontman for The Alarm.
A band that began in North Wales as Seventeen. Seventeen was "formed from the demise of such memorable stalwarts as 'The Toilets,' (Mike Peters, Nigel Twist) 'Quasimodo,' (Dave Sharp, Nigel Twist) 'Chuck Burial And The Embalmed,' (Dave Sharp) 'Pax,' (Dave Sharp, Nigel Twist) and 'Amsterdam.' (Eddie MacDonald)."
Spirit of 86': The band seemed to thrive on their fan-base, and more than mere showmanship, they really wanted to bridge the gap between artists and fan. In the middle of their tour, The Alarm decided to give something back. On April 12, 1986 The Alarm made their most striking mark on the world of rock music. In front of 20,000 fans at UCLA and millions more around the world watching on MTV, they played a free, 75 minute live concert called The Spirit Of '86.
They put on the show as a "thank-you" to all the fans who had stuck with them and all the new ones they had gained along the way. The show highlighted most of The Alarm's hits, and was considered a triumph by most people who witnessed the spectacle, even though there were a few problems.
Mid-way through "Marching On," a football thrown by a drunk frat-boy decimated Twists' bass drum, rendering it useless. To the live crowd it made no difference, but it severely crippled the low-end of the audio broadcast, making later songs like "Spirit Of '76" sound hallow and lifeless.
Furthermore, IRS waited a full six months to release the show on video, missing nearly any chance of capturing the momentum created by the show.
Material: thealarm.com
Photo courtesy of: narberth.co.uk
