European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 16 the stars and stripes monday april 14, 1986 the alarm sounds off by Walter Berry associated press t heir ringing guitar chords Are strikingly similar to u2, their Folk songs sound like Vintage Bob Dylan and they play with Apu Kish fury reminiscent of the clash. But when it comes to comparisons the alarm is Quick to sound off. I feel a lot of people seem to be comparing us for the wrong reasons. They re comparing us very superficially for what we have to say and what we sound like Lead Singer Mike Peters said. There Are comparisons definitely with u2 and big country and . And Echo and the Bunny men and a lot of other groups. We were All sort of subjected to the same onslaught of 1977 when a whole generation was trying to find itself and express itself he said. If you be got something you want to do you got the Power As an individual to go out and do it and we Are. That s where we re All similar. But we sing about our own different lives and our own the four member group from Northern Wales surfaced in 1981 and now is one of the hottest acts around with their second album strength climbing the charts. After a two month tour opening for Pat Benatar the alarm started a four month headlining stint through the United states and Europe on april 12. Peters 27, and bassist Eddie Macdonald 26, grew up in the Small Welsh coastal town of Rhyl population 18,000. Guitarist Dave Sharp 27, and drummer Nigel twist 27, Are both from Manchester England. Declaration their debut album on . Records in 1984, had the hit sixty eight guns which Sharp said is about Young people coming to terms with unemployment in 1968. Society did t like to see them hanging out in the streets and tried to push them into a Corner. They did t have anybody to turn to so they stuck together because that s All they the title Cut strength off their top Selling album released last year deals with the same kind of desperation and contains the refrain give me love. Give me Hope. Give me strength. Give me someone to live we be had our own problems to Deal with and strength is inspired by those kind of things Sharp said. Everybody s got their own different situations to meet and they be got to find an equal amount of strength within themselves to meet the alarm s current hit is spirit of 76, which Peters said is autobiographical. I just tried to go Home and write about me and my friends and take a look at what happened in our lives Over the last 10 years he said. The spirit of 76 Means the declaration of Independence in America. But in Britain the Young people of our generation struggle for their own Independence and they use music As the catalyst for that. It inspires for us All different ambitions. For me it was to go on and become a Singer in a band. But in the song for John and Susie their dreams never came True. And when things like that happen you can become very Down heartened and embittered and just feel disillusioned with life. We re finding out More and More each Day As we play our concerts and reach our audiences that there s a common Bond there Peters added. There might be cultural barriers political barriers and language barriers but people still feel the same emotions and react in the same kind of Way to whatever s going on around despite their growing Success the alarm remembers its Humble beginnings. They opened for u2 in 1981 with no hype and no fanfare of Media Sharp said and they opened for the pretenders in 1984. We re fortunate to be where we Are today Peters said. The More we travel around the world we see a lot of the Small clubs closing Down the places where we grew up and Learned How to be a band and made All our mistakes. They re fast going out of this world and it s a shame because we get so Many Young bands giving us demo tapes and they re not going to be Given a Chance. The Only Way to get a Deal these Days is to get a polished group and have All the haircuts looking right. The record company just pushes a Button and you re famous overnight. We be come up the hard Way and unfortunately the hard Way is being worked out these Days Peters added. That s Why we re trying to keep things alive by having Good support groups wherever we the Welsh Folk Rock quartet the alarm has been compared with u2, big country and . 10,000 maniacs broke but hopeful rockers by Stephen w. Bell associated press Here Are 10,000 maniacs in Jamestown . And they re broke but hopeful. 10,000 maniacs is a Rock band. The sextet put out its first major album on Elektra Asylum records last May finished its first video in february and is working on a second Elektra up. But Success has not meant wealth. We think Elektra sees us As a Long term project and they re allowing us to build a following said keyboardist Dennis Drew of the maniacs seven record Deal. With their new album the wishing chair Selling Between 500 and 1,200 copies a week the band s members still feel a financial Pinch. We be been travelling at every Opportunity because no one has a Job said guitarist John Lombardo at 32 the oldest member. It s almost like the longer we be been in the band the More we be had to divorce ourselves from our worldly possessions. One by one we Veall had to sell our cars move out of our they talked about their frustrations in remaining tied to Jamestown their Hometown and As Lombardo put it sponging off our families As they practice one Day on the vaudeville Era stage of Jamestown s Palace civic Center. In so Many ways it has been Good for us because we be been isolated said vocalist and lyricist Natalie merchant the group s youngest member at 22. We Haven t tried to stay up with the trends or stay ahead of the in a Way it has helped us explore a lot of ideas said Drew. The music brought us together. We would have had to leave town. So the band has kept us Here by binding us to poverty said Lombardo. The group which also includes drummer Jerry Augustyniak Bass player Steve Gustafson and Lead guitarist Robert Buck was formed in 1981 around halloween. They named themselves after a Low Grade blood and Gore movie. While the name May suggest destructiveness the music is More Polkish than freakish. The group started by playing a circuit of clubs and bars in upstate new York. After a year they recorded a five song extended play record human conflict number five on their own Label Christian burial. They toured the East coast and Ontario Canada working their Way through 87 performances in six months and Selling their record themselves. In 1983, the maniacs recorded secrets of the i Ching a 10-song up for an unheard of Cost of $500. Their 1985 13-song Elektra album recorded in London with producer Joe Boyd was budgeted at More than $100,000, Drew said. Their efforts paid off and College radio stations began to notice them. Then John Peel Host of music from America on the British broadcasting corp., played / Ching gaining it a Loyal following in England. The wishing chair was recorded last Spring with Boyd a those credits include Early work with Pink Floyd and Fairport convention and the deliverance and a clockwork Orange soundtracks. Then it was off on a tour of the Netherlands and Germany before a series of dates last year in the United states ranging from new York s Irving Plaza club to the club lingerie in los Angeles. They were pleased to perform in a new York club. We were really insecure about it because we thought people were going to take us for Hicks merchant said. But Charlie Moore booking manager at the club said the night was a Success i thought their act was a killer. They Are Only going to get the group recently performed at the Bottom line in new York and won some Good notices from critics. Merchant grimaces at comparisons to other singers or groups. The band is credited with breaking new ground with her lyrics nipping at Small town frustrations As Well As broader injustices. What i saw in the band originally was a unique artistry that affected me and those in the audience in a very positive Way said Elektra vice president Howard Thompson. They be always come across As a very compelling group to listen to and watch. I think their future is indeed very Rosy. In the nine months that i be been working with them i be probably read one bad review and about 40 Good reviews and about 15 very very Good reviews so i m
