RIP Mike..you battled hard and long.
3 Likes
Such sad news; he was a lovely chap.
2 Likes
With The Alarm, at their peak 40 years ago…
1 Like
Sad news indeed - every time he seemed to be winning his luck turned.
1 Like
Saw them early on in Rhyl a few times and then in Leeds with the Three Johns and March Violets. Indeed here is my poster from that gig. I have the flyers for the Rhyl and other gigs away in a photo album so this was easiest to hand.
At the latter gig there were around 50 people there at the start and about 900 by the end. They were a genuinely exciting live band in that period and word of mouth at what we were seeing on stage brought people flying in. Being scrupulously fair and accurate it’s reasonable to say they quickly caught a whiff of rock star cliche and swallowed it whole to their detriment very quickly but the period up to the release of Marching On was wonderful. By the time of 68 Guns they were done as a genuinely exciting live band but the crowds and sakes built for a good couple of years and many people will have enjoyed them in that period and stuck with them for life.
I worked in Rhyl between 88 and 92 and was going out with a well known Welsh singer/songwriter so we had plenty of interactions in sea front bars; certain clubs; sat on the sea front itself and even in the library.
There was no side to Mike. A lovely man who loved his wife and music and the fans and who accepted the hand life subsequently dealt him publicly whilst often having low private moments the public won’t have even had a hint of.
8 Likes
Thankyou Mike for your memories.
2 Likes
Not CPJ!?
Very sad.
Say what? Not sure I understood the question.
Think I saw the Alarm support the Police. They were good.
The singer songwriter.
Ah, right. No idea who that is/might be but on that basis you can safely assume not 
1 Like
That was my assumption if the initials meant nothing to you.
1 Like
An old school mate of mine was assisting them in their very early career.
I saw them in a pub in North Wembley just as they were starting out.
Great live band. This was well before they hit some sort of success with 68 guns.
Very sad news indeed.
Interesting. This is likely to be someone I also knew.
His name is Mike Hrano.
In which case, no I don’t know then.
Didn’t have much knowledge of Peter’s later work but Big Country’s first album The Crossing has always been in my collection.
The Crossing was well before Mike joined BC.
Well there you go, it’s the only album of there’s I own. Thanks for clearing that up.
1 Like