The Alarm are on the road for their “Sigma LXXXV” Tour along with Modern English and Gene Loves Jezebel (the Jay Aston incarnation) in support of their June, 2019 release, Sigma. The ’80s throwback lineup brought the expected middle-agers for a Friday night set at San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom for what would prove to be much more than an evening of nostalgia.
Gene Loves Jezebel kicked off the evening with a 40 minute set of their classics that got the San Francisco crowd moving to their hits such as “Heartache,” “Break the Chain,” and “Desire” as a surprisingly youthful Jay Aston bounced around the stage.
Next up, the legendary Modern English, best known for their 1982 album, After the Snow, but certainly active in the years since with several original members. As a band that’s at risk of being labeled a one-hit-wonder, Modern English’s setlist covered their entire catalog before finally pulling out “that song” … you know the one that everyone’s waiting to hear … at which point frontman Robbie Grey implored the crowd to “put down your fucking phone,” with little impact as the crowd sang along.
The Alarm’s first US show ever was opening for U2 at the Bill Graham Civic and they have been back many times since. It was not surprising, then, when Mike Peters and the band took the stage, they were met with a warm welcome from the San Francisco fans.
Launching right into “Blood Red Viral Black,” the band wasted no time sharing the new material which the crowd was clearly already familiar with, but “The Stand” really got things moving. The uninitiated quickly learned that those three microphones set up along the front of the stage were all for Mike, as he dashed between them without missing a lyric.
For those paying attention, there was James Stevenson mostly hanging in the back on bass as he pulled double-duty with both Gene Loves Jezebel as well as The Alarm, looking and sounding no worse the wear from his opening set.
Far from a nostalgia act, The Alarm’s setlist hit all the high notes from their prolific career but likely leaving the crowd wishing that there had been more time to go deep. Alas there was not, but closing the evening with classics “Spirit of ’76” and “Sixty Eight Guns” still left the fans satisfied.
JAY ASTON’S GENE LOVES JEZEBEL
MODERN ENGLISH
THE ALARM
THE ALARM SETLIST
Blood Red Viral Black
The Stand
Peace Now
Rescue Me
Brighter Than the Sun
Knife Edge
Sold Me Down the River
Psalm
Neutral
Strength
Rain in the Summertime
ENCORE
Everything is Beautiful
Spirit of ’76
Sixty Eight Guns
MODERN ENGLISH SETLIST
Swans on Glass
Someone’s Calling
Tables Turning
After the Snow
Moonbeam
Trees
Hands Across the Sea
Gathering Dust
I Melt With You
GENE LOVES JEZEBEL SETLIST
Twenty Killer Hurts
How Do You Say Goodbye (To Someone You Love)
Heartache
Bruises
Jealous
The Motion of Love
Break the Chain
Desire (Come and Get It)
