The Old Fire Station played host to the first night of The Vinyl Tour on Thursday and if this is typical then Mike Peters and the rest of The Alarm are in for a hectic few weeks on the road.

Bournemouth based Mischa set the tone for the night with a well-received support slot then after a short break Mike Peters appeared on stage to explain that he would be playing a number in the foyer to highlight his LoveHopeStrength Foundation who have teamed up with Delete Blood Cancer to try and match donors to people with leukaemia. Having fought cancer himself this is a cause he is passionate about and works hard to raise awareness of.

Most of the small crowd did then move out to the foyer where Mike spoke briefly about the matching process then played an acoustic number before strolling back into the venue with rest of crowd.

The main set started with 45 RPM, I did wonder if the title was lost on some of the younger members of the crowd (yes there were a few people there under 35!) but it didn’t matter as everyone was obviously enjoying themselves. The band kept up the tempo for the first few numbers until Swansong slowed the pace but not the quality.

After a quick change the band then played the Punk set that took us back to the days of 68 Guns and earlier to 1977 pre-Alarm days when the band were called The Toilets. Louder and faster it was a reminder of the days that they shared stages and dressing rooms with The Clash, The Smiths and even Madonna!

Having moved to The Old Fire Station from the O2 it must have also taken the band back a few years when they played Back Where We Started From and Burning Down The Road. This is what a gig should be, talented musicians making a connection with the crowd through a common passion for music conveyed by great songs.

Towns and cities up and down the country are in for a treat if only they switch off the X Factor and go and see a proper band who have perfected their craft over the years, and you never know, you may even save someone’s life!