SNOWDON ROCKED…
Saturday, June 23 2007
Workers constructing Snowdon’s new visitor centre have quickly come to realise that this is a mountain where you can expect the unexpected, be it the weather or just simply the unusual. Today, if you were up near the summit you might have caught Mike Peters, lead singer of the Welsh rock and roll band, The Alarm, playing to an appreciative audience. The short set was part of a weekend’s fund raising efforts for the LOVE HOPE STRENGTH Foundation, a charity formed by Mike Peters, to raise awareness and funding for cancer research projects.
Mike himself was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1996 and Leukaemia in 2005. He bravely beat both cancers into remission.
Mike Peters with supporters who joined him on a fund raising walk up Snowdon.
Over a 100 supporters including doctors, nurses and fans joined Mike for the sponsored walk up the Llanberis Path to the top. The walk was kindly supported by the Welsh Guards. Mike arrived at the misty summit and quiped looking over his shoulder: “that was a long way to come to play on a building site.” Everyone’s efforts in reaching the summit were rewarded with the day’s only clearing in the clouds, timed to perfection just as the music started.
Mike Peters feeling on top of the world…well Wales at least.
Distinctive with his trademark spiky blond hair, Mike’s airy concert included two renditions of the 1983 Alarm hit-song, 68 Guns. The group were founded in 1981, born out of the British punk movement and in 1982 were the opening act for U2. Mike plans to play at Everest Base Camp this October.
PRESS REVIEWS & Links
BBC News
Daily Post
YouTube – Mike Peters & Eddie MacDonald – Strength
Daily Post YouTube Clip
North Wales NHS Trust
A personal message from Eddie MacDonald
I’ve performed in a variety of venues in my time but I’ve never played my guitar on top of a mountain – until last Saturday. I had the pleasure of taking part in Snowdon Rocks, a sponsored walk up Snowdonia organised by my old Alarm band-mate Mike Peters. The walk was to raise funds for the Love Hope Strength Foundation, a charity formed by Mike to raise funds for hospitals researching a cure for cancer.
The walk lasted for eight hours and despite the grim forecasts, the weather held up pretty well (only light drizzle). I have to admit that the route to the top wasn’t the steepest, or the most challenging, but this meant that everyone of all ages and abilities could join in the climb. Many participants had lost relatives and loved ones to cancer and some had amazing stories of their own survival to tell.
It was great to hook up with Mike for the walk and the impromptu acoustic concert that we performed at the very top of Snowdonia. We went on to play a few songs in the evening at a concert in Caernarfon. We played for nearly an hour and the time flew.
I would like to throw a big hello to Nick Harper, a top songwriter and guitarist who joined us on the walk and also stepped in to perform a few songs. I would personally like to thank everyone there for the amazing reception, which was breathtaking.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the event organiser, Peter Jones, for his immense hard work and effort in putting together this amazing event. The pictures you see here are only a small part of the story. Events like this are a team effort and I am glad to have played my part.
I am sure that when the sponsorship funds come in, a great deal of money to aid research into finding a cure for cancer will have been raised. Through my own efforts, I have already been offered sponsorship for next year, so things are looking up!
On the Westway front, we are currently rehearsing and hoping to perform some gigs in the near future – keep checking the web page for details of the band coming to a town near you.
Thanks again for all your support,
Eddie
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