Excellent Online - alarm

Hey Hey, We're The Alarm!

liz — Sun, 07 Nov 2004 16:13:18 +0000

Remember a few months ago when aging Welsh rockers The Alarm scored their first chart hit in years by masquerading as kids? The Wayriders (a young Welsh band) even lip-synced in a video as "The Poppyfields" to complete the scam. Only after the single reached #28 in the radio play charts did the band admitted to using the false name claiming image-obsessed DJs would otherwise refuse to play their song. Well, the story has enticed the movie industry. John Williams, a producer from Shrek, has contacted Mike Peters (lead singer of the Alarm), and Sara Sugarman (a director and old-friend of the band) to begin script development. So far The Alarm are set to provide the soundtrack and will likely appear in cameo rolls.

So who are the Poppyfields?

liz — Fri, 20 Feb 2004 20:57:45 +0000

A new UK band THE POPPYFIELDS have scored their first UK Pop Chart hit... or have they? It appears the single and video release was quite the genius publicity stunt from aging Welsh rockers THE ALARM. According to the BBC, the Alarm hired a group of unknown teenagers from Chester to stand in for them during the video shoot for their new single '45 RPM'... and then labeled the single release under the pseudonym The Poppyfields.

"We decided we would do something where it was judged purely on its own musical value," (Singer Mike) Peters, 44, told BBC News Online.

Editorial note: Interesting timing as this falls the same week as The Darkness take home top honors at the Brit Awards this year... hrm.