Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
All Music Guide:
Spurred by the raucous energy of punk rock and the fiery passion of U2, Dave Sharp launched his musical career as a guitarist for the Alarm. Sharp formed the Alarm with Mike Peters (vocals, guitar), Eddie MacDonald (bass), and Nigel Twist (drums) in 1981. Throughout the '80s the Alarm was one of the most popular bands on college radio, producing a lengthy list of left-of-the-dial hits that included "The Stand," "68 Guns," "Absolute Reality," "Strength," and "Rain in the Summertime." "Rain in the Summertime" managed to infiltrate pop radio in 1988, but massive success eluded the Alarm. After the Alarm split up in the early '90s, Sharp moved to New York. He met the New Jersey rockabilly outfit the Barnstormers, and they collaborated with him on his first solo album, Hard Travellin', in 1991. Produced by Bob Johnson, who had worked with Bob Dylan on classic albums such as Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Nashville Skyline, Sharp abandoned the Alarm's anthemic, U2-influenced sound for roots rock and folk. Hard Travellin' was lauded by critics, and Sharp even found himself being compared to Dylan. From 1991 to 1993, Sharp toured the United States, releasing his second album, Downtown America, in 1995.
Wikipedia:
Dave Sharp (born 28 January 1959, Kersal, Salford, Lancashire) is an English guitarist who co-founded, along with Mike Peters, the Welsh punk rock band The Alarm.
Early career
Sharp began playing with the band Seventeen in the 1970s and made his recording debut on their "Don't Let Go" / "Bank Holiday Weekend" single. After Seventeen disbanded in 1980, the band reformed as The Alarm, eventually recording hit records such as "68 Guns" and "The Spirit of '76".
Hard Travelers
Towards the end of 2007 Sharp, having spent most of his recent time playing solo acoustic, was ready to form a new band again. He was put in touch with Henry McCullough and, after a few days together in Ireland, the nucleus of The Hard Travelers was formed. The concept of the band's music was the intention to bring the songs of Woody Guthrie to a new public. To complete the lineup, Sharp and McCullough brought in Zoot Money on keyboards; Gary Fletcher on bass; and Colin Allen on drums.
Their debut gig, following a recording session, was on 22 January 2008 in Portsmouth at The Cellars. The following booked gigs had to be postponed for a while due to various difficulties and their next performance was at The Black Horse Festival, Hastings where they headlined on 24 May 2008.
AOR - The Spirit of The Alarm
In April 2008 Sharp launched his own version of The Alarm, AOR - Spirit of The Alarm, to showcase the band's American setlists from the late 1980s. Together with North West musicians Wayne Parry, Dave Black, Tom Szakaly and Si Smith, AOR played their debut gig at Glasgow Rockers on 18 April, later supporting The Damned at Heywood Civic Centre in support of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation on 26 November 2008.
Dave Sharp currently tours the United Kingdom with regular visits to Scotland and Wales.
