Altern-8
35 Year Anniversary Tour plus DJ Nex, Tokyo Acid Cru and DJ Mudfoot Blaps
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- What they say
- About Mark Archer
- Your visit
Dance. Rave. Full-On Mask Hysteria.
Manchester? Detroit? Forget it. For a brief time the sleepy market town of Stafford was the epicentre of UK dance music thanks to Altern 8. Formed in 1990, Altern 8, comprising Mark Archer and Chris Peat, were the right band at the right time with all the right noises and a joyous, eclectic mix of influences.
Decked out in chemical warfare suits and dust masks, these Vicks-smeared, air-horn honking maestros of rave hit number 3 in the UK singles chart with ‘Activ-8 (Come With Me)’ in 1991. They made the big-time- storming Top of the Pops and gracing hallowed pages of Smash Hits! With more hits and the Top 10 album Full-On Mask Hysteria, the unlikely Stafford lads jetted around the globe with the likes of Moby, capturing the imaginations of ravers everywhere.
Fast forward to 2025 and celebr8 35 years of the band when Archer, who still wears his famous luminous mask as the resurrected Altern8, plays Gateshead. It’s going to get emotional.
Need to know
Venue: Sage Two Club Layout
Price: £22.50
Stage Times: Announced nearer showtime.
Age: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What they say
‘Altern 8 occupy a unique position in dance music history…’
Moby, Los Angeles, 2016
About Mark Archer
Mark Archer’s journey in dance music began in 1988 with Bizarre Inc. but truly took off with Nexus 21, a techno duo so authentic that Detroit legend Kevin Saunderson thought they were locals. Then came the birth of Altern 8, the UK rave act that defined hardcore dance. After Peat’s departure from Altern 8, Archer continued shaping electronic music with Slo Moshun (alongside Danny Taurus), producing the classic Bells of New York, and later exploring underground sounds with Xen Mantra and DJ Nex.
Over 38 years, Archer has cemented his status as a UK dance icon, releasing his book The Man Behind The Mask in 2016 and delivering two Boiler Room sets viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Today, whether performing as Altern 8 or DJing at major festivals like Glastonbury and Boomtown, Archer remains a dance music legend.
