Sharp arrived back in Britain last July following a lengthy self-imposed exile in the U.S. where he has been writing, touring and recording for the past ten years. Of his return to the U.K. music scene, Sharp says, "It's time to tour the U.K. again. I had to get back over here-British rock and pop has all but disappeared from American radio." Sharp continues, "It's obvious to me that the corporate mentality has a complete stranglehold on the British spirit of rock'n'roll. I hope I can throw something fresh into the mix."

To emphasise this view, Sharp is actively encouraging audiences to bootleg his appearances, stating that recording equipment continues to be permitted inside the venues on the current tour.

Dave Sharp & Mike Sweeney will be appearing as The Roadrunners at this years Acoustic Festival of Britain on Saturday May 23rd at Catton Hall Park on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire Borders, alongside Supertramp, Deacon Blue, Imelda May, The Animals Eric Faulkner and many more
Visit www.acousticfestival.co.uk for more details

______________________________________________

DAVE SHARP BIOGRAPHY 2003
______________________________________________

Dave Sharp, lead guitarist and co-founder of British rock band, The Alarm, hails from Manchester, birthplace of such disparate bands as The Hollies, Oasis, 10cc, The Stone Roses, and Joy Division. Sharp picked up the guitar in his early teens and from the onset was influenced by the Woodstock-era rock bands of the late 60s/early 70s. In the mid-70s Sharp formed various experimental punk rock bands and later became interested in the folk music traditions of Ireland and England. In 1980, he teamed up with Mike Peters to form The Alarm who went on to have hit records both here and in the U.S., notably 68 Guns and The Spirit of '76.

At the end of The Alarm's 1991 world tour, Mike Peters left the band, and Sharp headed for American shores to record and release his first solo album, Hard Travlin'. Now a solo singer/songwriter inspired by the spirit of Woody Guthrie and the American X-stations, Sharp began touring the U.S. extensively in pursuit of the American folk legacy.

In 1994, Sharp teamed up once again with legendary producer, Bob Johnston, who had worked with him on Hard Travlin'. And with the help of friends from Santana and The John Cougar Melancamp Band recorded his second solo album, Downtown America. The album was released in 1996, gaining healthy respect at American radio and in the American press. Sharp continued to tour the length and breadth of the United States, teaming up occasionally with musicians such as Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, and Johnny Cash, until he arrived in New Orleans. Settling there, Sharp began to write and record a new body of work in earnest.

During this time, Sharp witnessed a gradual disappearance of British rock from the American music scene and noted that the music business in general was becoming increasingly and alarmingly corporate. With a couple of albums' worth of new material under his belt, he began laying plans for a return to the U.K. Sharp arrived back on British soil in July 2002 and undertook his first solo U.K. tour in nearly a decade, accompanied by the release of his third solo album, The Summer of Love.

Energized by the response to The Summer of Love Tour, Sharp headed back out on the road this January with new nationwide dates continuing on through 2003. Dave plans to record and release a new album later this year featuring material written since his return to the U.K.