Gig review: VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS – RNCM,Manchester,23 February 2013

Virgil & The Accelerators - Manchester, 23 February 2013

RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) was rather a strange venue for what could potentially be a lively gig.

While the sound was excellent and the lighting was perfectly acceptable the layout was for a theatre and an all seated gig.  Indeed Bernie Shaw (Uriah Heep vocalist) made reference to “who booked us into a seated gig?”

Tonight we had the pleasure of watching Virgil and the Accelerators, an amazing blues rock trio formed in 2009. Fronted on guitar by Virgil McMahon who even at his young age manages to combine the flamboyance and touch of the likes of Hendrix with the feel of SRV and Bonamassa to produce a sound that is definitely The Accelerators.

Virgil & The Accelerators - Manchester, 23 February 2013

Gabriel McMahon takes care of skins who along with Jack Timmis on bass provide the steady guts and power that completes the hard hitting Riff laden blues rock that the band is getting known for.  They have been out there touring for the past years playing material from the debut album Radium and a few select covers from Hendrix.  After the release of the DVD from last years appearance at Marshall Amplification in Milton Keynes they are beginning three support tours.

Virgil & The Accelerators - Manchester, 23 February 2013

Kicking off with Uriah Heep then onto Michael Schenker and Johnny Winter. This will get them great exposure but as they are only support you only get a short set giving a small insight into what the band are capable off and leaving you wanting more.  Checkout their website for more dates.

Tonight’s set kicked off with Working Man a powerful track showing the tightness of this trio at its best, this was followed by Refuse to Believe, Bad Girl and Backstabber and finishing off with a classic Hendrix cover Are you Experienced.  A great set but more needed.

Review and photos by Simon Dunkerley


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

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Latest session: Sunday 14 April

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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)


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