Gig review: VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS – RNCM,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.

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.

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.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)