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"Featuring the amazing talented fingers of 15yr old guitarist Virgil McMahon"
Euron Griffiths, 'True Blues' BBC Radio Wales.

"The Accelerators are the finest blues band I've heard for some time - tight, energetic, passionate and entertaining - and 15 year old Virgil on lead guitar is truly an awesome talent".
BB Skone, Radio Pembrokeshire.

"An Accelerators show is always a joyful experience for anyone passionate about music, and lead guitarist Virgil displays a taste, sensitivity and sheer ramalamadingdongness that belies his years. A star on the rise!"
Malcolm Cawley, Music Organiser, The Blackwood Big Balloon Festival.

Here is a sneak preview (pre mixing) of our NEW live album recorded at Rummers in Aberystwyth on one hot spring night, April 2007!
Featuring young Virgil on lead guitar.

Mojo Working
Mellow Down Easy
Let's Work Together
You Don't Love Me
Five Long Years
Scratch My Back

‘Fire and Fury : Live in Aberystwyth’ captures one adrenaline-driven night of ‘head-on’ blues with Virgil and The Accelerators. The venue was Rummers; the main venue for music for local and visiting bands in the area. On this night, Rummers was jam packed with the young and not so young, and Virgil and The Accelerators played for a good three hours. The excitement generated by a 4-piece blues band, hell bent on delivering a genuine and ‘on the edge’ performance is reflected in the passionate and energetic audience reaction.

Inevitably, all the numbers played on the night cannot be included on this recording but those selected do give a good taste of the material that can be found in any live set from Virgil and The Accelerators. Their raw sound including occasional glitches, feedback and humour is contained within these 10 tracks. There are no over-dubs, rather just how it was played on the night and very much from the heart. Introductions at the beginning of the performance were made by Marek Pawlik (that much travelled blues-trail fanatic from Pembrokeshire); and also at the start of the second set by Radio Ceredigion’s own blues programme presenter John Sambrook who had rushed over to Rummers at the 11.00pm close of his Saturday night show.

The influences upon the band can be seen in their interpretations of the Willie Dixon trio Mellow Down Easy, You Don’t Love Me, and Mojo Workin’ (Dixon/Waters); Eddie Boyd’s Five Long Years; the harp driven sound of Billy Boy Arnold’s ‘I Wish You Would’; Slim Harpo’s Scratch My Back; Big Joe William’s 1935 classic Baby Please Don’t Go; John Lee Hooker’s Boogie Chillun which merges into Slim Harpo’s Hip Shake; Elmore James’ Madison Blues; and the final number played on the album arising from a clamorous audience request for Virgil to’ walk the line’ of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile. One original band number included is Well I heard, written by Virgil and Hugh. Sadly, amongst those missing from this album were audience-satisfying versions of Alvin Lee’s Goin’ Home and Willie Love’s Automatic.

‘Fire and Fury’ is the debut album from Virgil and The Accelerators and is self-produced. Based in Ceredigion, The Accelerators were originally formed by Hendry McMahon and Hugh Morgan who in the past year have introduced a new line-up with Belfast-born drummer Howard Adair, and on lead guitar, 15yr old Virgil McMahon, who just happens to be Hendry’s son.

Indeed, it is Virgil who delivers the stand-out performance of the night and this CD illustrates his sheer range and blistering attack, serving to announce a welcome addition to the blues scene. As this recording demonstrates Virgil has brought along with him an admiring young audience and this bodes well for the future of blues in the area. The quality of ‘Fire and Fury – Live in Aberystwyth’ is for others judge – the band just enjoyed themselves – but then they always do!
‘The Doctor’ June 2007

With thanks to: Marek Pawlik; John Sambrook; Huw & Trevor Roberts and ‘Rummers’, Aberystwyth, and to the audience on the night!

Recorded by Andy Gatherar & Huw Evans for Silver Sound Productions

Mixed and Mastered by Andy Gatherar

Production: Virgil & The Accelerators

Photography: Malcolm Slater

Graphic Design: ‘The Regulator’