FANZEYEVIEW
Virgil & The Accelerators
Virgil and The Accelerators are an exciting young blues rock trio based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. They have already shared the stage with big names such as Paul Jones, 9 Below Zero, The Hoax, Eric Sardinas, Kim Wilson, Oli Brown and Midlands own Joanne Shaw Taylor. In May they embark on the highly publicised 'New Generation Blues UK Tour' with Oli Brown and Joanne Shaw Taylor.
The Band consisting of guitarist Virgil McMahon, bassist/vocalist Tom Sansbury and drummer Gabriel McMahon have built up an exciting live Reputation due to their exhilarating and jaw dropping performances. They have often being likened to a young Cream. They recently sold out a London headline gig to rave reviews
They have recorded a six track EP ''And So It Begins'' it contains three cover versions and three original tracks. The reviews for this have been very positive and it gives a glimpse of a band heading for bigger things.
Virgil, amazingly you started playing the guitar at the tender age of four, and by five started playing the 'blues', that’s quite an achievement for someone so young-did you feel special or indeed a musical 'prodigy'?.
My love of the guitar was passed on from my father, the house was always full of good music-mostly the blues, and 'pop' music was totally alien to us. My father let us have free access to his wonderful guitar collection. I idolised my father and as any son will do I started to mimmick him. Apparently at five years of age I was outside the kitchen window strumming a guitar, my mother though it was my father playing and was amazed to find me strumming a blues riff. From then on I have always had a guitar in my hand. I've never felt special, it is just what I am. I have never wanted to do anything else- and have a great hunger for it
You played with Otis Grand when you were twelve, what were your memories of that occasion?.
Good story behind this. My father took me to see Otis but there was an age restriction and they turned us away. My father saw Otis at the stage door and gave him our 'sob story', he very kindly made me his 'godson' for the day and I spent the show wide eyed sat on a spare amp at the side of the stage. Otis then beckoned me up to play on stage with him. Obviously this was a truly awesome experience and one I will never forget. Recently Otis paid us a surprise visit to a headline gig we had at the Fennestra Venue-The Buzz Club in Barnet. He stayed for the whole set and joined us on stage for an impromptu jam, borrowing one of my guitars. It is an honour that he gave us that kind of acknowledgement.
Virgil you then joined your dads band The Accelerators, how was playing in a band with your father and being so much younger than your bandmates-did that feel strange?.
It never really felt odd but I did used to keep my head down and just play. My dad is proficient on bass and my uncle Hugh Morgan plays a very mean harp. We had some great nights.
Who's idea was it to change the band from 'The Acclerators' to 'Virgil and the Accelerators'?
This was a joint decision by my father and Hugh, people had started to notice my playing and it really was an acknowledgement from them. They soon realised in order for me to get on the 'old farts' (their words!!) needed to be replaced by a younger line up, simply to balance the look of the band. My brother Gabriel had become proficient on drums and our close friend Tom Sansbury played a mean bass. We hit if off straight away and have not looked back. The band is more than just me, yes I do the fretboard gymnastics but the dynamics that we have is due to all three of us being in tune with each other. Often we jam in our own numbers, rather than do the same set each time. These situations can be sparked off by anyone of us throwing down a line and the others picking up on it. It makes for a very exciting gig.
Its Obvious Virgil you weren’t listening to the same music as everyone else when you were at school-did you feel in any way 'different' to the others your age, and if so, how has that affected you?
I was pretty much a loner as people just did not get what I was into. My cassette player always had the blues greats playing, while others were into pop music. I pretty much immersed my whole existence into that 'genre'. At fourteen I was expelled from school and got lost in the system and literally played guitar for two years flat. That time was without doubt my biggest learning curve thanks to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa both of whom I would play along to until my hands couldn’t move any more.
Gabriel how did you become involved?
Much the same as Virgil really, although I was doing very in the boxing fraternity- while Virgil was working up his guitar skills. The boxing passed and Virgil suggested I join the band. I literally bought a 'how to drum DVD' and have never looked back. Without doubt music is in our blood as we are both self taught and always hungry to learn something new.
Tom, tell us a bit about yourself and your jazz influence?.
My father is an accomplished jazz musician. We play in a local jazz band called 'Aber Jazz'. I reside at the Royal College of Music in Cardiff who are very flexible with our tour dates. The band is very exciting and we feel we are on the brink of something good. When we play their is magic between us that gets stronger the more we play. I'm really looking forward to the May tour and spending time together. I like to throw in jazz bass lines as it makes for a more interesting sound. As band we like to give impact at our live shows a recent edition of an Ampeg 8 x 10 has added to this and I can really let loose on bass and it sounds superb.
You have Toured with some great acts such as Eric Sardinas, Kim Wilson, Paul Jones, 9 Below Zero, Billy Walton, The Hoax, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Ollie Brown, how is Life on the Road, and do you feel part of the latest invasion of young blues musicians?
Well at this stage in our career its not all five star hotels, its a Travelodge if we are lucky, it has been a total blast. We have got to meet some very cool people and become friends with many. Life on the road is not easy, long drives, late nights- we are our own roadies. It is a lot of fun though and we would not want to be doing anything else. There is definitely something going on with the blues scene and we feel we are in it at the right time. Its 'real' music for real people. The ' New Generation Blues Tour' in May with Oli Brown and Joanne Shaw Taylor is getting very good exposure and will lift the 'New Generation' to a wider audience.
The blues is often perceived as the music of an older generation-do your audiences fall into a particular age bracket, or has this new breed of young blues talent inspired younger people to check out the band Live?
We are starting to see a few younger audience members. We fully intend to follow in the footsteps of Joe Bonamassa and Oli Brown who both do a 'Blues in Schools' set. By taking it to the schools it knocks down barriers and the kids are 'getting it'. Although the hard core blues fan base could help by bringing along some youngsters. I know it is hard getting them there first time around, but you would be surprised at how much they will enjoy themselves.
The blues very much taps into 'life experiences' and often 'strife' and 'sadness'- where do you get your emotions from when you play and write?
Definitely in playing, we are very much 'feel' players-which makes the band so exciting. What little writing we have done has been productive, but life experiences are limited at a young age. I am sure we will all have our tales of woe to write about in the near future.
Virgil your brother Gabriel is in the band, is there any 'sibling rivalry', or do just treat each other as bandmates?.
We all get on very well indeed. Of course Gabriel and I have our moments, we are brothers-Martin our manager has been very insistent that we get any 'niggles' out in the open straight away rather than let them fester, it has worked so far. All three of us feel like brothers, we are very close.
Your guitar of choice seems to be the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar played by many greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher etc. Do you solely play that guitar-or as Joe Bonamassa does live, play a number of guitars to suit each songs sound?.
I have a great collection of guitars, most handed down by my father or on 'permanent loan'. I do not have a particular favourite and switch guitars for different numbers. You will mostly see me playing my 62 strat, which is a dream to play. The Gibson 335 gives a big sound. I also have 58 Les Paul that sounds lovely and is a beast to play. At the moment it is no being played as Joe Bonamassa signed it and the signature is starting to wear. Once we swap the plate over it will be back on stage. Altogether I have around seventeen guitars and play them all, each one has its own personality and sound.
What artists past and present would you like-or would have liked to have collaborated with?.
Just about everyone but in particular Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer and Robert Randolf.
What is the future for the band, and British blues in general, are we in safe hands?.
We are in no rush, we are young and have time. This year is all about exposure. A full CD is our next move and I know our manager has turned down one label and there is interest from others, again we are in no rush. The worst thing you can do is jump at the first label that comes along. We have a lot going on in the background and have the right people behind us. The blues scene in the UK is getting stronger and stronger but it is still a struggle. People need to turn off the 'X factor' and go out to see the wonderful hard working acts that we are rich in. We must support the smaller venues, they are currently having a hard time. these smaller venues are the lifeblood of good live music.
The Band consisting of guitarist Virgil McMahon, bassist/vocalist Tom Sansbury and drummer Gabriel McMahon have built up an exciting live Reputation due to their exhilarating and jaw dropping performances. They have often being likened to a young Cream. They recently sold out a London headline gig to rave reviews
They have recorded a six track EP ''And So It Begins'' it contains three cover versions and three original tracks. The reviews for this have been very positive and it gives a glimpse of a band heading for bigger things.
Virgil, amazingly you started playing the guitar at the tender age of four, and by five started playing the 'blues', that’s quite an achievement for someone so young-did you feel special or indeed a musical 'prodigy'?.
My love of the guitar was passed on from my father, the house was always full of good music-mostly the blues, and 'pop' music was totally alien to us. My father let us have free access to his wonderful guitar collection. I idolised my father and as any son will do I started to mimmick him. Apparently at five years of age I was outside the kitchen window strumming a guitar, my mother though it was my father playing and was amazed to find me strumming a blues riff. From then on I have always had a guitar in my hand. I've never felt special, it is just what I am. I have never wanted to do anything else- and have a great hunger for it
You played with Otis Grand when you were twelve, what were your memories of that occasion?.
Good story behind this. My father took me to see Otis but there was an age restriction and they turned us away. My father saw Otis at the stage door and gave him our 'sob story', he very kindly made me his 'godson' for the day and I spent the show wide eyed sat on a spare amp at the side of the stage. Otis then beckoned me up to play on stage with him. Obviously this was a truly awesome experience and one I will never forget. Recently Otis paid us a surprise visit to a headline gig we had at the Fennestra Venue-The Buzz Club in Barnet. He stayed for the whole set and joined us on stage for an impromptu jam, borrowing one of my guitars. It is an honour that he gave us that kind of acknowledgement.
Virgil you then joined your dads band The Accelerators, how was playing in a band with your father and being so much younger than your bandmates-did that feel strange?.
It never really felt odd but I did used to keep my head down and just play. My dad is proficient on bass and my uncle Hugh Morgan plays a very mean harp. We had some great nights.
Who's idea was it to change the band from 'The Acclerators' to 'Virgil and the Accelerators'?
This was a joint decision by my father and Hugh, people had started to notice my playing and it really was an acknowledgement from them. They soon realised in order for me to get on the 'old farts' (their words!!) needed to be replaced by a younger line up, simply to balance the look of the band. My brother Gabriel had become proficient on drums and our close friend Tom Sansbury played a mean bass. We hit if off straight away and have not looked back. The band is more than just me, yes I do the fretboard gymnastics but the dynamics that we have is due to all three of us being in tune with each other. Often we jam in our own numbers, rather than do the same set each time. These situations can be sparked off by anyone of us throwing down a line and the others picking up on it. It makes for a very exciting gig.
Its Obvious Virgil you weren’t listening to the same music as everyone else when you were at school-did you feel in any way 'different' to the others your age, and if so, how has that affected you?
I was pretty much a loner as people just did not get what I was into. My cassette player always had the blues greats playing, while others were into pop music. I pretty much immersed my whole existence into that 'genre'. At fourteen I was expelled from school and got lost in the system and literally played guitar for two years flat. That time was without doubt my biggest learning curve thanks to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa both of whom I would play along to until my hands couldn’t move any more.
Gabriel how did you become involved?
Much the same as Virgil really, although I was doing very in the boxing fraternity- while Virgil was working up his guitar skills. The boxing passed and Virgil suggested I join the band. I literally bought a 'how to drum DVD' and have never looked back. Without doubt music is in our blood as we are both self taught and always hungry to learn something new.
Tom, tell us a bit about yourself and your jazz influence?.
My father is an accomplished jazz musician. We play in a local jazz band called 'Aber Jazz'. I reside at the Royal College of Music in Cardiff who are very flexible with our tour dates. The band is very exciting and we feel we are on the brink of something good. When we play their is magic between us that gets stronger the more we play. I'm really looking forward to the May tour and spending time together. I like to throw in jazz bass lines as it makes for a more interesting sound. As band we like to give impact at our live shows a recent edition of an Ampeg 8 x 10 has added to this and I can really let loose on bass and it sounds superb.
You have Toured with some great acts such as Eric Sardinas, Kim Wilson, Paul Jones, 9 Below Zero, Billy Walton, The Hoax, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Ollie Brown, how is Life on the Road, and do you feel part of the latest invasion of young blues musicians?
Well at this stage in our career its not all five star hotels, its a Travelodge if we are lucky, it has been a total blast. We have got to meet some very cool people and become friends with many. Life on the road is not easy, long drives, late nights- we are our own roadies. It is a lot of fun though and we would not want to be doing anything else. There is definitely something going on with the blues scene and we feel we are in it at the right time. Its 'real' music for real people. The ' New Generation Blues Tour' in May with Oli Brown and Joanne Shaw Taylor is getting very good exposure and will lift the 'New Generation' to a wider audience.
The blues is often perceived as the music of an older generation-do your audiences fall into a particular age bracket, or has this new breed of young blues talent inspired younger people to check out the band Live?
We are starting to see a few younger audience members. We fully intend to follow in the footsteps of Joe Bonamassa and Oli Brown who both do a 'Blues in Schools' set. By taking it to the schools it knocks down barriers and the kids are 'getting it'. Although the hard core blues fan base could help by bringing along some youngsters. I know it is hard getting them there first time around, but you would be surprised at how much they will enjoy themselves.
The blues very much taps into 'life experiences' and often 'strife' and 'sadness'- where do you get your emotions from when you play and write?
Definitely in playing, we are very much 'feel' players-which makes the band so exciting. What little writing we have done has been productive, but life experiences are limited at a young age. I am sure we will all have our tales of woe to write about in the near future.
Virgil your brother Gabriel is in the band, is there any 'sibling rivalry', or do just treat each other as bandmates?.
We all get on very well indeed. Of course Gabriel and I have our moments, we are brothers-Martin our manager has been very insistent that we get any 'niggles' out in the open straight away rather than let them fester, it has worked so far. All three of us feel like brothers, we are very close.
Your guitar of choice seems to be the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar played by many greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher etc. Do you solely play that guitar-or as Joe Bonamassa does live, play a number of guitars to suit each songs sound?.
I have a great collection of guitars, most handed down by my father or on 'permanent loan'. I do not have a particular favourite and switch guitars for different numbers. You will mostly see me playing my 62 strat, which is a dream to play. The Gibson 335 gives a big sound. I also have 58 Les Paul that sounds lovely and is a beast to play. At the moment it is no being played as Joe Bonamassa signed it and the signature is starting to wear. Once we swap the plate over it will be back on stage. Altogether I have around seventeen guitars and play them all, each one has its own personality and sound.
What artists past and present would you like-or would have liked to have collaborated with?.
Just about everyone but in particular Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer and Robert Randolf.
What is the future for the band, and British blues in general, are we in safe hands?.
We are in no rush, we are young and have time. This year is all about exposure. A full CD is our next move and I know our manager has turned down one label and there is interest from others, again we are in no rush. The worst thing you can do is jump at the first label that comes along. We have a lot going on in the background and have the right people behind us. The blues scene in the UK is getting stronger and stronger but it is still a struggle. People need to turn off the 'X factor' and go out to see the wonderful hard working acts that we are rich in. We must support the smaller venues, they are currently having a hard time. these smaller venues are the lifeblood of good live music.
roger@fanzeyeview.com
