Live Review: Accept – Wolverhampton

Live Review: Accept – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

27th August 2026
Support: Tailgunner
Words & Photos: Tim Finch

Tonight was on for the story books, a night that will go down as an “I was there moment”. Heatwave after heatwave has cooked this country to a crisp, but that all broke tonight as the heavens opened – as the cliche goes – biblically. As a river ran down Frederick Street in Wolverhampton KK’s steel Mill was flooded, under litterally a foot of storm water. Where other venues may have thrown in the towel, the team battled the elements and opened, albeit two hours late. We won’t mention the frustration of the fans who were literally soaked to the skin by that time, but the show went on and all credit to them for that.

Despite the late doors the support band still took their place on stage with just two songs cut from their set. It was a great opportunity to drop Tailgunner from the show, but sadly it didn’t occur. The band have hit controversy recently with their bassist being accused of sexual assault by the bands former photographer/stand in guitarist, Jara Solis. The accusation saw him step back from the band, yet tonight he’s sadly on stage once more. Atop that, the treatment of their former guitarist Rhea Thompson (who left so as to not be associated with those allegations) has been pretty appalling, and the fact the music industry is still dealing with this band both baffles and disappoints in equal measure.

You can read Jara’s full statement here.

At 10:10, a full hour and twenty five minutes after they were originally due on stage, Accept finally arrive, the fans still moist but eager enough to stay and watch their heroes.

They waste no time reminding Wolverhampton exactly why they have been one of heavy metal’s most enduring forces. ‘Metal Heart’ crashes into life with Wolf Hoffmann’s instantly recognisable guitar work, the band sounding as powerful as ever as Mark Tornillo takes command of the stage. He jokes “this is the first time we’ve delayed an indoor show because of the rain”.

The performance gets an early visual boost too, with a confetti cannon exploding at the end of the opening song before ‘Teutonic Terror’ arrives with a burst of pyro. ‘Restless and Wild’, ‘London Leatherboys’ and ‘Midnight Mover’ keep the momentum high, with the band moving effortlessly between eras while the crowd respond to every familiar riff and chorus. ‘Run If You Can’ and a medley of ‘Monster Man’, ‘Aiming High’ and ‘Wrong Is Right’ demonstrate just how deep Accept’s catalogue runs.

The set continues to lean heavily into Accept’s classic material, with ‘Love Child’, ‘Fight It Back’, ‘Up to the Limit’ and ‘Breaker’ all delivered with the same muscular precision. Hoffmann remains the focal point, his guitar work cutting through the mix while Tornillo brings plenty of energy to the stage. ‘Princess of the Dawn’ proves to be a particularly strong moment, its slower, more dramatic build providing a change of pace before another extended medley brings together ‘Demon’s Night’, ‘Starlight’, ‘Losers and Winners’ and ‘Flash Rockin’ Man’. The lighting and production add plenty to the spectacle, but it is the songs themselves that remain the focus.

As the set heads towards its conclusion, Accept show no signs of easing off. ‘Pandemic’ arrives with another burst of pyro, followed by the blistering speed of ‘Fast as a Shark’, while ‘Son of a Bitch’ generates one of the evening’s biggest responses. The inevitable ‘Balls to the Wall’ is every bit as huge as expected, with the crowd taking over the vocals as the band deliver one of their defining anthems. Another pyro burst punctuates the latter part of the set, adding further impact to an already imposing production that complements rather than distracts from the music.

‘I’m a Rebel’ brings the night to its conclusion, and Accept save one final visual flourish for the closing moments as another confetti cannon erupts across the venue. It is a fitting end to a performance built around the band’s longevity, with five decades of material condensed into a set that never feels like a history lesson.

Photo credits: Tim Finch

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