New ACCEPT Lineup Performs Live For First Time; Video Available

The new lineup of reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT made its live debut last night (Saturday, May 8) at the 750-capacity Gramercy Theatre in New York City.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Metal Heart
02. Midnight Mover
03. Living For Tonight
04. Restless And Wild
05. Son Of A Bitch
06. Losers And Winners
07. London Leatherboys
08. The Abyss (new song)
09. Run If You Can
10. Teutonic Terror (new song)
11. Breaker
12. Bulletproof
13. Neon Nights
14. Bass / Drum / Guitar Jam
15. Flash Rocking Man
16. Up To The Limit
17. Demon's Night
18. Turn Me On
19. Starlight
20. Burning

Encore 1:

21. Princess Of The Dawn
22. I'm A Rebel

Encore 2:

23. Fast As A Shark
24. Balls To The Wall

Fan-filmed video footage from the concert can be viewed below.

The official online premiere of "Teutonic Terror", the new video from ACCEPT, has been postponed to Monday, May 10 (via MySpace). The clip was shot in March with director Dave Blass of Grid41.com and it promises to be the "most metal" ACCEPT video ever. Asked about the "story or theme" behind the video, the director said, "We had all of these cool ideas for stories about a post-apocalyptic world, hot girls in 'Mad Max' gear and cool visuals and the more we worked it the more we kept coming back to the basics... this is ACCEPT, not MÖTLEY CRÜE, there are people all over the world that have waited years to see this band again, and every second that we cut away to some story that is really just filler anyway, we are missing what is really important. People want to see Wolf Hoffmann shredding his flying V, they want to see new singer Mark Tornillo singing a new ACCEPT song, and they want to see the band ripping into the new track. So I said, 'Screw the story, get me some fire, get me some tanks and let's rock it.'"

"Teutonic Terror" comes off the band's new studio album, "Blood Of The Nations", which is scheduled for release in North America on September 14 via Nuclear Blast Records. The band's 15th LP was recorded at Backstage Studio in Derbyshire, England with acclaimed British producer and SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE). The CD — which will mark the recording debut of the band's latest addition, vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK) — will contain around 14 tracks, including "The Abyss", "Shades Of Death", "Blood Of The Nations" and "Pandemic".

ACCEPT will play a one-hour-long set as the support act for AC/DC on May 25 in Hannover, Germany.

Guitarist/songwriter Wolf Hoffman speaks about the relationship between ACCEPT and AC/DC and his fondest memory of the band in his development as a musician and songwriter: "I remember seeing AC/DC when Angus [Young] was only 16 years old, imagine that! They played a festival in Germany, late at night. It could have been in Dortmund, Germany, but I am not sure… I was just a teenager myself, about the same age as Angus. The very next day, I went and bought every AC/DC album I could find. I have been a fan ever since!!! ACCEPT played the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in 1984 [when AC/DC headlined]. Also on the bill that day were VAN HALEN, OZZY OSBOURNE, GARY MOORE, Y&T and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

"The only cover song ACCEPT ever recorded, 'I'm A Rebel' [off the 1980 album of the same name], was written by Alex Young, older brother of Angus and Malcolm. The song was originally written for AC/DC but never released by them."

Asked which ACCEPT song he'd like AC/DC to cover, Hoffman says with a smile, "How about 'Balls to the Wall'? That would work just fine..."

ACCEPT will head to Europe next to perform special gigs in carefully handpicked venues in various European capitals.

ACCEPT 2010 is:

Wolf Hoffmann: Guitar
Peter Baltes: Bass
Herman Frank: Guitar
Mark Tornillo: Vocals
Stefan Schwarzmann: Drums