Gig Review - Willie And The Bandits - Deaf Institute, Manchester

Gig Review - Willie And The Bandits - Deaf Institute, Manchester

Formed in 2010 in Cornwall by Willie Edwards driving around in a camper van full of surf boards and guitars having rejected society’s norms, he gathered a tour de force of

musicians, consisting currently of Matthew Gallagher on keys, Harry Mackail Bass and Zak O’Loughlin drums In bygone times I think he would have been a smuggler. But it’s 2025, no room for smugglers – instead he is a very accomplished musician as the night’s performance proved.

I didn’t really know what to expect, and had purposely not checked them out in advance so I didn’t have a preconceived idea. And I very much liked what was delivered. I was rocked, I was funked, I was balladed, I was calypso’d, I was latino’d and I was even progged. The prog one was a genre too far for me, but the crowd loved it, and Willie introduced it by saying it was about his dearly departed mother.

I would say he is classically trained as he played the acoustic guitar with expert dexterity,

pulling on Spanish and Latino rhythms and melodies. He also played electric guitar with slide and lap steel. I could hear Hendrix and Free in the rock, The Meters in the funk, and maybe Bad Company in the ballads. All good company if you ask me. The music core is drenched in 70’s guitar melodies, while the vocal melodies have an utterly contemporary vibe to them.

Now I think a drummer can make or break a band, and I have to say Zak O’Loughlin was absolutely on the money as the backbone of The Bandits, very funky, very rock solid, very economical in a perfect way, I really enjoyed this master of the skins being the perfect foil for Willie Edwards guitar work. A solid bass section from Harry complimented the drums and Matthews ivory tinklings reminded me of a fusion of Ray Manzerak of The Doors and Jon Lord of Deep Purple.

Highlights of the night for me were Miles Away and Living Free. Four great musicians, one great songwriter, that is Willy And The Bandits – check them out, you know you want to