Axel Rudi Pell –
Manchester Academy, Manchester, Sunday March 22nd, 2026
Guitarist, Axel Rudi Pell has 22 previous albums to his name since 1989. This small UK tour, having its second night in Manchester, celebrates the 23rd album titled 'Ghost Town'.
The band open up with ‘Guillotine Walk’ from the new album and it’s a head down, straight, no frills melodic rocker, as we’ve come to expect from ARP. The band sound tight from the off. Singer, Johnny Giolli is a great frontman who is moving about the stage, enticing the crowd.
Axel Rudi Pell walks off stage after ‘Bad Rock’ along with the bassist and drummer and I’m puzzled for a moment. The keyboards then kick in, courtesy of Ferdy Doernberg tucked in the corner of the small stage and the fine voice of Johnny Gioeli (also of Hardline fame).
 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 3 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 8 |
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 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 7 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 6 |
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 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 2 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 4 |
This begins a soulful solo semi acoustic spot for the ballad 'Don’t say Goodbye'. He certainly didn’t need any guitars to guide him since his powerful voice carried across the hall. You could feel the raw passion: his eyes closed and fist clenched as he delivered the emotional lyrics.
Introduced as a song Axel Rudi Pell wrote, the gentle guitar instrumental ‘Mystica’ begins with his white Fender guitar and lyrics relating to castles and rainbows. His Ritchie Blackmore influences of Deep Purple and Rainbow were plain to hear.
As a treat for fans during the guitar solo, he walked around the crowd, giving a close up view of his skills. Rudi Pell isn’t a back arched throwing shape kind of guy, he lets his music show off itself.
 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 15 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 14 |
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 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 13 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 12 |
 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 11 |  Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 9 |
 Axel Rudi Pell - Manchester 22 03 26 - Photograph 10 |
It was great to notice the legendary Drummer, Bobby Rondinelli in the band tucked away at the back. The tub thumper of many classic bands but did we really need a drum solo halfway through a fast moving set? Not like the band are short of material.
It wasn’t long after this in the set the keyboard player did a solo spot, over egging the pudding even more. Thankfully, once normal service was resumed on stage, we rolled on to the point of the dazzling trio of songs ‘The Masquerade Ball / Casbah / Ankhaia’. ‘
Masquerade Ball’ and ‘Ankhaia’ sound Dio-esque due to being very majestical, the latter rolling on a riff that was echoing ‘Perfect Strangers’. Spellbinding! A melodic rock feat for the ears. As a new comer to the temple of Axel Rudi Pell, I left with plenty more albums to seek out..
Review By Mark Bedford
Photographs By John Mather