Review and Photography: Stephen Brophy for MPM
When you have amassed the the plaudits he has from such an early age, played with a who’s who of Blues and Rock guitar legends, released 12 albums and somehow still manage to be just 35 years old you know there is a massive talent in Eric Steckel. Tonight in Dublin we get the pleasure of seeing one of the best young Blues Rock artists on the scene hitting one of my favourite venues in the City, Whelan’s. The Pennsylvania native rarely has a smile off his face when he plays, and I love that.
There is no support for the show and an eager crowd of blues enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to see the man hit the stage, with a number checking out his guitars as they lay on the stage, taking pictures and discussing what he’s brought with him, the main guitar tonight is a stunning Knaggs Eric Steckel Kenai TS Sandstorm, it’s a beautiful piece of equipment and sounds amazing, the tone is something special. Just what do you get from an Eric Steckel show, were the 3 piece band are very unassuming when they hit the stage, they get down to work straight away and are so genuinely appreciative towards the crowd that has shown up on a wet Tuesday night. The venue isn’t full, but there’s a good knowledgeable crowd to support them.
Eric is not only a wonderful guitarist but has a great natural Blues voice that lends to the rock side of the genre. The set comprises mostly his own compositions with a couple of carefully selected covers rounding things out, but for me it’s his own songs that really make the show what is. From the new album the song that has a life of it’s own and is still running around my head is the masterful ‘When It Rains, It Pours’ what a stunning song, I was not alone in just standing there in awe at Eric’s playing, sound and sheer natural ability, and as with most greats he makes it look so effortless. It looks like the guitar is an extension of his arms and that he was born with the instrument connected to him. The solos are so free flowing, and the sound as I mentioned is perfect, brash and loud.
Of course it’s not just about Eric, the rhythm section are excellent musicians in their own right and they bring a lot to the overall show, the drums are powerful, heavy and add even more edge to the music, while the bass is smooth but gritty at the same time, it’s a harmony act that puts smiles on everyone across the venue. From the harder rocking tunes to the awesome slower tracks like ‘When Ignorance Turns To Bliss’ or the equally excellent ‘Can’t You See’ this set is pretty flawless, it’s the crowd reaction after every song, gets louder as we go at some point you just feel it’s a privilege to be seeing an artist this talented and so in control of his own space.
The only shame tonight is that the set has to finish, the cheering, bowing 3 times to the audience after the show, call the music what you want, blues rock, blues metal, whatever it’s just a class above most shows we get to see. If you are not familiar with his work, rectify that and just take it in and bask in it.
What an awesome performance by Eric and the band, honestly they could have continued to play all night and the crowd would have gone with it and happily listened to three excellent musicians that seem to work so well together. The latest album Sandstorm is just one month old and is very well worth checking out, a number of the tracks were aired tonight and sounded terrific. The next time Eric Steckel announces an Irish show make sure you grab a ticket, the experience is one you won’t forget in a hurry. One thing that was great to see tonight was a number of younger people in the audience, hopefully there will be even more next time.
