Concert Review: Eric Steckel
Eric Steckel delivered an intense evening of heavy blues, extended guitar solos and material from his latest album ‘Sandstorm’.
Eric Steckel – Nieuwe Nor – Heerlen – 17 September 2026
Text and photos: Martien Koolen
Eric Steckel, for those of you who do not know him, is an American blues guitarist and he has released twelve albums so far, and Sandstorm, his latest album has just been released.
Steckel recorded his debut album at the age of eleven, and he performed live on stage with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers when he was twelve years young!
Tonight, Steckel will deliver his signature blend of blues metal for appreciative guitar aficionados in Heerlen’s Nieuwe Nor and, man, this guitar hero delivered the blues metal goods for 100%.
Kicking off with the song Solid Ground from his 2020 album Grandview Drive, Steckel played a couple mean and lean guitar solos right from the start: giving me goosebumps already after a couple of minutes.
From his new album Sandstorm, Steckel “only” played three songs, being: When It Rains, It Pours, She’s A Gold Digger and Empty Promises, and I have to say that these already great songs sound live so much better, as Steckel improvised a lot and the guitar solos were longer and musical bliss for guitar lovers indeed.
Around the middle of the set Steckel and his bandmates (drummer and bass guitarist) played a well-known cover, being Born Under A Bad Sign (Albert King), and I have already heard lots of versions of this awesome song, but Steckel amazes me with a really heavy version of this classic track.
When Ignorance Turns To Bliss, also from the Grandview Drive album, is the next highlight of this evening, as Steckel really highlights his unbelievable guitar playing here for 100%, and again the goosebumps are there.
And just as you thought that it couldn’t get any better than this, Steckel plays the impressive blues ballad Can’t You See, featuring a blistering, heartfelt, emotional solo.
So, what a night this was and yeah, this man, being Eric Steckel of course, can play a mean and lean guitar; indeed, this was blues metal at its best, and for those of you who missed this outstanding gig, be sure to go to a live gig of this amazing guitar picker in the near future.
Eric Steckel live at Nieuwe Nor in Heerlen, 17 September 2026. Photos: Martien Koolen.