Okay, I've made it, after a rather chaotic drive from the Olympiahall and the Backstreet Boys (see Review 311) to the Metropolis and guitar wunderkind 
Eric Sardinas. Two concerts on one evening are a bit exhausting. But I know this situation too well from my London Times, where this happened very often. No you can't enjoy both from the very beginning to the end. But having one hour at the first one, so I get also 60 minutes from the other, thanks to it's lenght. My other bonus is, that I've seen both artists live on stage before, so I knew already what to expect. 
"I play slide, I play Blues, but it is a Rock'n'Roll Blues, which I perform in my kinda way". That's how Eric Sardinas described his music once in a statement. 
There ain't not to much to tell about this exeptionell player. He belongs to the category - lost talents. Those are artists who, despite to their huge talent and brilliant playing never reach the absolute success. But well, it' still not every day's evening, as we say so, and maybe one day he will hit it really big. It's all up to the momentary flavour of the average biz. And currently it doesn't taste nessecarely for Bluesrock, not what's up to the generell public. 

This attractive man (in the truest sense of the word) is now 38 years old,  he looks like a typical LA glamrocker, but he has dedicated his love a 100% to the Mississippi Delta bluesroc,. Elmore James and Muddy Waters are just two of his idols. Eric is the son of cuban- italien imigrants and he started playing the guitar aged 6. later on he played on street corners to earn his daily life. There he meets bassist Paul Loranger and drummer Scott Palacios. Together they tour through bars and clubs and play around 300 gigs a year. In the end of the last decade, he starts to produce records by himself. In 1999 his first full CD 'Treat Me Right' is released, followed by Devil's Train' in 2001 and 'Black Pearls' in 2003. From the second Cd onwards he's under Steve Vai's label Favoured Nations Entertainment. Eric Sardinas new album with the Motors just came out. And again he dedicates his music to traditional blues with a rocky touch in a modern dress of the presence. But that's not the only new thing Eric has to offer.....

It's also the line up, which now consists of Levell Price on bass and italien drummer Patrick Gaccia. Both are firstclass musicians as well, and are based on the same quality level like our guitarist here.
Last time Sardinas had been here, he supported Steve Vai. And so he caught up with a much bigger audiance. So now he probably hoped to get also a larger crowd, when doing another solo tour. But that hope is only partly fullfilled. Maybe there are 100 people more at each show or so. But that's it. 
I don't know, what the reason for that is. Maybe Eric should have started out as a guitarist of a famous other act, like Steve Vai and some other's did, before getting themselves an individual name. But he's definately not the type for that. He started as a street musician, as I mentioned before, he's a loner, and he always will be one. And he probably takes the risk, to maybe end up on the street again. No, I definately think, he won't do that. This man is just too good...

He gives us the impression, as if he plays  himself in a kind of trance. He beats up and caresses his instrument at the same time, which has certainly seen better days. And he can manage, despite all these guitar art and soli, not to be boring at all. This talent he must have copied from Steve Vai, who can also manage, despite difficult guitar playing to put out his showman qualities. The programm is dominated by songs from Erics four albums. (no setlist available unfortunately) Inbetween bassist Price and drummer Gaccia get their solo performance as well, whereby the little italian guy proves, that a monitorbox can be used as a drum as well.
The encore is played topless by the band. whereby the focus lies on the large breast- and back tattoo of Eric Sardinas, which are pretty impressive. 
Anyway, thanks again to the length of the set - aprox. 2 hours, I catch more than half of the show. And this one here has met my taste of music miles more than the performance of the Backstreet Boys beforehand. Quite a difference, ain't it....?! But surely worth an experience.....

http://www.ericsardinas.com/