In the summer of 2024, Slash launched a tour called the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival in support of his recent star-packed blues-themed album Orgy of the Damned. The trek featured the Guns N’ Roses guitar great accompanied by a talented group of musicians dubbed Slash’s Blues Ball.
Videos by American Songwriter
One show during the trek, a July 17, 2024, performance at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, was filmed and recorded for a new concert album and video titled Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival that was released on November 7.
Slash recently chatted with American Songwriter about the new release, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival and the album that inspired it, his passion for the blues, and more.
Slash’s Blues Ball lineup featured Teddy “ZigZag” Andreadis on keyboards, harmonica, and vocals; Tash Neal on rhythm guitar and vocals; Johnny Griparic on bass and backing vocals; and Michael Jerome on drums. All of the musicians played on Orgy of the Damned. The album featured many different famous guest singers, but Andreadis and Neal took over lead vocals for the trek.
Slash told American Songwriter that at some point, it was decided that one of the gigs would be documented for an album and video release.
As he explained, the show that was chosen took place at “sort of midway point in the tour, and [at] a cool venue.” The guitarist added, “It’s sort of a snapshot in time of that tour.”
More About the Show That Was Recorded
At the Denver show, Slash and company played a 14-song set that included nine of the 12 tunes featured on Orgy of the Damned, plus a selection of other covers.
The Orgy of the Damned material included renditions of songs by Fleetwood Mac, Howlin’ Wolf, Booker T. & the MG’s, The Temptations, T-Bone Walker, Hoyt Axton, and Robert Johnson, as well as the original instrumental “Metal Chestnut.”
The songs not featured on the album played at the concert included The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Stone Free,” Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” and Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker,” and Freddie King’s “Big Legged Woman.”
Regarding the set list, Slash noted, “Doing the Orgy of the Damned record was a given, but we have … roughly two hours to go out there and play.”
He explained that some other songs Blues Ball members liked were chosen to fill out the set. Among them were tunes that may appear on a potential Orgy of the Damned follow-up, and songs that Slash used to play at clubs with the original incarnation of the Blues Ball back in the 1990s.
“Teddy brought the Dylan song in, ‘[It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a] Train to Cry’ in,” noted Slash, who played pedal steel on the song. “‘Big Legged Woman’ was something that I’ve always wanted to do that we didn’t approach during the Orgy of the Damned record. But then, while we were sort of jamming … during rehearsals for the tour, we tried out a lot of different songs, and that was one of them. And Tash sang it great, and it worked out great.”
More About S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival
The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival was headlined by Slash’s Blues Ball, and also featured various multiple opening acts. Among them were Warren Haynes Band, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Samantha Fish, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, and Larkin Poe.
Reflecting on the trek, Slash said, “I had different artists that we were on the bill … who were all great, and we just went from city to city, and we had a great time. It was a very loose, laidback, very musical … It was a different experience than when you’re doing, like, the big stadium stuff, and you’ve got a big band with hit songs and s—. … [I]t was a really, really great experience.
The tour’s name was an acronym for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance. The trek raised more than $125,000 for five nonprofit organizations chosen by the guitar great. The organizations benefited mental health, socio-economic equality and justice, and bettering the lives of underserved Americans.
Explaining the inspiration behind the tour’s charitable aspect, Slash told American Songwriter, “[T]here’s so much division going on in the country, you know. … I’m not an activist in any way, having to do with politics anyway, but I wanted to do something that was going to give back a little bit, and have the tour be … able to support some groups who are taking care of people who have been suffering from racial discrimination or from poverty or … kids who have been separated from their parents for legal [or] … drug issues or jail and things like that.”
He added, “And so, we found different groups that we could take the proceeds from the tour and … give to. And that’s sort of what the tour was really all about.”
More About Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival
Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival was released in multiple configurations and formats.
It’s available as a two-CD/DVD digipak, a two-CD/Blu-ray digipak, digitally, and as a three-LP set pressed on black heavyweight vinyl.
A limited-edition box set featuring the two CDs and three LPs, and a colored-vinyl triple-LP package are available exclusively at Slash’s online store.
The DVD and Blu-ray feature the full concert film, as well as documentary segments. Interspersed between the performances, Slash and his bandmates appear in behind-the-scenes interviews. The segments include the guitarist discussing his connection to the blues, reflecting on the artists that have inspired him, and sharing stories behind the songs played at the show.
About Orgy of the Damned, Plans for a Follow-up Album and Tour
As previously reported, Orgy of the Damned featured appearances by an impressive list of guest artists. They included Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Chris Stapleton, The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Demi Lovato, and Gary Clark Jr. Neal contributed lead vocals to a version of Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City.”
The album spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums chart.
Slash told American Songwriter that he’s planning to record a follow-up album, but admitted that it may take a while.
“I have to juggle between schedules, because I’m on the road with Guns N’ Roses,” he explained. “I’ve [also] got a record coming out with [Myles Kennedy and] the Conspirators. But at some point, we definitely are gonna do … another Blues Ball record, and then there’ll be a tour with that and all. So, we’ll keep you posted.”
Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival Track List:
CD 1:
- Intro
- “Parchman Farm Blues”
- “Killing Floor”
- “Born Under a Bad Sign”
- “Oh Well”
- “Big Legged Woman”
- “Key to the Highway”
- “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”
CD 2:
- “Stormy Monday”
- “The Pusher”
- “Metal Chestnut”
- “Crossroads”
- “Stone Free”
- “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”
- “Shake Your Money Maker”
(Courtesy of earMUSIC)
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