In celebration of his forthcoming new album, Orgy Of The Damned, out May 17 on Gibson Records, Slash the iconic, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter has curated an all-star Blues lineup for the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival touring North America this summer.
Slash formed the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance to bring fans together to celebrate the spirit of the Blues, and to perform with other Blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre.
Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival includes Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. On all dates, Slash will perform alongside his Blues band featuring bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome, and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.
Today, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival has added a new date of Tuesday, July 16 in Salt Lake City, UT at the Red Butte Garden.
“The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival is great platform for my band to jam on some blues and R&B inspired music alongside some truly influential artists,” says Slash. “It's a great vehicle to bring people of ALL kinds together during these divisive times to have a fun and entertaining afternoon and evening of live music, away from all the chaos that’s going on. We'll also be using some of the proceeds to give back to the community and these important causes.”
The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival was designed with maximum social impact in mind. Slash has a strong desire to give back to nonprofits that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities, and support mental health initiatives that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. Slash has now chosen a fifth nonprofit, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to directly benefit from touring proceeds from the festival. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. An alliance of more than 600 local affiliates, NAMI works in communities to educate, support, advocate, listen and improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones. NAMI’s mission is to create a world where all people affected by mental illness can experience hope, recovery, wellness and freedom from stigma.
NAMI joins the previously announced organizations including The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child. Through PLUS1.ORG the S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival will donate a portion of the proceeds from every VIP package, as well as Ticket sold for the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival to directly benefit the nonprofits selected by Slash.
Tickets at serpentfestival.com. A limited number of S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival VIP packages are available now which include access to watch Slash's soundcheck before the show, hand-signed vinyl of Orgy Of The Damned, and more.
S.E.R.P.E.N.T Blues Festival 2024 North American Dates:
July
5 - Bonner, MT - KettleHouse Amphitheater *
6 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Amphitheater *
8 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park *
10 - Bend, OR - Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
12 - Lincoln, CA - Thunder Valley Casino *
13 - Los Angeles, California - Greek Theatre *
14 - Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater *
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden
17 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom **
19 - La Vista, NE - The Astro Amphitheater #
21 - Terre Haute, Indiana - The Mill #
22 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend #
24 - Interlochen, MI - Interlochen Center for the Arts #
25 - Huber Heights, OH - Rose Music Center $
27 - Windsor, ON, Canada - The Colosseum at Caesars $
28 - Toronto, ON, Canada - Budweiser Stage $
30 - Lewiston, NY - Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater $
August
1 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion $
4 - New York, NY - Pier 17 $
5 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest +
7 - Cary, NC - Koka Booth Amphitheatre +
8 - Atlanta, GA - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park ^
10 - Clearwater, FL - The Sound at Coachman Park ^
11 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre +
13 - Huntsville, AL - The Orion Amphitheater +
14 - Franklin, TN - FirstBank Amphitheater +
16 - Bentonville, AR - The Momentary ^^
17 - Grand Prairie, TX - Texas Trust CU Theatre ^^
* Warren Haynes Band, Samantha Fish, and Eric Gales
** Keb’ ‘Mo, Samantha Fish, and Jackie Venson
# Keb’ ‘Mo, ZZ Ward ,and Jackie Venson
$ Keb’ ‘Mo, ZZ Ward, and Robert Randolph
^ ZZ Ward and Robert Randolph
+ Larkin Poe, ZZ Ward, and Robert Randolph
^^ Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, ZZ Ward, and Robert Randolph
Slash, the iconic, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter will visit Amoeba Hollywood to play a special acoustic set celebrating his star-studded new album, Orgy Of The Damned. On Wednesday, May 29 at 5 PM, Slash and his blues band vocalist/guitarist Tash Neal will perform live at Amoeba Hollywood. Capacity is limited, tickets are required for entry to the event, details here.
To guarantee admission to the live performance AND get a hand-signed by Slash commemorative show poster “Slash - Live at Amoeba Hollywood” - pre-purchase your copy of Orgy Of The Damned on CD or double-LP starting May 17, in-store only at Amoeba Hollywood.
- Limit of 1 (album + admission ticket + poster bundles) per person.
- Event is all ages.
- In-store purchase only for this special event. No online or phone orders.
- Pre-purchased albums will be given to fans on day-or event (to adhere to Billboard chart reporting rules).
- No in-store signing or meet and greet will be happening-this is a LIVE PERFORMANCE ONLY event with Slash and his blues band vocalist/guitarist Tash Neal.
“Slash - Live at Amoeba Hollywood” poster, designed by Luke Preece
A vibrant homage to the blues, Slash’s star-studded blues album Orgy Of The Damned is the sixth solo album of his legendary career. A collection of 12 dynamic songs that revitalize blues classics with a stripped-down approach, on Orgy Of The Damned Slash and his Blues band celebrate both well-known and largely undiscovered tracks while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. Slash’s new album Orgy Of The Damned will be released worldwide on May 17, 2024 via Gibson Records.
For Orgy Of The Damned, the acclaimed guitarist reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album’s diverse guest vocalists, which include Gary Clark Jr, Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart. Rounding out his blues band in the studio and on the road, Slash reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.
Orgy Of The Damned encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday.” Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher,” Charlie Segar’s “Key to the Highway” and Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball while others, like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” were long-time favorites for Slash. “Hoochie Coochie Man,” written by Willie Dixon, and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of Orgy Of The Damned, with ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energized songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.
As Slash was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin’ Hopkins’ 1962 track “Awful Dream,” a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally-resonate version sitting on two stools in Slash’s studio. “Iggy’s interpretation of that song is actually sublime,” says Slash. “And it’s something that nobody’s really heard from him. At the end of the track, you can hear him just singing the harmonica parts.”
Elsewhere on Orgy Of The Damned, Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by The Temptations that Slash admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, “Metal Chestnut,” penned specifically for Orgy Of The Damned by Slash.
Orgy Of The Damned showcases a lesser-heard aspect of Slash’s musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the album offers a rare opportunity to explorea unique side of his playing and bring to the forefront a rollicking journey through his strong, blues inspirations, that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.
Orgy Of The Damned will also be available on vinyl and via CD. For more information go to Slashonline.com.
Slash's Orgy Of The Damned is available to pre-order here.
Orgy Of The Damned tracklisting:
“The Pusher” feat. Chris Robinson (vocal and harmonica) Written by Wayne Hoyt Axton
“Crossroad Blues” feat. Gary Clark Jr (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo) Written by Robert Leroy Johnson
“Hoochie Coochie Man” feat. Billy F. Gibbons (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo) Written by Willie Dixon
“Oh Well” feat. Chris Stapleton (vocal) Written by Peter Alan Green
“Key To The Highway” feat. Dorothy (vocal) Written by Charles Segar, William Broonzy
“Awful Dream” feat. Iggy Pop (vocal) Written by Sam (Lightnin’) Hopkins, Clarence Lewis, C Morgan Robinson
“Born Under A Bad Sign” feat. Paul Rodgers (vocal) Written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones
“Papa Was A Rolling Stone” feat. Demi Lovato (vocal) Written by Barrett Strong, Jesse Norman Whitfield
“Killing Floor” feat. Brian Johnson (vocal) Written by Chester Burnett *Special guest Steven Tyler on harmonica.
“Living For The City” feat. Tash Neal (vocal) Written by Stevie Wonder *Special guest background vocals: Jenna Bell, Jessie Payo
“Stormy Monday” feat. Beth Hart (vocal) Written by T-Bone Walker
“Metal Chestnut” Written by Slash
"Oh Well":
"Killing Floor" video:
(Top photo - Gene Kirkland)
