After the chart-topping release of his latest album, Orgy Of The Damned, Slash is looking back at one of his earliest forays into blues music - but he admits that not a lot of memories from that time immediately come to mind.
In conversation with People, the legendary Guns N' Roses guitarist opens up about "not remembering" the first time he went on the road with Slash's Blues Ball, the band he formed in 1996 in Los Angeles alongside Teddy "Big Bag Zig Zag" Andreadis, Johnny Griparic, Alvino Bennet, Bobby Schneck and Dave McLaurin.
According to Slash, copious alcohol consumption was the culprit behind the forgotten memories. "It was such a drunken kind of thing, and it was just for the fun of it," he shares. "I do not recall any of those gigs."
Diving into how Slash's Blues Ball came to be, he remembers, "When I first met them, a couple of the guys, they were playing in a band called The Screaming Cocktail Hour, which was a great blues band that used to play at the local Rogie's and Baked Potato and Cozy's and all these small little blues dives around L.A. And I would go and hang out with them and get there 10 or 11 o'clock at night and jam until two o'clock in the morning."
Read more at People.com.
Slash will visit Easy Street Records in Seattle to play an in-store set celebrating his new album, Orgy Of The Damned. On Sunday, July 7 at 7 PM, Slash and his blues band bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome, and singer/guitarist Tash Neal will perform live at Easy Street Records ahead of their S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival show on Monday, July 8, in Redmond, WA at Marymoor Park.
Capacity for the Easy Street Records in-store is very limited, to guarantee admission entry to the live performance, pre-purchase your copy of Orgy Of The Damned now via Easy Street Records on Vinyl or CD, online only, here.
* Select "In-Store Pick-Up" only. Item will be available for pick-up on the day of the show.
* Purchase of 1 album, CD or vinyl = 1 admission ticket per person.
* Event is all ages, starts at 7 PM sharp.
* No in-store signing or meet & greet will be happening - this is a live performance only event with Slash and his blues band.
For more information about the event, head here.
A vibrant homage to the blues, Slash’s star-studded blues album and sixth solo album of his career overall, Orgy Of The Damned is a collection of 12 dynamic songs that revitalize the blues with a stripped-down approach. In the spirit of collaboration, on Orgy Of The Damned, Slash handpicked 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. The acclaimed guitarist reteamed with producer Mike Clink and 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 who round out his blues band in the studio and on the road.
For Orgy Of The Damned, everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of energized songs that are vital and raw. Highlights include “Oh Well” with outlaw country star Chris Stapleton’s gritty vocals on the beloved early Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac tune, and the Howlin’ Wolf-penned first single “Killing Floor” an electrifying collaboration with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica. “Hoochie Coochie Man,” - written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters - showcases the album’s the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy with ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals, Gary Clark Jr. joins in for a rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads”, and Beth Hart stuns on the twanging and soulful 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.
Order Orgy Of The Damned 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
"Papa Was A Rolling Stone" video:
"Oh Well":
"Killing Floor" video:
Slash will take the stage at The Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado, for a one-night-only performance with his blues band on Wednesday, July 17. This special event is part of his nationwide S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival, and will be streamed live globally on Veeps, offering fans a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Slash's blues revival. Veeps All Access subscribers in the US can access the show for free as part of their subscription; for fans outside the US, tickets to the livestream are now on sale for $14.99, here.
The Veeps livestream will showcase a set by Slash and his blues band, featuring Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keyboards), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitar).
Launching this July 5 in Montana, Slash has curated an all-star Blues lineup for the first-ever S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues 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 artists include 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. For all S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival dates, visit SerpentFestival.com.
The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival is designed with maximum social impact in mind and Slash has chosen five nonprofit organizations to directly benefit from touring proceeds to help lift marginalized communities and support mental health initiatives that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. 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 every Ticket sold, directly to NAMI the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child. Details on all S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival VIP packages can be found at this location.
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
