S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival

"I thought it would be cool to get some people I know who were appropriate for each song, like I did on my self-titled album in 2010." (Slash)

Slash, who had wanted to record a blues album for a long time, reunited with two of his former Blues Ball bandmates, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, and enlisted drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on classic songs. Some of the songs, like "The Pusher" (Steppenwolf), "Key To The Highway" (Charlie Segar) and "Born Under A Bad Sign" (Albert King) had been performed by Slash's Blues Ball on tour in the '90s.

After jamming together for a few weeks, the group recorded the instrumental tracks over a week in the spring of 2023 at East West Studios and Snakepit Studio in Los Angels which saw Slash reteaming with storied producer Mike Clink. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation. In the months that followed, Slash enlisted and recorded the album's diverse guest vocalists, who include Brian Johnson, Billy Gibbons, Dorothy Martin, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato or Beth Hart. The album, titled "Orgy Of The Damned", is released in May 2024 and is a collection of 12 blues covers.

Slash then brought S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival to tour across North America throughout summer 2024. S.E.R.P.E.N.T. is an anagram and stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance. Joining Slash and his bandmates at various stops on the tour were Warren Haynes Band, Keb' Mo', Larkin Poe, Christone Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson.

Band members

• Slash: lead & rhythm guitars
• Tash Neal: vocals & rhythm guitar
• Johnny Griparic: bass
• Michael Jerome: drums
• Teddy Andreadis: keyboards

S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival flyers for shows in the U.S.A.

>> more about this album

Orgy Of The Damned (2024) Produced by Mike Clink and released in May 2024 1. The Pusher (with Chris Robinson) 2. Crossroads (with Gary Clark Jr.) 3. Hoochie Coochie Man (with Billy Gibbons) 4. Oh Well (with Chris Stapleton) 5. Key To The Highway (with Dorothy) 6. Awful Dream (with Iggy Pop) 7. Born Under A Bad Sign (with Paul Rodgers) 8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (with Demi Lovato) 9. Killing Floor (with Brian Johnson) 10. Living For The City (with Tash Neal) 11. Stormy Day (with Beth Hart) 12. Metal Chesnut

Concerts & shows