SLASH
Announces S.E.R P.E.N.T. Festival:
-Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance-
A CELEBRATION OF THE BLUES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR SUMMER
2024
All-Star Blues Lineup Featuring Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo,
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric
Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe
Tickets On Sale Friday, March 15 at 10am Local Time
Pre-Sales and Limited VIP packages at SerpentFestival.com
Tour To Donate a Portion of the Proceeds of Each Ticket Sold to The
Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greening Institute,
and War Child Charities
Following the announcement of his highly anticipated sixth solo album Orgy of the Damned, due out May 17 on Gibson Records, the iconic, GRAMMY®-winning guitarist and songwriter SLASH, has confirmed a North American tour in celebration of the Blues this summer. SLASH’s newly
announced S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival, an anagram that stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance will kick off on July 5 in Bonner, Montana, and travel to Los Angeles, Denver, Cincinnati, Toronto, New York City, Boston, Atlanta, and many more cities. SLASH has
curated an all-star Blues lineup to join him on the inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival this summer, including 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’ Andread is, drummer Michael Jerome, and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. 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 also has a strong desire to give back to charities that he has supported over the years, as well as to help lift marginalized communities that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. A portion of the proceeds from each VIP package and S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival ticket sold will directly benefit the following charities that SLASH has selected The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child. S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival has partnered with PLUS1.ORG to support these charitable endeavors.
“The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour is a celebration of blues and rock ‘n’ roll music, and a celebration of unity and togetherness in these uncertain and divisive times,” says SLASH. “S.E.R.P.E.N.T is a vehicle to help support and uplift people and communities suffering from the injustices of racism and equal rights violations, as well as to support children adversely affected by war and poverty across the world. So, we are contributing a portion of every ticket and VIP package sold from the tour to those ends. S.E.R.P.E.N.T. will also provide an environment where folks can get together for a day of great music and hang out and have a good time.”
General on sale for tickets begins Friday, March 15 at 10am local time. For pre-sales, visit http://www.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, go to: http://www.serpentfestival.com.
S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival 2024 North American Dates:
Fri Jul 5 Bonner, Montana KettleHouse Amphitheater*
Sat Jul 6 Airway Heights, Washington Northern Quest Amphitheater*
Mon Jul 8 Redmond, Washington Marymoor Park*
Wed Jul 10 Bend, Oregon Hayden Homes Amphitheater*
Fri Jul 12 Lincoln, California Thunder Valley Casino*
Sat July 13 Los Angeles,California Greek Theatre*
Sun Jul 14 Tucson, Arizona Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre*
Wed Jul 17 Denver, Colorado The Mission Ballroom**
Fri Jul 19 La Vista, Nebraska The Astro Amphitheater #
Sun Jul 21 Terra Haute, Indiana The Mill #
Mon Jul 22 Cincinnati, Ohio PNC Pavilion at Riverbend #
Wed Jul 24 Interlochen, Michigan Interlochen Center for the Arts #
Thu Jul 25 Huber Heights, Ohio Rose Music Center $
Sat Jul 27 Windsor, Ontario The Colosseum at Caesars $
Sun Jul 28 Toronto, Ontario Budweiser Stage $
Tue Jul 30 Lewiston, New York Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater $
Thu Aug 1 Boston, Massachusetts Leader Bank Pavilion $
Sun Aug 4 New York, New York Pier 17 $
Mon Aug 5 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Musikfest ^
Wed Aug 7 Cary, North Carolina Koka Booth Amphitheatre +
* 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’s star-studded debut blues album, Orgy of the Damned, is a collection of 12 dynamic songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped-down, instinctive approach, creating a singular expression that pays homage to the blues.
Celebrating both well-known and largely undiscovered songs, SLASH offers a nostalgic nod to the past while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. 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, in a similar way to his 2010 self-titled solo LP Slash. Rounding out his band
in the studio and on the road, SLASH reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit inthe 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. The first single “Killing Floor,”–which features Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica–is an electrifying, raucous and gleefully unbridled take on Howlin’ Wolf’s 1964 Chicago blues standard; stream “Killing Floor,” now HERE. Watch/share the new video for “Killing Floor,” which offers a first look at SLASH and his Blues band recording the song in the studio HERE.
Although he grew up in England, SLASH’s American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on, and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of 60s British rock ‘n’ roll, from The Who to The Kinks. Once he moved to Laurel Canyon, SLASH found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Neil Young—all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn’t until he began playing guitar himself that SLASH realized all of his favorite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he’d listened to as a young kid.
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 in1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of Orgy of the Damned, with Z.Z.
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.
A vibrant homage to the Blues, Orgy of the Damned is a landmark moment in SLASH’s career and a rare opportunity to bring to the forefront a rollicking musical journey through his Blues inspirations that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.
SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned is available digitally, on vinyl and CD via Gibson Records for pre- order HERE. Preview the album HERE, and for more information, go to http://www.slashonline.com.
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