Slash announces Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival album and concert film
A tribute to his love of the blues, Slash, the Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter, has announced the release of Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival—an electrifying live album and concert film—out worldwide on Friday, Nov. 7.
On Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Slash brings his passion for the blues and his musical roots to the foreground as his ensemble, known as Slash’s Blues Ball, delivers a gritty, soulful set paying homage to the legends who shaped rock and blues.
The announcement launches with the first single “Oh Well (Live),” out today. Slash takes the Fleetwood Mac classic and transforms it into a searing live experience. Channeling Peter Green’s blues roots while unleashing his own signature firepower, Slash and his Blues Ball band deliver a performance that feels both timeless and fiercely alive.
The live album and concert film were captured at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colo., during the July 17, 2024, stop of Slash’s all-star blues tour, the inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance.
Slash’s Blues Ball lineup and setlist
Slash’s Blues Ball band features Slash on lead and rhythm guitar, joined by longtime collaborator Teddy “ZigZag” Andreadis (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Tash Neal (rhythm guitar, vocals), Johnny Griparic (bass, backing vocals), and Michael Jerome (drums). Together, they tear through a blistering set of blues standards and rock staples, paying tribute to icons like Bukka White, Howlin’ Wolf, Booker T. & the MG’s, Fleetwood Mac, Freddie King, The Temptations, T-Bone Walker, Hoyt Axton, Robert Johnson, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bob Dylan, and Elmore James.
The set includes smoldering takes on “Parchman Farm Blues,” “Killing Floor,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Oh Well,” “Big Legged Woman,” and “Key to the Highway,” followed by the slow-burn groove of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” the smoky soul of “Stormy Monday,” and the gritty punch of “The Pusher.” Slash also debuts a new original, “Metal Chestnut,” before diving into “Cross Road Blues” and a fiery rendition of “Stone Free.” The encore features added favorites “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” and a blistering closer with “Shake Your Money Maker.”
Behind the film and the festival
Intercut with candid, behind-the-scenes interviews, Slash reflects on his deep personal connection to the blues, sharing the stories behind the songs and his reverence for the artists who paved the way.
The inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival featured an all-star blues lineup handpicked by Slash and celebrated the release of his critically acclaimed sixth solo album Orgy of the Damned. That album spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart and, after 69 weeks, still remains in the top 50.
Over 23 tour dates in the summer of 2024, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival raised more than $125,000 for five nonprofit organizations chosen by Slash. The beneficiaries focused on mental health, socio-economic equality and justice, and uplifting underserved communities across America.
Live at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival will be available worldwide as a 2CD+DVD digipak, 2CD+Blu-ray digipak, and on heavyweight black 3LP gatefold through earMUSIC.
