After hearing Slash's new live blues record and watching how happy he looks on stage, it's a wonder so many of rock's guitar heroes don't have side projects, like he does, that allows them to get their ya-yas out in a creative, soulful way.
Looking back the only real standouts of bluesy offshoots have been Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) with the X-Pensive Winos, Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and his Joe Perry Project, Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers) with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) with the now-defunct Magpie Salute, and Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) with the BFG’s.
How were there not more? Do you really have to be a super gigantic rock star to be able to afford the time and effort into what would be tantamount to a hobby or a pet project - even if it will probably help you be a better musician for your day job?
Luckily for all of us, Slash does have the means to do whatever he wants (and if Axl doesn't like it he can rehire Buckethead) which is why last week he dropped a sizzling live album along with a companion concert film from a show he performed last year during his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival.
Even though the guitarist is known to love snakes, the acronym stands for “Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance.”
Though it could also stand for Slash Expresses Raw Passion Every Night, Totally.
Backed by Teddy “ZigZag” Andreadis (Guns N’ Roses, Carole King) on keyboards & vocals, Tash Neal (Black Pumas) on rhythm guitar & vocals, Johnny Griparic (Slash’s Snakepit, Walter Trout) on bass; and Michael Jerome (Better Than Ezra, Richard Thompson) on drums, Slash set him up for success to lay back and rock out on a many of the covers from his Orgy of the Damned studio album that came out last year.
We're talking “Killing Floor” (Howlin’ Wolf), “Born Under a Bad Sign” (Albert King), “Oh Well” (Fleetwood Mac), “Stormy Monday” (T-Bone Walker), “Crossroads” (Robert Johnson), “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (The Temptations), and “Shake Your Money Maker” (Elmore James), along with the new original “Metal Chestnut.”
Four of those tunes you may remember he live debuted last year at Amoeba Records.
Live albums are a dying breed. In 2025 there will only be about 30 of them that will see the light of day. Among the Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia ones, there were offerings from Roger Waters, Hardy, Nick Cave, and Jonas Brothers of all people.
For comparison, 50 years ago, in 1975 these classic recordings sold 40+ million combined units: Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive! (17 million), Kiss Alive! (9 million), The Band Rock of Ages (6 million), Bob Marley & the Wailers Live! (5 million), and Lynyrd Skynyrd One More from the Road (3 million).
The recording that is now documented for eternity came from the Mission Ballroom gig in July in Denver. Earmusic has a variety of different ways you can hear it, be it via vinyl or cd.
Meanwhile the video of the show is currently being streamed on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
One thing that is hard to capture on wax or digitally is the vibe of the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival. It was a full five-hour assault of your soul, eyes, and ears.
The rotating cast of blues and roots musicians included Warren Haynes, Keb’ Mo’, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. And then Slash and his crew came out to assert dominance.
It's that magic that happens only on stage that Slash wanted to share with the world by putting all of this out.
“I think live is the best vehicle for blues,” he told Loudwire a few weeks ago.
“I think even in the studio, anytime you’re listening to a blues record, it should just be a live recording of one take without any embellishments," adding that when he first heard the live recording of BB King at the Regal it hit him.
"That was the record that my grandmother turned me onto, to listen to where all my rock guitar influences got their shit from," he explained.
Guns N' Roses just wrapped up their world tour. Slash is also taking a break.
But if you want to see one of the few blues-centric side projects, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons will be touring after the new year with the BFG Band. Grab your tickets on his website.
Billy Gibbons and the BFG Band 2026 Tour
1/20 - Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre
1/21 - Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
1/23 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
1/24 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre
1/25 - Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
1/28 - Santa Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center
1/29 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
1/31 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
2/1 - St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
2/3 - Columbus, OH @ Southern Theatre
2/4 - Niagara Falls, ON @ Fallsview Casino Resort
2/6 - Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House
2/7 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
2/10 - Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
2/11 - Plymouth, MA @ Plymouth Memorial Hall
2/13 - Rutland, VT @ Paramount Theatre
2/14 - Patchogue, NY @ Patchouge Theatre
2/16-17 - New York, NY @ City Winery New York
2/19 - Wilkes Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
2/20 - Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino
2/21 - Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
2/23 - Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
2/24 - Frederick, MD @ Weinberg Center for the Arts
2/26 - Rocky Mount, VA @ Harvester Performance Center
2/27 - Bristol, TN @ Paramount Bristol
2/28 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
