Guns and Roses legend Slash brings his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. (meaning Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance) tour to Tucson, Arizona, and gets a lot of wows from the crowd. Unless I am forced to sit in my seat, I like to walk around the venue and get different perspectives of the stage, lighting, sound, angles of the musicians, etc. So, everywhere I walked I kept hearing “Wow!” from the guitar-fixated crowd. Maybe it’s the chemistry Slash has put together, the raw energy, maybe all of the above. Including Slash’s band itself, the opening acts of Eric Gales, Samantha Fish, and The Warren Haynes Band rocked the house. I can’t think of a better way to honor the blues than with a line-up of these all-star musicians.
Eric Gales and Samantha Fish each took a turn with 30-minute sets that warmed up the outside amphitheater to the delight of the fans. Eric, with his amazing guitar work and just great stage presence, worked hard and gave it his all for that short time. Fish was next, and she never disappoints. She really does get better and better, and it amazes me with the way she draws the audience in playing her cigar box guitar – and that alone is worth coming to see.
The Warren Haynes Band was next with a six-song set that was awesome. I think everyone would have liked to see a little bit more, because you just can’t get enough when Warren takes the stage. “Man in Motion” and “Banks of the Deep End” highlighted the band’s set, it really was a great arrangement of songs to fill the night, with fans yelling from the beginning: “We want “Soulshine.” Warren did not disappoint, and they finished with just a killer version of “Soulshine” that brought the crowd to their feet and wanting more.
Slash put together an amazing blues band that includes bassist Johnny Griparic, keyboardist Teddy “ZigZag” Andreadis, drummer Michael Jerome, and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. The chemistry of these guys was just a marvel to behold, and you could tell they were having a blast right from the beginning to the end.
When Gales, Fish and Warren came out to sit in for different tunes, it was one hell of a jam. The combination of these talented guitar players was and is worth seeing again and again. The tour features different musicians performing with Slash, with each city having a different line-up. The musicians – including The Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ Mo’, Larkin Poe, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Samantha Fish, ZZ Ward, Robert Randolph, Eric Gales and Jackie Venson – are expected to play throughout the summer. I was told that a part of the sales will go to The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute and War Child. The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour has partnered with Plus1.org to support these charities.
With the high energy that Slash and his talented crew brings, it’s no wonder that “wow” is all anyone said throughout the night. The way they put their spin on several songs (“Killing Floor” and “Born Under a Bad Sign”) proved a great time and a must-see show. I was floored with their version of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone). “Cross Road Blues” (Robert Johnson) and “Stone Free” (Jimi Hendrix) closed things out with a standing ovation from an elated audience. The encore included “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” (Eric Clapton) and “Going Down” (Dom Nix). “Going Down” included the three opening acts and was a perfect way to say goodnight, these powerful guitar players teaming up with Slash was just over the top.
For more tour info, check out his website.
Images: © Rick Scuteri for American Blues Scene
