Slash gives Boston nothing but the blues

As he rolled into the tail end of his blues-blistering two-hour solo set, Slash couldn’t help but crack a smile.

The top hat-wearing guitar hero, known primarily for his heavy metal heroics with Guns ‘N Roses, as well as his recent run with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, got to showcase a bluesier side of his repertoire headlining the inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Thursday night at Leader Bank Pavilion.

Billed as a “Celebration of the Blues,” the festival, which stood for “Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance,” played to an enthusiastic crowd of roughly 3,000. The open-air venue served as the perfect backdrop to showcase songs off Slash’s new blues covers album, “Orgy of the Damned.”

“You guys are f—ing awesome,” said Slash, before introducing members of his Blues Ball band. “But Boston is always f—ing awesome.”

The Gibson-wielding guitarist took full advantage, playing nine tracks off his new disc, while staying in the moment and refraining from covering any material from his other projects.

The end result proved to be more of a laid-back affair, as opposed to some of the fist-pumping fireworks of tours past. However, Slash still managed to make it all work with effortless ease.

From the opening riffs of the Bukka White cover “Parchman Farm Blues,” to the never-ending groove of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” — the latter of which was covered flawlessly on the new disc by AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson, with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler chipping in on harmonica — Slash served the crowd a healthy dose of Blues101 with fervent fire. The muggy 92-degree heat only seemed to lend itself to the sweat-soaked ambient atmosphere.

The guitarist got to pay tribute to a number of artists from the prehistoric Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac on cuts like “Oh Well,” to the freewheeling Freddie King shuffle of “Big Legged Woman.” His unique blend of passion and precision also drove Hoyt Axton’s “The Pusher” into a skillful romp. Each tune gave the riff master plenty of space and extended solo time to broaden his creative pallet.

Slash even got to channel his inner Peter Frampton, utilizing the squawk box during a rousing  rendition of the Temptations hit “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” another high point of the set.

Opening act Keb’ Mo’ got into the act, joining the legendary guitarist for a sizzling take of Booker T. and the MG’s cover “Born Under a Bad Sign,” providing an added aura.

Slash’s Blues Ball band held steady throughout the night. The quartet featured longtime GNR utility man Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis on vocals and keyboards, with Tash Neal on vocals and guitar. The pair traded off on lead vocals throughout the set.

Andreadis supplied some grit to tunes such as the Lightnin’ Hopkins cover “Awful Dream,” while also adding a touch of harp, whenever called upon. Neal tackled soul-inspired cuts such as Robert Johnson’s “Crossroad Blues,” as well as the epic Jimi Hendrix Experience track “Stone Free,” complete with an extended jam session that closed the initial set.

Bassist Johnny Griparic and drummer Michael Jerome anchored the rhythm section all the way through the band’s encore, handling Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” before closing with the Emore James cover “Shake Your Money Maker.”

With hundreds in the audience dressed in Guns ‘N Roses attire, one still couldn’t help but wonder if the crowd was anticipating any Axl Rose-ian b-sides to resurface. If so, they left empty-handed. Slash stuck strictly to his blues-covered script this time around.

The closest the axman came was strumming the love theme from “The Godfather,” “Speak Softly Love,” which served as a concert staple on GNR’s reunion tour. But instead of using it as an intro into “Sweet Child ‘O Mine,” the gunslinger opted to launch into the T-Bone Walker standard “Stormy Monday,” instead.

Slash still managed to astound, however, playing his original instrumental “Metal Chestnut” off his new disc towards the end of the night, satisfying all the air guitarists in the audience.

Setlist for Slash at at Leader Bank Pavilion, August 1, 2024

• Parchman Farm Blues (Bukka White cover)
• Killing Floor (Howlin’ Wolf cover)
• Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac cover) with wheeling solo
• Big Legged Woman (Freddie King cover)
• Awful Dream (Lightnin’ Hopkins cover)
• Papa Was a Rolling Stone (The Temptations cover)
• Stormy Monday (T‐Bone Walker cover)
• The Pusher (Hoyt Axton cover)
• Born Under a Bad Sign (Booker T. & the MG’s cover, with Mo Krebs)
• Metal Chestnut
• Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson cover)
• Stone Free (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) extended jam

ENCORE:

• It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Bob Dylan cover)
• Shake Your Money Maker (Elmore James cover)