EARMUSIC Live At The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival Box Set: Slash Live

At a glance

Presented as a box set measuring 13.72 x 2.03 x 12.45 cm, Live At The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival captures Slash and his band Slash’s Blues Ball in concert. The performance was recorded at Denver’s Mission Ballroom on 17 July 2024. It brings blues standards and rock favourites together, alongside the original song Metal Chestnut. The supplied details do not state how many discs are included, so the exact physical contents are unclear.

The set is described as including candid interviews in which Slash talks about his connection to the blues and the artists behind the music. That extra context may appeal if you enjoy hearing about the influences behind a performance, rather than just collecting a concert recording. The musicians named include Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, Tash Neal, Johnny Griparic and Michael Jerome, alongside Slash on guitar.

Buyer feedback is particularly positive about the music and live performance. Some listeners also highlight the way the blues material sits alongside rock, and Slash’s guitar playing. These are audience impressions rather than a guarantee that the set will suit every listener, its focus is clearly on blues and rock, not a broad overview of Slash’s catalogue.

Everyday use

This release is geared towards putting on a full band performance at home, with familiar blues and rock influences at its centre. The set includes tributes to artists such as Bukka White, Fleetwood Mac, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bob Dylan and Elmore James, as well as Metal Chestnut. The mix of covers, an original track and spoken reflections gives the programme more of a tribute-and-context angle than a simple run of unrelated songs.

Worth considering if you enjoy blues-rooted rock, live arrangements and hearing an artist discuss musical influences. It might not be a great match if you are mainly after studio recordings or a collection focused only on original songs: the description centres on a live set of standards, rock staples and one newly introduced original.

Practical tips

Think about how you expect to use the release before choosing it. If the attraction is the music, the set list’s blend of blues standards and rock songs is the key detail, if the interviews matter as much, bear in mind that the product information does not explain their length or give a full track-by-track breakdown. The disc count is also not provided, so the box-set label alone does not tell you precisely what is inside.

The recording is tied to one concert, rather than presented as a studio session or a compilation assembled from different dates. That makes it a more focused choice for listeners who want the feel of a particular live performance. Someone looking for a more polished studio sound or a detailed track list may prefer to seek a release whose format and contents are specified more fully.

Buying verdict

This box set makes most sense for a listener drawn to Slash’s blues influences and the energy of a live band, especially with the interview material adding background to the songs. The named guests and tribute repertoire give a clearer idea of its musical direction than the title alone. If you are deciding between this and a studio-led release, choose this one for the concert setting and blues-rock focus, the missing disc count and detailed contents are the main points to weigh before buying.