SLASH
Bending The Blues:
Inside The Making Of “Orgy Of The Damned” with Slash and Producer Mike Clink
Live at the GRAMMY Museum®
Friday, October 4 at 7:00-8:30 PM
800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Limited Capacity, Ticket Required HERE
SLASH, the iconic, GRAMMY® Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, guitarist, and songwriter will visit the Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum® for an evening discussing his latest album Orgy of the Damned, a star-studded, vibrant homage to the Blues. GRAMMY Hall of Fame Producer and longtime SLASH collaborator Mike Clink will join the conversation to discuss the creative process for the album, and an intimate acoustic performance will follow. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy rooftop views and a cash bar prior to the program. “Bending The Blues: Inside The Making Of ‘Orgy Of The Damned’ with Slash and Producer Mike Clink” will take place on Friday, October 4 at the GRAMMY Museum at 7:00PM; tickets will go onsale tomorrow, September 21 at 12:00PM PT https://grammymuseum.org/
Released May 17, 2024, SLASH’s critically acclaimed sixth solo album Orgy of the Damned—produced by Clink–is available worldwide on Gibson Records HERE. A first for SLASH, Orgy of the Damned spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart in the U.S. The new album also debuted as the #1 Blues Album in the U.S and the U.K., #2 on the U.S. Rock Albums Chart, as well as achieving Top 10 Chart positions in 7 countries around the world.
Hailed a beautifully tailored love letter to the Blues, on Orgy of the Damned SLASH revitalizes blues classics with the album’s handpicked diverse guest vocalists, which include Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Chris Stapleton, Iggy Pop, Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Robinson (Black Crowes), Dorothy, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Tash Neal, and Beth Hart. SLASH selected standard blues songs made famous by Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, and tracks from blues rock bands like Peter Green‘s Fleetwood Mac and Steppenwolf. He even strays from the blues for the Motown tracks from the Temptations and Stevie Wonder, showcasing the inherent blues underlying all great music from the 60s and 70s. The legendary guitarist reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball Band outfit in the 90s, Johnny Griparic (bass), and Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keys), and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal who round out his blues band in the studio and on the road.
On Orgy of the Damned, SLASH goes back to what has always been at the heart of his playing: the Blues.
Bending The Blues: Inside The Making Of “Orgy Of The Damned” with Slash and Producer Mike Clink
Moderated by Scott Goldman
Friday, October 4th 2024
The GRAMMY Museum
Member Check – In: 5:30pm
Nonmember Check – In / Doors: 6:00pm
Show Time: 7:00pm
TICKETS HERE:
While recording Orgy of the Damned, everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a striking collection of energized songs that are vital and raw. Highlights include “Oh Well” with outlaw country star Chris Stapleton’s gritty vocals on the beloved early Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac tune, listen HERE, and the Howlin’ Wolf-penned first single “Killing Floor” an electrifying collaboration with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica, listen HERE. “Hoochie Coochie Man,”–written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters–showcases the album’s powerful in-the-moment nature with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on vocals and guitar. Gary Clark Jr. joins in for a rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” while Beth Hart stuns on the twanging and soulful rendition of T. Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday,” and Iggy Pop’s vocals soothe the soul on a unique version of “Awful Dream” by Lightnin’ Hopkins. Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher,” Charlie Segar’s “Key to the Highway,” and Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball, while others, including like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” with powerful vocals from Tash Neal, were long-time favorites for SLASH.
Read SLASH’s full breakdown of every song and artist collaborations on Orgy of the Damned, HERE. For a deep dive into the making of the new album, watch Gibson TV’s new music documentary “The Making of Slash’s ‘Orgy of the Damned,’” Episodes 1, 2, 3 and 4, are all streaming now, HERE.
Check out press acclaim for SLASH’s new album Orgy of the Damned:
“Slash and [Iggy] Pop, who howls on the song’s outro like a lost, mournful coyote, captured not only Hopkins’ insouciance—a notable part of his musical character—but underscored every bit of the lyric’s fatalist chiaroscuro, which includes references to the atom bomb, an ominous talking bird, and, ultimately, death. Orgy of the Damned, indeed. But for an album with that title, its dozen tracks plucked from the classic blues and R&B canon are a hell of a lot of fun. Slash and his compatriots—who also include Chris Stapleton, Billy Gibbons, Paul Rodgers, Gary Clark Jr., Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Steven Tyler, Beth Hart, and Demi Lovato–rock the juke joint down.”
–PREMIER GUITAR
“an all-star blues party, Orgy of the Damned is a celebration of the genre that has had a deeply influential impact on Slash’s own style.”
–GUITAR WORLD
“A beautifully tailored love letter to the Blues that first inspired this singular artist to play his way to the stars.”
–BLUES MATTERS
“Sonic perfection.”
–AMERICAN SONGWRITER
“[Slash and Iggy Pop on ’Awful Dream’] is just one of many magical music moments on Orgy of the Damned.”
–BILLBOARD
“[Orgy of the Damned is] a who’s who of hard rock: Paul Rodgers, Steven Tyler, Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop. There’s also Demi Lovato, the rock-loving pop star who gives a powerhouse performance of the Temptations’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone.’ …[Papa] shows Slash working the talk box with his guitar and playing a wah-wah-wah solo (that’s extra wah), plumbing new depths of soul in the song. But the clip also shows Lovato’s intensity as she reads the lyrics about making sense of an absent father and finding her own meaning in words like, And when he died, all he left us was alone. Her voice even climbs to the same height as Slash’s guitar for the final solo.”
–ROLLING STONE
“Chris Robinson sounds about 100 years old on a fabulously grizzled take on ‘The Pusher’, Billy Gibbons glides over ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, and Brian Johnson does his best Tom Jones on ‘Killing Floor’. And Chris Stapleton outsings them all on ‘Oh Well.’ As is only right and just, Slash is the star of his own show, and he’s chosen material to showcase his guitar pyrotechnics.”
–CLASSIC ROCK
“A fascinating listen. While Beth Hart brings her incredible vocal range to ‘Stormy Monday,’ Paul Rodgers lays his smooth vocals over the jaunty rhythms of ‘Born Under a Bad Sign,’ and Slash serving as the connective tissue between each song, the album itself is able to explore different blues sounds and styles in accordance with how each of the chosen singers meshes with the material. Orgy of the Damned presents blues fans with an exciting way to hear new takes on favorite songs.”
–BLUES ROCK REVIEW
“Orgy Of The Damned serves as an authentic bridge from his musical roots to his many hard rock endeavors. …most importantly to Slash, it goes back to what has always been at the heart of his playing: the blues.”
–GRAMMY MAGAZINE
“Stapleton’s voice, one of country music’s most powerful, blends perfectly with Slash’s dirty blues playing on the song [‘Oh Well’], written by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and first released by the Mac in 1969.”
–ROLLING STONE
“The legendary Slash has teamed up with Chris Stapleton for a killer Fleetwood Mac cover. Slash and Stapleton amp up the rock and roll early on in the song, giving it a modern refresh while still keeping the bones good. Stapleton pulls out his best raspy vocals on this track to sing the few lines of the song, but the single is really a showcase of their incredible talent on the guitar.”
–WHISKEY RIFF
“Slash has assembled a star-studded cast of the world’s top musicians and a revolving door of talented singers – including Demi Lovato, Paul Rodgers and Chris Stapleton, delivering an album that’s choc-full of serious guitar statements.”
–MUSIC RADAR
“Orgy of the Damned is a can’t-miss collection of classic blues rock tracks with Slash’s unmistakable imprint on all of them.”
–LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE
About SLASH:
SLASH, the GRAMMY®-winning, world-renowned rock guitarist who has played in Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, as well as his own groups Slash’s Snakepit and Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, has released five solo albums overall, and now six with the latest album Orgy of the Damned. After landing on the top of the charts with his first solo album, Slash (2010)-which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Fergie, Myles Kennedy, Iggy Pop, Beth Hart, and more on vocals-he formed the solo band Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators who’ve been touring worldwide and making music together non-stop for over a decade. Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators have released four albums, including 2022’s critically acclaimed album titled 4, which arrived via Gibson Records and debuted as the #1-selling hard rock album the week of release. Over the years, SLASH has amassed album sales of over 100 million copies, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Guns N’ Roses in 2012 and was named #2 on TIME magazine’s “The 10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players” after Jimi Hendrix. He rejoined Guns N’ Roses in 2016 for a historic and ongoing world tour. On May 17, 2024, Slash officially released his sixth solo album, a star-studded blues record titled Orgy of the Damned, also via Gibson Records (Firebird Music distribution) HERE. On Orgy of the Damned, Slash reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album’s diverse guest vocalists Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart for a stunning collection of revitalized blues classics. Orgy of the Damned continues to receive worldwide acclaim and spent 13 weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. For more information, visit: www.slashonline.com.
About Mike Clink:
GRAMMY Hall of Fame Producer Mike Clink is an independent music producer, engineer, songwriter and consultant with 30 years of experience in the industry. He has produced some of rock’s biggest acts including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Sammy Hagar, and Aerosmith, selling upwards of 75 million albums. His work is featured in films and television shows such as “The Lying Game,” Godzilla, Employee Of The Month and the iconic “Eye Of The Tiger” for the Rocky series. Clink has a passion for developing young talent and through his company, No Relief Music, he develops and manages new artists and songwriters such as Archer Nation and GRAMMY-nominated gospel artist Sarah Kelly.
In 2015 Clink formed the publishing company Black Paw Music with a focus on helping young songwriters gain an advantage by working with active members of the music community. He is currently in production with several projects, including a third Les Stroud, aka “Survivorman,” album that focuses on environmental issues and this past year has found him working with several European acts looking to gain access to the American market. With an expertise in live broadcast events, Clink has participated in media’s preeminent events. His credits include numerous Super Bowl shows, the Boston Pops’ July 4th celebration, and ABC’s “Millennium Broadcast” from Osaka, Japan. Mike is a member of Producers & Engineers Wing and serves on the Los Angeles Chapter Advocacy and P&E Wing Committees. He has been an active contributor to GRAMMYs on the Hill and has testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Music Policy Issues during GRAMMY Week. Clink frequently speaks on panels for the Recording Academy, the Audio Engineering Society, the Music Business Association and forums that focus on digital rights and new media technology.
He is the founder of the charitable organization A Song of My Own, which pairs songwriters with patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Drawing from his diverse musical talents, Mike is known for his ability to work under pressure and complete projects under the toughest circumstances. http://www.
Follow Slash Online:
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
