Donations to benefit mental health organizations & socio-economic equality and justice nonprofits
Slash has spread the love to more than just fans who attended one of the 23 S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival shows. Following the conclusion of the iconic Grammy-winning artist’s brief trek this summer, he has announced that the US tour raised more than $125,000 for five nonprofit organizations handpicked by Slash that benefit mental health, and socio-economic equality and justice nonprofits, uplifting the lives of underserved Americans.
The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance was created by Slash with maximum social impact in mind. Slash chose five nonprofit organizations to benefit from touring proceeds lifting marginalized communities and supporting mental health initiatives.
The S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival is proud to donate the full $125,0000 raised equally across the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in honor of Lucy-Bleu Knight, The Greenlining Institute, War Child, The Equal Justice Initiative, and Know Your Rights Camp. Plus1.org helped the S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival organize and distribute all of the proceeds.
For the inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival, Slash handpicked the all-star Blues lineup with Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. SLASH and his Blues Ball Band–Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keys/vocals), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitars)–also performed on all S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival dates.
“The goal of the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is to bring music fans together in these divisive times to celebrate the spirit of the Blues with other artists who share a love of the blues like I do and to raise awareness and funds for a handful of charities that I have supported over the years,” says Slash. “Thank you to Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe who performed with us this year.”
The inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival also celebrated the release of the iconic guitarist and songwriter’s sixth solo album Orgy of the Damned. The all-star collection spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart in the US and debuted as the No. 1 Blues Album in the US and the UK, No. 2 on the US Rock Albums Chart, as well as achieving Top 10 Chart positions in seven countries.