"THE WHOLE LINE-UP IS STELLAR!"

Samantha Fish is thrilled to be joining Slash's blues festival - with a new band and as many guitars as she can handle

- Amit Sharma

Samantha Fish’s take on contemporary blues is multi-faceted, with elements of bluegrass and country thrown into the mix. Having grown up with Appetite For Destruction on repeat in her car stereo, the invitation to perform on Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is a dream come true…

Looking ahead to the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour, how are you planning to make your set stand out?

I’d like to think I’m a unique performer. I’m a guitar player, I’m a songwriter, I’m a singer… I do my best to put on a show that takes people on a trip. My show will be different from everyone else’s because I’m me! Nobody else is me and I’m nobody else. I try to win people over with energy. One thing I’m always told is that it’s my live shows that draw people in. The records are the records. I put my heart and soul into them, but the live show is where I’m home. I’m very comfortable on the stage. That’s where I’ve honed my skills, where I’ve spent most of my time. Anyone watching will get a really healthy dose of blues and rock ’n’ roll with a lot of power and soul. There will be original songs mixed with covers.

What kind of tracks will you be playing?

I’m in the process of reimagining all of my material with my new band, who are really talented. I just finished the US leg of the Death Wish Blues tour, which is an album I did with Jesse Dayton. I might play some of that stuff but I will mainly be revisiting a lot of older fan favourites, which is a first for me! I’ve never done that before, because usually I will base the show around the new record. I’m still working on new material, too…