Chris Buck has reflected on the time Slash came to his and his band’s aid while Cardinal Black were prepping for their first-ever tour of the US.
For the majority of bands, the reality of touring can be gruelling – especially for any musicians who are hoping to traverse the vast expanse of the Atlantic ocean to bring their music to new live audiences.
Buck is one of the finest UK blues rock electric guitar players of his generation and a man who is painfully aware of the logistics behind such a tour – having embarked on his first headline stint of North America with his band, Cardinal Black, earlier this year.
Not only did it require a serious financial commitment to get the kit and necessary personnel over to the venue, but also a sizeable administrative headache, not least when it came to visa applications.
Fortunately, Buck had an ace up his sleeve when it came to securing that all-important visa.
“Our lawyer said, ‘You need a letter from an industry expert,’” Buck remembers in the new issue of Guitar World. “So I texted Slash. Our lawyer goes, ‘That’s not the Slash, is it? Fucking hell – it could have just been your manager.’”
Safe to say Slash, who has passionately championed Buck in the past, was eager to help out, and within the hour the Guns N’ Roses guitar legend had supplied his endorsement. The visa was, of course, approved.
Cardinal Black subsequently kicked off their first North American tour at the Gramercy Theatre in New York in early August. It was a hugely successful stint, with the band at one point requiring a venue upgrade because they sold out so quickly – much to the surprise of the venue owner.
It’s not the first time Slash has helped Buck with his various visa-related obstacles, either. The pair’s connection goes back years, when Slash unexpectedly invited a then-21-year-old Buck to jam in front of 12,000 people after he’d seen clips of the emerging guitar star’s playing.
Indeed, Slash revealed last year how he had first come to Cardinal Black’s aid – and then went one step further to help them organize a gig.
“I helped him to get a visa to come here, and then I called the Troubadour to get him a gig,” he said at the time, before paying tribute to Buck’s playing. “You see all these young blues artists really going for it and getting really fucking good.”
Sure enough, Buck and Cardinal Black played their first headline show at the storied Troubadour in Los Angeles in July 2024, and later returned to the historic venue for their 2025 headline tour.
Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the newest issue of Guitar World – a bumper blues issue that features interviews with Slash, Buddy Guy, Samantha Fish and more.
Ahead of Cardinal Black’s US tour, Chris Buck sat down with Guitarist to look ahead to the milestone shows.
