Orianthi The Brook Southampton 01-02-26

 

After a biblical deluge on the journey down where a boat would have helped at times and having to move the car from my usual parking spot due to rising flood water that would have seen me wading to the car after the gig I arrived just as James Brunner was on his last song. 

I have never seen The Brook so full on many visits over the years and a long overdue visit from Orianthi for the first time in over a decade raised the spirits and temperature inside as she mentioned on many occasions.

If I am honest my only recollection of Orianthi was as Alice Cooper's guitarist and RSO with Richie Sambora and that is my loss.

On hearing the First Time Blues single from her latest album Some Kind Of Feeling I was hooked. Tonight's show started with that number and what an opener it is, with it's big riff and groove and excellent guitar solo showing a technique that few can match with the sound excellent and Orianthi vocal clear and full of melody and tone.

From the opening note it's clear this a lot heavier than on record with Orianthi excelling in the power trio format. Bringing from LA with her drummer Demian Arriga on drums and from the UK Sam Collins on bass. When told later that they had never played together before thsi UK tour is a shock as they are superb and able to be the rock for Orianthi's guitar pyrotechnics that never out stay their welcome.

Next up is Sinners Hymn which surprises some with it's heavy groove and Orianthi adds a wah based solo showing that side of her playing is of the highest standard and she is one of the best guitarist's on the planet.

You Don't Wanna Know sees more wah based soloing before her single Attention sees the guitar led pop song with it's stunning vocal and chorus before the guitar solo takes it to another level with her fast technique and note holding breath taking.

An acoustic sees the pace ease with Where Did Your Heart Go seeing her guitar taken to within an inch of it's life with her speed and dexterity even though she complains that the temperature changes make it sound rubbish. Not to our ears.

Light It Up is another that is groove heavy as is Heaven In This Hell before she adds Michael Jackson's Give In To Me which on inspection she was due to be the lead guitarist on his This Is It tour dates before his sudden death. The solo she plays is melodic and a perfect tribute.

What's It Gonna Be is a fast paced rocker with the rhythm team showing their class with the heavy riff and up beat tempo right in your face . I love when Orianthi explodes a guitar solo. It doesn't creep up on you it's just their and on point every time and forefront and always the star of the show.

The slower pace of How Do You Sleep showcases her vocal in the blues genre and her vocal tone and melody is superb and her guitar solo is a thing of beauty with no note overplayed and showing great light and shade improvisation with her band.

No encore but straight into Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child giving us more wah soloing but never just endless soloing and each band member having the chance to shine in their own slot too.

A wonderful evening and it will not be the only time we get to see Orianthi but I am sure that the venues will be a lot larger next time as this level of talent deserves to be played to the masses.

 

All photos credited to Marty Moffatt and used with thanks.