Review of Orianthi, Islington 02 by Dawn Osborne TotalRock

It’s been 13 years since Orianthi has had a solo show in the UK and she’s only been back a couple of times since with other artists such as Richie Sambora and Alice Cooper. Since she’s had No 1 albums in the UK since then, and with shows selling out, it’s clearly not enough.

James Bruner singer/songwriter from Illinois, but based in Nashville, opened up with his band including hot shot guitarist Zach Mears and “bad ass bassist” Shannon Wilk who I also know for her photography work on the Monsters of Rock Cruise.

They take the stage with a take no prisoners attitude and do everything they can to warm up the London crowd. London is a little frosty outside at the moment and typically no warmer to names they don’t know, but the band earn respect for blistering guitar riffs and their refusal to take no for an answer.

The crowd’s probably trying to place Bruner as he’s not really blues, more high energy pop rock and although he’s only in his early twenties the approach is certainly classic. Killer shredding and Bruner’s overtures to the crowd including throwing himself on the barrier in the first three songs, taking off his shirt by the fourth song and launching himself horizontally at the photographers in the first gets him points for effort and they got a decent amount of applause as a result. Their lively playing certainly raises the temperature and, actually, I must admit their set passes quickly and I loved the guitar enough to want to see more from Mears. I was definitely not sure about The Buggles white specs on Bruner, but each to their own!

It’s an early show starting at 8.30 which is great as the crowd are literally gagging to see Orianthi and she doesn’t disappoint. Launching into ‘First Time Blues’ single off her new album she wastes no time launching shapes into the heavy riffs, somehow still managing to sing with effortlessly rich tones and look perfect in her trade mark hat with western style hat-band and pencil slim black over the knee high heeled boots, she has and does it all!

‘Sinner’s Hymn’ and ‘You Don’t Wanna Know’ is an opportunity to remind us how well Orianthi can play, but with a real ability to appreciate the groove, so it’s not a mindless shred and since it enhances the song, comes from the right place not the ego. She has released albums which have lent toward the Blues and Hard Rock and live she’s a delicious mixture of both, but she’s a hard rockin gal at heart and no one could accuse her of not having enough bite to satisfy any rock fan in the audience. She tells everyone how much she loves BB King, but her live version of ‘Never Make Your Move Too Soon’ is further up my street as her blistering solos gives it that hard rock edge I love and her breathy vocals make it sexy as well as sassy.

With singles ‘Attention’ and ‘Rescue Me’ she reminds us how well she can do a Pop Rock Classic while rockin’ them live reminding me of her good old days when national charts featured real guitar breaks.

Another change of pace is an acoustic interlude with ‘Where Did Your Heart Go’ and Bo Diddley’s ‘Before You Accuse Me’ a chance to fully appreciate that Orianthi’s vocals only seem to get better as time goes along.

Orianthi thanked the crowd for bringing the warmth on a freezing London night as she went back to electric for luxuriously heavy versions of ‘Light It Up’  and ‘Heaven In This Hell’ with stylish bluesy licks with a warm tone.

Referencing when she was due to play the other 02 with Michael Jackson she remembered what a strange time it was in 2009 and how she brought out her first major release ‘Believe’ just after as she played ‘What’s It Gonna Be’. Fast paced and energetic, with Hendrix style playing, it’s retro without sounding in the slightest bit dated.

‘Sharp Dressed Man’ gets the crowd singing party style between the monster riffs. For those who know, a reminder of when she supported ZZ Top.

Back up to date with ‘Dark Days Are Gone’ she thanked the crowd for making her record No. 1.

‘How Do You Sleep?’ is the fabulous collaborations of Rock n Roll vocals punctuated with slow burn searing blues breaks and shreds.

‘Give In To Me’, the Michael Jackson cover is a tribute to the man who which with Alice Cooper recognised her talent and gave her a huge boost into the limelight, before it’s all over with ‘Voodoo Chile’ during which Orianthi kneels down with her guitar during her tribute to the man who obviously influences her playing to this day and keeps her firmly in the Rock canyon.

Orianthi’s slimline white electric guitar with a monogrammed ‘O’ looks delicate and elegant, as does she, but with merely a bassist and drummer, they’re the loudest threesome I can remember. Did she slay with this beautiful looking axe, make that a yes!

Dawn Osborne