Orianthi Joined Alice Cooper's Band!

One of my favorite guitarists, Orianthi Panagaris, is now playing for Alice Cooper! Orianthi replaces Damon Johnson on the lead guitar duties for the Coop. If you don't know Orianthi, be sure to check her out - she's absolutely amazing.

I saw Alice Cooper live for the first time at Rock the Bayou something like four years ago. Alice's show was my favorite of the entire fest and I made it a point to see him live again as many times as possible. I can't even imagine the new energy Orianthi will bring to the band and the live show. I bet the addition of Orianthi - famous for playing in the Michael Jackson movie This Is It - will draw more people to the Cooper shows, too.

I wonder how long the Cooper-Orianthi pairing has been in the works? After all, the two shared a stage a couple years ago on American Idol.

Comments

[Ace Steele]

This is AWESOME!
Orianthi is an amazing guitarist, & she's quite easy to look at,too! I hope she stays part of Coop's touring band for a while!

[Metalboy!]

She smokes! And in more ways than one!

Saw her a few years ago at Paul Reed Smith's Annual Shindig jammin' out in a booth for the amps she was playin'. Shame on me for not rememberin' the brand. This was before all the hype, the Michael Jackson gig and her solo album, etc.

And before I was screamin' Lambert shoulda made a legit Glam Metal album with her as his lead guitarist!

She was just blazin' the blues and you just knew she was gonna make it!

She's gonna kill with Alice!

Snooze ya lose, Adam! Where are you now? Had ya teamed up with her, ya might made a legit Glam album with her at your side!

[reptileblvd]

I just saw Alice Cooper & Ace Frehley at DTE Music Theater in Clarkston, MI this past Firday night, August 26 and she did not perform with him. There was no mention of her at all.

[Jimbo]

OMG,,when I first saw that,,I thought they dressed Keri Kelli in drag!!!

[Ace Steele]

"Saw her a few years ago at Paul Reed Smith's Annual Shindig jammin' out in a booth for the amps she was playin'. Shame on me for not rememberin' the brand."

ENGL...a fine little boutique amplifier, Metalboy.

Currently the amp of choice for Vivian Campbell, Paul Stanley, Craig Goldie, & a batch of others.

http://www.engl-amps.com/cms/index.php?id=210

[GLAMKING]

Where does it say anywhere or where has it been confirmed that Orianthi has joined Alice Cooper's band? Damon Johnson was still with Cooper on this past wknd in Buffalo. While it is true that Damon Johnson is touring with Thin Lizzy during their fall trek with Priest, this is happening while Cooper is off the road and getting ready to release Welcome 2 My Nightmare. Alice is apparently not touring again until early 2012.None the less...Orianthi still shreds.

[Mr. Know-it-all]

It's happening, she's already acknowledged the fans congratulations on her Twitter page. I heard about this last week, but I don't think it was supposed to be announced yet. Obviously someone else in the know couldn't keep their lips zipped. :) Damon finished the current tour, not like he's gonna bail before it was done.

[Tony]

Metalboy! - Lambert is currently working on his second album, which is expected to be released fall of 2011

[Metalboy!]

Thanks for the info, Ace!

So glad the news about Orianthi is correct. For all of you sideshow skeptics and armchair air guitarists out there, chances are if Allyson posts it, it is 100% accurate info.

This ain't TMZ ("M" for Metal") or Star magazine -- Huh-uh-lo-oh!!!

p.s. Tony! I wish Lambert all the best. that boy can belt it out with the best of 'em. I just wish he would Rock Out more, and someone like her could certainly help him do it. But, for now, we'll just have to see (and hear, no doubt) what he comes up with.

p.s.s.t. Did anybody see Lady GaGa on the MTV Music Video Awards? Now, that's what I call "Killing two bird with one stone" -- actually probably more than two birds, if you really think about it. Beyond the meaning of the song she performed, her outfit and little act she did was really a message of tolerance and the best part is how she totally Rocked it out by bringing out Brian May from Queen to ensure everyone's face was properly blown out. The shots of unsuspecting, manufactured, freshly buffed to a pop sheen popmeisters of the minute like Bieber in the audience as May cranked it out were priceless. Arena Shock Rock!!! All the way.

[Peter]

meh Damon was amazing and great fit for Cooper the best guitar player since Ryan Roxie. And Orianthi sure nice to look at but as guitarist ? Sure she can play really fast but I've seen her totally butcher Jimmy Hendrix's Voodoo Child and Stairway to Heaven solo and it wasn't bad it was embarrasing. I have heard guitar adepts playing for dew months with more feel. She should be writing her pop music, which suck and leave playing in Alice Cooper band to someone with some taste and feel.

[Peter]

In case someone missed how "great" Orianthi is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpFYRfTQ2pU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvlqwR1fe8g

geez Hendrix is turning in his grave to butcher quite easy but mindblowing song like that with useless and stupid guitar wankery.

[Metalboy!]

Hey, Peter... Sheeesh -- really? Not that it's gonna change your opinion, but is that what Michael Jackson thought or Paul Reed Smith thinks or, for that matter, what Cooper believes about Orianthi?

Huh-uh-lo-oh!!! It's called ROCK Guitar!

[Peter]

I'm only stating my opinion and guitar players are not always chosen becasue of skills and it is the case with Orianthi, Alice is looking to refresh his band and she is smart move from marketing point of view and (maybe) would bring youth and new fans to his shows. And she fits image-wise as she would be more than happy to wear some crazy outfits the same with MJ, she catches they eye. But as far as guitar playing is concerned she is as tasteless guitar player as on get get. I don't know if you play guitar ( and it doesn't really matter a thing , just example) but I've been playing for years and I'm sucker for all books, bios of guitar players and for Gods sake Voodoo Child and Stairway to Heaven are like Holy Grails of guitar and to fuck is so badly is embarassing. If you can't play them that's ok don't play them, but if you play them respect those songs ( it doesn't mean that you have to play them note by note) beacuse what Orianthi did was really, really bad. I don't have doubts that image wise etc all those things in Alice Cooper shot that are not strictly musical Orianthi would be a star but her stupid guitar wankery can't match other Alice's guitar players. And you know Yngwie Malmsteen in nutshell is also 100% technical guitar player( much better thatn Orianthi)but even he wouldn't fuck those songs so badly.

[Metalboy!]

Peter... What the h*ll are ya talkin' about? The chick can play her a*s off. So she metalized "Voodoo Child" and "Stairway" up a little bit. Metal just may not be your thing. I happen to think she loves those songs and she's just shreddin' 'em up a little.

I spent the good portion of an hour watchin' tons of clips of her, from live feeds to stuff captured on cell phones in studio lobbies to massive shows just to make sure I wasn't imagining things...

Alice Cooper knows what he's doing and it's not solely a marketing ploy. He's not just hiring her for her pretty face and youth. He's hiring her cuz she can play the h*ll oughtta the thing.

Maybe her thing just isn't your thing. Her style of play is more 80's Glam Metal, which is what this site is mainly devoted too. Sounds like your bag is more about 70's Classic Rock. She will totally 80's up "Eighteen" and "Billion Dollar Babies".

To your point, she's no Glen Buxton, nor is she trying to be. She has a reverence for the stuff and will also crank it up a little more.

Face it-- No question about it -- She ROCKS!!!

p.s. Maybe you'll change your mind if you catch her live with Alice.

[Metalboy!]

P.s.s.t. There are a couple of clips of her on YouTube playing some classic blues tunes that seem very heartfelt to me. Plus ya got Santana vouchin' for her, too. Check out the interview with him in the Geffen Promo Mini-Documentary about her. You really want me to put him on the stand as a character witness -- The "Mr. Soul" of Classic Rock'n'Roll?

[JohnT]

Whatever Peter. She can flat out play end of story, no guitarist is universally loved.