Richie + Orianthi band thingy SUCKS
 

Alright, somebody had to stand up and say it out loud.
When Richie played his first few gigs to promote his 3rd solo album, the whole thing sounded solid and decent. I was watching his last gig in Japan last August and it's embarrassing. Just that, embarrassing. He sounds like an amateur, plays like an amateur and I really don't get why she's considered a great guitarist - she isn't. Plus, I HATE PRS guitars.

Good night everybody ! :D

I'm with you on this one. I think the gigs last January in Australia were ok but since then it just got worse and worse for me. Orianthi may be a great guitarist on her own but doesn't fit in a band thing with Richie at all. She looks bored and hides on the side of the stage meanwhile he can't get his shit together himself. Much like Jon nowadays, just with some guitars...

She is not a great guitarist and never has been. She is better than Richie by a lot right now though, but she has offered nothing original in terms of guitar, and she is decent technically, but not as good as some people seem to think. In terms of skill she is better than Richie, but she does not live with the better guitarists out there, and she wouldn't have lived with Richie back in the day, for reasons beyond just pure ability.

As for the quality, I have just stopped watching any new videos of him because I want to retain some kind of respect for what he used to be capable of. Richie 15 year ago blew this one away, and because he is a guitarist that simply shouldn't have happened. He is older now so surely has much more time to practice than he used to. I hate rusty guitarists because it shows he doesn't love the instrument enough to pick it up and practice it. For me, the only way a guitarist should get worse is because of health issues or lack of practice, Richie may be experiencing both.

There's nothing at all wrong with people enjoying what Richie is doing at the moment, but there's nothing at all wrong with hating it either. I hate it, shit music.

I thought I was the only one, not watched a full video since someone posted a few from London in June. Didn't know rather to laugh or cry. I was never impressed with her, (honestly IF she were male, I don't think anyone would have noticed) and I find her voice annoying. Of all the names she boasts of playing with none til Richie started thinking with the little head (that has no ears) ever gave her a lead mic. (yes, 1 solo hit single 09) I can't listen anymore. Been a fan through a lot of his "women", but he gave this one his music. Her recording of Everyroad was a joke. To each their own.....

Aloha !

Richie's not got much fans left, all there seems to be nowadays are people like you, and if there's one thing that comes to mind when describing you it'd be a fangirl.

To be fair, that's still more than Richie's had.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I could not be less interested about their upcoming album or live dates. When Aftermath was coming out I was very excited. I was still excited after listening to it. And I was even more excited after seeing him live in 2012. It was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. But after that it all went downhill. This cooperation with Orianthi and Richie's weird transformation to this sloppy, washed-up rock star, who's too good to practice or to remember his own songs, made me loose all interest to this former idol of mine.

When I saw them live in 2014, Richie was a shadow of the person I saw in 2012. And that is crazy considering that it was less than two years between those shows. Meanwhile his ego had grown even bigger that it used to be, he became arrogant and took his fans for granted. It's clearly not a good thing that he is now his own master, the lead singer of his own band. If he feels that what he delivers is good enough, then that's what we get. There is no Jon to set him any bar anymore. There is only Orianthi to double the harm.

haha that's a good one! :D
...but I think Hard Times Come Easy was some sort of a hit at least in Central Europe. At least it was played a lot in the radio back then and I still hear it on the radio when in Germany and Austria.

I'm Richie's fan, a disappointed one, though..
I love Aftermath Of The Lowdown, it's probably the only album after Crush I regularly listen to.

I may probably have a different opinion of Richie's band. First of all, they're not a band as such, just some musicians who have time to tour. I think Richie was really really good in 2012 (one of the best concerts I've ever been to) and the band was average at best. In 2014 Richie is obviously worse, singing and playing, but the band was much better.

The answer might be that we talk about different bands actually. It's funny how Richie kept on telling everywhere that he has the best band etc. However all of the members apart from Luke Ebbin have been replaced until now. I know, some have returned. The keyboard player is different, for the majority of 2014 shows there was a different drummer (a better one, I liked him a lot), the bassist was differnt on one leg, instead of the guitarist there is Orianthi.

I'm a big big Sambora Fan too and I have to admit: The more I think about the Richie I saw in 2014 the more I'm asking myself what has happend to this man. The Richie Sambora I saw in 2012 was an authentic, likeable musician who enjoyed finally being his own leader again. The Richie Sambora I saw in 2014 seemed to be a completely replaced person. There was no intersection between these two men I saw although it's the same man! He pretends that "dirty" rock'n'roll man but I don't think he still is. I enjoyed the concerts in 2014 because of the extended solos and the "edges" in the music but his appearances marks a lot of questions and a bitter taste. He was really sloppy. For example: I love Seven years gone but the live version never really touched me.
The Richie in 2012 was more convincing because he was authentic.