Orianthi, Theo Panagaris @ The Gov, Adelaide 4/1/2025
It was great to kick off 2025 with my first show for 2025 at The Gov to see a blistering performance from Adelaide’s very own guitar virtuoso and singer Orianthi. A return performance back home was highly anticipated with five years since her last show here and as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. A lot has happened musically in that time with new albums Rock Candy (2022) and O (2020) and add to that the promise of two new albums to come this year.
Keeping it in the family the night opened with Orianthi’s cousin Theo Panagaris who played an entertaining thirty minutes to a crowd that was building. Fair to say that there was a fair contingent of family and friends with half the venue set up in cabaret style. Whilst Theo’s set was covers he had some great ones in the kit bag to pull out even saying himself that these songs are “out of the normal”. Opening with Hendrix The Wind Cries Mary to Diesel’s Tip Of My Tongue complete with a double ending. Clearly, Pearl Jam is a big influence and covering their songs is a bold choice particularly Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town which he nailed showing great vocal tone. Eric Clapton cover Layla was really well done but the surprise packet for me was Sliupknot’s Circle. Woah! Seriously good finishing on Billie Jean.
In short Orianthi was fantastic wasting no time at all ploughing through Light It Up for starters. Playing as a three-piece this tight knit really do rock making for a formidable combination. It was quite a different set focusing more on recent releases and showcasing the artists she has evolved in to. The lighting was quite dark adding to the mood and this smouldering blues vibe that ran through these songs. You Don’t Wanna Know followed and Orianthi said it was great to be in front of a hometown crowd after five years and that she should be coming back more often. It was a killer groove that launched Never Make A Move. Orianthi spoke about how freezing cold it was when she and how hot is here in Adelaide reminding her of Florida.
Set staple First Time Blues was fantastic as was What’s It Going To Be. Over the journey Orianthi has worked plenty of big names such as the likes of Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics yielding the single Heaven In This Hell. The temperature definitely was rising in The Gov with Orianthi commenting how hot it was on stage.
Bringing the tempo down a fraction Orianthi said they were “breaking out the acoustics” It was a moment of reflection where she spoke fondly of the sense of grounding being at home, love of vinyl record (to which her next album is coming out on vinyl) being the “real shit that hits your soul” speaking of own collection with the likes of Santana, Hendrix and Fleetwood Mac with the value of music in today’s streaming format losing its value. Where Did Your Heart Go and Before You Accuse Me were great acoustic tunes.
There was talk about going on tour with her “old boss’ Alice Cooper and two new albums to come this year before ripping in to Sinners Hymn then bringing back cousin Theo to jam that “demonic sound”. Plenty of name dropping working with likes of The Doors Robby Krieger and playing at ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons birthday party has influenced her music. The ZZ Top cover Sharp Dressed Man was given the Orianthi touch up. How Do You Sleep was written on piano with Orianthi pointing out when you don;t know what you are doing, you find things which was a reference to this song. New tune Dark Days Are Gone was fantastic at the tail end of the set and not even swallowing her second piece of gum today detracted from the career shaping pub song with a foot tapping chorus According To You. Returning for an encore does not get any bolder or bigger than the Hendrix Voodoo Child (Slight Return) to knock the socks off this Adelaide crowd one last time.
Live Review By Rob Lyon