Haha. No. But there ARE people out here who are technically way better of a guitar player than I am. And yet there are a lot of people here who (and I say this in the most humble way) consider me to be their local favorite. Believe me, I get my share of dirty looks from other guitar players. But I play for myself and my fans first and foremost. There are other guitar players who love hearing me as well. But to the progressive-metal-hard-core technical (however you want to categorize them), I see them yawning at me all the time.
I can see that Orianthi has been scooped up by the industry. But.. What would you expect her to do? Flip everyone the bird?? It's the age old "sell-out" argument. But I think it would be dishonest to say that she didn't grind it out and pay her dues beforehand. When I talked to her, she said she started at an early age. She's in her late 20's now? That's a good amount of dues paid.
Anytime anyone can hit the stage with Santana and hold their own, I think that's enough said as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1ocn11 ... re=related
I don't have a problem with her wanting to cash in a little bit. I think you'd be pretty crazy to turn down lucrative offers, endorsements, positive press, etc.. Green day is the first band that comes to my mind in the whole "sell-out" argument. Would you have followed their path? Or stayed a local underground punk band? I think their wallets have the final answer to that. Like it or not, they are living well as a result of signing with major labels.
Now if you're just not impressed because you don't think she's really all that good, that's ok too. But the whole corporate argument? I just don't see how she would be able to turn down what she's doing now. It's the Jonas Bros. types that I really can't get into. For the life of me, I just can't see applying the same tag to Orianthi. Throw the guitar player for the Jonas Bros. on stage with Santana and see if he can hang. And yet I'd bet anything, he's already had a more lucrative musical venture.