Richie Sambora

Ah apologies, mate.

Yeah, I seen Shinedown a while back and thought they seemed a lot more for the music this time around. The December show was absolutely brilliant.

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According to Richie the first single would be Living Alone, a rather strange choice, and don't get me wrong, I liked the song despite its performance at Bush Empire 2021, since Richie seemed to have not rehearsed enough to make it sound better.

I really liked Songs That Wrote My Life snippet, and although we still don't know the rest of the songs, I would have chosen this one as first contact.

I was responding specifically to someone saying to give Richie a section of the show to sing his solo stuff. I presume this meant more than 1-2 songs and actually a section.

Why are people so insistent that Richie has an untapped fanbase and they are going to Bon Jovi shows in the hope he takes over 5% or 90% of it? If Jon sings a shitty Bon Jovi song from the last 15 years, people may be uninterested but they are getting a Bon Jovi song.

I guess the only reason to do a reunion/final tour would be to fill the biggest venues possible. So, you are talking thousands of casual fans who tolerate a shit Bon Jovi song because it is Bon Jovi. I personally think Jon doing an hour of his solo stuff would not go down too well because 3, 4, 6 or whatever unknown (to many) songs in the middle of any set would kill it.

If you give Richie a section to do his solo work it would be even worse. Again, I am talking specifically about a Bon Jovi show where we presume they will be aiming for the biggest venues possible. Richie's own shows tanked in some markets and show him for the low mid-tier level in others. Why would a massive crowd be interested? How am I the only one who can see this, it is like Backstage here sometimes, but for Richie.

Over the years I have seen dozens of bands, and in most shows there are songs I do not like and/or have never heard of. That doesn't mean I want the guitarist to get a set singing his unknown (to me) songs.

I love the guy's playing and would be at one of his solo shows near me in a heartbeat. But why are we insisting on pretending something could happen when there is no evidence for it?

I don't deny it would be a fairly innovative and interesting way to end the career. If it were a large theatre or multi-night theatre show in several major cities around the world and billed as something other than a Bon Jovi show, it could work. I just think if anything is to happen it will be bigger.

I completely agree with all of this.

The side of the fanbase that want Richie back in the band, it doesn't feel like they cared that much for Richie's solo side. Or maybe they did but it was released too infrequently to make a difference in audience growth. Like let's say you love Richie's solo stuff but don't care for Orianthi so RSO just wasn't for you. I know a bunch of people who felt that way. That would mean since he's left the band, nothing new has come out.

Yeah!

Oh man.. the only song I still like (and a lot) from RSO is I Don't Want To Have To Need You Now - and 'cause I got the vibe from and could picture it being recorded by Bon Jovi. XD

I think more than 1-2 songs from Richie wouldn't fly, either; but I do think there might be enough interest for a couple songs. Or maybe tolerance is a better word. People have been negative in the past about setlists with songs they didn't like or that casuals wouldn't know, and how it killed the energy or caused a mass bathroom break. IIRC, there were similar comments about walkouts any time Jon would leave the stage and Richie would sing lead, even on a Bon Jovi song.

Still, if Jon's gonna need a break to rest his voice, something's gotta give. IF he's gonna turn the mic over to Richie anyway, I think he might just as well sing a song or two of his own vs doing a Bon Jovi song, since it's apparently gonna kill the energy and people are gonna walk out regardless. That, of course, assumes there's going to be a tour and Richie will even be there. Maybe it'll be David or Phil-X instead.

I just know that when I go to hear musicians I like, I don't pay much attention to whether they only do hits or mix it up with new or less familiar stuff. If they didn't do any of the songs I know, I might be disappointed; but as long as I know most of the songs, I actually enjoy hearing a new song or occasionally listening to someone other than the lead singer. But y'all have been to a lot more shows, Bon Jovi concerts, in particular; so that probably makes you the better judge of what might work or not.

Where is this Richie solo set during a BON JOVI REUNION / 40th ANNIVERSARY TOUR coming from??? That's crazy talk. If I pay for a Bon Jovi show (and you can bet it will be top dollar ticket prices), I want a full, regular Bon Jovi show. Richie can sing a Bon Jovi song like he has in the past while Jon moves to the audience, or blow dries his hair or whatever....but that's it. They'd NEVER get away with giving him the time to do a solo set.

And while I'm at it, no, David can't have ITA. He sings worse than Jon.

If Richie does in fact come back, this is it. This is the last hurrah. For better or worse, it will be and should be a set list of only band songs. And it better include Never Say Goodbye, as we literally say goodbye.

Instead of having Richie play either an entire solo set in the middle of the show or only 1 or 2 songs they could also have him play, let's say, 4 band songs plus 1 or 2 solo songs spread out over the course of the show.

For example, he could play LYHOM, IBTFY, Bad Medicine and Homebound Train (plus the 1 or 2 solo songs). That would be 3 band songs that would appeal to the causals too (and that people would be expecting to hear on the tour anyways) plus one "more obscure" album track that would still appeal to the 80s nostalgia crowd though (and the diehards of course). Plus Richie playing those particular songs wouldn't be anything too strange or out of the blue. With extended outro solos, woah-oh-oh crowd singalongs and chorus reprises those could all be stretched out to give Jon several ~10 minute breaks from singing over the course of the show, where he could go backstage and drink some tea or suck on a cough drop or whatever helps him.

Since Jon brought the harmonica back for American Reckoning he could also play it on Homebound Train, so that it wouldn't seem so much like the lead singer keeps leaving the stage and taking breaks all the time, and he could play rhythm guitar on Bad Medicine. Jon and Richie could even introduce that beforehand by goofing around about switching places for one song and becoming each other - if Richie were wearing one of his infamous hats he could also give that to Jon and Jon could give him whatever signature leather or denim jacket he'll probably have designed for himself for that tour in return.

I think this way Richie singing, well, up to 6 songs (and giving Jon's voice multiple breaks over the course of the show) could go over fairly well even with the more causal crowd and if the 1 or 2 solo songs end up being their bathroom or beer breaks then so be it.

It's fun wishful thinking but no way would the crowd be okay with Jon being gone for 6 songs and then also be okay with solo album songs. I wouldn't even call Homebound Train a crowd favourite, they only did it, what, maybe 20 times before dropping it for Lay Your Hands On Me.

From the crowd's perspective, if someone else is going to sing a song, it better be a hit I think. Or at least a hit wasn't a MONSTER one. I'd love to see Richie doing Living in Sin or Hey God.

I don't think Richie sings more than one song. It would be crazy. Now, you can use some trick, I'm sure Jon would have thought of that, and I don't mean lip-syncing. Maybe singing a couple of songs as a duet with Richie, some verses or the chorus of some specific songs is a good remedy. On other songs, Jon can get the audience involved by singing parts of the song.

Let's say the set has 20 songs. The thing would be something like this:

10 songs with Jon on vocals.
4 songs (Duet with Jon and Richie on vocals).
1 song with Richie on vocals.
5 songs Jon singing part of it and making the audience sing the rest. Something like James Hetfield does with Master Of Puppets.

This is a viable option.

Bring an attractive setting, Big stage?, with a good set of lights, lasers... some pyrotechnics, fireworks, smoke effects, confetti... like in the old days. Project clips / photos on the screen with nostalgic value taken from the new documentary, or completely unpublished for some parts of the show, fostering emotional moments with the public. Some small speeches with some visual resource, as Bono has once done but focusing on his 40-year history and referring to the hits. If you do all of this, it won't matter if Jon's voice isn't 100%.