Why do you want Richie back so bad?

I understand that there's a certain chemistry and tone and emotion that Richie brings. Sure, I get that.

But do you actually want a guy back to just put on an act and just not want to be there?

Phil X has brought so much fresh and new energy to the stage, that some of you who seem to have their heads up Richie's ass are just flatly ignoring.

Phil has better stage presence and energy than Richie. Richie will bend his knees back a bit and look down at his guitar with a bit of a "lost in the music" face occasionally, but that's about the extent. He doesn't say much and he doesn't really move from his spot. At all. Phil on the other hand is moving around the stage and is truly enjoying himself out there. Just watch Keep The Faith from Bulgaria.

Phil is a phenomenal guitar player and actually IS better than Richie. He can play anything Richie can, but with style and fun. Back in Richie's hayday anyone could argue that Richie would be better, because he probably was. But after listening to his recent solo album, I've realised Richie just doesn't have it anymore.

In the end, the shows won't lack without Richie. The same songs will be played, the same rarities will be played, BUT there will be more energy. Jon still feels like he needs to bring more to stage because Richie isn't there, AND Phil undoubtedly brings tonnes more energy to the stage than the motionless guitar player known as Richie Sambora.

I get it though. Bon Jovi is a BAND. Bon Jovi is a UNIT. Not a GUY. But let's be honest. When was the last time Bon Jovi was a BAND? Jon has the team by their balls and everyone admits that they're hired by Jon. That doesn't sound like a BAND, that sounds like a bunch of hired guns. And to see how easily the second hardest member of the band was to replace, I'd say that this has been a solo act for quite some time now. The way Jon handles himself, how he conducts everything and how he treats it like a dictatorship. A band is a democracy, with 4 (or 5,6,7... whatever) equal parts to make a great piece. Bon Jovi is not that and IS a solo act.

I use to hate it when people called Bon Jovi a guy. "Oh you like Bon Jovi? Yeah he's great!" used to bother me a lot. Now I find myself not caring and more or less agreeing with the statement. So suck it up and go to the damn shows. You're going for Jon. I know it, you know it - just admit the damn thing.

Well, I'll list my reasons:

1. Richie backing vocals, they're needed and missed.
2. Richie and Jon's chemistry is another different show inside this show.
3. I agree that Phil can play as good or even better than Richie, but his addition has bringed a strange change in the sound, in some songs is for the better, I gotta admit, in some songs is not. I'd rather have the classic Richie sound.
4. You say "the same songs will be played", but they played more different songs with Richie than with Phil. Also, I think Jon will back up on some songs until Phil can play them exactly as Richie did. Richie on stage means any song can pop out at any moment, Phil means that we'll only have what's been played and maybe some of the audibles that haven't seen the light yet.
5. I was born with those four guys being Bon Jovi, I'd like that to stay and I'd like to see that on stage.

That is just my opinion as a guy that is going without a doubt to see Bon Jovi with Phil X and that likes how the guy plays.

I see your points, but I'd like to point a few things out now

You're kind of wrong about Richies backing vocals. You can barely hear them, as Bobby and David do tonnes of covering up these days for both Richie and Jon. Bobby and David are more times than not, higher in the mix than Richie.

Richie and Jon have a faked, forced chemistry. Richie obviously does not want to be there.

Sure, with any hired gun there will be changes to the music. I'm glad with that. Hearing the same thing for 30 years gets boring.

The same songs will get played though. Every song Richie and Jon have "mysteriously" played had been rehearsed on that tour. Phil can learn any Bon Jovi song extremely quickly... as in no longer than a half hour. He's that good. David and Jon apparently rehearsed Without Love. I'm sure if Jon wanted (as the dictator) to play any song he could be like "Phil.. learn this song" and then they'd rehearse it later and it would be done with. You're not giving enough credit to the guy. There's only been some very few small cases of unrehearsed songs getting played, like Stick To Your Guns, and a verse/chorus of Lie To Me. Can't think of many others. If Jon wants to play them, it'll get rehearsed and it will get played.

Unfortunately with the 4 guys comment - Those 4 guys turned into 4 hired guns sometime in the nineties and turned into not being a band. Sorry you missed that time. I did, too.

^ What he says.

And as for playing other songs from the back catalogue, Phil will only play on them if they have been rehearsed beforehand. We won't get a fun impromptu ''Stick to your guns Amsterdam'' moment, or a 'Diamond ring' out of the blue, or a ''Its hard letting you go'' etc, with Jon and phil sharing the mic.
It's the little things like these that can make a good show great for a diehard fan, as some people here clearly don't enjoy the standard setlist moments as much anymore.

And I certainly don't agree that ''Phil has better stage presence and energy than Richie''. You picked the KTF moment from the other night, as that's the one moment where he gets to shine because Jon has buggered of the stage. Richie does the same. Plus richie has more charisma and stage presence in his little pinky than Phil. But I do love phil, he's great fun and very talented.

Andi

How are you able to measure this. This just screams of ignorance to me. Or maybe I'm just ignorant. Show me where and when Richie has more stage presence. I just don't see it. I've seen Richie across Canada, and in seven cities in Europe. I just don't see it.

I see and understand what you say but:

I think that what they should change are the setlists, as I pointed out several times, rather than the way songs sound.


I know he's that good, and he has proved it. But, the setlists have been really static so far, with Richie we had for example "The More Things Change" one night (i know, i know, not a great song, but it was something unexpected and the only GH song played on this tour so far). About the unrehearsed songs, I know it's silly, but with Richie there I know that I can bring a This Ain't A Love Song banner and maybe have the hope that it could get played, with Phil I can't as the guy have never played the song.

Still, as I said, I'm going to Phil's show this September and I'm pretty sure that he'll be on fire.

Ignorance? What is with people today and their insults. There was no need for that, stop trolling. It's called an opinion, one that most people on here will probably agree with me. Richie can command a stadium in a mass sing along to ''Ill be there for you'', Phil couldn't. I need not go on.

I was going to explain myself further, but I literally couldn't be bothered anymore engaging in a conversation with someone like you. I thought you were trying to be mature on this topic for once.

Andi

Wow. So calling someone ignorant is now apparently an insult. Do you know what the word "ignorant" means? I also was open to being proven wrong.

"What's with it with people today and their.." inability to understand what an insult is.

Yes, either definition implies I do not know what I am talking about and am lacking information on the matter, and calling someone that for voicing a perfectly acceptable view that Richie Sambora has charisma and stage presence is amazing, even for you.

Because he's part of Bon Jovi since the very beginning.