No Richie on current leg of the tour

I do wonder why so many people get hacked off with Richie or his mates telling everyone he's 'happy and healthy'.

‘Because I paid for a ticket for a Bon Jovi show and he walked off the tour,’ right?

I paid for a ticket to the IOW festival and I was p*ssed off he wasn’t there but the FACT is, we have no idea who to blame or where the fault really lies.

It’s as irrational as those who got uppity when Phil tweeted about being recognised as ‘the guy who’s playing guitar with Bon Jovi’ or his comment about not leaving the house for 10k. This is Phil’s life now and this is Richie’s life now. Jon can get up on stage, announce dates and do interviews showing how much they love what they do, how happy and healthy he is and no one blinks an eye - because he's still out there touring, right? Still delivering. I'll say it again - we don't know why Richie isn't out there too.

So Richie gets his message out the only way he knows how and everyone calls him cheap and tacky for it. But all he has is Twitter, his two mates and a fashion line and he's probably sh*tting it that if he keeps quiet, he will just be airbrushed out and be forgotten.

Whatever has happened, he’s hurt and he’s p*ssed off, so, yeah, he is sending Jon a message about how happy he is in the only way that’s open to him. But let’s face it, I firmly believe everyone involved – JBJ, RS and the fans – would be a hell of a lot happier if he was back on stage. That is the ONLY way these two guys are ever going to get out of this situation without a full explanation.

I don't care where the blame lies - but the fact is Richie walked off the tour - and then according to HIS team has then tried to get back on it and been told it seems, quite rightly, to **** off because a commitment as big as a world tour is something you can't just walk off without a darn good reason.

If it was an issue he had with Jon, then he's not likely going to want back on the tour is he? Unless it was some hissy fit and now he's realised what a balls up he's made.

I'd definitely be happier to have my band back together, you're right about that - because no-one can make magic on stage like those four guys together - but Jon, Dave and Tico have been doing their job whilst Richie's been jamming with his fabric, so only three out of those four get respect from me and you can guess who those are.

I've already seen the band without Richie so if he's back or not for the rest of tour, I don't really care. Bit harsh for all of those going to see them on this leg but I don't. If he wasn't there when I went to see them, why should I care if he is back when I'm not?

I would much rather him be there, of course. I get a better feeling about watching YouTube videos from the shows just gone if Richie is on them but that's life I guess...

The only thing really annoying me is how no statement has been made. They might think we already know but you still do a statement, regardless. They aren't a pub band. They are a band playing arenas/stadiums all around the world and the fact that they don't tell their fans anything is pathetic.

I think we all know who will be playing tonight.

People have mentioned that because Richie isn't around, Jon seems to put in more effort to carry the show. Having not seen Richie with the band, is this true?

Your point is spot on... and none of us knows whether or not he had a good reason. There has been a lot of talk about a commitment to fans and how RS didn't hold this up. But without knowing ANY details, again; we're in the realms of pure conjecture.

If this was 'a fall out with Jon' I would ask; Real world scenario - has anyone ever worked for someone that made their position untenable? I mean REALLY? You stick at it because you have bills to pay but what if you didn't? I have worked with people in the past that have made life a misery and maybe this was the case. If Richie raised this with Jon and nothing was done... Again. Conjecture.

The point is, we don't know if Jon did anything, we don't know if Richie is being a flake but in the meantime, if people don't like the fact that he is getting on with his life and not posting about how miserable he is - simple - don't follow him, don't quote him on here and create a sh*t-storm over him saying he loves Japan or has had a really nice burrito for lunch. The vast majority of people seem to really enjoy the band without him anyway and took issue with anyone who stated that the band without him isn't Bon Jovi.

My point was, his reasons - the band's reasons - whatever they may be, are unknown. With such vehement criticism and open mockery for everything Richie does outside of the band, even having the bare-faced cheek to be happy, is seen as a personal dig at Jon and the fans. I just think it's over the top. Just because WE only appreciate him as Bon Jovi's guitarist, should he disappear from public life when that ends? I bought his solo stuff because I like it. I'll buy more of it, if I like it. Nothing to do with his day job. Bon Jovi the band opens doors for him, certainly but I am not about to turn around and bash the p*ss out of him and his music now, just because he's 'left' the band. I don't care if he makes clothes, I don't care if he eats puppies - Just like I haven't bought a Drills album or suddenly become a massive Phil X fake fan like some have because of his new-found association.

I just think some people on here are fickle. This guy was a hero a year ago. Yeah, he was a douche at times but I never really cared if he was likeable or not. I don't walk in his shoes and I don't know Jon, I don't know who is at fault but we're all just being a little bit nasty when we bash someone for sending subliminal messages in a tweet about their friend, who happens to be happy. I am sure it was a message for Jon and the wider Jovi world and I am sure they have their reasons, both Jon and Richie, for sending these messages back and forth to each other - because they've both done it. Just like they've both shut us out.

I would just imagine, that for those fans who have embraced the Phil X era, who love Jon, Tico and David so much and loved the gigs this year, then the attitude is simple - f*ck Richie and ignore him.

He was/is certainly more up for it now than when the tour started and Richie was there.

Whether that was due to his back injury or not, I have no idea...

I honestly wouldn't care what Richie does either, I don't like his solo stuff that much except from a handful of songs so don't really care what he releases, or what he does with his clothing line or anything else. I'd be quite happy to ignore what he does outside of Bon Jovi, except for one thing..

What I care about is Richie's actions have ****ed up the band, and these media twits he's clearly employing, are ruining the band's reputation as a unit that take care of their own problems. And maybe this is the only outlet Richie has to speak out - perhaps contractually he has no other option than to use these gophers - just like Jon probably can't say anything because of legalities too. But I've not seen Jon using anyone to promote his agenda in social media. All i've seen him do is get on with the job.

*EDIT*

And like I said, if Richie’s position was untenable, if he just couldn’t deal with Jon then why, according to Lund/Borg is he now asking, or even begging, to get back in the band.

I’ve mentioned before, Jon hasn’t just got on with the job. He spent the first few weeks more than happy that his comments led everyone to believe that RS had fallen off the wagon. Then we had ‘EdgeGate’ - the point being, Jon doesn’t need to go down the same route to put his messages out there to Richie. He is on a world tour, he has press days where he can do that. He had Matt on Twitter. Anyone who says ‘he had no idea what Matt was posting’ – well how does anyone know that Richie keeps track of everything his lot says… works the same way.

As for the second point; I believe that RS thought that his actions – warranted or otherwise – would result in Jon asking him back. But that backfired. The band has moved on. Maybe Richie’s issues with Jon, whatever they were, aren’t as bad as being out of the band. Again, in a real-life context, who hasn’t wished their way out of a horrible situation only to find they’ve gone from the frying pan and into the fire? Or perhaps Richie’s return is not without caveats of his own, which is why Jon is not answering the phone. So Richie can say ‘I’ve tried calling but he won’t answer the phone’ knowing full well that Jon won’t, until Richie agrees to drop whatever his issues are.

Again, all conjecture. The ins and outs are always going to be fabrications and half-truths – I just don’t get the whole ‘Richie must die, he ruined my life’ stuff. I also don’t understand how someone can say THIS ruined Bon Jovi. Richie helped ruin this band but it started when he and Jon decided to treat their fans to second grade music – when they decided that every song had to have the same message and every fan just wanted sugar over substance. Just my opinion, I don’t want to give everyone an ‘in’ to bash me when my point isn’t about the music, it’s about how disheartening it is to see so many loyal people, who still have no concrete idea as to why he’s not on tour, take so much glee out of beating him up. Personally, both of them have p*ssed me off but I’ll still buy their music if it’s any good and I won’t slam a guy I don’t even know for being happy and getting on with his life.

I agree with everything you said here.

I think another problem is that in the days of Internet, Twitter, FB etc. nothing is "secret" anymore. You do/say something and in the next minute everybody knows about it. And fans want to see and know it all and the more information they get the more pissed off they are cause it´s not what they expect and want to happen.

It would be interesting to know how their situation in 90/91 would have been received by fans if social media would have been around back then. I´m sure the band also did (didn´t) say/do things fans would´t have liked but nobody knew about it. The same "facts" were stated in the papers (money and Richie´s unhappiness with his standing in the band) and the usual sources were quoted but other than that you didn´t hear or read anything from them personally.

I know that all of this happened after a tour but the mess was pretty much the same if not worse cause it involved 5 guys and as far as we know/assume this time it only involves 2.

I think eventually both will get their senses together and talk this out cause they both love success and recognition and they can only achieve that in the way they´ve grown accustomed to as a team (as proved in the past).

Certainly not when it comes to the set list.