Thanks for your opinions, Thinny! The "reunion" scenario would be interesting. I hadn't thought of that. (But I sure hope there will be a reason to try it on for size! Sooner rather than later would be fine by me...)

Looking at David's proposal again, there's a clause that prohibits rendering services as a performing artist (among other roles) "for any person, firm, or corporation other than the Company, except as expressly provided for herein." Unless stipulated elsewhere in the contract, I'm not sure they would even be allowed to enter into a concurrent agreement with the promoter. That would actually make sense because I can see how it could set up dual-employer and/or double jeopardy situations that could be risky.

That all makes me think that the band contract would be the overriding contract, if not the only contract, band members would sign. It could be that they're written to coincide with the beginning of the write/record/tour cycle and end when the tour is over, which would, in some respects I guess, make them touring contracts. But that just further begs the question: how could there possibly be no need for a contract? Like you, I find it incredibly hard to believe that Jon didn't have a formal agreement with Richie (or the other band members, assuming the same basic conditions would apply across the board). But even as much as I question Jon's statements at times, I can't think of one possible purpose it would serve for him to say there wasn't a contract if one existed.

You know what? I'm going to shift anything else I have to say about this over to the Richie thread; because the more I think about it the more questions pop up. (And I'm reasonably sure none of them will have anything whatsoever to do with the "April 20, 2008 Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines" show!) Feel free to follow along if you are interested in what might blow through the windmills of a deranged mind!

(Fair warning, though: While I don't expect this to have much, if anything, to do with 'why Richie left', I can't promise the subject of 2013 won't rear its ugly head at some point.)

Not sure what that means, but feel free to jump in anywhere!