Too Much Guitar by Jon?

All of those songs need the guitar. Thorn, Wanted, and Superman need the guitar to sound right. You can hear Jon's guitar on Runaway but he doesn't need to play it for the song to sound right. But I still like to see him play the solo at the end of the song. What I'm saying is on some songs he plays guitar when he doesn't have to.

Is it just me who thinks he has the guitar more nowadays because he isnt as comfortable on stage as he used to be. Watching some songs when he hasnt got the guitar and the group are playing the instrumental part of the song, to me he looks like he cant wait for it to finish.

At least he has a plenty of time then to drink some water/tea/gatorade
But seriously, I think such an experienced performer as Jon has built up so much self-confidence throughout all those 27 years (which is only natural after such a long period of time) that he does not feel uncomfortable or intimidated for a fraction of second. Watching you tube videos where instrumental parts are played, I simply have a feeling that Jon uses those breaks just to have a drink, have some rest and to concentrate on the forrthcoming part of the song.
Of course it is just speculation. Maybe you are right...

Its only WWBTF where the guitar adds nothing to the sound but detracts from the performance as its a bit slow and could do with a bit of action from Jon.
On the opposite scale, remember when Jon did Its My Life on electric guitar when it was premiered on Wetten Daas?

I've hardly seen him play electric guitar, he always has that blasted acoustic guitar with him all the time. I don't know why he plays it, it's not like you can hear it.

Maybe Jon's playing the acoustic guitar is a kind of compulsive-obsessive behaviour? Like eg. some people have a compulsion to wash their hands every few minutes, or do some other things repetitively or else they become nervous?


Just kidding

I think that is a key part of him playing more personally.

During Richie's solos in older gigs he would run around and do his aerobics workout but he's older now and has less energy so what's he gonna do with himself. It's only natural that when he's not got a mic in front of him, he gets self concious as to what he should be doing with himself in front of thousands of people!

Just because you've been a performer for so long doesn't make dealing with the discomfort of having nothing to do on stage any easier to deal with.

Ok, I did not think about this... I have no experience as a performence and had no idea what the limits of your self-confidence are. Of course, being an experienced performer you are confident so long when you are doing your job. Once you have nothing to do, just because there is an instrument solo it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable...
It perhaps depends also on the personality type. Jon will lose his confidence in any public situation not related to his job proper (i.e. singing or playing). Freddie Mercury would be self-confident in any situation, no matter whether he would be singing, or waiting for a guitar solo to end or delivering a speech in a scholars' conference etc etc David Bowie would lose his confidence any time if it were not for cocaine.

And one more point from a sportsman/swimming and joggin freak's poin of view: you do not lose much of your energy and fitness in the age of 48. Endurance and capacity for aerobic sports (in contrast to anaerobic activities which involve short maximum effort like sprinting etc) are the skills maintained and developed till around the age of 60. I myself am now 39 and my endurance is probably better than when I was 20 and less trained.
I think that Jon does slow down not because of decreased energy and fitness but due to several of his leg injuries etc. This is what makes lots of amateur athletes slow down and what makes them more careful.
So, Jon's using more guitar may be a means of dealing with the breaks between vocal parts. He must be more catious about his joints and muscles, cannot run like crazy as he did in his early thirties, so - what should he do? Stand up and drink gatorade? So, he simply plays guitar solos.

I think Jon's self-confidence has waned massively since the mid-90s. He has nervous traits such as turning to Richie or the band when talking to the crowd now that he just didn't have back in the day. He does look like he just wants solos to end so he can get back to doing what he's most comfortable with - singing.

Why it should have gone, I don't know. Perhaps it's age? They were pretty much invincible in the 80s and 90s but now they all seem to be showing the cracks a little more.

I think that with age you get more self- reflective. You have more capacity for self-analysis, you think how others perceive you or whether what you do is proper, well received; when you are in your 20s, when you rock and roll and are drunk for the most part of your life, and when you are young and rebellious you do not have that much self-reflection. Once you mature you think more and you think more deeply, ponder; start to question several things. Like: well - I being am watched by fifty thousand people and am doing nothing, not singing, waiting for the solo to end. What do these people think watching me right now?