On the TMZ site there are exactly 2 comments on the video about Richie and both are "anti-Bon Jovi." In the real world very few people care about Bon Jovi much less what is happening with them. Either that or fans don't read TMZ :p

we all know they have issues from the very first moment


maybe now Richie thinks it's time to name the band Sam Bora

Almost everything we know (or think we know) about this has come from trash websites or our own imaginations.

Guys, Richie is the devil. Of course he's on coke.

I've never even SEEN cocaine and the three things that you've listed is exactly the way I would behave if I had a minute and a half to correct 3 months of speculations without revealing any details about the issues that created the problem (i.e., airing dirty laundry in public).

He's always been a talker ("constant talking"), having a chance to speak with more than 140 characters at a clip and clear up some of the misperceptions might explain what you refer to as his "sudden willingness to open up" and yes, he does lick his lips a lot as well as bite on his lower lip. (Don't ask me why I know that... it's not like I pay an inordinate amount of attention...merely an observation... ... ok, going away now...)

What's your point?

This thread has been a (mostly) light hearted long running joke about the whole situation.

I agree with this, and I find it encouraging that he was defensive about his place in the band, because it shows he still cares about it, even if he's having problems with them at the moment.

Also:

I love Richie.

I love fashion.

But, ummmm.....yeah:

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...psb36a5855.jpg

I agree with this to a point. God knows after living in California far too long (in my case) I know what cocaine addicts sound like and act like. On the other hand Richie looks damned uncomfortable and nervous and that might result in a dry mouth and a nervous tic. He sounded far more like himself when defending his position in the band.

Basically he says he isn't going to discuss the main reason but that after 30 years he is sure it will work out. I just wish this "working out" didn't come at the expense of fans. I enjoy the shows and I have already enjoyed 2 shows without Richie in 2011. But this "solution" is really a non-solution for all the rest of us with tickets. Basically, it is what it is. Jon and the rest of the band are doing the best they can and considering the contracts they have to honor, they are doing a damn fine job in my opinion.

I agree. I was responding to a previous post...

Originally Posted by nikos greece

richie left jon kept the tour going...

on the other hand richie never trash talked jon while jon betrayed the brotherhood imo with his comment...how could richie be replaced???you sound like a cover band for ****s sake...i admire jon but was way off with that comment...

To which JoviForever posted:

Jon's so called trash talking was only ever on trash websites. We don't know that he actually said any of those things.

I was replying to JoviForever's post (not at her specifically, just in general) because there seems to be an inconsistency to when we can believe statements and when we can't; and it's the same with speculation. Sometimes it seems to be ok; but pull the right trigger or speculate about the wrong person and suddenly it isn't. That's all.

Yeah... not so much! LOL

I wouldn't say that was clear at all. I'd have to go back and watch it; but I don't remember him referring to any specifics about the band; nor did he mention his album or the fashion line by name. I could have missed something, though. What did you see that cleared it up for you?

I just think that sometimes at our lives, at some point, you've got to be selfish to be happy. That's what I think Richie is doing right now and I respect him for that.

If anything what he said, or didn't say, totally supports the gag order theory. He didn't spill any beans and kept quiet on the reasons.

This. All along, I've thought it was rather cheeky of Jon and Matt to say that Richie needs to say what this is all about. There's just no way he hasn't signed a non-disclosure agreement.

With regard to his licking his lips a few times....LA is having a heat wave and given that he is overdressed (from the fashion line?) and that there is a scrum of people around, it is probably hotter than hades. We only saw the video from one reporter but probably he was answering a lot of questions from other reporters. I think the lip licking is just being parched. Perhaps people are over-reacting, over-reading, over-analyzing things?????

On JoviTalk? Seriously? :rolleyes:

Has he had some sort of collagen work done to his upper lip? It certainly doesn't look right. Maybe that's why he keeps on licking his lips. He is in California for christs sakes

I agree, but why doesn't he throw them right back under the bus and publicly announce he can't discuss specifics because of said agreement?

Or maybe it's in included in the agreement that the agreement can't be mentioned...a la WHAT'S THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB.

Nope. Those of the mouth movements of someone who is on something. If not coke, some sort of stimulant.

Ok, I bow to the druggies and ex-druggies on the board. lol

I like to think the best of people which is why I continually try to defend Richie, Nikki, Bobby, et. al. Not to say I was wrong or right, I was just putting something out there that could have been a logical explanation.

I agree but say you wont be touring from the start. Dont bail out a few shows in letting the band and fans down

Clutching at straws. Massively. Get over it

I noticed that too from even the pix that appeared, something isn't right there - some pics his face looks smooth but it's probably just make-up but the lip is definitely weird.

Finally, some kind of clarity. Why couldn't this have been said 3 months ago?

Personally, the interview has left me a little deflated though. I'm a bit less sympathetic to the situation now that we know it's definitely a band issue- certainly makes me wonder how much he really does "love" the fans.

Well, I guess we'll see what happens. I realised and accepted he won't be at any of my shows a while back now, so off to Hampden where I'll hopefully have a blast regardless, as I did in Manchester and Birmingham. The guys up there are giving everything and I actually think I've grown more of an attachment to the others, and also found a new respect for Jon. Yes there are issues with quality and setlists etc, but he genuinely seems like he doesnt want to let anyone down. As for Richie? I'll pay close attention to how it all resolves but barring some inexplicable twist I can't imagine holding him in quite as high regard as I used to. His reliability is now an issue I'd have to consider, and perhaps on future tours I'd have to buy tickets with the view that his presence would be a luxury extra rather than an integral part of the experience- quite a sad thing to type out, but that's where I am at the moment. Maybe if it transpires it was all about artistic integrity, the issues get resolved and the next album blows my mind, I'll be able to look back on this as a blessing in disguise. Right now though, it's an episode that leaves a bad taste and has certainly soured my feelings somewhat.

I didn't get that feeling at all. Hope I'm right.

Maybe he is hooked on red bull !

Made me laugh. Fight Club reference! :D

It's the first thing I thought, but I'd rather you be right.

Lets just summarize the situation.

After the GH tour there was supposed to be a break. That tour ended at on July 31st 2011 and this current tour started in February of 2013. That is only a year and a half in between. However after the GHs tour, Jon goes on vacation for a couple months before it's back to business.

Originally there was supposed to be a Richie Solo album and "possibly" a Jon solo one too. As we all know the Richie album happened and a small tour began. The album was very good. I'd say above average. Richie looked great, got his voice together, did some great promo stuff, and put out some great live shows.

Jon is a little more discrete. He is off doing his usual political stuff with the Soul Kitchen and then all of a sudden surprises us with 3 songs (The Fighter included) for the upcoming Stand-Up Guys soundtrack. Jon then reveals that he has begun writing & recording for the new Bon Jovi album and gives us a release time. If Jon did finish a solo album and toured it under Jon Bon Jovi, it would be a waste of time at that point. He needed the "Bon Jovi" name and players to sell out the stadiums and most of all, make his $$$$. Jon took his solo album and turned it into a band project. Jon put out 12 songs and called it an album so he could tour. WAN is just an excuse to tour.

Anyway, I think this is where the trouble might have started. Richie's solo tour suddenly gets cancelled because of his voice.... I'm personally not buying it. There were shows that were a week away being cancelled. I don't even think poor ticket sales were enough to cancel it. Richie would have played to only 100 people and lost money if he could. What I think happened was, it was time for Richie to enter the studio to lay down his minimal parts. I don't care what words they throw around. "We are a Family" "Best Friends" "Ernie & Bert" whatever... It's still a business and there are legal contracts involved. Jon wanted to keep the machine going and Richie wasn't ready yet. Strike 1

Richie gets together with Jon but there is no creative involvement. How could there have been? Jon was saying the album was done before Richie even got in the studio. We all know Richie was in the studio doing his album and he was tweeting pictures etc. There was some minimal stuff with Alicia Keys and Big and Rich but not enough to put out a real album. The album was done but Richie needed to go in and over play or rewrite Shank's guitar.

(I'm not 100% certain on the sequence of events but I'm sure there are different steps and Richie's involvement was minimal. I'm sure there was some writing and exchanging of songs last year, then Richie probably laid down some tracks, finally some overdubbing was done.... This is why Jon loves Shanks so much. He gets it done quick and he's minimal).... Strike 2 - Richie is pissed creatively.

The tour starts and Richie looks miserable. He hates the new songs. You could tell that they are not his creations. He is most likely there against his will. Then there was a strike 3... We don't know exactly what happened. Richie calls Jon from his hotel and flips out on him. Was strike 3 the build-up between strikes 1 & 2? Or was there something else? Did Jon short change Richie because he wasn't involved with the WAN project. Is this really a Jon solo tour with Richie Sambora on guitar? No one knows besides those 2 but my best guess is that it has to be about money....

Richie might have said, I'll play pretend if you pay me what I think I'm worth. Jon said take it up with my business manager. Richie said I will and I'm not coming back until it's resolved.... Jon gets Phil X and the tour goes on... Jon gets his solo tour and he wins.

Why do people write novels on a message board? I'd never read a post that long. :rolleyes:

tl;dr is the master rule of the internetz.

Don't worry it wasn't anything new or groundbreaking anyway.

And things that were covered on page 200.

I know this was mentioned like 300 pages ago but I think Richie's tweet about forgiveness street gives a clue. Maybe the stuff from 2011 was thrown in his face

I don't like Richie in that interview.. In my opinion he looks weird.. I noticed his face looks different, that tongue thing.. And the way he speaks.. I don't know, it's like something wrong's happenning with him

He's either drunk or on drugs.

Why is this coming as a shock to people? He dropped out of a huge world tour for some "unknown" reason. Put his efforts into a f*cking fashion line and gets his picture taken next to private jets looking like Willy Wonka. These are the actions of a man whose not thinking straight.

And btw, I was last Thrusday at the Madrid show and i was the first one who didn't see myself in a show without Richie and yeah, I missed him a lot but the show was amazing and it worth to be there with the rest of the band having a great time all together

But it's hard to believe he's drunk or on drugs right now.. Altought early April i couldn't imagine the personal reasons was band issues

Look at him in the pics from last night and then scroll down to pics with the band in January. He currently looks like shit. I don't think he dropped out of the tour because of alcohol or drugs, but I do think he's been doing one or both since!

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Se...Richie+Sambora

And by his own admission, time off is no good for him with his addictions. Keeping busy keeps him sober. The fashion crap ain't keeping him that busy. I also sense Nikki is not a positive influence.