Living Alone (Live At Bush Hall)

It really puts into perspective that he's only done a handful of live performances since 2017.

I see posts on Facebook about how he was on fire and so happy and played so well and I just don't see it. Even on a "had to be there" level. If you're doing your first show in a probably 2 years you'd think it'd be a little more polished.

As for the pedal theory, I'd have to listen closer, it sounds like the effect he was using was the octave one he used on Bad Name and the solo on Every Road, it sounds like he had it on but it wouldn't change the key he was in I don't think.

I don't know much about the post effects of drugs and alcohol and I truly don't think he's using either but something happened in 2014 whether medical or otherwise. It's like a switch got flipped in the guy. I never understood the "you just want him to be who he was 20 years ago" stuff and there's a level of truth to that but we also don't understand why he can't stop mumbling, slurring, forgetting as a professional musician doing this for almost 50 years. 2013 and 2014 were two very different Richies and we're not even close to how it used to be now.

I just watched those long Instagram videos and I have mixed feelings, I mean, at times, I'm looking at that old Richie, but at times he looks like someone else entirely.

Living Alone it's great! It gave me some Undiscovered vibes at some parts.
The jam in Wanted it's weird, but I think it's becaused we're not used to that, but Richie seems to be having fun, and that's something that I can't say for JBJ these days.

Anyone looking at that show and thinking that is what a professional musician with 40 years of live experience performs like, I don't know what to tell you.

Richie's musical journey over the nearly 10 years has been just sad. I get releasing average music as he has been, he was doing the same for the previous 10 years with Bon Jovi. What is more interesting to me is how he has completely collapsed as a live performer. Patchy - at best - guitar tone, his playing littered with little and big mistakes, trying to hard, seemingly low on confidence, an average frontman, and this idea he is a musical free thinker with his jams, when he has never been that professionally.

His shows are cringey, and I don't know how being there or not changes that. We know Bon Jovi shows are shit -and express that - by watching them on YouTube, but we cannot do the same with Sambora?

An interesting point above about there being a clear change in him between 13/14. Drugs and/or booze are a candidate, but I personally don't think he has been high/drunk for the last 10 years. Maybe it was something medical.

Absolutely we can, and I have been very critical of him. I just think claiming that he is wasted because they don't like the way he acts is kind of silly....yes, by all means have an opinion on the performance, the songs, etc, but the Richie is wasted comments are lazy and uneducted.

He hasn't been polished since 2013 and it's frustating. I think he's still trying to be a loose jam band, but it just doesn't work. He was at his best when he worked hard at being tight, but he just doesn't seem to have the desire to do that anymore. Maybe as a result of being super polished in BJ

I'm not saying he doesn't drink at all, I couldn't call that either way (I can't imagine that he doesn't), but he doesn't have the appearance to me of someone who is using/high/drunk/wasted. Someone that has health issues, possibly from years of using...absolutely. It could even be the after effects of something like a stroke. I agree something changed in 2014 when he was obviously using or drinking heavily again and we haven't seen pre-2013 Richie since, aside from the occasional glimpse. But I think that this is the Richie we have now, in the same way that the Jon vocals we have now is the Jon we have, and we just have to accept that. Time has not been kind to either of them, but both in different ways.

I mean I have family members that are the ages of these guys, early 60s, and most of them are all really struggling with various health issues now - it's just what happens when you get old, and none of these guys have partied like Richie has over the years! I do still believe that people just can't accept that these guys are getting old and their lifestyles are coming back to bite them on the ass.

I think Richie needs to concertrate on his strengths and forget everything else. His voice is still in decent condition, use it. Play the songs as they were meant to be, lose all the excessive Jamming. Rehearse. He isn't good at projecting his talking voice to the audience anymore. It's difficult to understand him and he loses most of the audience. He should talk less and play more. Let someone else control those damn pedals, he's trying to do to much at once with singing, playing, being a front man, messing with his effect etc - stick to what you're good at!

Other than that, I don't really know the answer. He still knows how to write a decent song...maybe he should do more of that?

I've only watched a few clips so far, but everything I've seen just seems so incredibly awkward to me and I don't really know what to make of that.

It doesn't seem unrehearsed in the "let's just go out there and do whatever we feel like doing" kinda way, but rather in a "I don't know what the f*ck I'm doing and why the f*ck I'm even here" kinda way, and I have a hard time trying to imagine where this is all gonna go in the future. Will future shows in support of his new record be more rehearsed? Will that awkwardness perhaps go away after he's played a couple more shows and gotten back into the groove? Or is it all just gonna be like this now?

I also can't tell if he even has the ambition to put on a decent show (even if it's a more causal show) or if he's just doing this halfheartedly because it's part of the job description and he doesn't know what else to do.

Has anyone seen the clip of its my life?
Pissed uncle at karaoke comes to mind.
If he ain't pissed he's just plain odd.
Lurching forward , stamping his leg and other odd movements.
I really hope he's OK.
I'll get no pleasure finding out he was pissed but at same time wonder why he's so odd.

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I see a lot of drama. I think we all knew what was going to happen. I don't care about perfection, the faills, bla bla, I'm just looking for the good, the positive of the show. That's what I try to do with Bon Jovi as well. If there is nothing good or decent in a show then there is a problem, but this was not the case.

This was good for me.

We can focus on the negative, or look for the positive. I have already had a lot of the first, so I opt for the second option. And you know, we can still enjoy this guy.

It would be October 2013 and I heard a rumour ( 2nd hand ) that he had health problems .

could be nonsense but it's either he's not well or he's off his ****ing tits . Maybe both .

I'd learn towards health. Post 2003 there's a long history of when he's drinking/doing whatever on tour. He tends to get really bloated and puffy, a lot of the times during the summer/amphitheatre runs. I really do not think this is about alcohol anymore.