I signed up to this board just to quote this message.

I've read a lot of posts on this thread, and this is the only one i really appreciated. I'm glad and proud that real fans like you are out there, somewhere. No one likes this situation, people spend a lot of money and energy to see the guys, i understand. But at this point, we can only support Richie and the BAND. If you got a ticket, you should go to the show.

I'm sure Richie will come back at some point

I definitely agree to a point.

I say so partly because I'm a huge Queen fan, I didn't ever get to see Freddie live, but saw Dr May and RT with Adam Lambert (two shows) in London last year. It was the most fantastic thing ever, two of the best nights of my life. It's slightly different with Jovi for me though. I've never experienced a Jovi without Richie, and would they not have that trademark sound that he produces (vocals AND guitar), it would make me not go on an expensive trip to see the band in another country.
However if the band is in my country I would (and I will be in 3 weeks time) still go. The show will probably be a good rock show, I mean 3 of the original members + Hughey are still there, and great songs are still great songs etc BUT to me, Richie is the soul and the groove of this band, and I have experienced him live before... Similar with all favourite bands- sometimes theres sides to them that you simply couldn't imagine them not having. As I said I'm going to the Stockholm show but won't spend money going elsewhere when Richie isn't there and also because this somehow douchey behaviour towards us fans leaves me feeling slightly pissed off.

Who on Earth are you to tell people what they should and should not be doing with their hard earned money?

One of the best shows I have seen was a JBJ and Friends fanclub show. We got more rarities than the band ever played (at least for that one night). It was the roots of rock show in 2009. I finally got to hear Bang a Drum live :)

So I don't have the hatred for the "& Friends" that many people have. Not to mention (as you say) there is always David and Tico. Believe me, you will notice it if either one of them is gone.

What makes a "real fan?"

The setlist of that show just about killed me. Could miss Bang A Drum, but Never Say Die is one of my personal anthems. I'd pay a lot of money to hear the full Blaze Of Glory album live. Will never happen but I could probably die completely fulfilled.

Speaking of, no Blaze on this tour at all yet, wtf?

I love the bootleg of that show, is unbelievable! I think I could die with a setlist like that. The version of Every Word Was A Piece Of My Heart is something out of this world. Also, Never Say Die? Don't Leave Me Tonight? I Get A Rush?! I need a JBJ Solo Tour with him doing those songs.

Aloha !

Actually, it was Richie's guitarwork on Keep The Faith and Always that made me a fan and want to look for more music out there. I discovered the band because of Destination Anywhere, but became a fan because of Richie. Yes, I loved Jon's vocal delivery as well, but those are pretty much gone nowadays with the odd exception here and there. And now that I'm thinking back, yeah, once I found Stranger In This Town on a local fair and started digging into those songs I realized there was a lot more to Bon Jovi than just the songs.

While you're saying Richie's fingerprints are all over the song, I really disagree. Richie has mastered songs like I'll Be There For You, Keep The Faith and pretty much every guitar orientated song Bon Jovi has released, and without him, the songs are lacking something. I find Phil X a good guitar player, but not for a band who's got as many signature solo's like Bon Jovi has. You can't play Sweet Child O' Mine with an improvised solo, just like you can't play Keep The Faith with an improvised solo. I don't expect to hear a note for note rendition of the studio version, but I do expect to hear Bon Jovi with their signature sound. 1 member's already gone, the other's often barely capable of singing certain songs live, and now there's another member of the band down. Sorry, but that's a little too much for me.

So for me. the issue is that with every song that has a guitar solo in it I'll be thinking "nope, not as good as Richie" or something to that extent. I realize that's approaching things from a guitar players' point of view and I'm quite sure that plenty of fans don't really hear the difference, but down the line, I do, and why I don't care for solo shows of Jon playing songs with friends or whatever he surrounds himself with. Because usually whenever he plays Bon Jovi songs or songs of his own career with a bunch of different musicians they're much worse than what's on the records, no matter what rare song he'll pull out of the bag. If it's second rate; I don't want it.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I believe in *magic* which means that I believe that you are ~ spot on.

At the show I went to, back in March, they all seemed happy. To be honest, I was a bit surprised at how well they played and how happy they ALL seemed with each other.

I finally got my own *final bow* pic, it's amazing, because they are all smiling, genuine smiles. I was third row, aisle.

It was one of their best shows, imo.

So, wtf happened??

I've also seen shows sans Richie, it is not the same at all.

Phil X does a great job. And, Jon and David and Tico work their bums off trying to make that *magic* but it's never going to be there again without Richie.

I would not turn down free tix to see a sans Richie show, but otherwise, at this point, I would not bother going.

Also, Richie needs to get his act together. Make a public statement and start acting like a professional.

I don't think there is anything wrong with his health, etc. It's something else.

I'm a fan of the BAND. Richie is supposed to be part of that band. He's let too many people down, at this point, that I do not have a clue how he is ever going to redeem himself. He needs to be called out for all of this.

Not sucked up too and coddled.

jmo

I love INXS but am the same - never got to see them with Michael Hutchence but saw them three or four times with JD Fortune fronting and every show was amazing.

I DO understand - Richie is as big a part of the Bon Jovi sound as Jon, Dave, Tico and Hugh - but one day (maybe it's already here) Richie may not be able to play with the band at all anymore - I'd still want to hear those songs and would go to see them played, because it's the music I love, not some idolization of any individual band member. If any of them are my heroes, then it's all of them.

Would I travel to other countries and spend as much as I do now - maybe not. I was half-considering booking Manchester as it falls on my birthday but it was hard to justify the expense of the gig before, even more so now. But for the tickets I've already got, of course I'm going. The money's spent, and I'm still pretty sure it's been spent well.