Its been awhile since I posted but I was talking to my sister in law who isn't a fan asked me what was up with Richie and I said I'm not really sure. She told me she heard that Richie is still partying and won't stop. She also said its because since Jon's daughter overdosed he wants his crew and others to be substance free. Don't know if there is any truth to it. Just wish someone would be honest with the fans.

Great point

I've said this before but I think it's more than just playing a song live...

I think the fact that Jon rushed the album and so, as far as Richie is concerned, WAN has overlapped the promotion of AOTL - this is a big sticking point for Sambora.

I think he wanted to play shows on day's off, use his profile to continue to promote his solo album which he believes in passionately and Jon wasn't comfortable with this.

Let's not forget, Richie is BIG tabloid news on the West Coast compared to Jon, he has a profile and Jon would be wanting Richie to use this at every opportunity to promote a flagging album. I can totally see this from Jon's point of view.

From Richie's point of view, he sees AOTL as a long-game. He's a flake, as Kathleen pointed out, so he may have had a brief conversation with Jon about promoting it and Jon maybe said 'oh sure.' But just like when you sign up for a movie, when you sign up for a Bon Jovi album and tour - I bet there's a section in there about being available for promotion etc and it might even be that Richie isn't allowed to be performing and promoting his record during the tour; I wouldn't be surprised. If WAN was flying off the shelves, I doubt this would be an issue but it's not and they need every available avenue to market to promote it.

What also wouldn't surprise me is if Jon enforced it. I know if my guitarist had a history of being a tad unreliable, whatever the reason, I am not sure I'd want him adding to his stress and workload during a tour by playing other gigs.

So, I think this was a conversation, just before the second leg and it didn't go how Richie wanted. Jon is just protecting the interests of Bon Jovi and Richie, being a bit of a flouncy artistic type, is justifiably hurt that his friend would stick by a contract and not help him out. It's simple to both parties and I can't see there being a compromise.

It's like giving a kid candy but saying you can't eat it

Just that you can hardly call WAN rushed when it's been sitting on the shelf of the record company, mixed and mastered for 6-9 months before finally seeing the light of day. Did Jon ever say why they held it back for so long? Could well have been to allow Richie to finish his solo tour, David to look after his new musical, etc.

Richie has had a DECADE to write this damn album they all have lives and his life is no more important than anyone. And he was cancelling/missing shows when he was out promoting it. And more people would have heard somgs from him at a Bon Jovi concert than a Richie Sambora concert.

Dave's play is being made into a movie and also going to London and on the road, he has another coming through to Broadway and yet he is there every night. I think he is doing the music for yet another. On his days off that is what he is doing because he is a 30 year veteran of the business like everyone else.

Tico the same. Richie bailed for whatever reason...does not matter - he lets a ton of people down, his *brothers*, the people working the tour, his fans. Yet people treat him like some wounded bird. THERE IS NO EXCUSE unless it is his daughter or a medical condition.

He is killing the band - who is gonna pay money anymore when you don't know if 25% of a band is going to be there and frankly I have less interest in supporting him period at this point. But this is not Jon or his white microphone's fault. I think Jon is a total douche sometimes but he is not to blame.

The album was never rushed. Why it sounds that way is because the rest of the band didn't go and play on it - they didn't want to except give a few days studio time - so its something Jon and Shanks, for better or worse, had to do themselves.

Of course everything you're saying is pure conjecture - just like anything about Richie - I'd just hope the guitarist I've loved and supported for so many years wouldn't be such a petulant brat like you've described. I so hope not.

The thing is they're obviously not promoting the new album at the moment. Since Phil X came in, they're only playing 3-4 new songs a night. You can call this anything you want, but it's definitely not a tour to promote the new stuff. I see the overall point, but if that was the issue, "What About Now" is getting even less promotion now then it would if Richie did his own thing, on or off the Bon Jovi stage.
I think there's much more to this. Having no crystal ball, I can't tell. But I would say it's something not as trivial.

new interview
 

check out from 1.40

About the 'rushed' thing...

What About Now was NOT scheduled to be recorded last year, Jon has admitted this. He has stated that he found himself writing songs while Richie was working on AOTL and he wanted the album out ahead of schedule because of it's supposed social commentary and relevance to the state of the world, right now...

So originally, we can PRESUME that Richie thought he could write his album and release it, while promoting it this year. At the same time, he could be writing for Bon Jovi in 2013 and recording the new band album. It didn't happen like this.

Does Richie have a right to be a little p*ssed off? Sure. Especially as his album has bombed too. Should he be committed to Bon Jovi? 100%. I would be a hypocrite to say I will miss his performances and not say I am f*cking livid with him if his reasons are anything close what I am guessing at.

He is part of a band and whatever my feelings towards the new album, he should be on tour and he should be promoting it.