Richie's absense goes way beyond just this tour. I think that should be clear by now.
The only people interested in Bon Jovi are die hards. If they continue like this there won't be any left. Casuals don't give a crap....as you can see by album sales. It's all downhill from here. They should have retired when they were still on top and together. Now it's too late.

Those quotes don't get better for me having slept on it. I can only hope that they are bullshit- it is the mail after all and it doesn't make sense given how clammed up Richie has been on the whole situation thus far. Although, we did think it would kick off after Jon's comments the other day.

I have a niggling feeling it isn't him directly, but someone representing him. Clearly this can't have been a face to face interview, so its either a telephone or e-mail interview. To be honest, given how lazy the press are, I wouldn't be surprised if they have messaged him on Twitter and got it that way- it reads like some tweets pasted together. EIther that or he has been fed lines.

I would like to believe Richie wouldn't have said that- "The fans aren't getting what they paid for" "Jon thinks he can fill stadiums without me" **** that- YOU walked out on the band, YOU walked out on the fans, whether the initial or current reasons are right or wrong it was YOUR choice to leave, and Jon had to make the choice to cancel or go on. And go on he had to as Richie has previous. Being "off sick" from work but working on his fashion bullshit while fans who paid to see him and the band- and lets not miss the fact its a promotional article- they've made sure to get a sodding link to the fashion line in there, on conditional on giving the interview no doubt. Maybe its Nikki Lund stirring the pot and acting as Richie's "Matt"? Richie & Jon need to remember that all the shit they do outside of the band is only possible because of Bon Jovi. Jon's Soul Kitchen, Richie's fashion line, Dave's plays- none of them would have those, or at least to the scale they are, without Bon Jovi's success and the fans support through the years.

If all this mud slinging turns out to be true, Sambora is dead as a solo artist. He has ****ed over what few fans he has- his audience is Bon Jovi fans, outside of America at that, the ones who he has stiffed out of money in a global recession by bailing mid way through a tour and not having the balls to explain himself.

Less than a year ago, I was in awe at Shepherds Bush seeing Richie perform brilliantly. Now I thnk he is a complete prick. There's wrong on both sides and I'm rapidly losing respect for both parties- but Richie is losing more and more from me each day. If this is true, there's no doubt in my mind now that there wasn't any personal issues to begin with and if that's the case its unforgiveable from Sambora.

I've just got to hope that all isn't what it seems with these quotes- and there certainly is reasonable doubt, becuase if its true it's certainly all over for a long time now.

Hatred has won this time.

Both are to blame.

They've gone from The Rolling Stones, to become the new Guns N Roses.

Sad.

On the German page spiegel.de there is an interview with Jon and in the last part the interviewer asks him (after talking about songwriting, investments, his peers etc.):

Q: And how long will you keep on doing this? I mean your guitarist Richie Sambora just left the band.

Jon: I also think it won't go on much longer with us. Sure, my management doesn't like that but I recently thought: Guys, we're at a point where Eric Clapton or Elton John used to be as well. I don't mean that they are still good musicians, but I guess we reached our cruising altitude. Could be that we're on our way towards the descent. For sure I'd still enjoy earning more money but doing this job when being 70, like the Stones, I really don't want to do that.

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/d...-a-901048.html

New pictures came out of Richie and Nikki Lund and apparently she wanted it known that these pics were coming out.

Message from Nikki Lund, Richie's business partner for his clothing line, NikkiRich:

These pics of Richie and me will come out today ~ he is doing very well .... He is happy & healthy... Tell everyone

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

No one else is talking, no Kelli (Hugh's wife) Luke Ebbin or even Heather! but Nikki wants to get involved?

If this is true, I'm glad because it sounds like the passion has seeped away (like we couldn't guess that) and I'd have rather they took that decision before this tour and before they imploded... which it seems they have.

I think this just highlights even more that Richie never wanted to be involved in What About Now or the tour that goes with it.
He had come off the Circle tour and wanted to branch out as a solo artist and do his own thing.
Jon was adamant it had to be a band thing and the rest is history.....

Can't argue with Richie wanting to break away from the group for a while, but the lack of communication stinks.
Dave & Tico will call it quits at the end of this tour - they don't need/want to deal with Richie & Jon's crap.

After the Circle tour there should have been a solid 5 year break. Let them find their lives again and then re-discover a passion for being a band. Jon evidently decided he had more political crap to sing about.

I keep reading the Justin Bieber headline, "You're an a-hole, go to work" and think it's directed to Sambora. :rolleyes:

This story is getting picked up by lots of websites now, for whatever thats worth.

I think this is a tactic of Jon to sell more tickets, and sell it as the end.

I do not want an ending without Richie Sambora in this story.

:shock::shock: