It's going to be interesting to see what Jon does... I don't think Richie will come back full-time but I think he'll play a small role at the very most...

Having Richie's name slapped on something would be great PR and he might be needed to sell tickets if they play Europe...

Jon also seems very loyal to Phil though so that would also be an interesting piece...

Long Shot...Jon and Richie write and record an EP. Richie shows up in Europe and only plays the Encore (Wanted, Prayer, New Song)...

If GnR can do it with Slash and their other lead guitar player, Bon Jovi can do it too...



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I mean to a degree he's made Jon's life much easier. Album recordings are faster, he has a guy he relies on in the band's payroll. From a creative standpoint Shanks's methods have murdered the band, from a logistical standpoint he's gold.

Richie joining the band wont make it great again, that's incredibly naive. The Hall of Fame performance was a fantastic moment to see the band come back together but Richie's playing was sloppy. Jon's voice was shot and his range is gone. I'm including the criticism of Jon so you don't think I'm attacking Richie. Please see I'm pointing out the flaws in both of them.

Richie belongs there with the rest of the guys...even if he is sloppy and jons voice is poor in many songs it will still be 5 times better than the coverband they have become...
i am sure jon himself realises philx isnt suited for bj, philx knows it himself...jon has fallen far to deep in the comfort zone but art is the opposite of that...taking risks, reinventing yourself, breaking the formula....bj were never an alternative band but still jon was much more authentic and true than he gets vredit for...
jon always wanted to be taken seriously and as a band...iiif richie wants back i think after all these years he should be allowed to come back in..

Perfectly Stated!!! However... At 56, does Jon really want to do anything outside his comfort zone? Bringing Richie back is a burden...

Jon's tired. He seems to like being a dad now to his 4 grown kids. He's got other ventures going on.

Right now he's got this new touring band where he needs them to be. When it comes to making albums, Jon does the important 20% and Shanks does the bullshit 80%...

Bringing Richie back full-time is just an inconvenience... The albums will sound the same and sell the same regardless (unless he gets rid of Shanks). The tours might not be as massive but they still are successful. He's sticking to major cities and maybe not selling them out completely but they are still considered an success (waiting for final numbers from this past run)... With Jon's current vocal state, he might be at his touring max anyway in terms of the amount of shows he can handle before he needs to break...

Jon's gotta ride this out and take the waves as they come... The guys aren't young. Tico and Hugh are ten years older... when these guys were in their 20's and 30's, they can plan for the next 20 years... Now, Jon can plan for the next ten years and have Tico bail in 5. (Not saying that they aren't going to be capable but are they going to want to?)

Again, I think Richie will be involved again but not full on back in the band...





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Why? He left mid tour. You can't inconvenience an entire operation mid tour and then just be allowed back. I've said from day one if he handled it better he would have a stronger case for whatever it was that was bothering him. You don't just walk away the day of the show and get rewarded with an automatic reentry because how long you've been involved.

Matt, why did Richie leave mid-tour?

It's Jon who decides anyway and if you're still unsure, listen to When We Were Us *which he performed together with Richie, sharing one f@**ng mike* and everything's clear, at least to me.

I see where this is going and that's not really what I'm getting at. I'm not trying to suss out why I'm talking strictly about that he did. I don't think there's a grey area to the black and white that he left last minute. That move severely impacted him being let back in.

Richie said he wanted to spend time with his daughter, Jon says drugs, fans say creative differences, doesn't matter... Don't start something and walk off...

Derek Jeter doesn't walk off from the NY Yankees... A Vice President doesn't walk away from his company, a Principal doesn't walk out of his school... This isn't some little pissing match between Ernie and Bert like you tend to think... Bon Jovi is a brand and Richie walking off that way could have jeopardized hundreds of millions of dollars... It was a big **** you to the fans... and it is a big deal or we wouldn't be sitting here talking about it five years later...

Stop playing the Richie Pitty Party and think like an adult and understand the big picture... Life isn't fair but there is a right and wrong way to deal with things... Period!!!

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Couldn't have said it any better. Richie bailed mid-tour and Jon isn't gonna let him back in like it was nothing. It was pretty clear that it affected Jon quite a lot. I'm pretty sure Jon felt and still feels betrayed by what Richie did.