Jovitalk - Bon Jovi Fan Community - This House Is Not For Sale (2016)

I've translated the essential parts of the German SZ interview. Some questions were more or less the same than what he had already said in recent interviews, some others were more detailed. English's not my native language, so sorry for any grammar slips.

SZ: You've always had the reputation of a hard working man. Now you've taken a break of three years. Why?
JBJ: Let's put it this way: I went through a very dark tunnel. I'm not quite there yet, but I can see the light. Those have been three brutal years.

SZ: What happened?
JBJ: I had some deep identity crises. The record company whom I've worked with for thirty years has setup itself in a new direction and that has changed a lot for me. Then there were the personal setbacks: Our guitarist, my friend Richie Sambora, didn't show up for work one day - none of us has seen him in person ever since.

SZ: He has taken the route of solo career. Has he ever explained to you why?
JBJ: No. He was an unbelievably important ingredient to our band. But it would've been the wrong decision to end the band because of that. Even in the darkest months: the guys in the band were all there for me when I needed a shoulder to lean on. At one point we got past it. Especially our keyboarder David Bryan was just great - he managed it to shoulder a lot of what Richie did (the original word was "replace", but it was in a little different context, so I re-phrased it), even though he hadn't been involved in album productions at all over the years. It's really comfortable working with him since he's not dealing with same demons as Richie is.

SZ: You're talking about alcohol...
JBJ: Oh, Richie's had a lot of demons. Our drummer Tico Torres has been sober for 25 years now. I have been anyway. David Bryan has no issues with drugs.

SZ: Had there already been signs of your sidekick Richie Sambora leaving one day?
JBJ: During the cause of a huge tour six years ago he needed to go to rehab, so we had a replacement guitarist for a number of shows. We were aware of Richie's issues, one day he lost his driver's license, the other he was sleeping on the street. These stories are known. Each time he was back within two days. On the 2013 tour all seemed to go smooth. No drop-outs. After 20 shows we had a break and were set to continue in Calgary. I was already there one day prior to the show when Richie called and asked: "Is it ok if I arrive on the day of the show?" - "Sure, it's fine." The next day I got woken up by my manager in the hotel - which he usually only does when the hotel's on fire. He said: "Jon, we've got a problem". I instantly knew what was going on.

SZ: But you assumed that he was going to call you up eventually?
JBJ: We had a concert to play that night. We had 120 crew members relying on their paychecque. We had an agency paying us for 100 shows in advance. Those weren't peanuts.

...some of the answers we had already gotten...

JBJ: It was like he had been wiped off the face of earth. People keep asking: *What happened between the two of you?" I don't know! He could've said 'I'm done, can't go on like that anymore, don't want to share my art with the audience in this way anymore' - I would've understood that.

SZ: You're not mad at him?
JBJ: No, I can't be. This job's really torturing. He's chosen to take a different path and that's absolutely ok. He's a wonderful person and we've written some fabulous songs together. We were best buddies. Anybody would be blessed to be able to call someone like him his friend. But unfortunately he can't get a grip on his demons.

SZ: How did you work though this setback?
JBJ: After Calgary there were some 80 shows to play, one each few days. I had no time to think about it. I had a job to do, we also needed to somehow fill the giant black hole he had left to my right each night. On the last day of the tour, it was in December of 2013 in Australia, I didn't give a **** if I was ever gonna play another note in my life. I was burned out. For the whole of 2014 I didn't even pick up my guitar. All I felt were fear, anger, depression, sadness, anxiety. **** it, why should I put myself through all that again?

...then there are some comparisons to the situation around 1990 and the way the album came together (cover photo etc.)

...he then talks about originally not wanting to play live at all anymore and his wife asking him the essential questions

SZ: Which question?
JBJ: The question was: "Why?" I told her that I was just gonna play these 20 shows. She responded: "Why?" "Cause I want to make some cash." She said: "That's a shit answer!" And thought that she was right. There has to be more to it. I really have to want it, feel the desire for something new.

SZ: So what are you doing differently now?
JBJ: I've recently played a small concert in my hometown New Jersey. Just performing a few new tracks, that was all I wanted. But something was different than before: I kept telling stories inbetween the songs. Afterwards I asked people how they liked it. Everyone was telling me: "The songs are ok, but the stories were great!" In London the same thing happened: They wanted to hear these stories. We had a completely different atmosphere this time around. I like that direction. Let's see if I can find a way that's exciting for me, but at the same time keeps the average Joe who's just there for the hits entertained.

SZ: Can you point out what really helped you?
JBJ: These four little concerts did a lot for me. To stand on stage for two hours with a halfway working voice. I had had huge doubts as to whether I was able to sing at all anymore. I knew: If I'm not able meet my own demands, I'm done...