No Richie on current leg of the tour

No, not no one.

Bon Jovi management are handling the issue like a bunch of amateurs. The lack of a clear statement provides the ground for massive speculation that is starting to affect the bands image.

German media are now saying Sambora has left for the entire tour. This will not help (already slow) sales.

95% of people going to shows are there to see Jon and nothing but. anyone thinking otherwise is delusional.

I'm going to see the band, but if Jon wasn't there, and Richie was, I'd stay home. Jon is the main attraction for me, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

This really bothers me, too. One tweet from Matt that no one really notices doesn't count. I don't trust Matt anyway. If it wasn't true it would be so easy for them to deny the rumour...so why won't they? So stupid.

Richie is the main attraction for me and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm glad I didn't buy tickets yet. Now I won't....unless Richie comes back.

You don't follow the band, only the man.
You are in your right to express it, fangirl.

But I am also in my right. For me, Bon Jovi are like The Beatles. Without Lennnon, not The Beatles. Guns N Roses without Slash, not Guns N Roses. Bon Jovi without Sambora, not Bon Jovi.

In my opinion.

Looks like several uploads on Youtube this morning are blaming all of this on the Masons.

Aloha !

Yeah, there'd not be much protesting done and obviously people would still go. I wouldn't go to the shows I haven't got tickets for, but I've made arrangements for things, I'm obviously not going to say "Well now I'm not flying to Madrid! **** the plane ticket!"

The thing is though, people over here would realize and hear Richie's not there. They'd hear its not quite the same. In North America, and especially the U.S.A., the average Bon Jovi fan has not the faintest idea that it's a band not a lead singer with a good band. Bon Jovi can only get away with such things in front of a relatively new crowd like in Eastern Europe, but when it comes to the regular markets like Germany and the U.K. most casuals know they're going to see Bon Jovi, and not Jon Bon and the Jovi's.

It's still odd to me how a die hard on Jovitalk feels he's being insulted when talking about how lame an American crowd is compared to European fans, yet most European fans are quite aware of how much more hardcore a South American crowd is and won't be offended at all. Is that pointless American patriotism or just sheer stupidity?

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

As far as audiences go: South American fans seem like the most passionate. Same goes perhaps for fans from southern Europe.