If Richie does return for Hyde Park gig I think he's takin the p#ss in picking the BIG gig to return for. whatever the issue is/was.....:confused:

This should have been sorted BEFORE the tour even STARTED.

I don't get it, though. It's not like Hyde Park's the only "important" gig. Plus, even if it was, would that mean Richie doesn't have any major problems in his life, just like he said, and he simply can't be bothered to be on tour, but will make an exception for the "special gig"? Unless he's totally lost his mind, I don't think that would be the case.

Although things surely seem to lead that way, I mean, I don't know if you guys saw the video I posted earlier, but I'm thinking maybe Richie didn't show up for rehearsal/show one too many times and that could have been the final straw or something. I don't know.

In Stockholm security told us no banners allowed but then Obie came out and said they were ok so they came up again (flags big banners the lot) and later on a supervisor came out and read the banners so don't think it's the banners per se that's the problem but more what they might say...

Re: Whether Richie will return for Hyde Park (or ever): I was just re-watching that video from 2007 of Richie's solo of "Any Other Day" from London in 2007, when Jon says, "Look who just got back?"

Someone in the comments to that video said there had been rumors he would return for that performance but it wasn't confirmed publicly until he showed up onstage for that show.

I'm just wondering if we might see something like that happen this time: That he'll just show up for one gig, whether it be Hyde Park or something else.

You mean show up for one gig and then finish the tour or just show up for one gig and then split again? Would Jon really allow him to pick and choose which ones he plays? I would find it hard to believe Jon would let Richie call the shots at this stage of the game and the band's career.

Sorry, I wasn't clear: I meant show up and then finish the tour. On the other hand, wasn't the 02 show a one-off anyway? I wasn't a diehard fan back then so I'm trying to catch up on how that all went down.

I think given the circumstances, it would be a really shitty move to play it as some kind of surprise. I could understand (though not agree with) them keeping quiet if there are more Sambora-less shows before any pencilled-in return, but as soon as they're clear they should come out and say "he will be at NEXT show"- any attempt to play it as an amazing surprise 'brought to you by the Bon Jovi Experience' would leave a seriously bad taste in a lot of supporters mouths.

That was the show after Puerto Rico on the LH promo tour to open the venue.

That commenter is incorrect. It was known he was returning to the tour.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...ticle-1.126025

ETA: that article is about the 2011 return, but I do remember it being known he was returning in 2007. He only missed one show.

He better be back for Slane!! Just as big a show as Hyde Park!!