I feel the same as you. So make transform my frustration in pictures. But I will not do more. :evilbat:

I have nothing against your pictures and I find most of them funny or at least a nice break from all the rest. For what it's worth. ;)

Bullshit. I truly want to see ONE show without Richie. Then he can do whatever, I'll never see them again. But if he's not coming back, I will do one of the shows in June.

T H A N K S .

I think your pics are great man :) Based on your general posts, I didn't think you had that kind of humour in you, but I enjoyed them.

Enjoy it.

I've seen one show without Richie. You will see why I only saw one after you see yours.

They're just parodies, is harmless, and I'm not the first nor the only thing I do that.

Only fun.

I don't have anything against them, per se. It's just that he's been posting so many lately and I am on an iPad. The pics take up a lot of space and make it difficult to read actual posts relating to the topic. I noticed a few pages back that I'm not alone in this.

Another thread for just his pics perhaps?

Re: Matt's instantly-deleted Tweets: This is just a guess, but I remember reading some articles about Richie's disappearance not long ago, and it appeared at least some in the media figured out who Matt was and that he could be a good source, and the articles quoted his Twitter account. Maybe he just didn't want to stir up the rumor mill in the press again, so he deleted the Tweets.

Because even the slightest chance of him coming back will improve ticket sales. If he shoots the rumor down, those chances looks even less possible.

Aloha !

I think it's more of a matter of him not wanting to big it up, if he doesn't show up he's letting fans down again and we all know Matt hates letting fans down. :D

No way, suck it up you iDestinationJovi. :p

Seriously though the pictures are the reason I still visit this thread. Rolo's contributions have been among some of the best this board has seen the last couple of months and putting them in a different thread defeats the purpose considering how he's responding to things said in here.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Take no notice Rolo!! Your pictures are both hilarious and close to the truth!! Lol

This. Keep the pics coming.

what would be great is no announcement from the band, Water intro starts playing Richie and Jon walk on stage fireworks...BAM!

That would cause a handful of heart attacks, no doubt! :)

LOL Touché ;)

Quite a vision!

lucky dip tickets???

Or Blood on Blood where Richie is doing the intro on his own. That wont happen as the limelight would be stolen from Jon's entrance though!

watching Richie play Munich last year on solo, he seemed really into it!! some really good songs and solos, certainly would liven up the current set lists!!

So far...

Jon:

"Well. All I can tell you, without lying, is 3:30 Tuesday afternoon, I get a phone call in Calgary that Richie will not be able to perform for personal reasons and he won’t be coming. So we went to the show and I had two choices. Pack up the trucks or play. And we’ve been through this before so we played and had a replacement for him the next night. We’re very supportive of whatever he’s going through but I have yet to speak to him. That’s all I can say because I just don’t know any more."

"Ok, well! All I can say is that, honest to God, it's a personal matter, but we love him very much and he's absolutely still a member of the band."

"He has not been fired from the band, he is not ill, he's got some personal stuff that he's gotta deal with and I can't comment any further and it's not me being elusive, but it's for him to answer any further than that. We did not have a row, but we go on and he is always gonna be welcome as long as he's up for it."

"To keep addressing the Richie thing, and it's very difficult for us because, in truth, it's almost to the point... you've gotta ask him. He didn't show up, that's all that happened. He didn't get fired, we didn't have a fight. We've been through this before. And when he works through his personal issues, then he can talk about what date, if at all, he chooses to come back. We love him, we miss him, it's different but it's still just as good, and we're fortunate that the guy that filled in for him last time that he had issues was available, so the shows have not suffered one bit."

Tico:

"Richie's been a big part of our band, and so its difficult sometimes in life, everybody has personal lives, and you have to give people space, we'll continue on as a band, we miss him, and before, whatever it's worth, it's important to have your own life."

Richie:

"I'm doing ****ing great. This is a private matter but please know I love the band and you fans!"

"Don't worry bout me... I'm tip top and smilin..."

"Rockbridge guitars simply the best right now....just killer!"

He just doesn't want to play with the band right now, folks. Sounds like a Richie-problem to me. This is on him.

Thanks for the summary. I've sent a screenshot of this post to my non-obsessed Bon Jovi friends who haven't been following as closely as some of us :)

Appreciate this, thanks. You just missed this tweet from Richie:

Oh about the contest... So many to go thru and so much greatness I gotta come up with a plan... So many talented people....

Bring back Richie!

Yep - and the other three are making the best of it.

Its such a shame whats happening now, he really is the man when hes on form.

This thread should be renamed "The Richie Thing".

I like it or maybe Richie Gate 2 ?

I am really starting to think that the anniversary month of his fathers death and spending time with Ava in Hawaii has made him re evaluate things in his life.

I still have a feeling he will be back come June. After all he has said how important it is to play in Hyde Park. Hopefully we will find out more during the 10 day break.

I posted this in the Munich thread, but this is very it belongs...

I did talk to Obie yesterday inside the stadium. I asked him about Richie, he said he talks to him regularly and that he will definitely be back, just right now he has sone family stuff to take care about. I said, to me it looks like Richie is enjoying being a dad right now, and Obie said that yeah, Richie is spending a lot of time with his daughter, hinting in that direction.
I said that we are confused since we didn't get a definite statement from anyone, and Obie said Richie wanted to keep this issue as low as possible (paraphrasing, since I don't remember the exact words).

That's what he said. Don't know if he made it up or not, but he sounded definite about his return. My friend asked if there's a chance to see Richie in Cologne and Obie said yeah.

This response from Phil on Twitter would seem to indicate that he expects to be playing the upcoming UK shows:

http://i.imgur.com/B9Wql3h.png

Which would put the 6th June return at a bit of doubt. It doesn't say anything in so many words but it reads like the plan is still for Phil to continue.

Thanks for sharing! Family stuff? Uhmmm...

Yeah.. Sometimes I though to ask him if he's ready for Madrid and this way know the truth if Richie is coming or not but... I don't want to know the answer:( Ha!

Not necessarily. Maybe he isn't aware if Richie is coming back or perhaps he's been paid to play along until the band are ready to announce his return.

Could further fuel the argument that its a custody thing and with the LA school year nearing a close he's ready to return.

I honestly believe he will be back for the UK dates. I can't see him missing Hyde Park, Isle of Wight and Slane.

I couldn't have seen him missing South Africa & Munich.

I am really surprised nobody (in BJM) has told Obie to shut up at this point. For the record, I think he's full of shit.

And always have been full of shit.