I'm thinking that too. Look at the quote from Jon. His not in hospital, not in jail but they love and support him. The more I read that, the more I see that as Jon saying that they love and support him, no matter what he wants to do. He has his support 100%. They wrote this leg of the tour, maybe to give him time to think it through and see what he really wants to do. Maybe this break made Richie think, he didn't want to continue with the tour.

The only thing that stops me completely thinking that is, Richie wouldn't leave in a middle of the tour. They were having a good time on stage lately and Jon would be lost on tht stage without him, he will work himself to the bone, it will kill him. Also to end 30 years of legacy and brotherhood like this? just up and leave. I don't want Bon Jovi to end like this and it will ruin the rest of the tour for the band. Either through people say that the band will go on, it won't be the same.

What an atrocious cunt. Matt not you.

Anyway I look up personal in the dictionary. It said.

Person who has fallen off the wagon while deciding that he does not want to carry on working in his current organization as his family is ill.

So by that definition, Richie is missing because of all the reasons

I've read all of your comments and feel like I need to say what I think of the situation, though nobody here probably gives a ****.

First of all I want to say that to me Richie Sambora is, at least in studio, something that you can't take off Bon Jovi. As Such once said, Richie makes Jon Bon Jovi songs sound like Bon Jovi.

Now, in 2011 we can understand, the guy was a mess, and they continued with the tour... and it was great! Really, Phil X was a great addition to the band, and the I'll Be There For You of Nassau Colliseum and the Lay Your Hands On Me of the Jazz Festival in New Orleans (I don't know if I'm writing well the names of the venues or festivals, but well, can't remember everything) were amazing, probably the bests in the whole tour.

The situation is different now, second time in two tours that this happens and there're people in the USA that are getting a "Bon Jovi" show without Richie. This time, they should cancel the remaining dates of the North-american tour. Yesterday it was too late to cancel the gig, and maybe is late to cancel the one for today, but just call it a day and come back for the European tour.

Also, I don't know what's the deal with Richie this time. But in any other band he would have been kicked out a long time ago

About him leaving the band, I'd totally suck. I can't imagine the band without him. But I'd still buy the albums, I like Jon's solo effrots, I like his voice and I really love how David plays so I would still have a reason to follow the band.

And maybe it wouldn't be as catastrophic as everyone's saying, maybe Jon would start listening to David and stop being a dictator with what's left of the band. Also, it could mean that he doesn't have another strong member there and he could do with Bon Jovi whatever he wants, but I totally see David and Tico leaving the band (specially Tico) if that happens and they would just disband.

What we need is an explanation, there's people that payed for something and aren't getting it for the second time in a row.

Oh, and I've read people saying that Richie should take lead vocals in Bon Jovi as Jon can't sing anymore, but now Richie is intouchable? You're no different of the "Jon lovers". And like it or not, the voice is the only thing IMO that can't be replaced as is something unique, also, Jon is the frontman. Like it or not, he's the only one that is extremelly essential to the band. And if Richie leaves in the middle of the tour he's the most unprofessional musician ever, you can't do that, is a lack of respect to every single fan.

There doesn't seem to be any tour dates listed for the near future on the Drills website and if you read the Phil X twitter page it sounds like he's been at home taking it easy. IMO, if there's going to be a replacement while Richie is "away", it should be Phil if at all possible. He already has the experience playing Bon Jovi music and did a decent job filling in last tour. I cringe at the thought of them continuing on with just Jon and Bobby trying to cover the guitar parts.

Not an option so don't worry.

If Phil X replaces Richie for the tour, I think we should all go to the gigs in a Drills t-shirt :)

You are trying to have a very semantic argument with me about something I was not trying to debate. My original point was that substance abuse is not a disease.

I have not attempted to shame you or to make anyone think anything about you at all. In my experience of alcoholism I do not find that calling it a disease is an appropriate term. As I said previously some people are predisposed to addiction and that is a scientific fact. That does not make alcoholism a disease. What I said was not ignorant in the slightest.

Alcoholism is a very complex condition and you should be a lot more careful about how you address it. You are a extremely rude, aggressive and ignorant.

I agree with everything man!

Can I stress how we still don't know what the cause is? All this talk and discussion is all well and good BUT its not confirmed that its the reason. Personally, I don't think it is, certainly not at the short notice that was given, and all Richies tweets and attitude in the run up were not of someone who was planning to do anything other than turn up and play. The demeanour doesn't seem to point to that. Ditto with the "leaving and going solo" nonsense- it could happen for Richie to go his own way and tour in Europe/Asia (where he was much better received) but he wouldn't do that on the afternoon of the show, sticking two fingers up to the hand that feeds you is not a good idea.

But we just don't know, and the Bon Jovi camp are really not helping themselves by clamming up. Matt is a dreadful mouthpiece for the band and the silence from BJ just allows the rumour mill and gutter press to spiral out of control when they could quash this without giving too much away if they choose.

Even reports like this: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/ne...t-of-tour.html whilst not saying anything other than the sparse facts that are about, the wording is so poor that it reads as Richie has quit the whole tour. Just simply poor wording on a very popular entertainment site and the story is ramped up again.

Can I put my mod hat on also and remind everyone that thanks to the lack of concrete info from the BJ camp, people will be looking to here for any info on Richie they can get and to remind everyone to be sensible and not make up any silly stories, bash or inflame or quote from deliberately unreliable sources. Any shit like that can get quoted on social networks and spiral out of control and we don't want that happening with this situation. We're all behaving like adults thus far, lets not give JT a bad rap again with some people.

That was rude and your original comment
"... and addiction is classified as a disease... Fact. Your ignorance is a choice" was also rude.

Both comments were completely uncalled for. Its people like you that stop me from bothering to post on forums.

My first thought when reading this wasn't that he'd fallen off whatever wagon, but maybe that Heather Locklear had or something had happened with his daughter.

I will probably be proven wrong, but a teenage daughter and the fact her mother has been in rehab recently herself might have had something to do with this?

Yes, I feel bad for the US fans and I'm worried about my own commitments to seeing them this tour if they aren't there as a full band - but so far details are sketchy at best.

Not that this confirms anything but Phil is pretty regular on his twitter page, several posts a day, but there has been nothing from yesterday or today yet. Things that make you go hmmmmm....

... and you are patronising and self-serving... why bring up your experience if not to give yourself a better standing in an argument I didn't start/want/ask you to join? I wasn't even debating anything with you and my 'semantic argument' was based around substance abuse, not alcoholism...

You said substance abuse was not an addiction. I pointed out that certainly, in Richie's case, scientific fact backs up that it is. I ask you again... how is that rude? Why should I take care? Please, enlighten me on how I've strayed and offended people? I am not the one writing off 20 years of study and medical findings and alienating millions of people who battle with this disease on a daily basis.

No i said its not a disease and that's the whole point.

I mentioned my experience because in the process of trying to dismantle my argument you stated you had no experience of alcoholism at all. That's the sole reason I mentioned it. You are making it more relevant every time you respond.

I would agree, Phil X's Twitter has been a lot quieter today than usual. There's a 70 day gap to his next gig, so he would seem to be available, but if they would need him to Phil-in again, I would expect a few days for them to sort out the details and to give him a bit of practice time, certainly for the WAN songs.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism

Within the first paragraph: Medically recognized as a disease.

Not all medical professionals agree on that I can assure you.

That's one sad thing to read. I for one love the whole band, not just JBJ.

Ugh, can you guys just stop fighting and vote in my thread and discuss on who wins in a fist fight - Jon or Richie?!

Haha. I'm going for Jon, Richie might not show :)

You missed out this bit...

'I pointed out that certainly, in Richie's case, scientific fact backs up that it is. I ask you again... how is that rude? Why should I take care? Please, enlighten me on how I've strayed and offended people? I am not the one writing off 20 years of study and medical findings and alienating millions of people who battle with this disease on a daily basis.'

Please... enlighten me.

There is no argument... I stated something in response to someone saying Richie would be sacked in the real world for his substance abuse issues... you're the one making it a circus for your own ends.

People here do not find this to be a particularly engaging argument, so it ends now. You've both had sufficient space to make your argument and be done with it. Thank you. Now back to our endless Richie speculation.

Phil could learn the 7 or so possible What Aboot Now songs in less then an hour.

It's hard to see how it's something other than rehab. The sudden announcement, and not that he would miss a show or two, but the whole month? And Jon said he's not in the hospital, so presumably no kind of accident. And Jon pledging his love and support. We don't have any facts, but sure seems like it.

IF it is rehab, it's not good for the current lineup carrying on for a long period of time. Given how driven Jon is and how much he likes to perform, I don't think he will stop the Bon Jovi machine just because Richie can't get his shit together. Prayers, RS.

Like I said in the other thread: If Richie leaves, I'll leave.

You are unaware of the fact that medics, neuroscientists and other professionals do not agree about this. You need to enlighten yourself.

Should have seen that coming :lol: He'll be there tonight then and learn them on the bus there!

I don't think it's reasonable to come down on one side of the argument and then announce its over. You have not answered the debate over whether alcoholism is a disease by posting a link to Wikipedia.

I wish they'd release an official statement or anything just to stop all these assumptions, judgements and arguments all over the internet. Whatever it is, Richie and the guys obviously wanted to keep it private, at least for a while. What they get is a bunch of rumours and insults. I get that people want to know what's going on, hell, it's pretty much all I've been thinking about today, but I also get that maybe, just maybe, they want to take some time before releasing additional info.

The thought of Richie leaving the band scares the hell out of me. Obviously he enjoyed doing the solo stuff, but I really don't see him just ditching the band like that in the middle of a tour, a couple of hours before a show.
Rehab... maybe, but it seems so out of the blue, really. Don't know what to think. Don't want to think about it, actually, so I'll just wait for the info before I drive myself crazy.

I agree with those who say they should postpone the rest of the shows, especially since this has happened before. If they get a replacement, I don't care who it is; nothing and no one can replace the Jon/Richie magic onstage. Nothing compares to that. I don't care if Jon messes up the lyrics or Richie messes up the solos, they are at their best when they're together. I adore Richie's solo stuff, I love Jon's as well, but the two of them together + David, Tico and Hugh - to me that's the true magic.

Whatever it is, I hope it gets resolved soon, I hope that he's OK and that his family's OK.

Honestly, who cares really? Obviously, I hope Richie is ok. But he hasn't played on a Bon Jovi record…since…no idea…since forever. He's been absent from the albums and even live he's been just a shadow of himself for a long long time. So maybe they finally break the **** up now and stop making absolute fools of themselves. Let's face it. Bon Jovi 2013 is just rubbish.

Just call it quits, do your solo shit, take care of your families, of your health, of golf and art and musicals and everything else you believe in, because musically, there is nothing left in Bon Jovi as a band! And that won't change with this whole mess Richie seems to have made out of it.

About the alcoholism thing, homosexuality was considered a disease until 1990, so it's not like "Wikipedia says is a disease, it's the word of god".

I'm not going to say my opinion as is not the point of this thread.

I didn't come down on one side. I directed you to a widely used online source. You mistake me for arguing with you when in reality I don't give a shit. I am directing you to end this argument because it is boring everyone else. You may start a new thread under NBJ - Everything Else and spend your days arguing this topic. You may not commandeer a thread about Richie being out on this leg of the Bon Jovi tour with it.

You can hardly have a dig at Purist, you still didn't answer my question about what I've done that requires me to take care? Look at the whole question... PM me instead of grandstanding... it doesn't become you.

Meanwhile, at stately Wayne Manor... Matt's tweets are, as usual, about as enlightening as you'd expect him to be. Still not thinking this is about Richie falling off the wagon though.

Hear, Hear couldnt agree more!

Hope he learns Pictures of You fast.

Where are you going?

Oh do bore off. Grandstanding? Yes I can have a dig, I've just done it.
I've no reason to PM you, instead of thinking you are right and that's it, just accept a debate exists about whether or not alcoholism is a disease. That's all you need to do, if you had the capacity to do that you wouldn't have attacked my original post so aggressively.

Aloha !

I actually find the discussion in regards to alcoholism being a disease or not a lot more interesting than the pointless speculation as to why Richie's left. The latter is based upon assumptions while the former can easily be solved by bringing in plenty of proof as to why it is. But then again, you'll always find people saying certain sources aren't valid when its not up to their person standards (global warming, homosexuality, the list is endless).

But yeah, let's all go back to assuming Richie has probably left Bon Jovi at 3:30PM.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

This is not like the climate change debate. Alcoholism, disease or not is a real debate that real professionals have with one another. Read the World Health Organistion reports.

Couldn't care less about the alcoholism as a disease debate.