Richie Sambora's London Gig Review

"Richie Sambora - Shepherds Bush Empire, London. Wednesday July 22."

Poor old Richie. For the best part of two hours, he proves that he can cut it as a frontman in his own right. Then his old mate Jon Bon Jovi joins him for a couple of encores and totally steals the show. Oh well, there's always the day job to go back to...

The Empire is rammed tonight, and small wonder. It's not every day that a major league rock star like Richie Sambora plays a relatively intimate venue like this. For Bon Jovi fans accustomed to seeing their heroes in `Armageddon' - sized craters like the Milton Keynes Bowl, tonight's show provides a rare opportunity to see Richie up close and personal.

For Richie, gigs like this are a blast, a chance to do his own thing while the boss is - figuratively speaking, at least - taking a busman's holiday to make a solo record and another movie or two. If Richie is feeling any sense of pressure tonight, being the main attraction and all, he certainly isn't showing it. The man strolls onstage, head to toe in black, every inch the rock `n' roll star, shit-eating grin on his face. He slips a guitar over his shoulder, leads his slick band into the first song and makes it all look as
piss-easy as making a cup of tea (strong, white, no sugar, Richie).

The first song is of course `Made In America', lead-off track on the man's latest (second) solo album, `Undiscovered Soul'. Unfussy and supremely catchy, reminiscent of blue collar rock hero John Mellencamp, it sets the tone nicely for both album and gig. And after just two songs, two points have been made abundantly clear. Firstly, Richie Sambora is an assured performer in his own right. Secondly, his backing singer Crystal Tallifero is very sexy indeed. Grinding her hips and whacking a cowbell, Crystal makes Skin,
Shirley, Rayna and the rest look like schoolgirls. And when she duets beautifully with Richie on `Falling From Graceland', you know she's not in the band just to look good.

`Bad Medicine' is the first blast from the past. Following a couple of slow- ish solo numbers it's a welcome shot of hard rock, and naturally everyone in the gaff sings along. Another Bon Jovi tune, `I'll Be There For You', is next up, followed by the first of three Beatles covers, `You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'. The new single `In It For Love' is a little too nice but `Undiscovered Soul', the song, is Richie Sambora at his best, recalling the drama of Bon Jovi's `Blood on Blood'.

After a passable cover of The Temptations' `Papa Was A Rollin' Stone', Richie pulls out another Bon Jovi classic in `Wanted Dead Or Alive'. How can you beat a song that includes the line `I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all'? Not by playing a pub rock version of The Beatles' `Get Back', that's for sure, but Richie is quickly back on track with an acoustic `Livin' On A Prayer' before encoring with another Beatles' standard, `With A Little Help From My Friends'.

This, of course, is where Jon comes in, walking out from the wings as slowly as possible to milk the crowd's understandably ecstatic reaction. Jon has learned well from all those old gun-slinger movies.

Without even breaking a sweat, Jon completely upstages his old buddy - but as Richie knows only too well, that's the price you pay for inviting a superstar up for a song or two, even if he is your mate. It's all smiles at the end, though: Richie and Jon finishing their `80s tear-jerker `Never Say Goodbye' with a hug and a wave to an exhilarated London crowd.

Er, Milton Keynes next year then, boys?

High Point: Jon Bon Jovi's supreme rock star entrance
Low Point: A frankly godawful version of The Beatles' `Get Back'.
Best On Stage Quote: "Are ya glad to see me?" Richie asks. "Cos I'm sure as f**k glad to see you!".
Verdict: Well what did you do on your holidays?

(review by Paul Elliott)

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