He made his name as the lead guitarist of rock legends Bon Jovi and made headlines last year when he departed the band in the middle of their 2013 world tour. Now Richie Sambora is heading to Australia for Soundwave 2014, today announced as part of the latest lineup for the festival favourite.
Sambora says that even after more than 30 years in the game, being a headliner at a major festival is still a surprise to him. “I don’t consider myself a headliner, I don’t think like that. I never felt like as a musician ever that I was in competition with everybody. As a musician, as a songwriter, as a record-maker, as an entertainer, you go out there, you put the band together, and you do the best you can.”
The legendary axeman is stoked to be heading back Down Under. “I felt the love from you guys from the minute I stepped on the shore. I mean, you guys have open arms for me and, you know, I have a lot of Australian fans, man, and I’m looking… I’m actually… I don’t know what the right word is. Psyched isn’t enough.”
And can Aussie fans expect some Bon Jovi tunes from the live Sambora show alongside his solo material? “Oh, absolutely. I mean, listen, man, I wrote that stuff. They’re my songs too, you know and I’ll make them my own in a different way. So there’ll definitely be some stuff.”
He adds, “I’m gonna read the crowd. When you come out there as a frontman, you have to feel how the crowd is feeling. But I’ll tell you what, why don’t you ask everybody to make some requests and then you can give ’em to me, and I’ll do ’em.”
You heard the man.
The third Soundwave 2014 lineup announcement has finally dropped — full details here!
Check out our entire series of podcasts right here!
Listen: Music Feeds Podcast Episode #67 – Richie Sambora
http://youtu.be/j7Wy0eUr8tw
Soundwave 2014 Dates & Venues
Saturday, 22nd February 2014
RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane
Tix: Via Soundwave Festival
Sunday, 23rd February 2014
Olympic Park, Sydney
Tix: Via Soundwave Festival
Friday, 28th February 2014
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Tix: Via Soundwave Festival
Saturday, 1st March 2014
Bonython Park, Adelaide
Tix: Via Soundwave Festival
Monday, 3rd March 2014
Claremont Showgrounds, Perth
Tix: Via Soundwave Festival
