.

Phil X Not Trying To Be Richie Sambora In Bon Jovi


. (Classic Rock) Phil X says he can't be himself when playing with Bon Jovi - and adds that he doesn't even try to be like the man he replaced. The guitarist - full name Philip Xenedis - stepped in for Richie Sambora in 2011 and again in 2013 when Sambora walked away for personal reasons. While he's loved every minute with Bon Jovi so far, Xenedis says he can't really be himself unless he's performing with his own band, The Drills.

Discussing his involvement in the upcoming film Hired Gun, Xenedis tells The Double Stop Podcast: "When you're a hired gun, your level of creative input is limited. Even when I toured with Bon Jovi, I couldn't be Richie, because I'm not. But I couldn't really be me, so I became this guy in the middle somewhere who was between the two.

"When I did the first 13 shows with Bon Jovi in 2011, on Sunday night I played in St Louis, it was the last show. Jon asked me to sing the last verse of Wanted Dead Or Alive and it was in front of 20,000 people. When I came home on Friday, I played at The Roxy with The Drills. And to me it was as exciting - 200 people, my songs, doing my thing, with people in the front freaking out." Read more here.

Classic Rock Magazine is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.
Copyright Classic Rock Magazine- Excerpted here with permission.

Bon Jovi Music, DVDs, Books and more

Bon Jovi T-shirts and Posters

Share this article

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it Share on Reddit email this article