Phil X on Going From Sub Guitarist to a Full Member of Bon Jovi
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE AS TARIS BORN moments when Phil X stepped into Bon Jovi to sub for a rehab-bound Richie Sambora in 2011. And that could have been the end of the fairy tale. But, fortunately, the guitarist kept being available when he was needed, and when Sambora exited the band for good in 2013, Phil X continued to hold down the guitar chair for live performances—eventually becoming a full member in 2016, and joining Bon Jovi in the studio for the group’s latest release, This House Is Not For Sale [Island].
It’s probably every guitar player’s dream to be called in to sub for a famous guitarist in a massive, hit-making band like Bon Jovi. Was that a mind-blower for you, as well?
I like people being aware of the whole situation when they step into a position like this, and for me, the premise is that the show must go on. It’s like a sports team. If a pitcher throws his arm out, you don’t cancel the game, you get another pitcher. And Jon Bon Jovi is a smart guy. He knows the trucks have to keep going, and the crew has to keep working, because there are fans out there who want to see you play. I mean, I see the same faces at 30 or 40 shows! You don’t tell those people, “Oh, we’re going to cancel the tour.” There’s a lot at stake.
How did you prep yourself for taking over the guitar spot?
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2017 من Guitar Player.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2017 من Guitar Player.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How I Wrote..."Year of the Cat"
AI Stewart reflects on his beguiling hit, some 10 years in the making.
UAFX
Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor
LINE 6
POD Express
MAN OF STEEL
He brought the Dobro to centerstage with his dazzling talent. As he drops his first album in seven years, Jerry Douglas reflects on his gear, career and induction in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
HIGH TIME
The new MC5 album took more than 50 years to arrive. The band members have all passed on, but the celebration is just beginning.
58 YEARS OF GUITAR PLAYER
As Guitar Player moves full-time to its online home, we look back at some of its greatest stories in print.
DRAGON TALES
In a Guitar Player exclusive, Jimmy Page sheds light on the amplifiers behind his Led Zeppelin tone and how they live again in his line of Sundragon signature amps.
CLOSER TO HOME
Rehearsal space, studio, vessel and abode Diego Garcia's boat is the home base for his new album, as well as his musical life as the seafaring Spanish guitarist Twanguero.
Funk Noir
With The Black Album, Prince made his greatest-and most infamousmusical statement.
Medium Cool
Striking the middle ground between its Thinline brethren, Gibson's ES-345TD remains a versatile, if underrated, gem.
