Sambora Solo Tour: ‘Bargain Basement’ Bon Jovi

The best hotels, packed arenas, royal rock-star treatment, all-around opulence--that’s all taken for granted when touring with Bon Jovi, one of rock’s most popular bands.

But things are different now for Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist Richie Sambora, who’s on his own tour promoting his first solo album, “Stranger in This Town” on Mercury Records.

“This is the bargain-basement version of a Bon Jovi tour,” said Sambora, who’s playing 1,000- to 2000-seat theaters in 16 cities on a monthlong U.S and European tour. The Southern California leg includes a Tuesday show at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Does the change bother Sambora?

“No, I’m a down-to-earth type guy who doesn’t need all that pampering,” he said. “Anyway, as a solo performer I have to start on a lower level.”

Sambora, 32, couldn’t have done a lavish tour anyway. The audience just isn’t there, what with the recession rocking the concert business and his album being snubbed by Top 40 radio.

“I probably couldn’t have picked a worse time to tour, but I had to do it while the album is still current,” he said.

While this isn’t a princely rock tour, Sambora said that he’s not skimping on the show’s production values or musicians:

“People are used to elaborate Bon Jovi shows and a certain quality, and I’m associated with that. I have an image to uphold, so the whole thing can’t look tacky. Excellent lights, good equipment, quality musicians--they don’t come cheap.”

He should know. He’s footing the bill for much of the tour. “If I wanted to tour I had no choice but use some of my own money,” he said. “I’ll lose money--probably a lot of money.”

In his show, Sambora plays his entire album, some Bon Jovi numbers and some outside material, including a Jimi Hendrix tune. Though his band includes two Bon Jovi cohorts--keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres--audiences will see a different side of Sambora.

“The way (singer) Jon (Bon Jovi) does things is more controlled, more straight-rock-oriented,” Sambora said. “There’s a whole lot more improvisation in my show. I give the musicians more freedom and let them jam more.

“Also my show is more diversified than a Bon Jovi show, with more acoustic pieces and a lot of blues pieces. We don’t play blues in Bon Jovi.”

As a front man, though, Sambora will be fairly subdued. “I don’t run around like Bon Jovi and I’m not that animated,” he said. “If you’re looking for that, look somewhere else.”