Phil X shared what Bon Jovi fans think about him being in the band in a recent chat with Guitar World at NAMM 2025.
First asked if there were any chances of live dates, he said, “There is stuff in the works. Nothing confirmed, but they’re working on stuff.”
Bon Jovi hasn’t been on tour since 2022 because of Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal health problems, who had surgery and needed time to recover. Even though they didn’t go on the road, the band released a new album, ‘Forever,’ and a documentary, ‘Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,’ last year with Phil X.
When asked if the documentary helped the guitarist get recognized more, he shared, “No, it’s still, ‘Hey, I love your Fretted Americana videos.’ I mean, if it’s a guy. If I walked through an airport, most guys are like, ‘Hey, I love your Fretted Americana videos.’ Most girls are like, ‘You’re doing great in Bon Jovi,’ and then, once in a while, you got, ‘Hey, I saw the documentary.'”
“But I’ve had – I mean, I’m in Episode 4 a lot. So, I get a lot, ‘Hey, you did a great job. You really come across like a really down-to-earth guy, and I think the fans that didn’t like you before like you more.’ So, that’s kinda cool. ‘Cuz I still get little comments I could be blazing on Instagram, and the comments like, ‘You’ll never be Richie.'”
Phil X started playing with Bon Jovi in 2013 but officially took over as their lead guitarist in 2016 after Richie Sambora left.
When he first joined, the band sent him DVDs of a 2010 Bon Jovi concert in Tokyo to learn the songs. At first, he had doubts about replacing Samora, as well, having a hard time watching through the video.
The guitarist also admitted, “I hit bad notes all the time. When it’s important, I really try not to, because I’m filling in for a guy [as] great [as] Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi. And the very first time I played live on a 12-string — like, a 12-string is not my thing, man, but it had to be. We’re in the encores, and I did a smoking-awesome set. But if I screw up, there’s people going, ‘That sucks.'”
“So, there’s things you don’t want to mess around with,” he added. “I believe I went into the Bon Jovi thing with the right the right mindset. It was like, ‘Okay, you can’t stray from the solo of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer.’ It’s gotta be that solo. There’s no, ‘Hey, let’s jam this out.'”
Phil still commented on replacing Sambora, saying, “I can’t be Richie, it’s not in my DNA. I can’t be full Phil X because me being full Phil the Drill isn’t going to work. I can’t be Riche Sambora because he’s a completely different human being.”
Apart from ‘Forever,’ Phil X also played on Bon Jovi’s ‘This House Is Not for Sale’ and ‘2020’ albums.
