Jon he’s never been short of confidence. 😁 The more time goes on, the more he looks like an old man shouting at the clouds. Since Covid, he’s gone full speed into conspiracy theories and acting a bit odd, so it wasn’t a total surprise that he did what he did. As I understand it, his argument was that he’s moving away from guitar based music to electronic and that can simply be played off a computer. Sleaford Mods do it, rappers do it (or off a turn table). I think that he was supported by a DJ as well. I think it was £40ish a ticket.
The added financial benefit is that he’s not got either a support band or backing band to pay, house or feed on tour. Plus he just rolls up and hour before kick off with an iPad and plugs it in. 😁
He’s just turned 60, and his best work is well behind him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t tour again and only did one more album/ep. Saying that, he’ll always be able to sell out 2,000 capacity venues, because there’s enough people that want to hear the best of his solo back catalogue and 2 or 3 Roses songs thrown in. His gigs are more like audience sing along’s anyway.
Money? You’d hope that he was well off, but he’s had a divorce and I think he’s got 3 kids. Brown’s 60, Mani is 60, Squire is 60 and Reni is approaching 59. Mani’s wife is currently in remission from cancer. I think the Roses died a death a long time ago and nothing will ever happen between them again, but they’ve probably got a 2 or 3 year window left to reform, write one last song and they’d easily do 100k over two nights at Lancashire Cricket Club as a final farewell, and get £1m each.