RICHIE Sambora heads for Glasgow tonight with his own band - but he's still hopeful he'll be back with Bon Jovi in the future.

The guitarist stepped away from the rock giants just prior to last year's Because We Can tour, which included a date at Hampden Park.

Amid a host of rumours and claims, Richie stated that he wanted more time with his family than another gruelling world tour.

But he still reckons he'll play with Jon and the boys again.

"I don't think I'm out of the band, and there's more to give," he says, ahead of his own show at the O2 ABC tonight.

"Right now, everybody as an artist or a person needs some individual enrichment and that's what I'm doing. Everybody's doing their own things, Tico's an amazing painter, Jon has acted, everyone has their own outlet away from the band.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out, although I wouldn't put a time frame on it."

When last year's dispute first flared up, the guitarist had far stronger words, and was critical of the group carrying on with a replacement guitarist.

Now he's in far more mellow mood. Over the past year he's mixed time at his home with his teenage daughter Ava alongside gigs with his own band, and a spell writing new songs.

He's adamant he needed some time in the slow lane.

"The travelling was arduous, I mean, I did that for 30 years and I'd defy anyone to do it for three weeks," he says.

"You miss your friends, you miss your family and when you come back after a long time away then things have changed - people die, are born, get married, get divorced and you're on the road.

"Being on the road is a big sacrifice. It's a great job, I have no complaints but I wanted to slow it down a little bit. As I was doing that, I was amassing songs and playing some gigs locally."

Richie's show tonight will be more focused around his previous solo work, some Bon Jovi classics and various rock n' roll covers that he and his band fancy a crack at.

Among his band is Australian guitarist Orianthi, who he's hoping to release an album with in the near future.

The pair are apparently an item offstage as well as on, and Richie's certainly besotted with her guitar skill.

"She's got some virtuosity as a guitarist, and we played some shows together," he raves.

"The response was amazing, and everyone started to ask about what it felt like to up there with a woman guitarist and that she could be the best female guitarist in he world.

"I said no, she could be the best guitarist in the world…

"It doesn't matter if you're a man, woman, black, white, purple or green - we're here playing music and it's good."

Having become well acquainted with the Hampden roar in recent years, Richie's in no doubt about what to expect tonight.

"The thing I most admire about the Scots is their passion for fun," he says.

"Everybody's just so nice - the first time we were there was about 1985 in a theatre, and the thing that struck you was the energy there from the crowd.

"I'm looking to plug back into that energy."

Richie's also been putting his own energy into a host of other areas, including charity projects helping fight against heroin and cancer.

He points to his parents for teaching him that he should try to help others if he could.

"My parents raised me that way, and I thank them for teaching me the right way to do things.

"If you can even give your time, working in a mission, then do it - there's a lot of people who can't give money but will show up and work to help others."

Richie Sambora, O2 ABC, tonight, £40, 7pm