O'Ree, who formed the Matt O'Ree Band in 1994, will step in as the group's new axe man for an upcoming tour of South Asia and the Middle East, which begins on Friday (11Sep15) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Bandiera has been touring with the band since 2005 as a second guitarist alongside lead guitarist Phil X, who was hired to replace Richie Sambora following his departure from the group in 2013.

No reason has been given for the line-up change, which comes days after the band's first-ever concerts in China were reportedly cancelled over the use of a picture of exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama at a show in Taiwan in 2010.