I feel a bit like an elementary school girl being "called out" on the playground by the class bully here but I'm feeling a bit argumentative today so........ For those of you who haven't read Seb's Holland review, I'm Rainsong one of the two Americans he mentioned, or I should say slagged off, in his review as being "backstagers".

First and foremost I have to say that my understanding of this term is general, meaning that Seb has never directly explained to me his definition of a "backstager". Hmm, wonder why???? From my understanding it essentially means to him that I'm a blind faith follower of Bon Jovi, that no matter what they do, I'll say i like it and support it.

To a certain extent he's right. I'm a Bon jovi fan, have been one for twenty three years, I am at this point pre-disposed to "like" what the band puts out. Why shouldn't I? this is "my" band, the band I connect with, the band I'm willing to pack my bags and fly 2500 miles to see (I'm doing just that in July when i go to Philly for the stadium show). The reason I'm a fan of this band is because I like their music, if I didn't or I thought that all the post 2000 material was "weak" and not worthy of BJ putting their name on it, I'd stop going, and I would stop buying BJ music. I haven't done either so.... if this makes me a "backstager" then well I guess I am one.

The funny thing is Seb and I have never had a direct in depth conversation on Bon Jovi anything. As i recall from back when he was on the boards daily we did some sparring over certain aspects of Bon jovi material, mostly over his constant slagging off of Jon personally, which i never have understood really, meaning that Seb has never said to me directly what it is about Jon that he dislikes so much so I had to guess at what was behind it and all I could ever come up with is that he wants so badly to be Jon or to have Jon's success in life that in a weird sort of reverse phsycology his slagging him off about EVERYTHING is his way of showing it.

As for the new "the American tour leg sucked theme" that seems to be running through reviews now that the band pulled out DC and TD in Europe (which by the way is the place they usually play the TD songs anyway, it's a fact us Americans have learned to live with) my response is BULLSHIT!!!
A friend of mine emailed me a little youtube gem from Madison Square Garden this morning of THR live where the entire room is on their feet singing and raising their hands, that would be oh 18,000 to 20,000 people as I recall MSG"s concert capacity. there was no "dead" audience there so either all of them are "clueless idiots" (another of Seb's terms I believe) or that was one hell of a good BJ show going on . Personally, since I had friends there who told me so I'm going with the latter.

I went to six shows on the Arena tour in five cities. I saw three excellent/great shows, one good/ solid show, one paint by the numbers we're tired lets just do this show, and one absolutely magical show. Were the setlists everything i ever dreamed of??? Nope, but i got to see and hear some more rare stuff at a few of them. Hell it took me five shows before I got to see Welcome. I got BOB, NSG, LIS, ITA (it wasn't a staple in the set early in the tour) all songs I had't seen live in years. the band played great they sound really good and Jon is in the best voice I have heard from him in several years. We got a great tour period. As I said in the reviews post I'm as estatic as any diehard to see DC getting pulled off the shelf, I hope like hell that one makes it back across the pond as well as TD STBI and HG. but you know what?? If I go to Philly and I get none of those but the show I see is played well, Jon is in good voice and the set they do give us there is well done I'll say that it was worth what it cost me to go.