Just a thought on all those bickering over the set lists

the crowd makes the show yeh...

during MK i was on the barrier with all the FANS... huddersfield i had this fat woman who kept hitting me in the back because i was talking to my mate during the delirious set... and 13 year olds drunk drinking beer...

everyone was singing a long... didn't know raise your hands.... band wasn't loud enough...

Aloha !

Well, I think that when almost everyone agrees that the setlists suck recently, then that might be true. They are not complaining about the fact that Bon Jovi plays crap. I've heard bootlegs from this tour and they sound very sharp and Jon's voice is good, a lot better then the Crush and OWN tour.

We are just complaining about the setlists, they aren't so inventive as they used to be.

You're saying that because they play this sort of setlists, they still sell out venues ? That's pure nonsense. When you buy a ticket you do not know what they will be playing so that's no reason why they sell out stadiums.
The These Days tour by the way was very succesfull, so I don't get your point about that. Everyone is still talking about that tour, so I don't think there was anything wrong with that.

We are not saying we want that, we just want some real surprises in the setlist.

That's true. I'll always be happy when I leave a Bon Jovi show. But I'll be disappointed too when they keep playing stuff I've heard by now. So I'll be even more happier when they play unusual stuff.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I actually think the majority of the crowd will be there to hear Prayer, Always, IML, KTF (Crossroads) & of course the new album. Hence - the current setlist is the reason for selling the majority of tickets. If u said to one of these fans before they got the ticket - you're not gonna hear Prayer, Bad Name or IML - they'd put their money away.

Whilst I'd love a few rare tracks - most of the crowd would not.

Mike

I remember the last show I went to see in 2001..they played "These Days." Over 80% of the crowd SAT DOWN during the song. I was so pissed, but it makes you realize, yeah, I would LOVE to hear certain songs, but there are more people there who DON'T know those songs. I dont complain about Set lists anymore, but I used to. Bad Name, Prayer, etc, have to be played, because there are MANY people at Bon Jovi shows who are there to hear those, and of course they are gonna play songs from Bounce, that is the point of the tour.

Yes but it is still a bit weird that they play covers i mean they did a lot of good songs themself. And there are certain songs i don't appreciate like: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and I Got The Girl.. Bad Medicine is ok but it is overplayed.. Like Supersonic said we need some real surprises.

that's rubbish - the current setlist is a reflection of high album/single sales

not the reason for selling the majority of tickets...

you couldn't be more wrong: most people (myself included in 1996 and prob most since lack of many internet users) don't know much of the band when they attend the first show...

they book a ticket because they like what they've heard (usually the most current single)... they don't know what they will get at a show...

hearing say it isn't so or next 100 years to them is just as much a surprise as hearing homebound train would be, because they wouldn't have any expectations to begin with...

please don't think i'm bashing your opinions today, because i'm not and i like you a lot, but you've ever completely been misreading (or as you admitted not reading) me tonight or are just wrong with that statement

Yeah - it does sound pretty stupid having read it back, but I think maybe it is being misinterpreted. What I mean by the setlist selling most tickets...is that the songs currently being played r the ones ppl want to hear & hence why they buy the tickets (not because they have heard these r being played - but because they expect thats what will be played. They may not know the setlists / what BJ r playing, but would be disappointed if BJ didn't play what they had come to hear (which is what they r playing) - I.e. Greatest Hits / New stuff. BJ r very popular & big these days - & a large number of their songs are very well known - even by non-fans.

Thats what I meant - I guess it has been one of those nights

Mike

you're forgiven

but one basic flaw in that argument....

once they've sold the tickets and got their money why are they bothered if the masses are a little unhappy because there were 4 or 5 rarish 80s songs as part of the setlist of 22?? after all they have the money and most won't be going to shows in future tours, unless they like the next album.

The concert in Atlanta was wake up call for me. I've been disappointed reading current setlists, but I realized at the show that they know what they're doing. They aim to please people and that's EXACTLY what they do. When you hear people shouting, "That was awesome!" and "Bon Jovi rocks" as you leave the arena, you know the band has done something right.

They sacrifice some of the songs THEY want to play for the sake of the hits too. Jon said Mystery Train was his favorite song from Crush and the one he was most looking forward to playing. It didn't go over that well, so it rarely makes an appearance now. Richie's Stranger In This Town went over like a lead balloon in the USA and now he's singing a recognizable song like I'll Be There For You instead. You know, he'd probably rather play one of his own songs, but he might want to balance it with pleasing the audience too.

If they please people, then the word of mouth is good and those people will want to come back for more later. If they play songs that no one recognizes or songs that make people want to sit down, their not entertaining and people will leave disappointed and not come back.

When my friends and I left Atlanta, all we wanted to do was find our way to Nashville somehow. So, the band did something right.

Becky

I have to agree with Becky. It was easier to complain until I saw them last week. I left there with a new appreciation for the band.

I even popped Bounce into the CD player the next day.