2011 Tour -

I've been to 19 on this tour, and NMS night 4 was when they disappointed me BIG TIME. No, the setlist wasn't standard (although it also wasn't as good as it could have been considering they'd just come off of the O2 run), but there was no magic - no connection with the crowd. Just a band going through the motions. The only drama of the night was when Jon's calf blew up. The show was already toast at that point. Fortunately I followed up that awful show with the 2 shed shows in Saratoga and Cleveland, and in spite of VERY standard setlists, they were terrific. The difference in the band was like night and day. Sure, I want a good setlist, but if I didn't already know it, I certainly learned that weekend that HOW they play is infinitely more important than WHAT they play. Of course, it looks like those in Sydney got the ultimate - the setlists and the performances.

Just look at the website, Anthony - http://live2011tour.bonjovi.com/tour

I really understand what Seb is trying to say but I've learnt that it is impossible. And yes, people always happy and with everything and everyone and good at finding apologies for Jon drives me mad and angry. Sometimes I say to myself they are not as experienced fan as myself. But that's nonsense. I'm fan for 10 years, and I've been to four shows. I only own about 680 audio bootlegs and I don't know ho many video bootlegs, follow the band everyday so I have enough stuff to compare, judge and analyse. But what if this is the biggest fact that kills the pure fun of a rock show? Maybe. So I say if anyone is happy what they get and have, they are ****in' lucky. I'd love to have fun at every show (actually I had, the worst was probably the first one) no matter how many time I see them per tour. I've chosen the different way where there is no way back I guess. And in the end, everyone can have their own opinion. As I fully understand the disappointment of my friends at NMS in July, I must say that judging only from bootleg, I wouldn't say it way it was such a disaster. There were mistakes, the setlist was very standart apart from the opening and Open All Night but that's all. Of course, the previous three nights were miles better. And not only HappyFan here who I don't know but even Dave (paragon) said it was a good show. So it is always to one individual. I think it has a lot to do with expectations. One would expect that show in NMS would be very special. From a different point of view - first shows nowadays are far from special. Moreover it was a first show after so called European tour, so the difference is bigger because they went back to American standarts (I really feel sorry for you guys there, it's not fair). I just think that the show as such was a mistake, why three opening shows in May and then one in July?? Maybe Jon was thinking the same and as much as you should be a professional, when you don't want to be somewhere, when you don't agree with something, you act differently, moreover when you have to make a performance. I know it for myself from sports, it is also a performance. Rant over

I don't know why everyone expects shows in New Jersey to be so special. They play the area 10 or more times a tour. The same fans come out to see them over and over again and they're the same fans who've seen the band a dozen times before. It's not a big deal for the audience in New Jersey to have a Bon Jovi concert. Go to Omaha, Nebraska. That's where you'll find the fans pissing themselves with excitement because the band hasn't been there in 20 years. I've see them in New Jersey and I've seen them in Nebraska and if I had to choose, I'd go back to Nebraska. The band feeds on that kind of energy where there's a real excitement in the air. The only real draw of the New Jersey shows is seeing friends like Kathleen, Paul, Kev, etc. I've seen better shows in smaller markets.

ETA: Another draw of the Jersey shows is that they do multiple night so you get more value for your travel budget.

Becky has a point here. I get to see many shows per tour without having to travel or get on a plane at all - I'm not complaining about that either. Occasionally New Jersey gets a one off awesome show - such as Giants 2006 last show.

Frankly over the years, I think I have seen better setlists in Philadelphia though. The first 3 New Meadowlands nights this past May were awesome. For people who are die-hard Dry County fans (and I count myself as one) you couldn't have asked for better shows.

Night 4 was much later and it just didn't have the spark, the setlist or enthusiasm of the first 3 shows. Way before Jon was injured most of us there were texting each other and saying WTF happened? It was just flat - not a horrible show but very uninteresting.

I don't think it had to do with the fact that a bunch of us had seen too many shows. As Terri mentioned - we went on to some shed shows and thought they were FAR better - even though the setlist was pretty ordinary.

It's not about expecting more out of Jersey. New Meadowlands Night Four was a ****ing travesty. The band was off, the singer didn't care, and the set was lame. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but I can't see how someone who saw the band multiple times on this tour didn't see how bad this show was. It's not about "having fun" and "not being IPod perfect." The versions of DC I've seen haven't been "IPod perfect", nor has any other song I've seen from this band.

Why is it that in Europe they seem to play better than they do in America?

That question is automatically going to turn this thread into Country A's crowds vs. Country B's crowds which tends to be a touchy subject but there in lies your answer: crowds.

Oh I see. So European crowds are much better I can live with that.

Guess Europe won't have a circle
Picture is taken from ticket sale site of BWJBJ