ALoha !

How is it an exaggeration when you're saying they're playing half empty venues?

Bon Jovi were capable of playing in front of an average of 45.000 people every night. The number has dwindled down to an average of 35.000 people. By no means is an average of 35.000 small but it's still a decrease of 22%.

They've also started playing different markets because the interest in their core market has decreased. While Germany used to get about 6 shows the number has gone down to 4. London, Munich and Vienna haven't sold out in years. They've stopped doing shows in Holland because the interest just isn't there anymore. So many people want them to play Wembley but it's highly unlikely they'd be able to sell out a venue holding 90.000 people when the last time the band played London they couldn't sell out Hyde Park. So the band had to go explore different markets, hence the addition of shows in Eastern Europe. The money has to come from somewhere, right? With a stage production of a stadium act you'll have to do a certain amount of shows to break even or to make a profit.

I think the sales of Australia are a pretty good indication as to how well the band will do in Europe. Sydney and Melbourne are Australia's Munich and London. They'll do well. But Bon Jovi need the other markets to make money on a tour, and if Adelaide and Brisbane don't sell well, then places in other European countries will most likely do the same here either.

Now it's not just a Bon Jovi thing. The interest in stadium acts has been going down for years, it's a bit of a thing of the past I reckon. But Bon Jovi are expensive nowadays. While GoldCircle was 45GBP in 2003 it now costs 150% more. With the money these concerts costs not many are willing to shell out that much just to watch a video screen with poor acoustics. A sales drop of another 22% means Bon Jovi will draw an average of 20.000 people in Norway, Czech Republic, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and several shows in Germany and the U.K. That's close to half your European tour. Besides that, they'd have to play smaller venues in other countries as well.

20.000 people means Bon Jovi will either do a smaller tour (Dublin, Manchester, London, Munich, Cologne, Vienna, Milan and 3 additional shows somewhere) or will have to become an arena band. Think O2 arena. I know, it's what a lot of fans would love to see. So arena's are the solution? Not really. Playing arena's is pretty much impossible for Bon Jovi because their fee is just too high to spread it out over 20.000 seats as opposed to the 45.000 they used to sell. Remember the ticket prices for the O2 arena? You'd have that all over Europe. And even though their run at the O2 arena did relatively well not one of their shows there was sold out back in 2010 exactly because of the insane prices. Unless you're the Rolling Stones you won't be able to get away with such ticket prices.

I think they'll give Europe a shot next year but I also think that, unless some miracle happens, it'll be the last time they'll tour Europe. The interest just isn't there anymore and Jon's certainly not going to lower his fee.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan