Changing the setlists

I don't want to start a Bruce versus JBJ competition argument but I just want to use the following as an example...

Why can't the band mix the sets around? I'm not criticising rhetorically i'm asking - each time i do everyone shoots me down... but it's not a question of the new fans NEEDING to hear certain songs, and we've discussed in the past how much room there actually is for manouevre...

Look at this example of 3 consecutive BS&ESB shows

March 11 / Rochester, NY / Blue Cross Arena
Notes: "Incendiary" was how one witness described Bruce's performance, making the tour premiere of "Fire" all the more appropriate. From opening with "No Surrender" to "Fire" by request in the second encore, Bruce was extra loose and the show was chock full of surprises: "My Love Will Not Let You Down," "Blinded By the Light," "Nothing Man," "Backstreets," and "Night" all made the set. "Countin' on a Miracle" and "Thunder Road" were originally on the setlist but crossed off, to great effect. Also not making the show was Patti Scialfa, out sick for the second night in a row.
Setlist: No Surrender/The Rising/Lonesome Day/My Love Will Not Let You Down/Empty Sky/You're Missing/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Blinded By the Light/Worlds Apart/Badlands/She's the One/Mary's Place/Nothing Man/Backstreets/Night/Into the Fire
First Encore: Bobby Jean/Ramrod/Born to Run
Second Encore:My City of Ruins/Born in the U.S.A./Land of Hope and Dreams/Fire/Dancing in the Dark
March 10 / Providence, RI / Dunkin Donuts Center
Notes: Patti is unable to make the Providence show due to illness-- "She's sick... sick of me!" Bruce jokes. "She sends her regards." We're told that the sound was "a little thin at times," but Soozie did an admirable job making up for Patti's absence. (Get well soon, Patti.) "War" opens the show for only the second time, and several rarities make their first 2003 appearance -- "Night," "The Fuse," and "Spirit in the Night." "If I Should Fall Behind" takes the solo piano slot. The "local special" was a poignant one, as Springsteen and the E Street Band played one for the victims of The Station tragedy (on February 20, nearly 100 people died in a fire at the Rhode Island nightclub) -- "Bobby Jean" opened the encore, dedicated to those who died in the flames.
Setlist: War/The Rising/Lonesome Day/Night/Candy's Room/The Fuse/Empty Sky/You're Missing/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Spirit in the Night/Worlds Apart/Badlands/Out in the Street/Mary's Place/Thunder Road/Countin' on a Miracle/If I Should Fall Behind (solo piano)/Into the Fire
First Encore: Bobby Jean/Ramrod/Born to Run
Second Encore:My City of Ruins/Born in the U.S.A./Land of Hope and Dreams/Dancing in the Dark

March 7 / Atlantic City, NJ / Boardwalk Hall
Notes:A true Jersey-style house party. The show was bookended with Atlantic City treats, but from start to finish it was one for the ages. The band came out as a group to the strains of the Miss America theme, and Bruce was in high spirits, clearly touched to be playing Boardwalk Hall, later saying that it was "real old school tonight" and mentioning the bands (Beatles, Stones) who once graced that stage. He also had plenty to say tonight, particularly after "Empty Sky:" "One thing that bothers me, as a songwriter you always write to be understood." He discussed the "I want an eye for an eye" line, contending that "I wrote that as an expression of the character's confusion and grief, never as a call for blind revenge or bloodlust....we can't be too careful about these things these days....We're living in a time when there are real lives on the line...had to make sure that line was clearly understood." From the Bus Stop/Saint in the City 1-2 punch (with some killer piano work by Roy on the latter) to a solo piano version of "Jersey Girl" (dedicated to "you know who") there was plenty of fodder for long-time fans. Bruce dedicated The Beatles' "Tell Me Why" to his mom, who brought him down to Atlantic City when he was a kid to see Chubby Checker, and to "all the bands that played in this room that inspired us." High energy throughout, a strong setlist within the Rising framework, a killer show.
Setlist: Atlantic City/The Rising/Lonesome Day/Prove It All Night/Empty Sky/You're Missing/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street/It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City/Worlds Apart/Badlands/Out in the Street/Mary's Place/Countin' on a Miracle/Jersey Girl/Into the Fire
First Encore: Tell My Why/Glory Days/Born to Run
Second Encore:My City of Ruins/Born in the U.S.A./Land of Hope and Dreams/Dancing in the Dark/Roll of the Dice

Aloha !

You must be very frustrated about their setlists. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree about everything that has been said by you about their setlists, but this is just another topic that will bring up the same arguments. So pretty useless I think. Though the reviews were nice.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

i'll back you up in case sbd. wants to shoot you!
you're completely right- that's what i've said for a few thousand times here... didn't look at the current set lists so that i won't know what they play cause there's nothing more boring than being at a concert and you think: so now they're playing bad name, next is prayer followed by iml,.... that completely sucks...

Well, I just wanna say that these setlists are awesome!!! And Bruce is surely changing them a lot and he is definetely not playing all his greatest hits! No streets of Philadelphia, no human touch, no the river and songs such as Glory days and no surrender don't occur in every setlist! Could you imagine a BJ show without prayer or bad name? I never think it would happen. But it is also a fact that Springsteen has a lot more material to choose from and most important of all: He has the guts not to play all his greatest hits live!!! The only major BJ hit which doesn't make the setlist everytime must be always...

Ooops, remember that I don't want to start a new Bruce vs BJ discussion but i'm afraid that it's to late...

Rass

don't worry we can complement bruce without criticising BJ!!

he also plays songs live before they are released "The Wall" as well as demos etc

There have been plenty of discussions regarding the setlist. I think I have posted my views on it. Simply put, there are LESS THAN 10 BJ songs that cannot be dropped (and won't be dropped forever after):

1. Bad Name
2. Prayer
3. Wanted
4. Bad Medicine
5. It's My Life.

That's it! I had put KTF in that group before, but I've seen that it can actually be dropped.

The one song that keeps re-appearing in the regular rotation is Sleep When I'm Dead and I am still sure this song can be dropped or replaced. It was not a number 1 hit (unlike Bad Name/Prayer/Bad Medicine), it was not a comeback hit (unlike IML) it wasn't even as essential as Wanted (which marked the first success of a JBJ/RS collaboration without DC).

Assuming the regular set list has 20 songs (worst case scenario here, I am aware that they play about 22 songs). Let's say they play those 5 songs mentioned above, plus 5 new songs (has to be done, promoting new album). They still have 10 slots to fool around with! And from what I know, BJ is a seasoned band, they can play more than just 10 songs (without any rehearsals) to fill in those slots!

The only logical argument against changing the setlist is the lightings, but then again Bon Jovi isn't Iron Maiden who has tons of props that have to appear at certain times of the show, so I don't think the lighting restricts them that much. It seems that it all boils down to what Jon wants to do on each night and I have no idea why he wouldn't want to take chances in varying the setlists. The band is capable, why hesitate?

word! they are so talented and the do the same songs over and over.
im so sick of "shout" and "twist and shout". of all the awesome beatles songs they could easily do.......they keep repeating this crap.

Sleep When I'm Dead and saturday night, yuk! when are they gonna wake up? what happened to the days of comin out and doin a song like "shooting star" or "boys are back"?

none of the "new" bj fans know what bon jovi is really all about, because BJ doesnt do anything special anymore.

BJ copies the boss on everything else why not copy his switchin the tunes up?

Let's try to stop beating a dead horse here.. the sets are probably not going to change all that much, so we just have to get over it.

in which case why bother with the whole board

YEAH THERE ARE alot of songs that cant be dropped (eg prayer, bad name, IML, undivided, bounce) but about half of them can easily be dropped and swapped around. Even if it was just in a different order. Then we wouldnt know what song to expect next. Thats just my preference anyway...