Interview with Jon about the Giants shows

Read this on BS. Thought I'd post it here for y'all

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http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Detai...n_bon_jovi.xml


Jon Bon Jovi

Fresh off another No. 1 hit, the Jersey boy rides his steel horse to Giants Stadium.

By Reed Tucker

Illustration: Rob Kelly

After Springsteen, Sinatra and smog, the man born John Bongiovi is quite possibly New Jersey’s most famous export. Since their 1984 debut, Bon Jovi, the singer-guitarist and his band have unleashed wave after wave of hook-filled rock anthems. Songs such as “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “It’s My Life” spurred the sale of millions of albums (and inspired legions of drunken karaoke artists). Recently, Bon Jovi became the first rock band to hit No. 1 on the country charts, with “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” from the group’s latest album, Have a Nice Day. The frontman also acts, having racked up appearances on Ally McBeal and The West Wing.

An energetic Bon Jovi, 44, who lives in a central New Jersey mansion with his longtime wife and four children, phoned TONY—but only after his publicist issued us a warning not to ask anything about “hair bands” or the Richie Sambora–Heather Locklear tabloid nonsense.

You’re playing three nights at Giants Stadium, which has a capacity of 80,242. That’s nearly 3 percent of New Jersey’s population.

[Laughs] You have too much time on your hands. But okay, I like that. And actually this is the sixth, seventh and eighth times I’m playing there. It’s always a lot of fun. It’s like a homecoming.

How many lost relatives and friends from high school come out of the woodwork wanting tickets?
That’s why we do three nights. It’s all cousins. Everyone is related to us in some way.

Do you think some fans might be coming just for nostalgia’s sake?
[Testily] That’s not true! Don’t even insinuate that it’s nostalgia, because it’s not. I have a No. 1 record this year. I’m not trying to argue with you, but the day that it’s about nostalgia or the “Reunion Tour,” I’ve always said, I’m out.

Now that you and the band are older, does it still get crazy on tour?
We still have plenty of fun. But it’s not 1983 anymore—for a lot of reasons. Mainly because we don’t want it to be. Throwing up on your shoes has lost its fun. It’s like the lyrics—been there, done that. I’m not trying to sound like an old guy here, but Bono has been married as long as I have, Bruce has been married as long as I have.

How tough is it to stay happily married as a rock star?

You know, that’s one of the great fallacies of the business. It’s just what I do for a living. It’s not like I make my kids applaud when I come down the stairs in the morning. There’s no theme song that plays when I walk into the kitchen.

Why do so many rock stars want to act? Why leave a world where you’re a god and move into one where people’s first reaction is often cynicism?

I never had any desire to get into acting until I was on the set of Young Guns II. I liked the idea of learning something else in the arts that I knew nothing about. And ultimately, it was like starting over again. It would be like picking up the guitar now and learning to play left-handed. Starting from scratch [with acting] added a great humility to everything I did musically.

If you were a teenager today, would you try out for American Idol?

No. I’ve never watched that show in my life. Until you write a song, you’re nothing more than a glorified lounge singer with a cover band. Without a song, even if you’re lucky enough to be on American Idol, a year from now, you’re back in the lounge. You’ve got to write a song. That’s it. Without going down to the bar, and learning how to entertain an audience and opening for people, it’s all disposable.

You recorded a song called “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas” on 1980’s Star Wars Christmas Album. That’s major geek cred, bro.

C’mon, man. Me and R2 hanging out! I was pushing broom at Power Station Studios and the guy who did the album, named Meco, said, “Hey kid, I hear you’re a singer, so come in here.” They gave me scale, $180, and it was over in 20 minutes. The best part was that I got to go up to RSO Records, which had Clapton and the Bee Gees, and get my $180. To get a paycheck from a record company is pretty exciting when you’re 18 years old.

Bon Jovi plays Giants Stadium July 18, 19 and 29.

Either they're lifting old quotes or he's on interview auto-pilot.

They obviously caught him on a bad day!
I think Jon is fooling himself if he thinks people aren't going for the nostalgia.
Of course the die hards are going for the new stuff, but a very big proportion of the people who attend Bon Jovi concerts, seem to be only there to hear Prayer, Bad Name etc!

Heh. They're not allowed to ask him about hair bands.

If he's on auto pilot I don't blame him. It's gotta suck being asked about the hair band thing a gazillion times. It's irritating to me to hear something about Springsteen and Jon in the same sentence - constantly. And then there is the obligatory dig at New Jersey about the smog. Enough already - why not ask some current questions - why not ask some positive questions?

Kathleen

I'm sooo with you Kathleen. Jon gives the same answers because he's asked the same questions! The R2D2 comment was funny!

deb

I agree with you. Some of the questions he gets asked over and over again are ridiculous.

I hardly think the bulk of the interview points to him being caught "on a bad day." He seems to be very cordial and amusing when not being asked about the same old stuff. It's in print so the only thing we have to go on is what was printed and how the writer wanted it to come across. What the writer calls "testily" could be "bored."

Oh yes, there are some that always want to hear the old stuff and will shell out the ticket price just for the 80's stuff. I think Jon thought the guy was indicating that the tour was a nostalgia tour and that's why he may have gotten defensive.

deb

Correct...and I agree with him...once it becomes about nostalgia it's all over.

Yep, agreed! Ride off into the sunset!

deb