Jon admits he wants to out-do himself!

hmmm what worries me about that interview is jon might be so focused on Hyde park that we at manchester might get a 2nd rate setlist

I see no issue with Teleprompters either. The fact it's there makes it more likely for us to get rarer songs ... pick what you'd rather have; No Teleprompter and a standard set Or the Teleprompter and the possibility of rare songs.

You can't have your cake and eat it!

Nah, it was just funny that JBJ said that Americans don't know the versus as much and he is in the same boat (not knowing versus..needing teleprompter).
Trust me, I'm a huge JBJ fan, just frustrating after the May sets and now he is on fire.

Unlikely, Manchester always gets very good setlists and shows. I think Manchester will be the better show than Hyde Park. Or if Hyde Park is good, then Manchester might get some of the stuff as a practice (like with Lola in '03). I wouldn't worry.

Hope your right mate !! does worry me that they are doing a 3 hour set the next day, but perhaps your right

Well, this certainly exploded way beyond my original intent.

1. I'm sorry (and this is no disrespect to the European fans here. I love you guys, and respect your passion) but there is no way in hell that there are 40,000 die hards at every European show. I'm sure there's just as big a chunk of casuals out your way. I'm sure the fact that the floor is all GA, and Bon Jovi Euro crowds are generally more energetic than US ones hides it, but there's no way they're not there. The numbers just wouldn't add up.

2. As far as the video goes, whether Jon "meant to" or not, he comes off as a dismissive asshole. Granted, this is nothing new.

I think I can speak for the "American Die Hard Without Being Die Hard enough to get featured on a TV show" segment of the population who does know all the lyrics-- or at least a portion of that audience.

This is exactly why this is the first tour in a long time I decided to pass on. From my point of view the American shows are very vanilla and have been essentially the same for 20 years now. That, combined with the rising ticket prices, necessity of travel, forced me to ask myself if I really wanted to pay that much money to hear the same songs I've heard hundreds of times before?

For me, the answer was no, not really.

I almost talked myself into it a few times when that old itch would kick in, but reason eventually won me over. I'd hover anxiously over the computer while the shows were going on, wondering what I missed and discover: not a whole lot.

Then when the odd rarity would pop up, I'd come to the realization after watching a few YouTube videos of the performance that while they did play that lost song I love.. Jon just doesn't sing it near the way that made fall in love with the song in the first place(ahem, Living in Sin, Something to Believe In).

I hate to bring U2 in this. Please don't cringe. But while Bon Jovi is my favorite band, I have more interest in seeing U2 on tour this time around. They certainly aren't Pearl Jam when it comes to mixing up set lists and it's no secret Bono and Jon seem to be suffering from similar vocal maladies, but each tour it is a different tour. The show is different. If I go to a show this tour, it certainly is markedly different than when I saw them on the Elevation tour.

Bon Jovi have been doing the same show, and in America, the same songs for so long now that it just feels like reruns. The banter is the same. The basic structure of the setlist is the same. Most of the songs are the same. The performances are the same-- vocal differences aside. I loved it the first 20 times around...

I think what has a lot of fans riled up over his recent comments about Americans not knowing the verses is that the band is partly to blame for it. They don't challenge the audience here at all. And the audience doesn't challenge them back. So what you get are competently performed shows, with audiences that mostly enjoy them, but shows that never reach that level of transcendence great live music is capable of.

1. Of course there are casuals in European stadiums. Many. With 75.000 you bet there are. At the same time there are more die-hards than in America (from what I've heard) and the general difference is that european crowds are much more open to 'unknown' stuff. Having said that, I judge from what I read here and see on yt.

2. I've said it before, but Jon doesn't come off as what you called it. He states a fact with some 'joking tone' in his voice, and he's after all stating a fact that he believes in. I don't know how he could have said it nicer, smoother. And if he believes there is a difference, he has every right to say so. But again, I'm a European and the winner in this game.

As stated in the Manchester thread Absolute Radio are broadcasting the Bon Jovi set live and have allocated 4 hours for the broadcast so I would say that adds more fuel to the fire that they are doing 3 hours at HRC so if anything Manchester could be a warm up.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2011/06/abso...adio-bon-jovi/