Official February 10, 2013, Verizon Center, Washington D.C thread

Yeah you're right.

Musical tastes change a lot. If pop rock isn't the thing at the time then Bon Jovi albums wont sell as well as when pop-rock is in demand. Simple really!

I can't believe how all of you are bitching about how they pulled out some songs that had been on heavy rotation since they were released! I'd be bitching about other songs like Whole Lot of Leaving, Captain Crush and well, you know the others.

Now some answers.

As it was pointed up, that is not what I said.

Funny, as I remember Billboard saying that Mexico, Lima, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Rio were sold out.

I get your point but:

• They did two sold out gigs on Brasil, if they didn't play in front of 100.000 people is because they didn't added a third date.
• About the number ones, I never said that that was good, Tico said "Just look at album sales and concerts." and I was just pointing out that the band still sells records (not like other bands that couldn't stay relevant) and breaking records with their tours.
• And as it was pointed out, they can't be relevant everywhere, not even the rock and roll mesias and god of this forum (yeah, he's so ****ing awesome that gets to be the mesias and the god) Bruce Springsteen can do that.

Aloha !

This is where you are wrong. None of the shows really sold out, they just adjusted the number of tickets on sale once they found out how many were actually sold. Bon Jovi sold roughly 15.000 tickets at a venue where Guns N' Roses sold 25.000 tickets, Coldplay sold 26.000, Iron Maiden sold 18.000, the list goes on. There is just no way that show was really sold out. The maximum capacity, when doing a concert at Praça da Apoteose, is 35.000 to 40.000 people, and they usually put around 35.000 tickets on sale. Bon Jovi sold 15.000 tickets. Hardly a sell out, yet with a little magic Billboard has it listed as one of the endless sold out shows.

The same goes for many other shows. Belgium 2011 is another prime example of that one. 40.000 tickets were put on sale. The box office data go public, and the show was claimed to be sold out with 30.000 tickets sold. Bon Jovi haven't sold out a show in Europe in years, yet whenever the box data go up you bet it's claimed sold out. Lisbon? At least 15.000 tickets were still available. Sold out according to Billboard. I can give you many more examples, but I think you get the idea?

The truth is, back in 2010 there were plans for an additional date in Argentina but once the band struggled to fill the stadium in Buenos Aires that plan was quickly cancelled. The same counted for an additional date in Brazil. None of it actually happened due to a lack of demand. Back in 2003 it was quite impossible to actually get a hold of a GC ticket for a Bon Jovi show in Hyde Park. If you go now you'll be able to buy one of a scalper for face value on the day of the show.

You shouldn't hold on to the numbers they put up, they adjust them just so they can claim the shows were sold out and to make them look like a band that can sell out any venue they play at, but those days are long gone.

I'm not a fan of Bruce at all, but his popularity has pretty much stayed the same or grew throughout his entire career. He's never been huge in South America, but hasn't lost 30% of his audience there either. The poppier Bon Jovi became, the fewer people became interested when looking at it from a global point of view. In Germany and the U.K. their fanbase is close to half the size it used to be in the nineties. And that just won't change, no matter how much Bon Jovi will exaggerate their numbers.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I don't know about the show in São Paulo, but the one in Rio was rather empty. Just look at the videos and you will see this. That's why they played such a random setlist, they played what the fans asked, because the majority of the fans were not casuals. That low number could be because that week there was Rush, Green Day and Dave Matthews Band (in the same day) shows, but that reason is really questionable.

As someone has said they are def relying on the wrong songs and far too much on LH. No need for rotation of 6-7 from an album thats 6 years old then completely ignore an album that was out only 5 years previous to that...Only two songs get played from Crush.

If Jon is so concerned with not becoming a nostalgia act then why do they HaVE to play Bad name, it's my life etc every night? Apart from Prayer and poss wanted theres no song that has to stay glued to the setlist.

I think It's My Life does because I guess that's like Prayer to a lot of fans, and Keep The Faith was sort of my Prayer. And I'd say Always should be because that really is the one known by nearly everyone I've met anywhere.

So It's My Life, Wanted, Keep The Faith, Always, Prayer. The big songs I suppose from each decade. It'd be great if everything around that was changeable every night. But their always going to miss out someone's favourite song.

I agree there. Wouldn't be anything wrong with keeping it post 2000 either except prayer and wanted.

Have A Nice Day
Its My Life
What About Now
We Weren't Born To Follow
Lost Highway
The Distance
Thats What The Water Made Me
Make A Memory
Amen
Captain Crash
Army Of One
Happy Now
Everyday
I'm With You
Thorn In My Side
Bounce
Every Road Leads Home To You (Richie Sambora)
Who Says You Cant Go Home
Wanted

----------------------------------------
Thank You For Loving Me
I Love This Town
Living On A Prayer

2 Songs from the 80s and the rest post 2000. Hypothetically if this was a setlist I would be very very happy with this. Some great well known hits, some rareties and Jon stays relevant. I'd love this to be the setlist at Villa Park

Except you put I Love This Town. It kills me every time it goes in a set. lol. Im actually starting to think I hate it more than She's A Mystery.

Haha! I suppose its different drinks for different needs (David Brent quote). I quite like the song. It keeps the casuals from the local area happy and you can put your fingers in your ears for 4 and a half minutes!

Thing is, I'd probably still bounce around like a maniac in the moment even if it makes me cringe, shudder, and shrivels my soul with dread. But that and She's A Mystery are the only Bon Jovi songs I actually can't bring myself to ever listen to on the record.