The Bon Jovi set list debate

Hey guys

First I must say I agree with 90% of what you said on this thread, that is they basically have their 40 song list and pick 20 to 25 out of that for each show.

That being said, I'd like to highlight, that there was a time that it was actually worse. Let's not count the 2 first tours when they didn't have much stuff to play. During SWW, NJ and KTF tours they would play almost the same set list every night - I'm not comparing different tours, but shows from the same tour were alike. Even if they would play multiple nights at one venue. The exception was the hammersmith in London 1990, but let's face it, those weren't by no means traditional tour shows.

In 1995 they started mixing up a little bit, and seeing the set list throughout the tour you can actually see the evolution from a greatest hits show towards a These Days promotion show.

And then came 1996. What a year. The set list had nothing to do with any other they had done before, they definitely shook thinks up. Not only they added stuff from the new album they hadn't done before - Something to believe in, All I want is everything, As my guitar lies bleeding - as they introduced the 3 acoustic song set, and the intro with the marching band, They finally stopped playing the Lay hands, Sleep, medicine/Shout combo and even quit doing shout. They did vary a lot during that tour, and perhaps that was their best tour to date.

Then, after the 4 year break, they came back with the 95 set list, in which they replaced TD songs by Crush songs. As to the oldies they brought Born to be my baby back and revamped Runaway, in America they even did Ride Cowboy ride as the Blaze intro.

In 2001 they mixed a little, bringing Raise your hands back, a songs that they hadn't done regularly ever since the SWW tour in 87. And In these Arms, which had only been played regularly in its electric version in the KTF tour. They also brought Something to believe in and Always back that year.

With Bounce, they honestly didn't do much as to bringing back some tunes. Ok, they started to do Blood on Blood with the electric intro - they had done an acoustic intro since 93 - and of course they offered us some semi acoustic shows. Not counting the good surprise Heroes, from Bowie, was. But all in all it had few surprises.

Have a nice Day, and they mixed all they had done since 2000. They did the acoustic version for Blaze, brought some Box set songs - Radio was the only which lasted more than 5 nights. Oh, of course, I'm forgetting something: Dry County. Yes, it was barely played 10 times, but it was actually played.

And here we are in the 2nd part of the Lost Highway tour. So far they did one thing they had never done: fact they played the whole new album from start to finish in a couple of shows. So far along the mixed up set lists we got Open all night, performed for the 1st time, Lay your hands was nice to hear, since it was forgotten since 2000/2001.

Now, what is the conclusion of all this:
Well, it has been worse (SWW-KTF era), is has been better(in 96), but since 2000, I think it's been getting better. Yes I, like Seb, think they could bring 99 in the Shade and In and Out of Love and drop Raise your hands and Born to be my baby. But I believe that this is a work in progress and that they will play more gemns as the tour will come closer to Europe. And if last time we got Dry County, who knows what we can get this time around.
We just need to keep asking and remember Jon he's not as brilliant as he states regarding the set lists he comes up with.

We need to keep asking for KTF and TD stuff, and for songs like Next 100 years, Wild Night, Distance, or Undivided that were pretty much forgotten.

I for once, would love to listen live to something out of the 2 first records which isn't Runaway (pretty slim chances I know). But hey, I can dream.....



These are my 5 cents...

Aloha !

No, it hasn't been worse. Those SWW-KTF era sets contain zero fillers. There's not one weak song in those setlists, and everything is delivered with power. Yes, there wasn't much difference in the setlist, but we only want them to change the set in order to have the chance to get something we don't get to hear that often.

If a Bon Jovi set contained Hey God, Dry County, In & Out Of Love, Tokyo Road and Wild Is The Wind and that setlist would be the same every night with the exception of one or two songs, I'd still take that one over any setlist they've played so far this tour.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Then don't say it's variation you want.
It's just different songs the what they play, but as long as they played those you'd be fine.

Just for my sanity: You are happy with the set not changing; as long as it contains 'x' song(s)?

I speak only for myself, but if the band would play the same set list every night, despite how powerful and great as it could be, It would be boring for me after the 3rd show.

They have a 10 album catalog, not counting the box set, covers and solo stuff. There's a lot of good stuff to pick from.

I want variety because I want to be in the middle of a show and actually be surprised by the next song that is played - and that did happened when Richie sang Stranger at the Prudential, or when they played Dry County in Dusseldorf.

I do agree that they should pick a good set list structure of course, one that spans all their career, but also with some gray parts where they could fit rarities.

Aloha !

Oh yeah it's variation I want. It's variation on what they're currently playing and have been playing over the past 8 years. Pedro BadName brought up the KTF Tour setlists which were about the same every night. Still, those contained zero fillers. If Bon Jovi can only play such powerfull setlists without varying the set, so be it. I'd rather have a show that works from start to finish than a show that works - doesn't work - work - doesn't work, like a lot of shows from the past tours.

The shows at which the variation is that big that you can't predict which song is next can be counted on one hand. It's not like Bon Jovi shows are completely unpredictable. Yes, their latest shows really show what they can do when it comes to varying the set, but that's only a small percentage. Normally it's only 3 songs per night that change, so that's still predictable. During the HAND tour you knew that when Have A Nice Day was played, the next song would be It's My Life, followed by Bad Medicine and so on and so on.

The thing is, their setlist structure is alright with me, but the grey parts of the set nowadays means that Runaway is out and I'd Die For You is in, or Just Older is out and Story Of My Life is in.

If this is varietion in their book, I'd still take a setlist from the KTF tour over any setlist from the Lost Highway Tour. Even with knowing what song would be next. It might be less spontaneous, but it's a lot more fun to hear Hey God 4 times in a row than Capt. Crash.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

But you're still basing this on songs you like vs. those you don't.
Th songs you say are filler are filler to you because you don't like them.

Aloha !

Yes. If the band would play this set every night:

Setlist:
1. Lost Highway
2. Blood On Blood
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Hey God
5. Bad Medicine
6. Tokyo Road
7. Whole Lot Of Leavin'
8. Hook Me Up
9. Blood Money
10. Blaze Of Glory (with Daughtry)
11. Any Other Day
12. 99 In The Shade
13. We Got It Going On
14. It's My Life
15. Stranger In This Town
16. (You Want To) Make A Memory
17. This Ain't A Love Song
18. In & Out Of Love
19. Have A Nice Day
20. Keep The Faith
21. Livin’ On A Prayer

Encore:
22. Dry County
23. Wanted Dead or Alive
24. Never Say Goodbye

And would mix up 2 to 3 songs per night I'd be happy. Just look at those 3 nights at Wembley. There was hardly any mixing up there and still all 3 shows had a fantastic setlist. It's because they barely neglect stuff from the past, and play an all killer no filler show. Nowadays the core of the set isn't that strong, so ofcourse we all want variation.

If the setlist I listed above would be the core of the show, would anyone want them to mix it up that much as we all want that to happen right now? I don't think so.

Capt. Crash, Bounce, I Got The Girl and even Wild In The Streets are all fillers. They're there to make the show longer, instead of stronger. They're there because Jon feels like singing them.

It's not that I really dislike all those songs but really, do you honestly believe Jon thinks that those songs have any real value in the set? If Hey God would be played, the die hards would go mad and the show would be stronger. If Capt. Crash is played, it merely feels like waiting for another classic.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

That set you posted ignores just as much as the sets now do.
Now, I'll say that's a KILLER set, but I don't want that set...or any set unchanged every night. That's just me I guess.

I honestly think that Capt Crash was one of the best live songs from Crush, of course, nowadays, I think it's overplayed. Just like I think Raise your Hands and Born to be my Baby and Sleep are overplayed.

But, if they played Hey god every night, I 'd love at first (just as I loved when they brought Raise your hands back), but after 200 shows, god, they can give me a break with that one.

I agree to some degree that some songs may be fillers, but the balance of a show is playing a cohesive set with both fillers and strong songs.

Like I said in my first post on this thread, take the 96 tour for example, it had fillers (Rockin all over the world, Wild in the Streets, ...), and I'd trade 10 93 shows for 2 96 shows. Why? Because they did all those killer songs and added surprises every single night.

And besides, fillers are ok if not over played, for instance it was nice to listen to I'd die for you on the last tour, since I didn't had the chance to hear it in 2003. Just like Wild in the Streets is fun every now and then. Not on every show.


Now the thing is, I agree that they can't surprise us for more than 3 songs a night nowadays. It's true. It's either song A,B or C. But, my point is we are getting somewhere. We are getting surprises: Open All night, blood money, I get a rush - they may even be considered fillers, but who'd have thought they'd play them? I still believe that in Europe they'll surprise us even more - fact is they usually give us the best treats: these Days, Dry County, Garageland, I Believe, etc..

Remember the boring set lists from the indoor tour of 2003 in the States? And when they came to Europe and they mixed up things. If this time they are surprising in the States, god i have a good reason to think they'll treat us right in Europe.... At least I like to think that way ...