The Bon Jovi set list debate

Aloha !

No he doesn't. He says he does, but he doesn't, because it's impossible to hand out copies of the setlist to everyone in the crew while Daughtry is playing. That just wouldn't work.

The setlist most of the time is determined about 2 hours before the show.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

How d'ya know?

Aloha !

This is just not true.

I've seen some artists doing the same show on their tour multiple times and wasn't bored, never thought it was predictable, and they never were on auto-pilot and you know why? Because half of their set had not been played the previous tour. The last time I did this is some time ago, but I'd like to bring up Eric Clapton. He plays an average of 18 songs per set, and 9 of the 18 songs that night I had never heard before.

If the core of your setlist contains songs that a lot of people haven't heard in a long time they don't really care about a shitload of variatons, since they're looking forward to hearing song X that night, even if they have to hear it 10 times this tour. If the core of a setlist is great, 3 variatons is enough.

We only want variaton because the core of the setlist sucks nowadays. There wasn't much demand for variaton on the 1993, 1995 and 1996 tour because all of them were killer no filler. People still bring up the 1996 tour as an example of great variaton but the truth is there was no variaton. It's just that they only see a great setlist every night, something that rarely happens nowadays. A great setlist happens only 1 out of 10 shows, which is why we want them to vary it. Not to make it more spontaneous, but to get a chance to hear those songs that are played on that 1 show.

Do you honestly believe people would complain if Dry County, Hey God and Something To Believe In would be played every night?

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

Aloha !

I just know. It works that way with the Stones, works that way with Aerosmith, so it works that way with Bon Jovi.

Do you really believe that the crew knew only half an hour before the show that Jon was doing an acoustic set? Especially with the lightning effects they use with these screens, they need to know this a lot longer before the show starts than only half an hour.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I'm sure the sets are set hours beforehand, especially with the new stage/screen.
Now, I'm sure they'll call audibles from time to time, but not many.
Oh, and Seb, I know you're probably pissed sick of reading this, but no matter the songs I'd be pissed if they played the same set every night. Hell, I get pissed with what they do now.

Seb is spot on here. I'm not bitching about variation just for the sake of it, I'm just pissed because I think that the setlists in general suck most of the time. If the band starts bringing out songs like the ones mentioned above, I would be nothing but pleased. Even if it they played roughly the same set at every show.

Eventaully, though they'd become as certain, and as predictable as any other that are currently in thest.

Give me variation, with some great tracks. Best of both.

Not if they swap a lot of these songs between the tours. The thing is, songs like Born To Be My Baby, Captain Crash, Raise Your Hands and Runaway (to name a few) have been the core of the setlist for way too many tours now. Switch these for I Believe, Wild Is The Wind, One Wild Night and In And Out Of Love, and you have a kick ass Lost Highway-tour. Next tour, you switch those four for Lay Your Hands On Me, Hey God, Novocaine and 99 In The Shade.

It wouldn't get boring, it would keep everybody on their toes, and it really isn't that much to ask of the band.

Even with more KTF and TD songs, I definitely would NOT want the same songs every night as I go to far too many shows. I agree with doing away with some of the songs that have been around for the past three tours or so like BTBMB (which I don't think Jon likes any way but thinks fans love it), RYH, Sleep, etc.

deb

How the **** would it keep anyone on their toes?
"Well, it's the same set as every night, but damn I hope they play "Dry County" when they come back in three years...."
I'll take variation any day.