The Sofia show should never have happened

Well said.

Interesting about the 1993 shows being 2 hours. Guess we got a regular show afterall. There was something about logistics though. Maybe the show started earlier than the time on the tickets. Can't quite remember - it was 20 years ago!

And yes, I was brand new to the internet in 1995. I remember how cool it was seeing *pictures* of Bon Jovi on my computer! One of the first sites I found was "Dry County", which went by something like "PeterWeb"(?) at that time. I posted my concert review on the forum here too.

Another neat story from internet 1995, Bon Jovi originally was scheduled to play Moncton not Halifax. I sent an email to bonjovi.com asking why they weren't coming to Halifax. A few weeks later I got a message back from them giving me the date for the Halifax show. (Moncton had gotten cancelled)

Concerts on Citadel Hill are on the opposite side from the clock. There's a large flat area called the Garrison Grounds at the bottom of the hill, so people stand there and up the hill. The area can hold 20,000-ish.

I'm still hoping they'll return someday.
Cool you found a bootleg here. I never did.

too right.

I have started collecting bootlegs when I became a young fan around 1994 and was always wondering if what I got on those CDs (sometimes not even 2 full hours) was their full shows or if something was missing. Later (with the internet) I found out that it was the full sets indeed. And I don't really see why they weren't longer, they had enough songs to play even then. Oh, and the setlists harldly varied, at least not like they do today.

My first show was in 1995 when I was 11, and I call myself very lucky to have seem them in their heyday.

Do you still have that review? Would be an interessting read now all these years later.
First time I really connected to the internet was in 2000, and my very first search was Bon Jovi. Back then I posted in the official forum until I found this one in 2001.

Moncton? Lovely little place, but it's a bit far from anything else, isn't it? And does it have anything except for that spectacular tide?

I guess it makes a nice spots for concerts.

It was a little record shop that I wouldn't find again today, somewhere not to far from a rooftop café and the english garden. But probably it doesn't exist anymore... which would be a shame. It was one of those cool oldschool shops that I used to linger around. Finding bootlegs in places like that was so much more exciting (and costly, of course) than downloading stuff, and you treasured your fins a lot more than some mp3s... memories.

Oh yeah, totally forgot they played Italy in 2003. Hmm, stuck between those two high profile bands they could've totally gone epic, too bad they went for the opposite.

I've been lucky that all my 13 or 14 shows were really good, up to Munich this year, even the 2006 one I mentioned wasn't "bad". Just from seeing the setlist, I know I would have been disappointed with Stuttgart this year, where I was thinking of going (but then didn't, because of Richie). Originally I wanted to go see Cologne but it collided with my own schedule, and that would have been a show to see. Oh well. Sometimes I think a bot more consistency wouldn't hurt Jonny-boy.

The Munich show in 2006 we were speaking of was probably the "worst" in Munich though (still really good, of course), I went with expectations probably too high after Munich 2003. I remember being "angry" at Richie for not playing the proper "Dry County" solo.

I don't consider myself stupid. Neither incredibly, nor a little. I just wanted similar treatment for all European fans, including Portuguese fans. Because, believe it or not, making some shows last more than a whole ****ing hour than other ones is nothing but a big "f*** you" from the band to some of the fans. I don't mind the Italians getting an extra song or two for making the effort, but to give them like 75 minutes more is just ridiculous.

It's your right to be angry, jealous or whatever you may be. I don't dispute that (even though I don't understand it). I explained why I think you should not be in my earlier post. Bon Jovi are who they are, that will never change.

What I thought was stupid [and I still think is very very stupid] was this part of the post:

Wake up dude!! It had nothing to do with Jon thinking Bulgarians are "aborigines" (which by the way, I find completely inappropriate use of language right there). I am sure Jon treats new places with more respect and consideration than places he's been to a million times. All the examples that have come in this thread should be sufficient for you to see that it just so happened. If Jon is not in the right physical/ mental mood, the shows will suffer, will be shorter, etc - regardless of where he plays. Even in Munich, Dublin, London, Milan - wherever. Should the show not happen for that reason only? Then we'd only have 4-5 shows per tour. Or do you want to have 30 average shows? I'd still rather have 3-4 highlights which re-affirm some of the belief in this band, rather than a whole lot of average ones, even if I don't get to see any of the good gigs. But maybe that's just me.

Feeling some form of bitterness for Bon Jovi occasionally putting together EXCEPTIONAL shows, just because I wasn't there...that's something I have never felt, will never feel, can't tolerate, and actually - it pissed me off! There you have it.

So once again, while you might feel bad about the whole thing (for whatever reason), your whole reasoning behind it is stupid.

Simon - yes, the Munich 2006 show was just ok compared to other Munich gigs ...and I remember the impro solo Richie did (same as in Duesseldorf actually) but being there - right in front of him, seeing all his facial expressions, pain, drugs - whatever it was - that made the moment very very special

You need to get it into your head and look at it from a different perspective. The band want to deliver at least a good 2hour show, with their core setlist, to the fans. Anything else is simply a bonus, that they do not have to give. It's a personal preference, and there are numerous additional factors involved ranging from everything from Jon's mood, tour schedule, the market they are playing in etc. Such is life - sometimes you do what is expected as a minimum, other times you feel like pushing the envelope a bit more.
90% of other artists rarely break the 2hour mark, most only come in at the 90min mark actually.

You seem like the type of person who would rather every single show get 2hrs if it guaranteed that we all got the same length. ''If we can't have it, then I don't want other people to have it!1!'' wahwah *throws toys out of pram*

Yes, it sucks. And I have experienced it many times at shows too, but I do not take it as personally as you seem to. I am a realist.

Hi Devil,

while the Heineken Jammin' Festival in Imola was indeed a short set (for a very mixed three day festival audience) it was generally well received.

In Padova he was very ill and did not sing quite a few songs (Richie helped out), the set was very short as well and the show was a bit of a disaster. I was present. No one ever considered it to be any good. I am sure you are getting mixed up.

Nobody wanted Jon to be sick like that during that concert. You wouldn't want to see Jon totally avoiding high notes (that he can hit/shout) or fainting if he pushes himself beyond the limit.