What should we make of this?

Well all I know is that Jon has said that they are coming back, so if they turn around and don't, that is just a kick in the guts to all the Australian fans, I don't care what else happens. They've said it, now they have to do it.

Thats right!!!

They will be back

It was only the night before they flew out I was told personally they would not be back for a tour for bounce - Rumba was a FREE opportunity to test the market and recieve exposure - I know for a fact the guys would love to come back but - does seem very impractable when they would struggle to make money or cover their costs with such a huge show like theirs.

Unfortunatley after 20 years and 100 mill albums BJ no longer have to work so HARD to lure/ keep their fans it seems... and honestly you can not blame them at this stage of their careers.

(plus if they were to come they would come on the back of Japan for fueling / practable reasons)

But I will never say never and I hope I stand to be corrected...

there is no doubt they got some new fans after their performances at Rumba with out a doubt shat all over the other acts...and won new found respect.

Lets hope the OZ record industry and austereo have some influence in their speedy return -

They will be bouncing back again!

You just wait!

50 mins isn't long enough

Hey there!! I've been lurking here but this is my very first post. I would like to comment on this subject.

Firstly, what Bon Jovi need to understand is that we don't care about what the stage looks like, we don't care about the fireworks and all the hoopla. All we care about are seeing our 5 guys play for 2 hours for their fans.

Which brings me to my second one, Australians will definitely sell out what everyone calls "Arenas" but NEVER stadiums. Someone needs to notify the Bon Jovi camp that Australians (and I am generalising so don't shoot me) don't like the big stadiums. They prefer more intimate shows, where they can see what they pay for. I know it sounds silly but that's what us Aussies are like :P

Then last but not least, if they are worried about cost I tell ya what I will do........First I will set up an area in my street. There are plenty of fans with the full band equipment that we can loan to the guys. Then I will charge $50 a ticket to pay for the guys plane fares and fee. And I bet there will be people lined up from all over the country to see them.

There are many many fans that would pay hundreds of dollars to see them regardless of what the set may look like ) Geez the acoustic gig in Sydney pulled in 15,000 alone and the guys just had their equipment and were sitting on stools and everybody loved it.

WE DONT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THE MUSIC. So why are we missing out because its too expensive to bring everything with them. Then don't!!!! Just bring themselves, and their voices because in the end that's "all that really matters".

AMEN Sammii!!!

I've been saying this for ages...it does not have to be the Rock and Roll Circus - honest it doesn't - I'm there to see THEM and hear THEM - everything else is extra and at times, a distraction [and speaking for a lot of us, we wouldn't miss it if all that shebang whizz hoopla do stuff wasn't a part of it]...enough equipment to R&R, some lights [a $1million lighting rig is all good and well (like the one they had for the last tour) -but I'd wager it costs a small countries entire yearly budget to get it anywhere], their instruments, and themselves [yes, crew too but scaled down possibly means smaller crew]
I'm no promoter, no business whizz, no expert, but surely something scaled down has to be more cost effective in places like Australia.
The band opened themselves to a whole new market here with IML and then cemented that and expanded it with their Rumba appearances - be a shame for all of us [oldies and newies] if they stick to the idea that it's stadiums or nothing.

This country is a fraction smaller in total land mass than the USA and only has a population just nudging 20 million...so the point about the big stadiums not always selling out is quite right. Bands like The Stones can do it, but in this day and age, I'm thinking they are probably the only ones left who could [and have] here in Oz. Its's been a long time between drinks for U2 as well and I'm not that sure they'd sell out stadiums in all the cities. They did last tour but that was a way back now.
So maybe a stadium in say Sydney [there's a few to choose from - like Stadium Australia (will NEVER call it by it's new name...sacrilege), SCG, Sydney Football Stadium to name a few] and areans elsewhere...oh...and my back yard if need be

If I was sat down and had said to me :
"You have a choice - [1]big stage, huge lighting rig, whizz bang fireworks BUT the band can't come to Australia OR [2]scaled down version; NO fireworks, NO monster lighting rig etc and the band DO come to Australia...which do you want?"
a response would be forthcoming in less than a nano second -
" I'll take what's behind choice no. 2 any day!!!!"

S.

God Luv Ya Shaz

Also, being Australian thats all I can comment on but I am sure that those in the European countries that seem to miss out for the same reasons would also agree

That is so unbelievable, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Stones and Sprengsteen.... they all sold out Olympia Stadium in Finland even though non og those are as good position as Bon Jovi. Think about it;
Paul McCartney: Last time he made a hit song was like 30 years ago and I don't even remember that.
Metallica: Nobody did't want to see new stuff, onlu older one. Most people just arrived because who don't wanna see celebrities.
Stones: Last time they were making good music was in 80's.
Sprensteen: 2sold out shows, 90000 people, why?! Just because he is a great show man, he's last few record have been everything else but famous!
So why not Bon Jovi, they conseously make great hits and truelly are gretest live band in the world. They are one of the few bands which can fill up stadiums averytime they feel like to go on road. So why can't they understand that the situation in Scandinavia; for example in Finland is just the same. These days you sell out stadims if you just are famous, we have seen that. And added to this, Bon Jovi is a great band, so success would be fact!

I don't quite understand why you drag these old posts up, and I understand even less why I am replying... But here goes anyway.

I don't think you quite understand the dynamics of a crowd in a concert. It's not mostly 17 year old die hard fans who go there to rock. Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Stones were sold out because

1) it's the older generation, the thirty, forty and fifty-somethings who have the money and who go to see not the act as they are today, but as they were, who go to these concerts. Stones, Beatles and Springsteen never came to Finland in their "heyday", and people are going there for nostalgic reasons. Just because they come.

2) companies and businesses buy huge bulks of tickets as gifts and rewards, bonuses etc.

3) unfortunately they are bigger than Bon Jovi. They have been around longer, they are bigger, they appeal to a wider audience...

As for "these days you sell out stadiums if you are just famous" is just plain wrong. Bon Jovi haven't sold out some of the stadiums/venues in central/western Europe despite how famous they are. Why would that happen in Finland, which is a fraction of the size in terms of a marketplace?

In Dublin, there were 82,000 people at Croke Park, which is huge, and especially for a county the size of Ireland (I think about half the size of Finland). Still the next day there wasn't a review of the show in any of the papers we looked, but Denise Richards and Richie flying off on a jet made it into every single newspaper, so did Lordi. Shows you just how "famous" Bon Jovi are as a band...

Im just going to add a comment regarding the stadiums, may be slightly off topic, but anyway...Why dont they start playing smaller venues? Perhaps their egos wont allow it? Theyve been doing stadium tours for years now, maybe on their next tour, they could go for smaller, more "intimate" venues?

Also, the current uk tour is referred 2 as the 2006 stadium tour, could this mean that there will be another tour? I suspect im being foolish & reading to much into it, but it would be rather awesome.

Sorry for the off topic ramble