Final Thoughts on UK Setlists
 

Ok, the dust has settled, the votes are in and the reflection can start.

Worst UK tour yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

These are the reasons why i think that;

1. 3 out of the four shows had the same set list - that was lazy

2. 3 out of the 4 shows didn't last as long as most of the mainland european shows

3. The only show that was anything like the BJ we know and love was Hyde Park. That was wrong, just putting on a big show in London was cheating all the other people who travelled around the country and paid £40.

4. Surely when you pay £40 for a ticket you expect a show concurrant with most of the others on the tour in style and length - 3 out of the 4 shows didn't have that.

5. Bon Jovi are coasting at the moment and appear to be lost in the showbiz world of corporate entertainment. I saw them on the Slippery tour - sheer youthful exuberance. Saw them on the Jersey tour - pure late 80's rock and roll. Faith was a tour where the band felt they hads something to prove to the world, and they did it. It was an honest, gritty tour where they weren't afraid to play their best songs instead of just the hits or the party, fist in the air songs. These Days was an immense tour - clearly a set of musicians challening and extending themselves.
The signs were there if you saw the Crush tour - songs like Wild is the Wind, Dry County, I Believe, I'd Die for you and any of the These Days songs were ditched in favour of field, fist in the air anthems. It has got worse on this tour.

6. They only play good sets when celebs are in the audience (Dublin) or when they play capitals (london)

7. I think the band have stopped challenging themselves - they recognise a cash cow when they see it.

8. You can largely guess the order of the songs BUT WORSE - you can largely guess what Jon will say to the crowd. Again, lazy.

9. They are teetering on the edge of joining the ranks of other corporate entertainers like Shania Twain, The Rolling Stones etc. When you go to see them you don't expect musical integrity - you expect a show. Thats where BJ are going.

10. According to Jon on the intro to 'Mystery Train' from the acoustic show in Japan back in January he thinks there are certain songs that you can only play in smaller venues. THIS IS UTTERLY WRONG. You can play anything, anywhere - if you do it with soul and passion it will come across to the crowd, no matter where you are. One of the most haunting BJ memories I have is from Milton Keynes 1996 - they played 'Its Hard Letting You Go' - probably one of the most mellow and atmospheric songs they have written - the crowd were mesmorised, it was possibly my favourite 6 mins of Bon Jovi in 17 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

The only thing that can resuce them now would be an acoustic album and an INDOOR tour to support it.

They have to stop playing fields - we want the arenas back - we want the soul and the passion and the integrity. Will they do it? It would mean playing more shows to reach the same amount of money, sorry, I mean people. I seriously doubt it.

Before you all start swearing, consider the points, if you disagree, fine - i am not trying to start an argument, just a debate.

I think the most valid point you make is regarding stadiums and arenas. For whatever reason, probably laziness, they won't do arenas outside the US and will simply skip a country if they can't sellout EVERY stadium that they may have played there. :?

I agree with the part that the others shows seemed a warming up for Hyde Park. Well, at least I think, because I wasn't there.

i completely agree with u, jamesd.

Finally, someone who talks sense!!, and not affraid to speak their mind.

I was at Hyde Park, and yes it was a great gig, however i'd much rather see them working up a sweat at Wembley Arena.

I can tell what Jon is going to say most of the time!!.

I think they will do some arena shows, but it might be in about 2 albums time when the fan base goes down.

Finally, someone who talks sense!!, and not affraid to speak their mind.

I was at Hyde Park, and yes it was a great gig, however i'd much rather see them working up a sweat at Wembley Arena.

I can tell what Jon is going to say most of the time!!.

I think they will do some arena shows, but it might be in about 2 albums time when the fan base goes down.

to be truth i dont agree with alot of wot u said but its too ealry in the morning to go into details!

Hi all, im new to this board but ive been reading the posts for the few weeks leading upto hyde park.
Hyde park was my 7th show and i thought it was fantastic.
Reading all the negative comments just made me think "if you dont like the show or the setlist, dont go" its a simple solution.
I was in the gold circle standing next to a right miserable couple moaning that the band were "too commercial", when i kindly pointed out where the nearest exit was, they seemed a little miffed.
Personally i love the big shows, i have enjoyed every bon jovi gig i have been to.
Im one of these people that wants arms in the air anthems, party songs such as sleep when im dead and so forth, and also, a 3 hr gig seems well worth the money in my eyes.

As for the arena gigs, yeah nice in theory but then u get the situation where the touts have all the tickets and are then priced way to high for normal people to be able to afford, think what happened at sheppards bush.
I cant wait for the next tour

Hi all, im new to this board but ive been reading the posts for the few weeks leading upto hyde park.
Hyde park was my 7th show and i thought it was fantastic.
Reading all the negative comments just made me think "if you dont like the show or the setlist, dont go" its a simple solution.
I was in the gold circle standing next to a right miserable couple moaning that the band were "too commercial", when i kindly pointed out where the nearest exit was, they seemed a little miffed.
Personally i love the big shows, i have enjoyed every bon jovi gig i have been to.
Im one of these people that wants arms in the air anthems, party songs such as sleep when im dead and so forth, and also, a 3 hr gig seems well worth the money in my eyes.

As for the arena gigs, yeah nice in theory but then u get the situation where the touts have all the tickets and are then priced way to high for normal people to be able to afford, think what happened at sheppards bush.
I cant wait for the next tour

hyde park
 

Yes, you would think Hyde Park was fantastic because it was!!! You missed the point of what I was saying. Hyde Park being fantastic was just salt in the wounds to all those people who had paid the same ticket price at glasgow, Wolves and Manc and got an inferior show.

I thought the set list for Hyde Park was imaginative and balanced nicely between hits and fan faves - its just none of the other shows in the UK were, yet they were in many areas of mainland europe.