In defense of the aussies
 

Hi there.

I'd like to just clear up, if I can, a few things that have irritated some people about the way us aussies have been feeling. Firstly, I have to say that there probably have been some really ticked off aussies really going for it...it's not the best way to go but there is some reasons for why some people have been angry.
None of us here condone the use of managements contacts to go ballistic...it's bad for a whole bunch of reasons. Having said that [and as I said, I don't condone that particular type of behaviour], there are heaps of us here who understand where it generated from....and many of us have quietly asked and not been rude or abusive or anything like that.

Backstage has on it's home page the message about if it is isn't there or at the bands official site [BJ.com] then we should NOT believe anything we hear or see in print or cyber space. Fair enough...but it's this that the aussies who have internet access, have been extremely confused and right now, bewildered by. This is where we are up to at present:
* The tickets for RUMBA go on sale throughout Australia this Thursday, at an average cost of A$95 per ticket.
* BJ are only playing Melb., Sydney and Brisbane.
* Some fans have contacted radio stations in cities not getting the band and have been told that there are negotiations occurring now to try and get the band to include Adelaide and Perth.
* The official RUMBA site has BJ up there appearing at Melb., Sydney and Brisbane, and have had since Monday 2/9/02
* RUMBA is a 10 hour pop/dance music festival style thing put together to give fans of this style of music a festival of their own [The Big Day Out is another well known one here - alternative music...and M1 this October is a rock festival] - BJ will be most likely the last artists on and probably for about 45-50 mins.
* As this is a festival involving many artsists, there will be no backstage FC area [we understand that...can't ask all the other fans to move aside]
* The radio stations that are presenting this in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have been advertising RUMBA [and the BJ part] every day since Monday.
* I spoke with the Austereo CEO [Austereo owns just about all the FM radio stations in Australia and are the main players in putting this show together] late last week about whether there was any chance of BJ adding Adelaide and Perth - he told me that at this point it was just the other 3 cities, that it is a BJ management thing but they would welcome them with open arms to the other 2 if they decide that way.
* A TV ad campaign is about to start here for RUMBA that includes the fact that BJ are appearing at 3 of the shows [with 'Everyday' in the background].
Many aussie fans have asked over at Q&A at BJ.com about this and asked please tell us if this is absolutely official...others have asked at backstage...neither site has [up to and including today, 8/9/02] anything at all about Rumba. We are confused and 'scratching our heads' about why, because all I just said indicates that the band are indeed coming.
For the fans that live in Adelaide and Perth, trying to make a decision about whether to get tickets for their cities shows [hoping that BJ WILL come] or 'biting the bullet' and going interstate is hard because we have no definitive answer from either of the sources who have said repeatedly that they are the ones to let us know about 'official' BJ matters.
The aussies ARE happy that the band are coming...we do really understand that there are many places the band haven't been to for years, haven't been to at all. We are a very Jovi community minded lot here and frequently email radio stations in other countries [at other fans requests] to help them get a BJ song on air etc., and those of us that have seen the band sympathise with those who haven't.
I'm not saying others don't...just saying that we do so we're not just a bad bunch.
Sorry..this is a lot longer than I intended...so thank you for reading it all.

To all going to Shepherds Bush..have a great time...will be trying to drag myself out of bed at 4am to watch the web cast.

Cheers [and thanks again for reading this]
Shaz

I appreciate your post Shaz,

I was one of the members who made my disapointment of Bon JOvi only coming down under to do Rumba very clear on the BSWJBJ message board.

It seems to have got bigger than Ben Hur and regret that it has taken away some of the excitement, good felling and thanks for Bon JOvi coming for three huge summer gigs at all.

I still believe it is an odd decision to do Rumba and odd behaviour by both BSWJBJ and BJ.COM - and I apreciate your post, eyes and ears to keep us fans up to speed.

Still the last thing I want is to make it worse and portray Aussies as
ungrateful, wining demanding fans. And thank you for your justified informative post.....we will just have to move on I think:)

Still I am glad we were heard - and gutted or not I will still be buzzing to see Bj at Rumba in a few months and like I have said before we will just have to all get along to rumba and scream as loud as we can in the HOPE of a tour after the go everywhere else with bounce.

C U @ RUMBA

Maybe the fact they only come to three shows and not to the other shows is a sign that they will tour in Australia too. Ánd if you buy a ticket and BJ don't play at Rumba, wich they probably will anyway, you are probably able to sell your ticket again, cause it sounds pretty popular to me. So I don't see a very big problem. But ofcourse I can understand your dissappointment.

Greetz, Alja

I would think that at the least BSWJBJ and bonjovi.com should tell you whether they will be at Rumba or not. That way, you are sure if you need to get tickets or not. Maybe they have things planned for when they will be in Australia, and everything will work out in the end. I hope you guys do get your concerts you've been waiting for...I just don't agree with people slagging off the fanclub over it. They don't have anything to do with Bon Jovi's tours, they are not the band's management. Maybe Bon Jovi aren't committing to the other 2 dates of Rumba because they have other things in mind, who knows. Unfortunately all you can do is wait and see. I understand it's fustrating but there isn't anything else you can do right now.

Shaz - your post was excellent. It's a shame we can only voice these opinions within ourselves - it would be nice to get some official feedback at this crazy, but very exciting time for all BJ fans out there. We can then accept the fact and move on with it.

The Backstage fanclub is THE official fanclub and has everything to do with the band. The very LEAST they could do is announce the Rumba shows as official - if they had done this a couple of weeks ago then all the posting would not have gotten so out of hand. Well..the disappointment would have still been voiced, but those who went a little crazy and overboard might not have done so.

We are just feeling really left out and hurt by it all. The band have always expressed their enjoyment with playing in Australia so the feeling of being kicked when your down (missing last two tours) is a little overwhelming.

We are all so jealous of what the other major markets like the UK are and will be receiving in return for buying all their singles and albums. Jealousy is a terrible thing.....it's gut renching!!! It's plainly not fair - but what more can we do? Nothing.

Keep smiling everyone - the concert will be OK (it WILL rock the socks off those tini-boppers!) and if the band look half as good as what they (Jon!) did in NYC - I'll have to be contented with a one hour perv! And good music of course.....

Having thought a lot about it, I may have jumped the gun by expressing my disappointment so openly and quickly.

I also believe, though I don't want to be overly optimistic, that it could be a very clever way to expose themselves to the younger generation of this country. The bands management would have done their homework on the festival they want the boys to play in. I mean, if they wanted the older fans to see them at this time of year, they would have done M-One or Livid, for sure.

I have a snippet of hope that they will play at the Rumba festival, pull in a whole lot of new, young fans, then return in March or thereabouts for a REAL BON JOVI TOUR!! They could sell out Colonial Stadium (soon to be Telstra Dome) easily!

Us Aussie fans have been mucked around quite a fair bit. We don't really know what is happening especially those of us who live in Perth and Adelaide. I don't think that they will tour again if they are going to Rumba. It's a long way from NJ to Australia. Why make the 2 trips especially now that they are getting older and have families - Jon said it himself on the Crush DVD interview section . I don't go racing around the world all that often now - if you want me you have to come to me.

Rumba is $95 a ticket times that by 3 coz I've 2 daughters who want to go. $300 for one weekend for me . Can anyone telll me where I planted that money tree? I'm at the stage where I'm thinking if I see them I do if I don't life will go on. I'm NOT paying $95 for 2 or 3 songs - sorry and being squished in amgonst all those people and being on my feet all that time. Why couldn't they just do a concert tour at a different time. I would have gone to Melbourne or wherever in Australia to see them and it would not have cost me $300!!!!
RUMBA IS THE EASY WAY OUT FOR BJ it also opens them up to a public that would not normally see them live. It suits them!!!!!!!
BJ management need to pull their fingers out of the proverbial and get on with the business of managing them in a fashion that does not piss of their fans!!!!!

Yes I'm wining but who can blame me?

Beyond caring now.

I totally agree with you Just Older. Why cant they do the shows in Australia like they did for These Days. I dont really won't to stand and listen to pop bands all day waiting for Bon Jovi to play just a few songs. It might seem I'm whining too, but it's ok for them to play 2 or 3 tours of Europe, the US and Japan but we always seem to miss out. We are very loyal fans in Australia and they always have great fun, so I don't understand the problems with them coming to see us.
Mark

Thank you Aussie Tico, I am so pissed at this Rumba thing. We are not all 15-30 year olds. Cost aside here, coz my daughters sleep in Paul Frank PJ's, so we are no poverty stricken,but if they are playing last, you have to wade through all the other artists which MOST of them I like but for f... sake who wants to be there for 10 hours? I have other things to do.

Also, being a mother other mothers are asking me to keep an eye on their daughters for them. I can't say not to these women as they have done it for me in the past . So I won't be able to relax and enjoy.

I feel that , however unintentional, that BJ management are only considering the younger fans and have their sights set on a younger and newer market. Yes, that's called business and as a grown up I can cope with that. Bad luck about us old loyal reliables though hey?

If they come back in March or a later date, I'll go "HE"

Well that's the way I feel.

JO

Thank you Aussie Tico, I am so pissed at this Rumba thing. We are not all 15-30 year olds. Cost aside here, coz my daughters sleep in Paul Frank PJ's, so we are no poverty stricken,but if they are playing last, you have to wade through all the other artists which MOST of them I like but for f... sake who wants to be there for 10 hours? I have other things to do.

Also, being a mother other mothers are asking me to keep an eye on their daughters for them. I can't say not to these women as they have done it for me in the past . So I won't be able to relax and enjoy.

I feel that , however unintentional, that BJ management are only considering the younger fans and have their sites set on a younger and newer market. Yes, that's called business and as a grown up I can cope with that. Bad luck about us old loyal reliables though hey?

Well that's the way I feel.

JO