Responding to the *dead crowd* comments
 

I'd like to address this in a somewhat sensible manner.

There have been several songs done at these shows from albums almost unknown these days. Not to mention that the new album is probably not memorized word for word by a casual concert going crowd.

What do YOU do when you hear something you are not familiar with. Do you jump up and down and scream at the top of your lungs so that you will never hear what is being played?

Or do you stand and listen attentively to something you might never have heard live before in appreciation?

Frankly if I get to hear any of these rarities that I've been wanting to hear I am going to stand still and soak them up with every inch of my ears and body - not scream over Jon.

The first time I heard Dry County (after 10 dry years) I was up front in the pit - second row - at Giants Stadium in 2006. The girl next to me (whom I didn't know at all) hugged and then we stood quietly and LISTENED to every single damn note of that song so as not to miss a thing.

So yes - you Europeans can scream and jump and yell all you want but are you actually going to hear any of these rarities?

When things like Wanted or Prayer are played - sure - I sing along as loud as I can. I've heard them a million times live.

When I heard Blood Money live for the first time again I also STFU and listened. It was quiet and acoustic and I wanted to hear Jon - not myself.

OK - you can now all bash me and tell me what a loser of an American I am :roll:

I wont bash you cause I dont have any rights to bash anyone...
but I say what I see in the vids...

even in IBTFY, ppl were still...
in songs like Prayer, Bad Name, Bad Medicine and stuff...you could hear the crow scream and sing along...but it wasnt only the "new" songs...

I dont know, maybe I'm used to the latin american crowd...that they take sooo long to come here that when they do we get crazy LOL

I've been to only 1 BJ gig in the US but it's not only on the 'unknown' songs, the reaction to songs as Prayer/Wanted/IML in the US are also a lot less lively then in Europe for instance.

The whole atmosphere is different, there is a lot more energy from European crowds overall then US (not only US, Asia is similar I geuss)..... it's too easy to narrow it down to the unknown songs if you ask me...


Just go to any (big) European Soccer Match and compare that to a the final of the Superbowl, same difference..

OK - I get that. But here we are talking about music (not sports) which some people actually want to hear.

I can sing along to Bon Jovi (or Bruce or Led Zeppelin) in my car - and I do :) But when I actually get to hear them live - I want to hear THEM sing - not myself - or my seat neighbor screaming off key.

Whoosh! Right over their heads.

The crowd is going to sing along with the stuff they have heard over and over on the radio as well as likely having heard the band play live before.

What Kathleen is saying is when they hear something they haven't heard before, they stop and listen. They can't sing along if they don't know the words. When Metallica played Judas Kiss when I saw them a few months ago, I wasn't jumping up and down because I was too busy taking in the performance while noting that it was a damn cool song that I should be playing at home more than I do.

Kathleen puts it in a very positive light where many would make it a negative where none may exist. People do go to concerts to observe. When you're watching videos, it's easy to think the crowd is bored when they seem motionless. I know I'd love to actually be able to sit down and just be focused on taking every detail in, as well as the bass sounds/feels better sitting down.

It's awesome to watch people jumping on video, but when you're there.....I know I've avoided the pit at GA shows for that exact reason. Metallica gave me a choice of floor GA or reserved seated. I went with reserved seated because I wanted to be able to focus on the show.

Let's not forget that so far the reports are that this is their most visual show perhaps thus far. So there is that hypnotic effect. I'll let you know after Saturday. I'm off the floor to the side towards the back, but looking forward to seeing the presentation from that vantage point. I was so close for Bounce that most of the lasers and lighting design was lost on me, and they are from the same guy who handled Pink Floyd's Pulse tour. I regret not seeing at least two shows from that tour with one towards the back to see it on the bigger scale it was meant to be seen.

I for one prefer a calm crowd to a crazy crowd. Not sure how much the whole culture/country thing has to do with it but I remember vividly and unpleasantly occasions where other loud fans pissed me off at concerts.

Pink Floyd last US tour - saw them at Ohio Stadium, drunken asshole loud and obnoxious before show even started, as though we had paid to see him. He puked on another fan and was thrown down a steep set of concrete stairs where security took him away - I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to hear him for the whole show.

Grand Rapids Michigan - the night Bon Jovi played 1/2 of the New Jersey album, two girls to my right absolutely shrieking in my ****ing ear constantly to the point that it was painful, during intermission I told them point blank I would do them physical harm if they yelled in my ear again during the Jovi's. I would never hit a girl , but they didn't know that and they shut the hell up (at least no piercing shrieking).

Queensryche with Dream theater and fates warning - dumbshit won't shut the **** up right beside me in the front row, talking constantly on the cell phone trying to yell over theh speaker stack right beside us. General admission so I just handed him 15 bucks and said "hey buddy . why don't you grab us some beers, this round is on me", he never made it back :)

Bon Jovi Borgota show - fans from brazil behind us constantly yelling BRAZIL!!! and holfding up banners while every body else is trying to enjoy a one off acoustic show, everybody gave them dirty looks and asked politely then not so politely for them to shut up and the event staff told them to put down the flags and banners and be quiet but to no avail, a pretty expensive ticket to have ruined by "energetic fans"

I go to a concert to hear music not other fans, nothign wrong with dancing, singing along, etc. but if your actions cause anyone in attendance to notice you instead of the band, you are probably out of line.

Dave

What's the worst is the women who go to the show just to scream "Jonnnnnnn" or "Richieeeeee" for the two hours of the show. STFU for FFS if you wanna get laid by one of them just find out which hotel they are staying at and hang out at the bar. Don't try to do it during the entire show.

The excuse that American crowds are quiet so they can hear the songs is a cop out.

What stops them from waving their hands or moving at all? Or what about when half the arena gets out of their seats to have a piss or get refreshments when a rare number is played?

Say what you wanna say but European crowd is much better than American one...and you know that.
Nothing personal, just wanna lay some facts on the table.
Just search trough youtube and you'll see. When I watch those videos it's hard not to wonder how Jon feels when he's jumping around the stage and maybe four people are clapping their hands.... and not that hard to believe why Jon wants to play those safe hit songs...

I think it's funny that other places think we are so quiet!!! Seattle wasn't quiet, but Kathleen is right, people were listening to the stuff they didn't know and I was thrilled that no one took off during Richies song or during the old songs. I think overall we in the US are less demonstrative than other countries, but it isn't because we are bored or don't like it. The only quiet moment I really remember in Seattle was during Hallelujah, people were listening to Jon's voice, and singing the choruses with him.