A Setlist Shakeup is Needed
 

Bad.

I'm not talking about rarities every night or totally different sets from one show to the next, but the basic setlist could REALLY use a shakeup.

Bad Name has been in the first 3 songs for SO LONG. This could be great as an encore opener. I think that It's My Life (if it MUST be played) could take the place as the early-set-big-hit.

Prayer has either closed the main set or the show for a long time now, too. I've always thought that it would fit well after the acoustic set. Jon starts the acapella from the b-stage (if there is one), and let it build up from there. Let songs like Keep the Faith or Saturday Night be closers. Or be a bit ballsy and let a new song close, like Love's the Only Rule.

Wanted has been at the end for a very long time too. But it seems with these one-offs lately, it's been moved up into the main set, so there's some hope.

You get the point. There's many other songs that could be different if they moved around. But they also should ditch some of the current regulars (Captain Crash, some of the Lost Highway songs, etc.) and bring back some of the old regulars, like Wild in the Streets, Blaze of Glory, and One Wild Night.

Whether any of this happens remains to be seen, and based on past tours, it probably won't. But it's good to be optimistic, right?

Thoughts?

I agree, a big shake up is needed. I always thought that Bad Medicine would work well in the 2nd slot (like on the These Days Tour) after something pumping like Raise Your Hands. As for Bad Name, I can't really imagine it working well anywhere else in the set, having said that though i've never heard a boot where it wasn't part of the first 5 songs. I agree about Prayer, I think it would work really well in a short acoustic set with one or two lesser known songs e.g. Bells Of Freedom or Mystery Train or Misunderstood ect.

Also, I think that every set should have at least one song from each album (can't see this happening though).

If you think BM would do good in the 2nd slot they really should play it faster. It's gotten so slow now that it lost a lot of it's power.

If only Jon would have the guts and think 'what the hell, I am going to try something different' but he doesn't so far. I can live without hearing all the hits if I got a show where the band gave their all. I bet I could even enjoy songs of Bounce if they played it with passion.

So yes, a shakeup is always needed but I am affraid Jon is too big of a fan of autopilot.

I salute you,
TS

p.s.
Maybe do as Bruce did, play one album as a whole and then some other songs to reach the 2 hours mark. Nah, not gonna happen! The ones who will be getting Lost Highway or Bounce probably want their money back ;-)

Jon once quoted bad name is always second song cause from there on the audience knows the party's starting. Anyway... my thought is the same: get it out of the first 3 and bring it in the encores... Would be magnificent.

Prayer, for me best as closer of main set or final closing song. It also worked as an opener, but that became to formulaic when followed by bad name.

IML as opener or closing main set, would definitly be great choice.
Or have HAND as an opener, would also work great.


Song that can (for me) be left in the closet for 1 tour : Born To be my baby and Bad medicin.

Make I believe and Hey god staple songs for the next tour.

'You Give Love A Bad Name' in the encore or near the end of the set would replace a possible rarity I think, enraging die-hards. :p

'Livin' On A Prayer' should be played after Richie Sambora's song.

The 'Bounce' tour setlist was pretty strange, especially the Hyde Park '03 concert. All the hits and new songs were played before Richie stepped up to sing 'I'll Be There For You'. However, I loved the way they ended main sets back then, with the likes of 'Raise Your Hands', 'Born To Be My Baby', 'Blaze Of Glory' etc. being played.

The encore should begin with something epic, like 'These Days', 'Dry County', 'Bed Of Roses' etc. That's nothing new, as they do it often, but it works I think.

The show could open with 'Something To Believe In' or something equally obscure ( read this - http://www.drycounty.com/jovitalk/sh...ad.php?t=53833 ?????) and be followed immediately by a huge hit, but one which is a party song and draws the audience back in, like 'Bad Name' or 'Have A Nice Day'.

The closer should be a 7/8 minute rendition of electric 'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night'.

Never have a problem with Bad Name as 2nd song, or in the first 3. Its throwaway and gets the casuals in the mood, whilst its pretty meh for everyone else so it gets it out the way. Prayer should always either end the main set or be in the encore.

Anything else, they should be more flexible with. It looks like they will move Wanted up to more of the middle of the show based on the lastest charity shows. As long as they ditch some of the tired songs like Sleep, Crash and Who Says (as if!) then its all good, with a decent revolving pool of other songs.

But mainly if they tour a new album I want at least 6 new album tracks per show, and the whole album to be played over the course of the tour, that should be a given and shouldn't be a problem if you are proud of the music Jon! You'll only become a nostalgia band sooner if you disregard the new material as quickly as you did on The Circle Tour.

When I go to see other bands that I don't have as much interest in, I make sure I listen to the current album and greatest hits and still expect to not know a few songs. They shouldn't worry about losing some people with rare songs, as there will always be songs people don't know.

Opening song- ideally something new, otherwise a revolving upbeat song. Bad Name 2nd- although if replaced, IML wouldn't be a bad replacement, although it does its job at getting a mid-show pop. BTBMB needs to move or be semi-retired. 4th/5th song is decent for an album track/rarity (Thorn was played about there a few times) and there on in just re-work most of the mid section to something different.

I do like the structure they had on the last tour, its pretty much as good as it gets for a solid spine, its too samey from previous tours.

They did shake up the set pretty much at the Mohegan show 2011/03/04. You Give Love a Bad Name in spot 15. It worked pretty well, but for me it's something magical with Bad Name in the second or third spot.
When it's comes to drastic setlist changes I don't think it will be much more drastic than the Mohegan show.

1. The Radio Saved My LifeTonight
2. We Weren't Born To Follow
2. Lost Highway
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Thorn In My Side
6. Wild in the Streets
7. I Got the Girl
8. The More Things Change
9. Summertime
10. Blaze of Glory
11. In These Arms (David Vocals)
12. Superman Tonight (Ac.)
13. Living In Sin
14. Who Says
15. You Give Love a Bad Name
16. It's My Life
17. Wanted Dead or Alive (Richie 2nd verse)
18. Bad Medicine
19. Living on a Prayer
--------------------------
20. Hey God
21. Raise Your Hands

Yes, there are a couple of shitty songs in there ut overall it's kinda cool!
As a sidenote, I would love to see the band opening their set with Runaway. That could've been really cool!!

While this was very cool for them to do this, and it was definitely welcome, this setlist structure is wacky. It wouldn't necessarily work from night to night.

The drastic change of the setlist was as cool as it was unexpected, but then again, the set wasn't perfect. I'm still not sure what I have to think about this setlist...

The encore is great on paper but it's two songs which don't fit together, in my opinion. 'Raise Your Hands' seems too short to work as a show finisher, too.