The weird thing is that JBJ and company used to know better than that. Whereas a band like Poison in the 80s was a strictly American phenomenon and never managed to shake the "pretty boys" stigma, Bon Jovi like it's been mentioned expanded both geographically and musically in the 90s. Consequently, they survived the 90s as an intact band. They were covered and respected by regular rock mags, too. This even went on as late as Bounce, as faux-heavy as that record may have been.

Now, they market themselves like they actually are Poison. Iron Maiden outsells them and is probably the bigger draw, globally speaking, too. For a band being so obviously in it to make as much money as possible at this point, BJ are doing quite a poor job at it.

Are they though? I bet they make a lot more money on mass produced t-shirts and tat with Jon's face on than they would remastering and producing a special edition of SWW.

Yup. Cheap items, low overhead, a guaranteed fanbase vs curating the ones that are left and winning back old fans. I can blame them as a band, I can't blame them as a business.

You think AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica and so on don't have a "guaranteed fanbase"?

Of course they do, but I get what he is saying. It's a different kind of fan base. All of those bands' guarenteed fan bases would be appauled if they received the type of tacky merch included in the JBJ Experience boxes.

However, the JBJ ass shaking worshipers lap it all up. And unfortunately that is the portion of the BJ fan base that spends the most amount of money these days...

$2195 per person for the latest Runaway tour.


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This.

Those bands listed as examples have a guaranteed audience that will eat up rare stuff, full shows, unreleased anythings. While Bon Jovi have that, it's a subsection of a subsection of a subsection. All of which requires work, money and undoing the last 20 years.

If people weren't lapping up this low quality stuff and demanding rare stuff we wouldn't be having this discussion. It's supply and demand and it sucks.

I think both sides of the debate have a point. Jon obviously does not have the freedom of a band like Metallica. Even so, he is doing an awful job at presenting what he does have.

Metallica's Black Album 30th anniversary set pisses all over New Jersey's. This is partly because they own their music but also partly because they give a shit. Maybe not about the fan per se, but about how the band is presented.

Jon seems to have stopped giving a shit. It is an odd position he has taken in talking up his musical output as socially conscious, in touch with the people, and with artistic weight, all while becoming a full on commercial endeavor that is becoming like a cheap paradoy. It is such a contradiction that I cannot think of another band that is doing something similar.

Sirius XM is free for 4 months. Enjoy

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Only if you're located in the US - the customer agreement has a clause about how using a VPN or anything like that is a violation of the agreement.