Bon Jovi in Regina
The band is in Regina today and in this article in the Leader-Post, Jon promises a special show for tonight's crowd.
...when the band brings The Circle Tour to Mosaic Stadium on Wednesday, they will be viewing a show unique to Regina. Bon Jovi plans on playing a number of the band's hits like "Wanted Dead Or Alive," "You Give Love A Bad Name," "Livin' On A Prayer" and "It's My Life" but the set list has been changing from night to night on the current tour.The article goes on to talk about the 70+ songs played during the O2 residency.
Bon Jovi, along with bandmates Richie Sambora (guitar), Tico Torres (drums) and David Bryan (keyboards), decided the only way to keep the tour fresh was to tinker with the set list each night. The everchanging set list not only challenged the band members but the video crew as well.I hope for the sake of the fans in Regina, that the Jon will really put together a great set list for tonight. I like the article's use of the word "tinkering" in describing the variations in the set lists. It's exactly the right word.
"They're pretty good, I have to say. I challenged the bastards," Bon Jovi said with a laugh. "We just concluded 12 nights in London at the O2 (Arena) and the number of songs started to add up because I couldn't bear to go out there and ever perform the same set twice.
"I said the goal was to play 70 different songs over the course of the 12 nights. I was calling some of them on the fly and I'll be damned that by the first chorus, that video didn't make a liar out of me. They were right there. They kept up pretty good."
The challenge of expanding the set list has been enjoyable for the band.
I know, I harp on the set lists. A lot. But it's like the ONE major complaint I have about the band. With the catalog depth these guys have, they keep dipping into the shallow end.
I know the argument -- how the average Bon Jovi concert-goer is the "casual fan" who wants to hear all the standards, but what about the scads of people who are on their 15th, 50th, 100th, 200th show? There are LOTS of those people who deserve to get what they want too. I would argue they deserve it more, since Jon Bon Jovi is BIG on loyalty. You expose the casual fan to some of the other great songs the band has put out, thereby earning their loyalty and moving more people into the "diehard fan" category, getting them to invest in the records they don't own...drawing them to more shows... Can you see how that would work?
People also argue, well look, not everyone goes to multiple shows, right? Those who are going to one show per tour NEED to see certain songs, which is why there's so much duplication, even in a single venue.
OK, that's an absolutely valid point. But that same assertion should hold true for any band, right? I mean if you're a fan of the Stones, and you go to only one show, you expect to see a certain number of the hits. Ditto Nickelback, Daughtry, Springsteen, Kenny G -- anyone, right? (I threw in the Kenny G to see if you were still paying attention).
So I did a little compare-and-contrast between Bon Jovi, who played four shows at New Meadowland Stadium this year, and another popular not-new band that is currently touring their latest record and have played two shows at Madison Square Garden this year.
And no, it's not Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band.
Bon Jovi Record Release: November 19, 2009Bon Jovi statistics taken from the set lists posted on their Tour Site.
Pearl Jam Record Release: September 20, 2009
Number of distinct songs played at venue highlighted
Bon Jovi (over 4 nights): 46 (includes all the snips of Jukebox tunes)
Pearl Jam (over 2 nights): 61
Average set-list length
Bon Jovi: 26.5 (26, 27, 27, 26 respectively)
Pearl Jam: 34 (both nights got 34 songs)
Pearl Jam statistics taken from the set lists posted on their Tour Site.
I'm not getting into an argument with anyone over "yeah but who sold more tickets, who's done more shows, who's been around longer, who has more hits" blah, blah, blah. This was Bon Jovi in their own backyard. Their hometown crowd. It should have been at LEAST as amazing a diverse set pool as London.
Just sayin'.
~ Hath
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10 comments:
I came down off the soap box earlier this year in regards to this topic when the dropped the rare stuff from the first 2 albums after 5 shows and re-added "Runaway", "Sleep When I'm Dead", etc. Thanks for stepping up to the plate, a valid argument with excellent points.
I agree with you. I love that you tell it like it is. You love the band, but it's not "blind" love. It's very refreshing. I read your blog everyday and much prefer it to finding any info over at Topix. That place is getting too scary!
Marcella
I think you are spot on with this assessment. As a person who tries to see Jovi numerous times on each tour, I appreciate the bands’ need to play the standards, but I get all giddy when I get to hear a rare track (like Miss Fourth of July at Mohegan).
I think what you said about educating the general fan and introducing them to the lesser known tracks makes total sense. Cover tunes are the same. A REAL fan of Bon Jovi appreciates the man, the men, the band, their talent, voices, musicanship and more, not only their big hit songs. A perfect example was the reception they got in Toronto recently when they covered Bob Seeger’s “Turn the Page”. Those in the audience were exstatic, those who heard the recording or saw the YouTube clips could see the obvious pleasure of those in attendance at seeing Jon sing a well known song that he’d never done before… and knock it out of the park.
Hath, thank you for so eloquently stating the obvious, even though I’m sure there are those out there who will criticize you for not being a “real fan.” Kool-Aid, anyone?
I think I’m a prime example of how a really stellar set list can turn a casual fan (or a non-fan for that matter) into, as you said, a diehard fan.
I’m still pretty new to all this, but an amazing show in Kansas City on the LH tour opened my eyes to how much depth this band actually has, and it wasn’t because of the tried and true standards they played. Instead it was a few of the rarities they performed and the crowd’s reaction to them.
And ok, I’ll be honest, it didn’t hurt that Jon stripped his shirt off and stalked around the stage like a caged panther. (sue me)
So this tour, let’s just say I jumped in with both feet. Fifteen shows later (with two more to go) I’ve spent nearly $10k on tickets alone. I’d say that’s loyalty, even for a new fan. And out of those fifteen shows, guess how many songs I’ve heard…
FIFTY. And a good half dozen of those I wouldn’t have heard if I hadn’t been at the Hawaii shows. That’s a lot of cash to shell out to hear the same songs played over and over. I guess I should have just spent a few weeks in London rather than jet-setting all over North America.
Sure, I get they can have a bad night. And sure, I get that there are casual fans there – the ones who want to hear the hits and only the hits. Hell, I’m bringing one with me to Chicago Friday night.
But open your eyes, Jonny. I bet there are a lot of “casual fans” out there who are just like me – throw in a few extras, and you just might convert the casual fan into a die-hard fan.
And in the meantime, you’ll make the fans that have been loyal to you for years say… “oh yeah, this is why I do it.”
Hath, I’ll make a bet with you. We both know the Friday night set list will be as vanilla as they come. But Saturday night, last show of this leg…maybe Jon will be feeling feisty. They played 70+ songs in London, which means just weeks ago they played 20+ songs I haven’t heard yet on this tour. If they play at least FIVE songs on Saturday that I haven’t heard yet, I’ll buy you a pit ticket to attend a show with me on the next leg. If they don’t, I’m coming up to watch the Saints demolish the Pats in the first pre-season game on Aug 12. Deal? ;)
@Tony, there's plenty of room on my soap box if you wanna step back up :)
@marce, I hear ya on the Topix thing. Thanks for the continued visiting!!
@Wils, YOU know how giddy I was for Never Say Goodbye at Mohegan -- and we were up in the rafters looking at their butts! And how long did we spend watching different YTs of Turn the Page last Sunday?
@FM: Sam, I'd be a moron not to take that deal :) I have a feeling though, that I won't be getting a pit ticket anytime soon :( I've got your Pats ticket all ready. Hey, even if they DO play the five songs, you can still come up and watch my second-stringers beat up your second-stringers.
~ Hath
Hey at least my second stringers are...wait for it...
*****SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS*****
Besides, you never know, maybe Jon will decide that the American fans actually DO know the words to more than just the choruses and really WOULD like to hear the words "shot through the heart" sung to a slightly different tune.
I know, I know...it's a long shot, but keep the faith, right?
Altho STTH wouldn't count since I heard that in Hawaii.
(damn, I think I'm getting giddy since I don't have to come back to work until August 9!)
Amen!
Lyn
Well said, well researched and well thought out...
Totally agree Hath.
Being in Australia we don't get the opportunity to see the band much, and when we do it is usually stock-standard vanilla set. I will be there December 11 in Melbourne (as they aren't coming to Adelaide... AGAIN!) But I hardly expect to hear anything rare.
Jon often comments in interviews about changing the set up, however (maybe this is just me) I don't consider re-shuffling the same songs as "changing" the set. Nor just rotating (for example) Bed of Roses with Always.
I understand Prayer, Wanted, Bad Name, Bad Medicine, Its my Life will be played at every show, but what about changing some others up? Namely: Born to be my Baby; We Got it Going On; Who Says...; Even swap "I'll be There for You" every so often.
Where are the Bounce songs this tour???
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