JBJ is not a Tour Whore

Sorry, that was my  most favorite line from this NZ Herald article:

[Bon Jovi are] notably more relaxed and upbeat than they've been for years.

"I think we're stronger now than we've been in a long time _ maybe forever - so we are enjoying things more. It's great, because there were times, in the past, when we weren't happy and struggled on, even though we were physically or emotionally wrecked," concedes Bon Jovi. "But I think the one good thing we've learned from doing that _ from pushing ourselves - is that when you think you've had enough and feel like you shouldn't be on the road, you really shouldn't be on the road.

"That's why we're looking forward to coming out to New Zealand now," he adds, excitedly. "This time we're ready and able, as opposed to the first time we came in 1987 when we were completely exhausted and it felt like we'd been pulled across the rack, getting on that plane to Australia and New Zealand.

"When I look back on it, we shouldn't have done that tour because we were beat, so we didn't do ourselves or the fans justice," he admits. "But it wasn't anyone's fault - we were all caught up in the moment and kept hearing: 'there's another great opportunity; a chance to add another date to the tour; to play New Zealand', when really what we should have been told was `take some time off, go to bed ... '

"In comparison, our last gig in New Zealand, in 2008 [where they played Christchurch only], during the Lost Highway tour was totally different. It was a pleasure to be on the road - a treat to play there," he enthuses. "That wasn't just because it was our most successful tour. It's also because we took breaks and recharged our batteries, so we actually enjoyed touring. That was the difference between our 1987 and 2008 visits; we knew when to stop, when to say `no'.

"You know, I'm not a tour whore. I'm not a man who needs the roar of the crowd," Bon Jovi adds. "Although I enjoy performing in front of a crowd, that's not what motivates me. What does it for me is when you write something, record it and then realise its special, like we did with When We Were Beautiful.

Also (thanks LeAnn!) according to Ticketmaster, the Melbourne show on December 11 is sold out and unlike Sydney there won't be a second date added. Apparently only 20,000 tickets were available when the show went on sale to the general public today, while 30,000 had gone to pre-sales and competitions beforehand.

~ Hath