Thursday, June 30, 2011

Dublin 1 set list

Bon Jovi hit Dublin for the first of two shows before a week-long break.

Dublin, Ireland - RDS Arena - June 29, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
We Weren't Born to Follow
Just Older
It's My Life
Blaze of Glory
We Got It Goin' On
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
Bad Medicine / Gloria [Them/Van Morrison cover] / Not Fade Away [Buddy Holly cover] / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover]
Love's the Only Rule
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Dry County
Wanted Dead or Alive
These Days
Always
Livin' on a Prayer

Check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the video links.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

New music from Richie Sambora and Nikki Lund

Richie and Nikki's fashion collaboration is also a musical one. Well, kind of. You can check out White Trash Beautiful's songs at their website. The two tracks up at the moment: White Trash Beautiful and Crazy. While I don't wish to prejudice you before listening, I will suggest you take the songs for what they are: shallow dance-pop tracks written for the catwalk. In other words, it's not supposed to be Stranger In This Town or Undiscovered Soul so don't take it too seriously. ;)

Here are the lyrics I heard... I'm pretty sure I've got some wrong, so if you're one of the people who managed to listen to the whole thing without suffering some kind of meltdown, please feel free correct me. ;)

Crazy:
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y

I'm lookin' in the mirror
Puttin' on lipstick
You know I taste good
You wanna lick it
Get a couple in me
I'm anything I wanna be
I'm not broken
Don't try to fix me

I'm gonna go out
Let it rip, trip the shit
Kick and blow out
Kiss my lips and I
It's true that it don't mean a thing to me
I'm gonna rock this show out

You can't fix C-R-A-Z-Y (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Touch me, you know my (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Body will start to rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
(Rock, rock)

C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y

Damn you're so hot
You're makin' my ice cream
I wanna own you
And where have you been?
Open your mouth and whisper what you wanna do
You get two words
And it's "Do you?"

I'm gonna go out
Let it rip, trip the shit
Kick and blow out
Kiss my lips and I
It's true that it don't mean a thing to me
I'm gonna rock this show out

You can't fix C-R-A-Z-Y (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Touch me, you know my (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Body will start to rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
(Rock, rock)

C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y

[guitar solo]

I'm gonna go out
Let it rip, trip the shit
Kick and blow out
Kiss my lips and I
It's true that it don't mean a thing to me
I'm gonna rock this show out

You can't fix C-R-A-Z-Y (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Touch me, you know my (C-R-A-Z-Y)
Body will start to rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
Rock (rock)
Rock (rock)

C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y
C-R-A-Z-Y

White Trash Beautiful:
Own it, wear your sexuality
Don't be afraid of it 'cause it's reality
You have it so work it, you gotta be
You know what they wanna see
It's White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful

I make love like a porn star
Take a shower, go to work in
Lip gloss, flip flops, jeans and a T-shirt
I'm drinkin' Vertigo
I can be fabulous
But I like a beer
You bet that can kick your ass
It's just an attitude
It's just a look
I'm the exception to the rule

I'm White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)
I'm wicked irresistible
Sexy, unpredictable
Hot but I kick it cool
I'm White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)

If you're a housewife, a movie star
When you get home at night
You kick off your shoes and tell your man to dim the lights
Your clothes on the floor behind the bedroom door
'Cause inside we all are

I'm White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)
I'm wicked irresistible
Sexy, unpredictable
Hot but I kick it cool
I'm White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)

Own it, wear your sexuality
Don't be afraid of it 'cause it's reality
You have it so work it, you gotta be
You know what they wanna see
It's White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful

[guitar solo]

It's just an attitude
It's just a look
I'm the exception to the rule
I'm White Trash Beautiful
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)
I'm wicked irresistible
Sexy, unpredictable
Hot but I kick it cool
I'm White Trash Beautiful (beautiful)
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)
I'm White Trash Beautiful (beautiful)
White Trash Beautiful (we are, we are)
(Beautiful) I'm White Trash Beautiful
(Beautiful) I'm White Trash Beautiful

(It's Hard) Letting You Go in Bristol

This rarely-played These Days track was the biggest surprise of Bon Jovi's June 27, 2011 concert in Bristol. This video popped up shortly afterwards... the start of the song is missing but most of it is here. And it sounds fantastic.



EDIT: Here's another video. :)

Bristol set list

Bon Jovi dropped into the home of Bristol City FC and slipped some nice inclusions into the set, particularly Happy Now, Just Older, Living in Sin... and Letting You Go!

Bristol, England, UK - Ashton Gate Stadium - June 27, 2011
Happy Now
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born To Follow
Just Older
It's My Life
We Got It Goin' On
Raise Your Hands
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Treat Her Right [Roy Head & The Traits cover]
Blaze of Glory
Living In Sin
In These Arms
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Runaway
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
(It's Hard) Letting You Go
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' On A Prayer

Visit Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the videos.

Brokenpromiseland by bounce442 + Wanted Dead or Alive by Cody Simpson

Blame It On The Love reader bounce442 has uploaded his cover of Brokenpromiseland, mashed up with a snippet of Born to Be My Baby. I really enjoyed this Bruce Springsteen-inspired arrangement; it reminded me a little of The River and Nebraska...



Vocals by Justin Lawrence and arrangement/instruments by Marshall Hawkins. Also check out their covers of Novocaine and If I Was Your Mother if you haven't already.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Cody Simpson has been dubbed the Aussie Justin Bieber but here's a video of him at the age of 12 playing a Bon Jovi classic... Wanted Dead or Alive. It's not perfect and he doesn't quite pull off "I've seen a million and I've rocked them all." But it's kind of cute, and whatever you think of his music, the kid can sing.

Hard Rock Calling audio and video

Bon Jovi blew us away at Hard Rock Calling in London on June 25. I don't know if there's any chance of an official live release, but it'd sure be nice.

Absolute Radio has a photo gallery from the show. They are also streaming Blaze of Glory, Born to Be My Baby, It's My Life, Livin' on a Prayer and Always until July 26, 2011.

There's also a fan recording of the full audio stream here. Various other fan recordings are floating around for download.

And finally, here are some fan videos. :)

Hey God

Considering this is the opening track of my favourite album, I recognised the intro of the song when I heard it coming through my headphones during the live stream, but I don't think I really believed what I was hearing until Jon started singing.

Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman

Jon squeezing Richie Sambora's butt at about 3:27.

Hallelujah

Some people bag it for being too slow or over-emoted but I don't care; I love Bon Jovi's version of Hallelujah. I never really appreciated the song until Bon Jovi started doing this in 2007... now I love the original as well as many of the cover versions. Though I have to admit, Jon looks rather pained here.

Dry County

If you follow the blog, you'll probably already know I'm a sucker for this song.

Livin' on a Prayer / Always


For more videos, check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Hard Rock Calling set list

Wow! Bon Jovi played for about three hours at Hard Rock Calling. The live audio stream on Absolute Radio sounded fantastic, and they pulled out some surprises that I certainly was not expecting at a festival. So much so that I'm more than happy to forgive Jon (who was reportedly limping in his leg brace) for finishing the show on that song I despise. :P

London, England, UK - Hyde Park - June 25, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
We Weren't Born to Follow
Lost Highway
It's My Life
In These Arms
Blaze of Glory
Lay Your Hands on Me
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover]
Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen cover]
When We Were Beautiful
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Hey God
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore #1:
Dry County
Wanted Dead or Alive
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Livin' on a Prayer

encore #2:
Always
These Days
Blood on Blood

encore #3:
I Love This Town

Check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the HRC videos and media links.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Manchester set list

Bon Jovi played at the famous Old Trafford ahead of their headlining show at Hard Rock Calling (which you should hopefully be able to listen to via the Absolute Radio website).

Manchester, England, UK - Old Trafford Cricket Ground - June 24, 2011
Blood On Blood
You Give Love A Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born To Follow
In These Arms
Lost Highway
It's My Life
Runaway
Raise Your Hands
We Got It Goin' On
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
Bad Medicine / Roadhouse Blues [The Doors cover] / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Work For The Working Man
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Dry County
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' on a Prayer

Check Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the videos.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Something to Believe In + These Days from Edinburgh

A couple of videos from Bon Jovi's Murrayfield concert on June 22, 2011.

Something to Believe In

Still not as good as Sydney 2010 but this is one of my favourite songs as some of you know, so I'm glad they've pulled it out a few times on the tour.

These Days

Final song of the night, with Jon ad libbing in reference to his knee injury:
From a second storey window, his knee popped and he closed his eyes
He said "Mama, I must be crazy"
And she said "Jonny, you gotta try"
Don't you know that all our heroes died

Hath's Circle Tour Blog should have all the videos from this show in due course.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Edinburgh set list

Some great "diehard" songs especially in the second half of Bon Jovi's Scotland concert.

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Murrayfield Stadium - June 22, 2011
Blood on Blood
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
We Weren't Born to Follow
Lost Highway
Whole Lot of Leavin'
It's My Life
Runaway
Raise Your Hands
Bad Medicine / Hot Legs [Rod Stewart cover]
(You Want To) Make a Memory
Wild is the Wind
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
No Apologies
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Something to Believe In
Wanted Dead or Alive
In These Arms
Livin' on a Prayer
These Days

Check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the videos and links when they come.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi on his injury and Clarence Clemons

This was posted on Bon Jovi's Facebook page after the Horsens concert (June 19):
Hi guys - everything went fine last night in Denmark, just a little soreness. The brace takes the pressure off but it's just a precaution until the surgery next month. We're moving forward as usual.

However, as we continue on, it was also important to us to honor our friend Clarence Clemons. His passing is a sad loss and we wanted to honor him, his family, his bandmates and his many friends. Our performance of “10th Avenue Freeze Out” was from all of us, as your fans. -jbj

If you haven't seen them, I previously posted videos of Jon's knee injury in Helsinki and Bon Jovi's cover of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi on touring with and without Richie Sambora

Jon was recently interviewed in Munich for the Daily Record and Sunday Mail in Scotland. He talks about touring, emulating the Rolling Stones and his friendship with President Obama, but here's what he had to say about Richie:
"It was great for Richie to go and take care of himself knowing full well he was not being fired or punished. He needed and wanted to seek help. Now, he's focused, re-energised and everything is great. Our partnership is as strong as ever.

"Is Richie conquering his demons? How can I comment on that without knowing the disease. I think he's very cognisant of the situation and loves his mother, daughter and band more than anything in the world. I'm very proud of his efforts. He's still my dearest friend."
Read the full article here.

Win Hard Rock Calling VIP tickets

If you're in London and want VIP tix to Hard Rock Calling (which Bon Jovi will be headlining on June 25), you may be interested in this press release that dropped into my inbox today...

WIN HARD ROCK CALLING VIP TICKETS DURING 'FIND, FOLLOW, & WIN FOR THE 40th'
Hard Rock Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary In The City Where It All Started


Celebrating 40 years, Hard Rock wants to give back to London, the city where it all started, by giving away Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets and other fantastic prizes.

From June 20-23, the Hard Rock team will be stationed at different locations around central London, handing out Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets, money-can’t-buy backstage tours, Absolute Radio digital radios, Vodafone phones, Hard Rock merchandise, and many more sought-after items.

Hard Rock will be dropping location clues and checking in on Twitter and Foursquare. Find the crew and win before they move onto the next iconic spot.

To further add to the celebrations, the first person at each location who says “I follow Hard Rock,” will win Friday, Saturday, or Sunday Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets.

WHAT – You can win Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets, Absolute Radio goodies, Vodafone gear, and loads more. Plus, three Hard Rock Calling 2011 ticket winners will also win a special money-can’t-buy backstage tour of the festival!

INTRO – Hard Rock is taking to the streets of London to play a game of hide and seek with the public, giving away Hard Rock Calling 2011 tickets and much more through Twitter and Foursquare.

WHEN – 20th-23rd June 2011

WHERE – All around London


To get more information, including terms & conditions, about 'Find, Follow, & Win For The 40th' go to www.hardrock.com/findus

For further information please contact:

David Wade, Marvin Godrey or Ourhai Turkhan at Frank PR– 0207 693 6999 or email hardrock@frankpr.it

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Bon Jovi paid tribute to the E Street Band's Clarence Clemons, with Jon delivering a touching eulogy to the Big Man before launching into this cover of Bruce Springsteen's Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. The performance is from Horsens, Denmark on June 19, 2011.



EDIT: Here's another video of the performance.

Helsinki videos: Thorn In My Side, Wild is the Wind

I've posted videos of Jon injuring himself at this show but here are a couple of other videos from Bon Jovi's June 17 Helsinki concert.

I wish Thorn In My Side had been staple on The Circle Tour.


Wild is the Wind was played two nights in a row (It also got an outing in Oslo). This time it's raining quite heavily and Jon doesn't stink-eye anyone. ;)


For all the available videos from Helsinki, check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog.

Horsens set list

It was Bon Jovi's first show after Jon's knee injury, and their first show since the death of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons -- the larger-than-life saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was played as a tribute to Clarence. (You can also check out Anthony Kuzminski's tribute at The Screen Door.)

Horsens, Central Denmark, Denmark - CASA Arena Horsens - June 19, 2011
Lost Highway
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
We Weren’t Born to Follow
Superman Tonight
Runaway
It’s My Life
We Got It Goin’ On
Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Old Time Rock and Roll [Bob Seger cover]
Lay Your Hands On Me
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I’ll Be There For You
Who Says You Can’t Go Home
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Work for the Working Man
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out [Bruce Springsteen cover]
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin’ On a Prayer

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi's knee injury in Helsinki

Jon strained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee during Bon Jovi's Helsinki Olympic Stadium concert on June 17, as I mentioned in the last post.

This is the moment it happened, midway through Love's the Only Rule. Jon lets out a yell at about 0:28 and grabs his leg.


Jon gingerly makes his way out to the circle. He's in obvious discomfort at the end of Love's the Only Rule and the start of When We Were Beautiful.


This isn't the first time Jon's hurt himself this tour, having also torn his calf at the new Meadowlands Stadium in July 2010. To his credit, he didn't skip a beat then either.

Helsinki set list

Bon Jovi hit Helsinki Olympic Stadium last night. Jon injured a ligament in his knee (reportedly during Love's the Only Rule). The show went on but the set on the circle may have been shortened, while Undivided and Happy Now were apparently soundchecked but not played.

Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland - Olympic Stadium - June 17, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
We Weren't Born to Follow
In These Arms
Lost Highway
It's My Life
Runaway
We Got It Going On
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
Bad Medicine / Roadhouse Blues [The Doors cover]
Love's the Only Rule
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
No Apologies
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Thorn in My Side
Wanted Dead or Alive
Wild is the Wind
Livin' on a Prayer

This was posted on Facebook after the concert:
Tonight at Bon Jovi's sold-out show at Olympic Stadium in Helsinki Finland, Jon suffered an MCL strain. The injury occurred an hour into the nearly three-hour marathon set but neither the torrential rain nor the incident kept the band from finishing the show. Fans need not worry, Jon is in good health and future shows will not be affected. -Matt Bongiovi Co-CEO of Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi fan club
The show was less than two-and-a-half hours from what I could tell, so there's a little exaggeration there. :P Anyway, Hath's Circle Tour Blog will have all the videos in due course.

Videos from Oslo

A couple of videos from Bon Jovi's June 15 concert in Oslo. Haven't been able to find a video of Damned yet, but hopefully someone did capture it.

Wild is the Wind

There's a bit of a goof here and Jon sends a death stare in the Richie Sambora direction. But I love that they played this!

I'd Die For You

Not exactly my favourite Slippery When Wet song but I love them playing it anyway. Speaking of verses and choruses, the verses crap all over the chorus of this song... JMHO. ;)

Bed of Roses

Camera work's a bit shaky but it's right up close so you can have one of those "OMG Jon is looking right at me" moments. Haha. :P

Diamond Ring / I'll Be There For You

Nice view of Richie doing his thang. He's also using an electric guitar for Diamond Ring.

Visit Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the videos from the show in due course.

Bon Jovi crew tell how the end of the show is just the beginning for them

Bon Jovi's road crew are the stars of this Daily Record article about the work that's required behind the scenes:
AS a sweat-soaked Jon Bon Jovi brings down the curtain on a blistering, three-hour set, the show is far from over for the 190-strong crew.

The 75,000 fans streaming out of Munich's Olympic Stadium are oblivious to the hustle and bustle backstage.

Within minutes of the band finishing their set, the crew swing into action, taking down the huge stage, packing it into 1000 flight cases and loading it on to one of 18 waiting trucks.

It's a scene crew chief Mike Rew calls "organised chaos".
Read the full article here.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Jon Bon Jovi upsets US fans

I think this is the full (or more of the) interview I posted last night. Among other things, Jon said he liked touring Europe and playing for "a fan base that knows all the verses, not just the choruses." He repeated the sentiment later in the interview: "They know all the verses, whereas the Americans live around the choruses."



First of all, I do think Jon was merely complimenting European fans ahead of the European tour, as opposed to taking a deliberate pot shot at American fans. And secondly, it's not the first time Jon or a member of the band has specifically talked about European fans "knowing the verses" instead of "just the choruses" and I doubt it will be the last. Nor is it the first time heated debate over the differences in crowds and set lists has been raged.

Having said that, I've always maintained that it wouldn't be too hard for Bon Jovi to throw a bone for the diehards at EVERY show, regardless of the location or the overall crowd response. All it would take is one or two gems or rarities a night. Plenty of time to play all the tried and true hits that casuals come to see, and then everyone leaves happy. Don't punish a loyal, passionate fan just because he/she happens to live in the wrong city, country or continent.

Meanwhile, a Facebook group called North American Bon Jovi fans who know the verses has been set up.

Oslo set list

At least three or four gems for the Bon Jovi diehards in this set...

Oslo, Norway - Ullevaal Stadion - June 15, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love A Bad Bame
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born to follow
In These Arms
Superman Tonight
It's My Life
Blaze of Glory
Damned
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
Bad Medicine / Hot Legs [Rod Stewart cover] / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover]
Lay Your Hands On Me
What Do You Got
Bed of Roses
Diamond Ring
I'll Be There For You
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Love's The Only Rule
Have A Nice Day
Keep The Faith

Encore:
Wild is the Wind
Wanted Dead or Alive
I'd Die For You
Livin' On A Prayer

Videos links on Hath's Circle Tour Blog in due course.

BonJovi.com sucks + Telegraph video

The design/layout (and sometimes functionality) of the Bon Jovi website often leaves a lot to be desired, and The Wix Blog thinks so too... They've rated BonJovi.com 4th on their list of The 8 Most Terrible Celebrity Website Designs. Here's what they had to say about it:
Normally, when you go to a website, it’s really hard to find the navigation. It could be anywhere from the top or bottom of the screen to the left or the right. Oh the humanity! Don’t fret though because Bon Jovi has included at least 3 navigation bars for your viewing ease. He’s also included about 4 different places to integrate yourself with his page on Facebook, Tweet with him or sign up to his newsletter that I’m sure tells all his fans that he just added a fifth Facebook button so you can like liking him while you like liking his page. So meta.

Meanwhile, here's a Daily Telegraph video featuring Jon talking up the European tour. He doesn't say anything he hasn't said before, but it might be worth doing a song count over the course of this leg to see how many songs Bon Jovi does in fact play. ;)


Thanks to Hath for the heads-up on these.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Videos from Munich

Before Bon Jovi hits the stage in Norway, I want to post some videos from their June 12 show in Munich, Germany. The first 10 songs of the concert were streamed live so if you want to watch or rewatch that webcast you'll find it at this link.

Lay Your Hands on Me

Lay Your Hands was kind of Richie's song before he went to rehab, but I prefer Jon's voice on this one (I want Richie singing Homebound Train or something with a little more blues). Great to see the Sambora "sex faces" in action again though. ;)

I'll Be There For You

Jon and Richie sharing the circle platform again, after Jon unofficially dedicated this song to Richie during last month's shows. Additional lyrics from 5:55 (Corrections welcome):
And I'll be there for you
If you want me
I'll... be there... for you
If you need me
C'mon ask me
Oh, I'll be there for you
Just call my name
In the pouring rain
In the morning I'll come home
Just to be in your arms again
Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah
Ah, I'll be there for you

Bells of Freedom (acoustic)

They pulled this out at the previous show in Dresden, but who knows if/when they'll play it again?

Always

It's always a joy to see this in the set. I still remember when it made its long awaited return in Des Moines on the Lost Highway Tour. Since then, it's probably been played often enough to no longer be considered a true rarity... but as their biggest hit ever, Always should be a staple song anyway.

Dry County

I've heard some fans refer to sets with Dry County, Always, Bed of Roses, These Days, etc as complete vanilla because they're no longer rare. I find that interesting. I mean, I love set list variation too, but that doesn't mean I want Bon Jovi to stop playing great songs. Anyway, I have a lot of favourite songs and it depends on my mood but Dry County is what I keep going back to if I'm forced to pick just one.

Visit Hath's Circle Tour Blog for more video links.

Videos from Dresden: Bounce, Bells, Undivided, Something to Believe In

Bon Jovi pulled out a few shocks on June 10 when they played in Dresden, Germany. Here's the proof...

Bounce

If you'd taken a straw poll before the concert to see what people thought the opening number might be, I doubt Bounce would have featured high on the list. I'm not usually a huge fan of this song but I found myself singing along just now. ;)

Bells of Freedom

"Something we haven't done in 5, 6, 7 years or so." Um, Have a Nice Day came out less than six years ago, Jon. :P But I quite like Bells (even though it's quite derivative) and I like this acoustic version. Personally I'd take the 2004 pre-release version over the final album release, but I know Jon hates the original version.

Undivided

Two Bounce songs?! Is Jon feeling okay? :P I'm among the fans who were a little surprised that they pulled this song out in Dresden rather than one of the US dates. But while I think the equally surprising Randers 2008 performance was better, I'm happy they played this... Bounce isn't my favourite album but I still don't understand why it was the only album not to be represented on ANY version of the Greatest Hits/Ultimate Collection.

Something to Believe In

I've said a few times that this is one of my favourite songs so I won't bother going on and on again.

For more great videos, check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog.

Videos from Zagreb

Bon Jovi kicked off their European tour in Zagreb, Croatia on June 8, 2011. It also marked the return of Richie Sambora after spending May in rehab.

This is my blog so obviously my bias is going to come through, but they played three These Days songs in Zagreb and all of them are going to be posted below. ;)

Hey God

I've heard better renditions but Jon usually takes some time to "warm up" at the start of a leg. I enjoyed the performance and it's nice to see Richie back. Also nice to hear some voices singing along to this song.

These Days

Damn, what a great song. That's all.

Something for the Pain

Shot from the second tier. Something for the Pain was one of my favourite moments in Perth so I for one don't think I could get sick of them playing it.

And now for a couple of others...

Love's the Only Rule

Probably my favourite live track from The Circle, Jon messes up the lyrics a little bit here but that's okay. ;)

Have a Nice Day

Jon has a hood on and Richie's rocking the double-necked guitar.

Wanted Dead or Alive

"Are there any cowboys in Croatia? Let's find out." The Zagreb fans taking lead vocals the first verse. :)

There are more great videos over at Hath's Circle Tour Blog. I'll have some Dresden videos up next.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Munich set list + webcast

The first hour (10 songs) of Bon Jovi's concert in Munich was streamed live via Ustream. There was a nice nod to German rockers the Scorpions during Bad Medicine. Always finally returned to the set and I was also surprised to see Bells of Freedom played again.

Munich, Bavaria, Germany - Olympic Stadium - June 12, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love A Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born To Follow
In These Arms
Runaway
It's My Life
Blaze of Glory
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
Bad Medicine / Rock You Like a Hurricane [Scorpions cover] / Old Time Rock and Roll [Bob Seger cover]
The More Things Change
Lay Your Hands On Me
When We Were Beautiful
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Bells of Freedom [acoustic]
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Have A Nice Day
Keep the Faith

encore:
Dry County
Wanted Dead or Alive
Always
Livin' on a Prayer
These Days
Blood on Blood

And in case you missed it or want to watch again, the full webcast (including the pre-show in the crowd hosted by Obie O'Brien) is now on YouTube:


Hath's Circle Tour Blog will have more videos from the show as they come.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Dresden set list

We're only two shows into Bon Jovi's European tour but can I get a holy frick?! We had a new opener, Bounce fans finally got some representation, while Bells of Freedom also made its tour debut. One of my personal favourites, Something to Believe In popped up again and No Apologies replaced We Got It Going On.

Dresden, Saxony, Germany - Ostragehege - June 10, 2011
Bounce
You Give Love A Bad Name
Born To Be My Baby
We Weren't Born To Follow
Superman Tonight
Runaway
It's My Life
In These Arms
Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars
No Apologies
Bad Medicine / Roadhouse Blues [The Doors cover]
Lay Your Hands On Me
(You Want To) Make A Memory
I'll Be There For You
Bells Of Freedom [acoustic]
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night [acoustic]
Who Says You Can't Go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Start Me Up [Rolling Stones cover]
Undivided
Have A Nice Day
Keep The Faith

Encore:
Something To Believe In
Wanted Dead Or Alive
Blood On Blood
Livin' On A Prayer

Check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog for all the video links as they come. And I'll have a few vids from this show and Zagreb to post, too!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Zagreb set list

It was the return of Richie Sambora and the first show of Bon Jovi's European leg. Jon retained the lead vocals on Lay Your Hands on Me and Richie didn't get a solo song, but it was probably the best set in quite some time.

Zagreb, Croatia - Maksimir Stadium - June 8, 2011
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born To Be my Baby
We Weren't Born to Follow
In These Arms
Runaway
It's My Life
Blaze of Glory
Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
We Got it Going On
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover]
Lay Your Hands on Me
Bed of Roses
I'll Be There for You
Something for the Pain [acoustic]
Someday I'll be Saturday Night [acoustic]
Who Says You Can't go Home
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Love's the Only Rule
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith

Encore:
Hey God
Wanted Dead or Alive
These Days
Livin' on a Prayer

Check for videos and media links on Hath's Circle Tour Blog.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

JBJ wraps up listening tour

Ahead of the start of Bon Jovi's European tour, Jon was in Newark, New Jersey -- the last stop on his "listening tour" as part of the White House Council:
Flanked by Mayor Cory Booker, Bon Jovi sat among city teens and young adults today as they explained the hurdles preventing them from finishing school and finding work.

The event, held at the Newark Youth Education & Employment Success Center, was the final stop on Bon Jovi's cross-country listening tour as a member of President Obama's Council on Community Solutions.

"They are the leaders of tomorrow, but they are also very underserved," Bon Jovi said after the discussion.

The students identified bullying, difficult home lives and a lack of after-school programs as the biggest struggles facing "disengaged youth." Bon Jovi, who grew up in Sayreville, said teens in New Orleans, Houston and Atlanta, where he visited earlier in the year, face the same obstacles.

"A lot of these kids are just looking for a chance, some a second chance," the Jersey rocker said.
Read the full article here.

Live stream from Munich

Bon Jovi will be streaming the first half-hour of their Munich concert:
2010's biggest tour is rolling back into Europe this month and Bon Jovi will be giving fans across the globe a chance to experience the live show from the comfort of their homes!

The record breaking band will be streaming the first 30 minutes of their show live from the awesome Olympic Stadium, Munich, in front of an 80,000 strong crowd and millions watching via the internet, courtesy of Ustream.

Just click on any of these links** to watch at www.bonjovi.com on June 12, 2011, at:
10:00am (Los Angeles, PST)
1:00pm (New York, EST)
6:00pm (London, GMT)
7:00pm (Berlin, CEST)

Or use this link to embed the stream onto a web page:
http://www.ustream.tv/bonjovi

**What links? I'm glad they've included GMT though; I've always thought they should do this because it makes it much easier for anyone outside of the US to figure out when something is happening!

Perth is in the GMT+8 timezone though, so whether I'll stay up past 2am for what may or may not be anything special remains to be seen. Then again, the last time Bon Jovi played in Munich, they floored everyone by covering a Duffy song. ;)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Richie Sambora back on tour

TMZ is reporting that Richie will be playing with Bon Jovi in Europe:
Richie Sambora is out of rehab and has just landed in New York City, but he's not staying long -- he's rejoining the Bon Jovi tour.

Sambora told our photog at JFK he was feeling good -- which was evidenced by the fact he signed dozens upon dozens of autographs for fans.
I think most of us had already figured he was back, but if you're attending a show on the Euro leg, you might be a little nervous until there's an official announcement... or until you physically see Richie on stage.

EDIT: And here's the video of Richie signing autographs and confirming he'll be touring again.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Bon Jovi's cymotrichous era

A 14-year-old girl has won the 84th Scripps National Spelling Bee by spelling "cymotrichous", which means "wavy hair".

It makes Blame It On The Love because when Sukanya asked for a definition, she got this hilarious example sentence:

"There is considerable debate among musicologists about whether there is a causal relationship between Bon Jovi's most awesome tunes and the band's cymotrichous era."

Check out the Sky News video here.

For what it's worth, I think their most awesome tunes were actually in the 90s, when their cymotrichy had been tamed. :P

Thursday, June 2, 2011

JBJ Soul Kitchen approved

The Soul Kitchen should be up and running around September:
At the April Planning Board Meeting in Red Bank, the JBJ Soul Kitchen, founded by Dorothea Bongiovi (wife of pop-rock musician Jon Bon Jovi) received instant, unanimous approval for its plans to open a permanent community-based eatery, which will provide a meal for anybody who walks in – whether he/she can pay or not. The plans had been filed by her mega-star philanthropist husband's non-profit organization, the JBJ Soul Foundation.

Bongiovi, in partnership with Zeet Peabody, received approval to open in a 1050 square foot space at 207 Monmouth Street, a building that formerly was an auto repair shop. Soul Kitchen will be a pay-what-you-can restaurant serving approximately 26 to 30 people. A $10 donation to pay for a meal is suggested, but if a person doesn't have the money, he/she can work it off in the kitchen.

The Soul Kitchen started in January 2010 with a staggered schedule at St. Anthony’s of Padua and Lunch Break in Red Bank. With the Planning Board's approval, construction will start shortly on the space to add a kitchen, dining room, appropriate lighting and exterior signage. Plans also call for improvements to the sidewalk and driveway, which will be redone in gray stone, not pavement according to attorney Michael Monroe.
Read the full article here.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Novocaine cover + more Milwaukee photos

Here are some more of bounce442's photos from the Milwaukee show (May 21, 2011), along with his cover of Novocaine (another song I wouldn't mind seeing Bon Jovi pull out again).



If you haven't heard the If I Was Your Mother cover yet (along with the first round of Milwaukee pics), you can check it out here.

And while we're on the subject of Milwaukee, bounce442's video of Bon Jovi performing It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) is here. The other video I posted of this was more of a side view, so now you can watch it front-on. ;)