Bon Jovi's big comeback in New York

And we're back! We as in this blog, but also we as in Bon Jovi the band. 

I'm actually away on a Muay Thai camp at the moment, doing two two-hour sessions a day in the heat, which is why my published thoughts on the comeback shows are delayed by several days. Training like this, plus showering and doing laundry ASAP after each session, is tiring and time-consuming, y'all!

Anyway. Jon Bon Jovi's vocal issues, and his subsequent vocal cord surgery in 2022 have been fairly well documented at this point. There was a certain buzz and trepidation about their closest thing to a tour since then. 

Jon has performed live here and there over the last few years... but to be perfectly honest, it's been a bit heartbreaking and underwhelming most of the time. So while I'm sure I would have bought tickets if they'd announced a show in Australia, I can't say I've been expecting much from this run of shows. 

But here's what they played:

New York City, NY, USA - Madison Square Garden - 7 July 2026 setlist

1. With a Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles cover
2. Beautiful Drug
3. We Weren't Born to Follow
4. Lost Highway
5. Who Says You Can't Go Home
6. You Give Love a Bad Name
7. Born to Be My Baby
8. Legendary
9. Whole Lot of Leavin'
10. In These Arms
11. Have a Nice Day
12. It's My Life
13. Livin' on a Prayer
14. Lay Your Hands on Me
15. Blood on Blood
16. Living Proof
17. This House Is Not for Sale
18. Keep the Faith
    
    Encore:
19. I'll Be There for You
20. Wanted Dead or Alive
21. Bad Medicine

Selected videos from MSG

With a Little Help from My Friends - including the video intro. With lines like "What would you do if I sang out of tune?" and "I'll try not to sing out of key", it may seem a little on the nose to open with it. And it's not exactly a high energy rocker. But in this case, it felt fitting somehow, especially with everyone coming together to sing the chorus. 

Living Proof - finally, the neglected single! Actually sounds pretty decent, if I do say so myself. I can't turn back time but I so wish this had been the song that got any promotion from Forever, rather than "Legendary".

In These Arms - Jon honestly sounded way better than I was expecting here and I'm so weirdly proud of this man who doesn't know me from a bar of soap and whose achievements I have absolutely nothing to do with.

Blood on Blood - Hmm he's trying, but this sounds pretty fragile. I don't know if we can maybe bump Everett Bradley up in the mix? I know Everett's not Richie Sambora, but Richie left of his own accord and Everett does make the current lineup sound better vocally than they otherwise would.

Livin' on a Prayer - between the click track and the entire venue always singing along, "Prayer" has arguably been spared to a large extent as Jon's vocals declined, despite being a painfully difficult song to sing. But I do think he sounds a bit better here than he has in recent times?

Final thoughts

It was a solid return, not perfect but I don't think anyone's expecting that anymore. Though I do really hope Jon gives me the finger and surprises us all. The set list could be stronger but I guess it's okay. Hopefully we get some deep cuts during this short run of shows. 

I honestly don't know how much of a future my beloved band has. Or how I feel about it all. A lot has been made of Jon's voice but I'm also considering the band as a whole -- no one's getting any younger, and it's probably Phil X and Everett bringing the bulk of the animation and energy on stage. I still rate Jon as a songwriter but people don't buy music the way they used to.

Anyway, what did you think of the comeback show? Were you there, or watching from somewhere in the world?

And which Bon Jovi song should be my walkout song if I could pick one for a hypothetical fight? 😉

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Feel free to share your thoughts below. 😊

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Rock in peace, Alec John Such

 

It was Sunday in the US (and Monday in my native Australia) when the news came through that Alec John Such had died at the age of 70.

Alec left Bon Jovi in 1994, before I became a diehard fan (or really knew any music that wasn't on Play School or Sesame Street). So I never saw him live in person. But as the original bass player, there's no disputing Alec's importance to the history of what would go on to become my favourite band -- through thick and thin, for better or worse. And I guess it's a sobering reminder of the mortality of our heroes.

Jon posted this statement on social media:

"We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of our dear friend Alec John Such. He was an original. As a founding member of Bon Jovi, Alec was integral to the formation of the band. To be honest, we found our way to each other thru him - He was a childhood friend of Tico and brought Richie to see us perform. Alec was always wild and full of life. Today those special memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.
We'll miss him dearly."

I'm so, so glad Alec got to be part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018. All those speeches were emotional for me at the time and they'll be even more so whenever I revisit them now.

Bon Jovi's current bass player, Hugh McDonald, posted a sweet picture of himself with Alec on Instagram, and described reconnecting with Alec as one of the high points of the band's induction into the Rock Hall.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hugh McDonald (@hugh_mcdonald_official)

RIP rock star. 💔

Here's Alec rejoining his former bandmates for "Wanted Dead or Alive" at Giants Stadium in 2001:

And things like this epic performance of "Blood on Blood" from the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989 hit a little harder today -- brothers 'til the day that we die:

Edit: JBJ paid tribute to Alec on Sirius XM's Bon Jovi Radio. Listen to his words below:

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Feel free to share your thoughts below. 😊

Want to stay connected? You can find us on Facebook @blameitonthelove, Instagram @blameitonthelove and Twitter @bonjoviblog.

Bon Jovi in Recife 22/09/19

After a month off, Bon Jovi resumed their tour in Brazil, performing in Recife for the first time.

Recife, Brazil - Estadio do Arruda - September 22, 2019 set list

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Born to Be My Baby
3. Lost Highway
4. Knockout
5. You Give Love a Bad Name
6. Roller Coaster
7. Whole Lot of Leavin'
8. We Weren't Born to Follow
9. Runaway
10. It's My Life
11. In These Arms - David Bryan on lead vocals
12. Have a Nice Day
13. Keep the Faith
14. Amen
15. Bed of Roses
16. Lay Your Hands on Me
17. We Don't Run
18. Wanted Dead or Alive
19. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
20. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore:
21. Blood on Blood
22. Livin' on a Prayer

The band's next stop is a return to Sao Paulo.

Selected videos from Recife

If you want to just block out some time and watch the concert, someone's uploaded it:

But here are a couple of individual songs...

David singing "In These Arms". Jon also acknowledged Richie Sambora (and David obviously) as the co-writers when introducing the song:

"Blood on Blood" opening the encore:

Feel free to share any other videos and/or your thoughts in general.

Want to stay connected? You can find us on Facebook @blameitonthelove, Instagram @blameitonthelove and Twitter @bonjoviblog.

Bon Jovi in Werchter (TW Classic) 14/07/19 #TWC19

Bon Jovi headed to Belgium for the TW Classic festival. Here's what was played:

Werchter, Belgium - Festivalpark - July 14, 2019

1. This House is Not For Sale
2. Raise Your Hands
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Whole Lot of Leavin'
6. Lost Highway
7. Runaway
8. We Weren't Born to Follow
9. Have a Nice Day
10. Keep the Faith
11. Blood on Blood
12. Roller Coaster
13. It's My Life
14. We Don't Run
15. Wanted Dead or Alive
16. Lay Your Hands on Me
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
18. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore:
19. Livin' on a Prayer

Very short set, though I acknowledge it was a festival. But still.

Videos from Werchter

"Blood on Blood":

"Wanted Dead or Alive":

Extras

John Fogerty was also part of the TWC 2019 line-up. JBJ and Tico Torres are repping Bon Jovi in this pic:

View this post on Instagram

Two legends getting ready to hit the stage tonight in Werchter, Belgium at the #TWC19. John Fogerty & Bon Jovi 🙌

A post shared by Bon Jovi (@bonjovi) on Jul 14, 2019 at 11:34am PDT

Everett Bradley posted a fun picture of himself with Fogerty's drummer Kenny Aronoff, who also played on JBJ's solo albums:

View this post on Instagram

Ran into the famed drummer from John Fogerty & John Cougar Mellencamp, college buddy IU music school @kennyaronoff!

A post shared by Everett Bradley (@everettbradley) on Jul 15, 2019 at 3:30pm PDT

And Tico's talents apparently include targeting Phil X and John Shanks with bread as they wander around Brussels 🤣:

View this post on Instagram

when you & a couple of buddies ( @john_shanks & @deangrillodc ) are walking down a street in Brussels & someone is dropping pieces of bread on you & you look up & it's THIS guy.

A post shared by Phil X (@philx1111) on Jul 15, 2019 at 4:14am PDT

Want to stay connected? You can find us on Facebook @blameitonthelove, Instagram @blameitonthelove and Twitter @bonjoviblog.

Bon Jovi in Liverpool 19/06/19

After a couple of nights in Dublin, Bon Jovi took their This House Is Not For Sale Tour to Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles, performing at the home of Liverpool FC. Here's what was played:

Liverpool, England, UK - Anfield - June 19, 2019 set list

1. This House is Not For Sale
2. Raise Your Hands
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Whole Lot of Leavin'
6. Lost Highway
7. Runaway
8. We Weren't Born to Follow
9. Have a Nice Day
10. Keep the Faith
11. Amen
12. I'll Be There For You
13. Blood on Blood
14. It's My Life
15. We Don't Run
16. Wanted Dead or Alive
17. Lay Your Hands on Me
18. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
19. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
20. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore #1: 
21. These Days
22. Livin' on a Prayer
    
    Encore #2: 
23. Birthday [The Beatles cover]
24. Twist and Shout [The Top Notes/The Isley Brothers/The Beatles cover]

Videos from Liverpool

"Birthday" in honour of Sir Paul McCartney's birthday the day before:

"Lay Your Hands on Me":

"Blood on Blood"

"Twist and Shout":

Feel free to share your thoughts, video links, etc. 🙂

Want to stay connected? You can find us on Facebook @blameitonthelove, Instagram @blameitonthelove and Twitter @bonjoviblog.

Bon Jovi in Moscow 1/06/19

We're back! After a five-and-a-half month break, Bon Jovi resumed their This House Is Not For Sale Tour. And they did it in Moscow, which they last visited back in 1989 for the Moscow Music Peace Festival in the then-Soviet Union, an event organised by then-manager Doc McGhee. Needless to say, plenty has changed in the last 30 years, but here's what was played at Bon Jovi's most recent trip to Moscow:

Moscow, Russia - Luzhniki Stadium - June 1, 2019 set list

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Raise Your Hands
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Whole Lot of Leavin'
6. Lost Highway
7. Runaway
8. We Weren't Born to Follow
9. Have a Nice Day
10. Keep the Faith
11. Amen
12. Bed of Roses
13. It's My Life
14. We Don't Run
15. These Days
16. Lay Your Hands on Me
17. God Bless This Mess
18. Blood on Blood
19. We Got It Goin' On
20. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore:
21. In These Arms
22. Wanted Dead or Alive
23. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from Moscow

You can block out 2.5 hours and watch the full show:

But if you're pressed for time at the moment, here are a few shorter videos.

"These Days":

"In These Arms" (yes, Shanks is still playing the solo instead of Phil but I don't think that's going to change):

"Blood on Blood":

"Bed of Roses":

Bon Jovi next heads to Estonia for the first time.

Want to stay connected? You can find us on Facebook @blameitonthelove, Instagram @blameitonthelove and Twitter @bonjoviblog.

Bon Jovi in Sydney 8/12/18

Bon Jovi ended the Australian leg of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour in Sydney. I'd spent the week in Sydney catching up with family and friends before going to the concert on Saturday night so it's been a busy few days, but I'm finally home in Perth and writing this blog post.

Here's what was played in Sydney:

Sydney, NSW, Australia - ANZ Stadium - December 8, 2018 set list

1. You Give Love a Bad Name
2. Raise Your Hands
3. Lost Highway
4. Who Says You Can't Go Home
5. This House is Not For Sale
6. Roller Coaster
7. We Weren't Born to Follow
8. We Don't Run
9. It's My Life
10. God Bless This Mess
11. Born to Be My Baby
12. Have a Nice Day
13. Keep the Faith
14. Bed of Roses
15. Lay Your Hands on Me
16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
17. Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars
18. Livin' on a Prayer
    
    Encore #1: 
19. Bad Medicine
20. Wanted Dead or Alive
21. I'll Be There For You
    
    Encore #2: 
22. Blood on Blood
23. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night

Videos from Sydney

"Blood on Blood":

"Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" plus the final bows:

"Born to Be My Baby". Jon goes into the crowd and sings in front of the person filming:

"Livin' on a Prayer". Jon dips into the crowd for this one too:

If you have any videos from Sydney you'd like to share, feel free to link to them in the comments.

My thoughts

Jon's vocal issues have been pretty well documented by fans over the last few years. But he sounded good by current standards, even if he was kind of running out of steam in the second encore (I'm still glad he did the second encore though). There are concerts where he's been pretty much rooted to the spot and clinging to the mic stand while sounding average, and that obviously doesn't make for a good show. In Sydney, however, he was moving around, working the crowd, and being a front man worth seeing. I had the best time, and I'm really glad I made the trip.

Plus, as I briefly mentioned in my belated Brisbane post, I got to meet Phil X in Sydney... I might do a separate blog post about that?

I'm also quite proud of the fact that the lead singer of my favourite band is one of the few Americans who can pronounce "Melbourne" and "Brisbane" correctly. 😛

Birds of Tokyo were great as the support act too. They're from Perth, by the way. Hopefully Bon Jovi can make it there next time. 😉

Were you at the show?

Where to next?

Bon Jovi have announced tour dates for Europe in May, June, and July 2019. The Sydney concert also coincided with a Runaway Tours trip, so there was a Q&A with Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, where it was reportedly revealed a new album is slated for release in 2019.

Bon Jovi in Tokyo 26/11/18

After a six-month break, Bon Jovi kicked off the Japan/Australia leg of their This House Is Not For Sale Tour in Tokyo. Here's what was played:

Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome - November 26, 2018 set list

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Raise Your Hands
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Lost Highway
6. Runaway
7. Roller Coaster
8. When We Were Us
9. Born to Be My Baby
10. It's My Life
11. God Bless This Mess
12. We Don't Run
13. Keep the Faith
14. Bed of Roses
15. Lay Your Hands on Me
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
18. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore: 
19. We Weren't Born to Follow
20. Blood on Blood
21. I'll Be There For You
22. Wanted Dead or Alive
23. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from Tokyo

"Blood on Blood":

"Bed of Roses":

"I'll Be There For You":

If you have any videos from Tokyo you'd like to share, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at the show?

Bon Jovi in Montreal 18/05/18 + What next?

Bon Jovi's second of two consecutive nights in Montreal marked a) the end of this leg of the tour, b) possibly the last show of the tour, and c) probably the most surprising set of the tour. They signalled it early -- This is the first show of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour not to open with the title track. Jon started the concert in the crowd, while the B-stage where he's been singing "Amen" and "Bed of Roses" was not used (and those two songs were dropped).

Here's what was played:

Montreal, QC, Canada - Bell Centre - May 18, 2018

1. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
2. You Give Love a Bad Name
3. This House Is Not For Sale
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Lost Highway
6. Roller Coaster
7. Because We Can
8. Runaway
9. It's My Life
10. We Weren't Born to Follow
11. We Got It Goin' On
12. Keep the Faith
13. Who Says You Can't Go Home
14. Born to Be My Baby
15. Lay Your Hands on Me
16. New Year's Day
17. I'd Die For You
18. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore #1:
19. (You Want To) Make a Memory
20. In These Arms
21. Wanted Dead or Alive
22. Livin' on a Prayer
    
    Encore #2:
23. Blood on Blood
24. I'll Be There For You

Videos from Montreal, night #2

"Blood on Blood":

"I'll Be There For You":

"I'd Die For You":

"In These Arms":

"New Year's Day":

"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead":

If you'd like to share any videos from the second Montreal show, feel free to link to them in the comments.

At this stage, no other shows have been announced. Jon did mention Japan and Australia to an interviewer at the iHeartRadio Awards, but there was talk (and expectation) of a 2018 European tour, which ultimately fell through. So who knows? Will they make it to the rest of the world? Will there be another album?

Jon's latest Instagram post implies there'll at least be more shows (whether that's for this album cycle or the next) so I guess we'll wait and see...

What a flawless end to the #thinfstour. Thank you to the fans and each city for showing us why @bonjovi fans are the best in the world. We’ll see you soon! #bonjovi Images 📷: @davidbergman

A post shared by Jon Bon Jovi (@jonbonjovi) on May 19, 2018 at 12:48pm PDT

Bon Jovi in St. Paul 28/04/18

"I'll Be There For You" was performed for the first time this year at Bon Jovi's St. Paul show. Here's the full set list:

St. Paul, MN, USA - Xcel Energy Center - April 28, 2018

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Raise Your Hands
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Lost Highway
6. Born to Be My Baby
7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
8. It's My Life
9. We Weren't Born to Follow
10. Runaway
11. We Got It Goin' On
12. Keep the Faith / Sympathy for the Devil [Rolling Stones cover]
13. Amen
14. Bed of Roses
15. Lay Your Hands on Me
16. God Bless This Mess
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
18. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore 1:
19. I'll Be There For You
20. Blood on Blood
    
    Encore 2:
21. Wanted Dead or Alive
22. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from St. Paul

"I'll Be There For You":

"Blood on Blood":

"Keep the Faith":

If you'd like to share any videos from St. Paul, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

UPDATE 30/04/18: The full concert:

Bon Jovi in Newark 8/04/18 + Richie Sambora on Rock Hall rehearsals

Bon Jovi's second of two consecutive nights in Newark brought with it a couple of nice surprises, namely "Runaway" in the main set (replacing "Have a Nice Day") and "These Days" and "Blood on Blood" in the encore. "These Days" was played for the first time this year.

Here's the full set list:

Newark, NJ, USA - Prudential Center - April 7, 2018

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Knockout
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Because We Can
5. Lost Highway
6. Born to Be My Baby
7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
8. It's My Life
9. We Weren't Born to Follow
10. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
11. We Got It Goin' On
12. Keep the Faith
13. Amen
14. Bed of Roses
15. Lay Your Hands on Me
16. God Bless This Mess
17. Runaway
18. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore:
19. These Days
20. Wanted Dead or Alive
21. Blood on Blood
22. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from Newark (night #2)

"These Days":

"Blood on Blood":

"Runaway":

If you'd like to share any videos from the second Newark show, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Richie Sambora was evidently at the Prudential Center but didn't make an appearance on stage.

98% sure this was Richie Sambora stage right tonight #BonJovi pic.twitter.com/4BiX4Li2g7

— George Miller (@gmiller311) 9 April 2018

Richie was recently interviewed by Billboard ahead of Bon Jovi's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, among other things, he talked about rehearsing with the original lineup:

What has it been like rehearsing with the rest of Bon Jovi? It must bring back memories.

RS: We played live to millions of people over 31 years. Do I miss it? No -- but the memories are good. It feels great to see everybody. We already rehearsed and it was wonderful, it wasn't awkward. The chemistry came back very quickly; it’s matrixed into our muscle memory at this point. If you’re on the road performing and touring for 30 years, [the Rock Hall ceremony] is just another cycle -- and it’s a good one, so here we go.

You can read the full interview with Richie and Orianthi (The interview also covers RSO's upcoming album) here.

Bon Jovi in New Orleans 25/03/18

Bon Jovi's New Orleans show brought with it  "Blood on Blood"! "Make a Memory" also returned, while "Because We Can" replaced "Whole Lot of Leavin'". Here's the full set list:

New Orleans, LA, USA - Smoothie King Center - March 25, 2018

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Knockout
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Lost Highway
5. Because We Can
6. When We Were Us
7. Born To Be My Baby
8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
9. It's My Life
10. We Weren't Born To Follow
11. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
12. We Got It Goin' On
13. Keep The Faith
14. Amen
15. Bed Of Roses
16. Lay Your Hands On Me
17. God Bless This Mess
18. Have A Nice Day
19. Bad Medicine
    
    Encore:
20. Blood On Blood
21. (You Want To) Make A Memory
22. Wanted Dead Or Alive
23. Livin' On A Prayer

Videos from New Orleans

At the time of writing, I couldn't find many videos from the show... but I'm hoping someone got "Blood on Blood" and is going to upload it for us. 🤞

UPDATE 27/03/18: Nick uploaded "Blood on Blood" to our Facebook page. Click through to watch it:


Here's "It's My Life":

If you'd like to share any videos from New Orleans, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Bon Jovi in Inglewood 08/03/17

Bon Jovi headed to Inglewood, California on their This House Is Not For Sale Tour. Here's what was played:

Set list: Inglewood, CA, USA - The Forum - 8 March 2017

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Knockout
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Lost Highway
5. Whole Lot of Leavin'
6. Roller Coaster
7. We Weren't Born to Follow
8. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Jumpin' Jack Flash [Rolling Stones cover]
9. We Got It Going On
10. Who Says You Can't Go Home
11. It's My Life
12. We Don't Run
13. God Bless This Mess
14. Scars on This Guitar
15. The Devil's in the Temple
16. Lay Your Hands on Me
17. Born to Be My Baby
18. Have a Nice Day
19. Bad Medicine
20. Keep the Faith
    
    Encore:
21. Always
22. Blood on Blood
23. Wanted Dead or Alive
24. Livin' on a Prayer

"We Weren't Born to Follow" was dedicated "to all the ladies" for International Women's Day. "Always" made a long-awaited return, having been dropped after the first night of the tour. Due to the postponement of Bon Jovi's Denver concert (from March 14 to April 14), the band now has an eight-day break before the next show of the tour, which will be in Memphis.

Videos from Inglewood

Here's "Always" in full:

This is most of "Always" and "Blood on Blood", with a bit of Jon talking about how hard the former is to sing:

If you'd like to share any videos from the Forum, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Were you at this show?

Bon Jovi in Phoenix 4/3/17

After a few days off, Bon Jovi continued their This House Is Not For Sale Tour in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the arena's Facebook page, the mayor of Phoenix henceforth declared March 4 "Bon Jovi Day". Here's what was played:

Set list: Phoenix, AZ, USA - Talking Stick Resort Arena - 4 March 2017

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Knockout
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Lost Highway
5. Whole Lot Of Leavin
6. We Weren't Born To Follow
7. Roller Coaster
8. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Jumpin' Jack Flash [Rolling Stones cover]
9. We Got It Going On
10. Who Says You Can't Go Home
11. It's My Life
12. We Don't Run
13. God Bless This Mess
14. Scars On This Guitar
15. The Devil's In The Temple
16. Lay Your Hands On Me
17. Born To Be My Baby
18. Have A Nice Day
19. Bad Medicine
20. Keep The Faith
    
    Encore:
21. Because We Can
22. Blood On Blood
23. Wanted Dead Or Alive
24. Livin' On A Prayer

Bit disappointed that "Living with the Ghost" was dropped after one show (but "Because We Can" is still in the encore? Really? 😕). Nice to see "Blood on Blood" back though.

A snippet of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was performed as part of a medley in "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" for the first time on this tour. At this point, just doing the "jukebox medley" every show and changing the cover songs in it would be a welcome surprise. I mean, I'd probably have a great time if I were physically at these shows, but there are plenty of fans who go to multiple shows on a tour and it sucks that they're very unlikely to get anything different at the moment.

UPDATE 5/3/17: "We Weren't Born to Follow" was dedicated to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly.

UPDATE 7/3/17: Bon Jovi had a reunion of sorts with Tico Torres' long-time drum tech Joe "JD" Dorosz, who had a stroke last year. Bon Jovi will match every donation to JD's GoFundMe page.

Videos from Phoenix

Here's "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the end of "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead":

"Blood on Blood":

"Keep the Faith":

Jon talking to the crowd before performing "It's My Life":

If you'd like to share any videos from Phoenix, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at this show?

P.S. The first thing that comes up if you search Bon Jovi Phoenix on YouTube is this performance of "Living in Sin" from 1989. I try not to live in the past (or in this case, pretend to remember a past that occurred when I was only a few months old) but I don't think there's anything wrong with celebrating it... and I really wanted to post this video. Wow.

Bon Jovi in Atlanta 10/2/17

Bon Jovi headed to Atlanta, Georgia for their second show of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour. The set list was similar, though not exactly the same, as that of the opening night in Greenville. "Because We Can" got dropped (hopefully forever) but so did "Always" (unfortunately).

Set list: Atlanta, GA, USA - Philips Arena - 10 February 2017

1. This House Is Not For Sale
2. Knockout
3. You Give Love A Bad Name
4. Born To Be My Baby
5. We Weren't Born To Follow
6. Lost Highway
7. Roller Coaster
8. Work For The Working Man
9. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
10. We Got It Goin' On
11. Who Says You Can't Go Home
12. It's My Life
13. We Don't Run
14. God Bless This Mess
15. Scars On This Guitar
16. The Devil's In The Temple
17. Lay Your Hands On Me
18. Blood On Blood
19. Have A Nice Day
20. Bad Medicine
21. Keep the Faith
    Encore:
22. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
23. Wanted Dead Or Alive
24. Livin' On A Prayer

Here's "Livin' on a Prayer" from this concert:

Like the Greenville show, there's been a lack of decent YouTube videos from Atlanta. I'm guessing that people who might be inclined to take videos have been live streaming instead. I prefer not to use up my battery and data that way, but that's just me.

***

UPDATE 14/2/17: "Blood on Blood" from this show is now on YouTube. It includes Jon kissing Phil X after the latter messed up:

Phil went on to explain this moment on Instagram:

i rarely do this but i have to tell the story behind this shot. between a little gear funk & not accurately hearing Tico count in Blood On Blood, my intro took a left to south pretty quick. Jon just looked at me curiously. like... "what's going on?" but it was followed by a "shit happens" grin. when we all kicked in to the power chord, i just held my arm up with an "oh well" look on my face & was greeted with this forgiving brotherly kiss. god, i love this band. photo credit: @m_amico (ALL THE WAY FROM JAPAN)

A post shared by Phil X (@philx1111) on Feb 11, 2017 at 6:55am PST

***

UPDATE 24/2/17: Damned TV, which remasters audio from live Bon Jovi performances, has uploaded this video of "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" from Atlanta:

***

Were you at this show?

Videos from Sydney Entertainment Centre

The set list raised a few eyebrows, but love it or hate it, Bon Jovi's December 15 concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre produced more surprises than any other show on the Australian leg. Here are a few videos from that night. (Check out the full set list and a pro shot of Happy Xmas here).

Hallelujah


The Fighter


Thick As Thieves


When We Were Beautiful

EDIT: The audio track for When We Were Beautiful has been muted due to a copyright claim. Other live performances of the same song have also been muted... In fact, the only versions of When We Were Beautiful that seem to be available for listening on YouTube are the official video and Live on Letterman performance -- both on the VEVO channel.

These Days


Always


Love's the Only Rule


Blood on Blood

Videos from St Louis

The North American leg of Bon Jovi's 2011 tour ended in St. Louis on May 22. It's been confirmed that it was Phil X's last show with Bon Jovi, so presumably Richie Sambora will return for the European tour.

Anyway, here are some selected videos.

Last Man Standing

Jon performs the song from the 100 level of the Scottrade Center before making his way through the crowd and back onto the stage.

Dry County

Phil's solo was "different" again but hardly awful given he's a fill-in as opposed to a replacement. Jon also changed the "He'd be back, back someday" lyric to "He'd be back come Judgement Day". Good overall performance.

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead / Takin' Care of Business

Sleep with one of their rarer "jukebox covers" in a light, fun performance.

Wanted Dead or Alive

Jon thanked the fans and Phil in his final show and again dedicated the song to "Brother Richie". The crowd sings the first verse and Phil sings the second.

Blood on Blood

Lyric change: "Richie's doin' the best that he can. Well me, I'm here, a singer of a grateful rock 'n' roll band." Nice touch. I also love this song and personally I think it's better away from the opening spot.

I'll Be There For You

This kind of became a Richie tribute song during this leg of the tour. Additional lyrics as follows (Corrections welcome):

If you want me to
I'll be there for you
Come on...
If you want me
Oh, I'll be there for you
I'll be your shoulder to lean on
I'll be the bus
I'll be the neighbour you can call
Count on me
Oh
You can count on me
Whoa
Call my name
Call my name
And I'll come runnin', baby
I'll come runnin', baby

Check out Hath's Circle Tour Blog for more videos.

Thought I'd also give serpephone a plug, as there are lots of great videos from the North American leg on her account.

Videos from Montreal

Bon Jovi played a couple of nights at Montreal's Bell Centre on February 18 and February 19. So how about a few videos to whet the appetite for Madison Square Garden? ;)

The Radio Saved My Life Tonight

Chorus will always lack the power of the studio version when it's dropped an octave, but this is still one of my favourite songs. Maybe even my favourite performance of it.

Living in Sin / Chapel of Love

I'm a bit filthy this wasn't on the Greatest Hits. It was a top 10 Billboard single, which is more than I can say for a lot of other inclusions.

Love's the Only Rule

Love. This. Song. Although Jon starts off with a two-minute speech about the protests in the Middle East; I don't mind this personally, but I know a lot of people get jacked off when rock concerts get "political", even when the artist is well known for their politics.

Dry County

Many of you know I'm incapable of complaining about "Dry County". ;)

Last Man Standing / You Give Love a Bad Name

Focuses on the main stage, so no Jon for "Last Man Standing".

Blood on Blood (acoustic; partial)


Start Me Up / Jumpin' Jack Flash / Dancing in the Street / I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

Videos from US/Canada: Blood on Blood, Treat Her Right, Raise Your Hands, Bed of Roses, Always, Blaze of Glory

I haven't really showcased any Bon Jovi videos on this blog since Jon tore his calf, so here we go!

BLOOD ON BLOOD (Calgary: July 14, 2010) - Jon singing "I'm a one-legged singer in a long haired rock 'n' roll band".


TREAT HER RIGHT feat. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (Cuyahoga Falls: July 12, 2010) - Master and apprentice; very cool.


RAISE YOUR HANDS (Edmonton: July 15, 2010) - Jon's noticeably hopping around on one leg. I would probably look ridiculous (i.e. lose balance and fall over, haha) doing it but he manages to pull it off.


BED OF ROSES (Edmonton: July 15, 2010) - The first Bon Jovi song I remember hearing and still one of my favourites today.


ALWAYS (Edmonton: July 15, 2010) - Although I prefer "Bed of Roses", "Always" deserves to be in the set virtually every night. It's the biggest hit ever around the world, and Jon's improved vocals can do the song justice. Besides, Richie's extended solo on it is awesome.


BLAZE OF GLORY (Calgary: July 14, 2010) - Only the second time this tour.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU - Richie Sambora's birthday (Saratoga Springs: July 11, 2010)