More from Lefsetz + Memphis hits the big screen

I've posted a few things from the Lefsetz Letter on this blog in the past, most recently the Jon Bon Jovi vs Steve Jobs hoo-hah. Actually, when Lefsetz writes about Bon Jovi it's pretty much always about one of two things:

1. They're old school and need to get with the social media program; or
2. They're greedy and rip fans off.

I've expressed similar sentiments about my boys (on both counts) in the past, though I did think the abuse that raged all over the blogosphere after Jon's Apple Attack was a bit over the top. I haven't even seen the original article that started everything, and given it's sitting behind a pay wall, I suspect I'm not the only one who hasn't. But anyway, Lefsetz is writing about Bon Jovi again, and it's centred on a familiar theme:

You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.

And it appears Bon Jovi is the former.

As he laments the passing of vinyl records and cover art, he’s overcharging and overtouring to the point where tickets have to be sold at a discount. This is good for business how?

And the reason I’m picking on Bon Jovi is he’s number one, the biggest touring act. And we depend on our leaders to lead, not to undermine the business.

Full post at this link.

In brighter news, David Bryan and Joe DiPietro's Tony-award winning hit Memphis will be screened exclusively at selected cinemas in the US:

The musical will show on 530 screens nationwide during an exclusive run on April 28 & 30 and May 3 at 7:30PM, and a special matinee on May 1 at 12:30PM.

As previously announced, the original Broadway cast of Memphis was captured live in performance from January 18 to January 21 at the Shubert Theatre, using multiple high definition cameras and 96 tracks of sound recording for this special Fathom event presentation.

For more info, visit Fathom Events. And check out the teaser trailer (yes, Dave is in it :P ).

Video: Want to be front row at a Bon Jovi gig?

How to get into the front row of a Bon Jovi concert. This is freaking hilarious... mostly because painfully true. ;)


Anyway it's 3am and tomorrow I need to get my photo taken for my first adult passport so I better get some sleep, haha... I'll post about the BBC Radio 2 and ITV gigs tomorrow (well, technically later today but you know what I mean). :P

2011 tour dates, X Factor, EMAs!

I'm a little restricted in my home Internet use until next week which has affected my ability to blog among other things, but of course the big news in Bon Jovi land is the release of 2011 tour dates:

Hey Bon Jovi Fans,

We're all excited to announce the 2011 tour to all of you! We'll be starting in the US and Canada, and then will make our way to Europe to wrap it up. We've got some surprises in store for you for this tour and can't wait to share them with you. We thank you all for your continued support and are excited to see you soon.

Jon, Richie, David, & Tico

North America:

• Feb 9 - University Park, PA, USA - Bryce Jordan Center
• Feb 11 - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - Consol Energy Center
• Feb 14 - Toronto, ON, CA - Air Canada Centre
• Feb 18 - Montreal, Quebec, CA - Bell Centre
• Feb 21 - Raleigh, NC, USA - RBC Center
• Feb 24 - New York, NY, USA - Madison Square Garden
• Feb 25 - New York, NY, USA - Madison Square Garden
• Feb 27 - Washington, DC, USA - Verizon Center
• Mar 1 - Boston, MA, USA - TD Garden
• Mar 2 - Philadelphia, PA, USA - Wells Fargo Center
• Mar 4 - Uncasville, CT, USA - Mohegan Sun Arena
• Mar 8 - Chicago, IL, USA - United Center
• Mar 17 - San Antonio, TX, USA - AT&T Center
• Mar 19 - Las Vegas, NV, USA - MGM Grand - Garden Arena
• Mar 22 - Salt Lake City, UT, USA - Energy Solutions Arena
• Mar 25 - Vancouver, British Columbia, CA - Rogers Arena

Europe:

• Jun 8 - Zagreb, HR - Maximir Stadium
• Jun 10 - Dresden, DE - Ostragehege
• Jun 12 - Munich, DE - Olympic Stadium
• Jun 15 - Oslo, NO - Ullevaal Stadium
• Jun 17 - Helsinki, FI - Olympic Stadium
• Jun 19 - Horsens, DK - Horsens Stadium
• Jun 22 - Edinburgh, GB - Murrayfield Stadium
• Jun 24 - Manchester, GB - Old Trafford Cricket Ground
• Jun 25 - London, GB - Hard Rock Calling
• Jun 29 - Dublin, IE - RDS Arena
• Jul 8 - Istanbul, TR - Kazlicesme Festival Site
• Jul 10 - Bucharest, RO - Piata Constitutiei
• Jul 13 - Dusseldorf, DE - Esprit Arena
• Jul 14 - Zurich, CH - Letzigrund Stadium
• Jul 16 - Mannheim, DE - Maimarktgelande
• Jul 17 - Udine, IT - Stadio Frilui
• Jul 20 - Athens, GR - Olympic Stadium
• Jul 22 - Vienna, AT - Ernst Happel Stadium
• Jul 24 - Bruges, BE - Zeebrugge Beach
• Jul 27 - Barcelona, ES - Estadio Olympico
• Jul 29 - San Sebastian, ES - Estadio Anoeta
• Jul 31 - Lisbon, PT - Parque De Belavista

For more details, check out this page.

Meanwhile Bob Lefsetz, who has had a bit to say about Bon Jovi in the past, has weighed in on the ticket price controversy again:

Last time around Bon Jovi didn’t sell out, and blew out and gave away tickets. What in hell makes the band think business will be better next year?

What are the indicators? When a product fades in the marketplace, the only way to juice sales is to reboot, refresh…

Instead, we get Bon Jovi doing "Wanted Dead Or Alive" and "Livin’ On A Prayer" one more time.

I guess they could always do albums. Then again, after "Slippery When Wet", then..?

If you’re a major act going out next year for a big ticket price, you’d better reevaluate. First you can drop the price. Dylan doesn’t charge much. If it’s about your greed, needing to make money to keep up your payments, you’re in trouble. It’s got to be about the music. And since you are a musician, you’ve got to do a different show.

What if Bon Jovi went out acoustic. Every number with wooden instruments as CSN&Y used to say. Maybe the venues would be smaller, but people would overpay for this, it’d be a special event.

Read the full article on the Lefsetz Letter.

In other news, Bon Jovi will be on The X Factor in the UK this Sunday, October 31 (Halloween). Rihanna and Jamiroquai will also perform. I'd love Bon Jovi to appear on the Australian X Factor but I don't think they'd be able to fit it into their schedule... not to mention, they'd probably do "What Do You Got?". I actually enjoy the song, but I'm not too keen on having it represent my favourite band to the masses, if you get what I mean.

And finally, I mentioned this a while ago but Bon Jovi are nominated for Best Live Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, so vote vote vote!

Jon Bon Jovi keeps the faith

Here's an article by Sandra Sperounes in the Edmonton Journal, in the lead-up to Bon Jovi's July 15, 2010 show at Commonwealth Stadium:

Jon Bon Jovi sounds a bit bleary-eyed as he sits in a stranger's home, fielding phone calls about his band's upcoming tour across North America.

There's an interesting bit about ticket prices:

Artists are cancelling dates left and right, with Christina Aguilera pulling the plug on her entire tour and Lilith axing as many as 10 shows. (Ticket sales are down by 17 per cent from last year, according to Pollstar magazine.)

Even Bon Jovi isn't safe. Tickets are still available for Thursday's show at Commonwealth Stadium. Prices are now as low as $10. Jon Bon Jovi isn't too worried. Their 12-show run in London netted $18.1 million US, according to Billboard magazine.

"We've been blessed, more than blessed," he says. "Our shows have been up there in the 99 percentile (of ticket sales). Four nights at Giants Stadium, two nights in Toronto, two nights in Chicago, 12 nights in London, it's just beyond our comprehension.

"People with disposable income ... there are so many choices for them to utilize it. I think the A-list entertainer is always going to be OK, but it's going to be harder for the struggling guy, unless he does a festival situation. I'm not quite sure how it's going to go."

Bon Jovi could be contributing to the concert industry's current woes. The band is one of dozens of performers who offer pricey VIP packages to their fans. Then again, you could say those VIP packages allow the band to offer $10 tickets to fans without a lot of disposable income. In a sense, Jon Bon Jovi is as much of a socialist as he is a capitalist.

"If people want to pay X for what they're promised, there's nothing wrong with it," he says. "It's up to the individual. Nobody's stealing anything, nobody's scalping anything. It's all really above board."

Hmmm. Well, that's a creative spin on it (with spin being the operative word, I'm afraid). Read the full article here.

Feeding my wallet to Jon Bon Jovi

I've got something on my mind... I'm just a little bit depressed...

Well, not really depressed. Happy even. Just a little bit uneasy.

You see, I bought my Bon Jovi ticket for Perth yesterday during the stadium members' pre-sale (one of the things my beloved West Coast Eagles have been good for this season, because winning football games hasn't been one of them LOL).

My original plan when the Australian tour was first announced was to also attend a show in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane but ticket prices soon put an end to that! Tickets for Perth (not including packages or the pit) ranged from AU $101.90 to $306.50 this time around, up from AU $99 to $199 back in 2008. I spent about $140 for Gold seating in 2008, so ended up forking out over double that for Diamond Seating this time around.

I was happy to have secured my ticket for what would be my second Bon Jovi show and to not be up in the nosebleeds, but considering my attacks on ticket prices both on this blog and elsewhere, what was I doing feeding the machine? Australians are already conditioned to think being ripped off is "normal"; we have grossly inflated prices for lots of things. I was helping to make it worse. Talk about hypocrisy of the highest order.

Another part of me was more defensive. Up until 2008, Bon Jovi hadn't done an actual tour in Australia since 1995 and hadn't been to Perth since 1992 (They cancelled their 1995 show due to Tico's elbow injury). It's not like I live in or near a city that Bon Jovi visits every tour and will certainly continue to visit every tour until they retire. Even when I knew they were returning to Australia, I wasn't sure they would come back to Perth until the date was announced. Maybe this will be the last time. I love music but no other other artist has ever had quite this profound a grip on me, and so I splashed out a little. After all, I'm living at home so I don't have a mortgage or rent to pay, I don't have to worry about basic household bills (e.g. water, electricity) or where the next meal is coming from, and I don't really have to look after anyone but myself.

But who's the bigger fool? The fool who doesn't know they're being ripped off, or the fool who does and lets it happen anyway?

Hopefully this fool gets Something to Believe In on December 8.

Interview with Tico Torres + that O2 ticket issue again

Here's an interview with Bon Jovi's "hitman" Tico Torres ahead of the band's O2 Arena residency:

Torres, 56, singled out The O2's acoustics as his main memory from opening night in June 2007.

He said: "The sound was really good. The key to arenas is to build sound that's good for music, but years ago arenas were built for sport, not music, which meant a lot of them have terrible sound.

"We play a lot of arenas and they've got it right at The O2. That's important to us as musicians."

Read the full article here.

Meanwhile Jon has defended the crazy prices for the O2 in an interview in the Daily Mirror. Some of you may recall me blogging about the ticket prices last year. I stand by what I said. Ultimately, Jon has no real obligation to do anything about ticket prices and every right to make money. I understand that. But he does have the power to stop fans being taken advantage of, and he'd get a lot more respect in the long run if he did.

However, I have a feeling that the furore over ticket prices has ensured that the O2 shows will be out-of-this-world amazing. We'll soon find out.

Lefsetz e-mail of the day: Bon Jovi loses fan

Bob Lefsetz, writer of the Lefsetz Letter received an e-mail about Bon Jovi from one of his subscribers. It came after Lefsetz linked to a New York Times article about VIP packages. The e-mail is very scathing... here's but a taste.

The group managing BJ at this time is flat out insulting. I take my seat and the guy next 2 me asks what I paid, I tell him and he begins to laugh out loud. He goes on to tell me that he paid nothing, was given free tickets by the management team and that people like me pay for his tickets. He had been drinking but I couldn’t stop listening. He went on and on and told me that the band makes all their money from people like me who are dumb and foolish enough to spend the money (which was confirmed by the NYT article). He said that by me essentially buying 10-12 tickets it allows them to give freebies out to give the illusion that a show is a sell-out when it really isn’t.

The next 2 hours I don’t remember anything. I was so sick to my stomach I couldn’t even enjoy the show. I don’t remember any of it. I felt raped. I felt violated beyond words. Not to mention the bad experience backstage where I was offered a wondrous chance to take a picture with a certain members guitar.

Until the day I die I will let everyone I come in contact know about the experience, how its not worth it, how I was hurt and how I was lied to and taken advantage of. Ill never see this band again, buy their music or send a single cent their way. They may have gotten my $$$ but they’ve lost my loyalty forever.

You can read the full e-mail here.

OUCH. Thoughts?

Musings about The Circle, the tour, and raising a hand...

If you're a Bon Jovi fan, there's a good chance you've already heard The Circle, either when it leaked last week or because it's already been officially released in a few markets. If you haven't heard the album, there's a good chance you've heard other fans calling it the best album in 14 years or more. If you hadn't heard any other Bon Jovi fans talking about the album until you read this post, then welcome to the world wide web -- I'm flattered my blog was the first page you visited. :P

So while we're all feeling warm and fuzzy about the new album, and while more and more O2 dates seem to keep popping up, it's good to see that the fan backlash about the European ticket prices, especially for the O2, getting some outside coverage. After making Perez Hilton last week (even though he couldn't resist an unnecessary swipe at Bon Jovi for the effort), articles have appeared in The Sun and Contactmusic, among other sites. The more stuff like this is talked about, the more likely we are to bring about change.

I've heard some fans defending Jon and the band on this issue. How dare we criticise the band, they say. We're clearly not real fans if we can't just appreciate the fact that they play concerts at all. You can't blame Jon because he doesn't have anything to do with prices. Other artists charge high prices too but Bon Jovi are worth it because they're the best band in the world. Et cetera.

Sure, AEG and the O2 want to get some of their money back after the untimely death of Michael Jackson before his 50-show residency. But Jon Bon Jovi is the CEO and face of a very lucrative business. If he wanted to do something about ticket prices, he could. He doesn't. I know people need to make a living, and that for musicians, the real money now lies in touring and not record sales. But Bon Jovi do not need to bleed their fans dry to make money.

This is not just about the O2 either. It is about getting a fair deal for all Bon Jovi fans -- no matter where they live and whether they are in the fan club or not -- on this tour and into the future. It's about making sure the passionate supporters who have made Bon Jovi the success they are today, get the chance to experience them at a reasonable price.

But as I was saying, ticket prices aside, I think this really is the best album since These Days, and probably the first time since then that they've been able to put together 12 good songs. (I do still enjoy the balance of Bon Jovi's work this decade, but IMO there have always been a few glaring clunkers per album prior to The Circle). I'm still so in love with The Circle it's ridiculous. Tony Kuzminski has been a little more tempered in his review on antiMusic and The Screen Door, but it's worth the read.

Take action against ticket prices!

Below is a letter from Matt Bongiovi to members of the Backstage With Jon Bon Jovi fan club regarding recent unrest over ticket prices. I know there's a rule about what happens Backstage stays Backstage, or something along those lines, so I thought a lot before reposting this here. First and foremost, I didn't want anyone to get into trouble on my account. Secondly, one thing I don't need this semester is a nasty letter personally addressed to me from the Bon Jovi camp, which is quite possible seeing as they seem prepared to threaten fan club members. But in the end, I figured this letter's already out in the open and I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I pandered to some fan club over the public interest. And besides, the letter is relevant to the rest of the post. Want to voice your anger or disappointment over ticket prices? Read on. (Scroll to the end of the post if you don't want to read/re-read the letter.)

Hey All,

I wanted to drop you all a note to let you know your concerns do NOT fall onto deaf ears. I have as many concerns as you. First I want to assure you that a long letter went to the powers to be regarding these concerns. There are no guarantees but what I can tell you is I am working on getting more options for everyone. I want to set some records straight. First I do not set prices. I am actually only now a part of the scene with regards to the FC. This is not a negative thing. My roll has and alway will be being the link between you and the band. ALL of your concerns are legit and will be addressed.

Let me also explain that on this tour we are offering a variety of price levels. We have not had that in the past. This allows everyone no matter what your budget is to be able to have access to tickets to see the band. I do understand that you want to be close to the stage but i'm sure everyone in the house would like that. Also understand that though you may see the packages are what you feel are priced high, to some it holds a value. On LH people could not imagine paying the price for front row and the tour backstage. When they bought the package and I led the tour backstage and handed them Richies guitar to put around their neck or to let them hold JBJ's Mic stand as well as bring them into the dressing room (as long as the band was not in it) or the chance that JB or the other guys would be in catering or in the halls. They always would stop and take photos. The point is to some it is a priceless. Understand you do not get that kind of access unless you work for the band. The limited edition merchandise that you are given is also a Huge collectible. Again I'm not saying it is cheap but you can't argue that it holds value. Think of the inner circle this way..... Last year the package that got you backstage cost $1500 per person = $3000 for two front row. This year the inner circle offers much more and actually is less then the front row package last year. Only difference is what row you are in. Personally I'm not a big fan of front row. You actually miss most of the show and the sound is not that good. Think of being in the front row at a movie...

Going back to the other levels that are offered....Know that our seats in every price level are the BEST of that price level. Meaning that with a Amex pre-sale or any other pre-sale for that matter they are BEHIND the FC.

We went through this drill on the LH tour and when all said and done everyone was Happy.... Very Happy. I agree with some changes that should be made and again I am bringing it to the right people. This is NOT JB who sets the price for the packages. He has enough on his plate. But know the people who do set it is now well aware of the concerns.

Now I have to ask a favor from everyone. It is highly rude to email ANYONE outside of this FC complaining. It is not fair to the hard workers at the record company or the publicist office to be getting such rude emails. It is not their fault nor do they have anything to do with this. I will stay strong when I say I can assure the ones who are doing it and continue to do so will be dealt with with everything I have. Weather it is being banned from ANYTHING Bon Jovi related or legal action for harassment. It is really uncalled for. I also ask that the fighting between members stop as well. I have no problem pulling memberships on anyone who harass any other member. It is a sham that grown adults yet again have to be treated like children.

We all need to breath and get ready for one of the GREATEST record and Tour this band has done to date. We are a family and at time siblings don't always get along but they also protect each other. Have your family's back and know I have yours.

Talk soon
Matt

Someone posted an open letter to Jon in response to Matt's letter. Check it out.

Now apparently if you're upset about ticket prices, you can't e-mail any third parties because Matt Bongiovi will sue you. We're so lucky to be rocking in the free world.

Here are some things you can do:

• Sign this petition.
  
• Join this Facebook group: "Bon Jovi tickets are way too expensive".
• E-mail jonbonjovidisgustsme@hotmail.com to add your complaints to this site. Read this thread for more info.

If you know of any more campaigns or petitions, leave a comment or e-mail me. Bon Jovi do have the power to make a change, and through the "Power of We" that Jon loves so much, so do the fans.

It's for Tommy and Gina who never backed down. Who's gonna work for the working man (and woman)?

The irony of The Circle

It might be too early to make that call, but based on the samples we've heard, The Circle could well be Bon Jovi's best album this decade, song-wise at least (I promise not to whine about the production until I have a physical copy of the album in my hands). But ticket prices are growing more ridiculous by the tour. I think I touched on this when the fan club show was announced, and when mentioning the Prudential Center shows, but lofty ticket prices are a recurring theme in Joviland so here we go again.

How can you justify telling every interviewer that you just had to write THIS album NOW in light of the economic downturn and hunger for political change, and then turn around and rape the wallets of your loyal fans? Hell, fans in Europe kept the band going strong through the 90s. How can you go on stage every night singing about Tommy and Gina while ripping off all the real life Tommys and Ginas out there? AEG might be the promoters, but Jon is the self-proclaimed CEO of a company and I don't believe for a second he is Mr Innocent when it comes this particular brand of daylight robbery. Sure, Bon Jovi is one band that can probably get away with charging exorbitant prices for every show because at the end of the day, they have enough fans who are eager or desperate enough for live shows to scrape up the cash. And as long as people are paying, the money making machine can keep jacking up prices. But does that mean they should?

It might have been a slightly different story in North America, but Jon might do well to remember the half empty stadiums at some of their European shows on the last tour, despite it being probably the best tour of the decade.


(On an unrelated note, some of you may have noticed the above clip is from Hey Hey It's Saturday which was the source of recent international controversy...)