Always in Manchester + Birmingham

Bon Jovi's most recent two performances of Always -- Etihad Stadium in Manchester on June 8 and Villa Park in Birmingham on June 9 -- could well be the best ones of the tour so far. From a vocal perspective anyway... Jon's voice seems to have improved in the last couple of shows, so hopefully it's onwards and upwards from here. :)

Manchester


Birmingham

Bon Jovi in Manchester: Garageland + I'd Die For You

Bon Jovi played "Garageland" and "I'd Die For You" for the first time on the Because We Can tour in Manchester on June 8, 2013.

Garageland (including a thank you speech from Jon)


I'd Die For You

Bon Jovi Birmingham set list 9/6/13

Pretty good Bon Jovi set -- especially that encore -- in Birmingham. Were you at the show?

Birmingham, England - Villa Park - June 9, 2013

1. That's What The Water Made Me
2. You Give Love a Bad Name
3. Born To Be My Baby
4. Raise Your Hands
5. Lost Highway
6. Runaway
7. It's My Life
8. Because We Can
9. What About Now
10. We Got It Goin' On
11. Keep The Faith
12. Amen
13. Bed Of Roses
14. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
15. We Weren't Born To Follow
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. Rockin' All Over The World - John Fogerty/Status Quo cover
18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
19. Bad Medicine
    /Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger cover

Encore 1:
20. Dry County
21. Wanted Dead or Alive
22. In These Arms
23. Happy Now
24. Have A Nice Day
25. Livin' on a Prayer

Encore 2:
26. Always
27. Blood On Blood

Bon Jovi in Manchester: Keep the Faith / Let Me Entertain You

Bon Jovi surprised fans in Manchester with a snippet of the Robbie Williams song "Let Me Entertain You" in a medley with "Keep the Faith", although Jon later said he butchered it. What do you think the performance?



As an side note -- and this is not a slight on Richie Sambora at all -- I don't think I could get sick of watching Phil X play "Faith". His enthusiasm is infectious.

Bon Jovi Manchester set list 8/6/13

Wow. Surprises from Bon Jovi's Manchester show included the tour debuts of "I'd Die For You" and "Garageland", and a cover of "Let Me Entertain You" in the middle of "Keep the Faith". I like that encore on paper too.

Were you at the show?

Manchester, England - Etihad Stadium - June 8, 2013

1. That's What The Water Made Me
2. You Give Love a Bad Name
3. Born to be My Baby
4. Raise Your Hands
5. I'd Die For You
6. Lost Highway
7. It's My Life
8. Because We Can
9. What About Now
10. We Got It Goin' On
11. Keep The Faith
    / Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams cover
12. (You Want To) Make a Memory
13. I'll Be There For You
14. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
15. We Weren't Born To Follow
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
    / Roadhouse Blues - The Doors cover
    / Rockin' All Over The World - John Fogerty/Status Quo cover
18. Bad Medicine
    / Shout! - Isley Brothers cover

Encore:
19. In These Arms
20. Garageland
21. Wanted Dead or Alive
22. Have a Nice Day
23. Livin' on a Prayer

Encore 2:
24. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
25. These Days
26. Always

Bon Jovi fan requests: Living in Sin and Blood Money in Copenhagen

Bon Jovi taking a couple of requests at their June 6, 2013 show in Copenhagen. I take it signs and banners aren't banned anymore. ;)

Living in Sin was performed without Phil X, but Jon paid tribute to him at the end of the song, as he got married during the break between the Tampere show and Copenhagen. Living in Sin was one of five top 10 singles from New Jersey and I wish it wasn't so rarely played, even if Jon doesn't do the "screams" anymore.


Here's another video of Blood Money.


I hate saying this but in all honesty, Jon still doesn't sound that great compared to what he's been capable of in the not-so-distant past. Hope he can sort this out. I'm glad he took the requests though. Some of the most special Bon Jovi moments come when Jon goes out of auto pilot and sticks his neck out like that.

And sometimes you'll get a moment as magical as the impromptu rendition of Stick To Your Guns back on the Lost Highway Tour (Jon sounded fantastic in 2008, by the way).

Bon Jovi Copenhagen set list 6/6/13 + Blood Money video

There had been some rumblings that Richie Sambora might be back by the time Bon Jovi resumed their European tour in Copenhagen, but Phil X was and is still performing lead guitar duties. There were some unexpected inclusions to the set, though, specifically Blood Money and Living in Sin.

Were you at the show?

Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken Stadium - June 6, 2013

1. That's What the Water Made Me
2. You Give Love a Bad Name
3. Born to Be My Baby
4. Raise Your Hands
5. Runaway
6. Lost Highway
7. It's My Life
8. Because We Can
9. What About Now
10. We Got It Going On
11. Keep the Faith
12. (You Want To) Make a Memory
13. I'll Be There For You
14. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
15. We Weren't Born to Follow
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
    / Roadhouse Blues - The Doors cover
    / Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison cover
18. Bad Medicine
Encore:
19. In These Arms
20. Blood Money
21. Wanted Dead or Alive
22. Living in Sin
    / Chapel of Love - The Dixie Cups cover
23. Have a Nice Day
24. Livin' on a Prayer

As far as solo album tracks go, it was interesting to see Blood Money made its tour debut before Blaze of Glory, but nice to see Jon honour a request. Although for fans who already feel this tour has become the JBJ solo show, seeing him perform one of his own songs might come across as a slap in the face. But I don't mind personally, and I like Blood Money as an intro or lead-in to Wanted.