🤝 Even after four decades of playing stadiums, rock legends still look to their peers for inspiration. In a surprising convergence of two different rock realms, Jon Bon Jovi recently admitted he received invaluable advice on live show construction from none other than Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. The advice centers on setlist variability, a concept that could reshape the concert experience for Bon Jovi fans.
The singer confessed to running into a common problem for bands with massive catalogs: how to choose a setlist without disappointing fans who have different favorite hits. While discussing the preparation for an upcoming tour, Bon Jovi noticed how the mighty Metallica handles their own monumental body of work.
The Metallica “No Repeat” Revelation
Metallica, particularly on their recent M72 World Tour, has perfected the “No Repeat Weekend,” playing two completely different shows over two nights in the same city—meaning huge hits like “Master of Puppets” or “One” only appear on one of those nights.
Intrigued, Jon Bon Jovi approached Ulrich with the key question:
> “I said, ‘So let me get this straight. If you’re only doing ‘Master of Puppets’ on one night or ‘One’ on one night, is the audience mad that they’re not there?'”
>
Ulrich’s response was the key lesson: “Nope. We have enough songs that it works.”
The Metallica drummer quickly turned the focus back to Bon Jovi, noting, “And your catalog?” The realization hit the Bon Jovi frontman immediately. “I’m digging that concept,” he recalled.
Embracing the Catalog’s Depth
This insight has fundamentally changed the way Jon Bon Jovi approaches the painstaking process of creating a performance. He is currently dedicating significant time to rehearsing and structuring his upcoming live shows.
The lesson from Ulrich confirmed that the sheer depth of the Bon Jovi catalog—a discography spanning decades of multi-platinum hits—affords him the freedom to experiment. While he is not committing to Metallica’s strict “No Repeat” rule for every tour stop, the core idea is being adopted.
> “I have enough songs and enough hits. I could do two separate, entire shows and have hits on both sides. So I’m having a lot of fun putting together shows that are multiple-night kind of shows.”
>
This newfound “carefree” approach to setlists is excellent news for hardcore fans, particularly those who follow the band to multiple cities or attend multi-night stands. It suggests a future where deeper cuts and B-sides have a greater chance of making the setlist rotation, ensuring that every show delivers an element of surprise while still packing the necessary punch of their chart-topping anthems.
For the Bon Jovi faithful, this is a clear sign that the band’s live shows are moving into an exciting, unpredictable new era, inspired by the masters of metal themselves.
Which deep-cut Bon Jovi song would you most like to see added to the new setlists?