BON JOVI - Have A Nice Day World Tour Wraps Up In New Jersey

July 31, 2006, 17 years ago

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On Saturday, July 29th, BON JOVI wrapped up their world tour for the Have A Nice Day albumn at Giant's Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The following report appears at the band's official website:

"Saturday night, July 29th, BON JOVI wrapped up the Have A Nice Day tour and the entire Have A Nice Day album/promo/tour cycle with a blowout bash for 55,000 of their closest friends at Giant's Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. It was the 3rd of 3 incredible nights at Giants Stadium, a massive venue where BON JOVI is the house band!

The prep began for Saturday even on Thursday. En route to the band's private plane, the band made a pitstop at Giant's Stadium in the afternoon. Giant's Stadium management had cleared all the cars in lots 10 & 12 so that photos could be taken of the band in front of Giant's Stadium and the massive Who Says You Can't Go Home banner the stadium has had hanging from its east side for the past 3 weeks. Then, the band headed to Foxboro and rehearsed backstage for a while -- not something they usually do.

On Saturay, the band arrived at the venue at 5:15pm - and just as they did upon arrival at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro 2 days earlier, ensconced themselves in the dressing room for an hour or rehearsal. The plan was for a marathon show and a set list that was unpredictable and all over the place.

Prior to taking the stage, the band were joined in the dressing room by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine who came to take in the concert. BON JOVI took photos (as they've done with each an every opening act that won a chance to be on stage via the different variations of the Have A Nice Gig opening act contest) with THE YARDS, the Grand Prize Winner of the Saturn Have A Nice Gig contest... and then headed out to take the stage for the last night at Giants Stadium on this tour. John Phillp Sousa-esque marching band music flooded the PA system. Revisiting the band's arrival on the stage in Philly when there was the Soul team mascot, the Soul flag and the Soul cheerleaders... this time, a massive Smirk flag was run across the stage and the Soul cheerleaders were in different uniforms: Bon Jovi Have A Nice Day smirk shorts and shirts. With their pompoms raised, BON JOVI took the stage at Giant's.

Set list: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting' (Elton John cover), 'You GIve Love A Bad Name', 'Complicated', 'Born To Be My Baby', 'Story Of My Life', 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead', ' Runaway', 'The Radio Saved My Life Tonight', 'Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars', 'In These Arms', 'Wildflower', 'I'll Be There For You' (Richie Sambora on lead vocals), 'Undivided', 'Have A Nice Day', 'Who Says You Can't Go Home', 'Bad Medecine', 'Raise Your Hands', 'Livin' On A Prayer'.

Encore 1: 'I Am', 'It's My Life', 'Blood On Blood', 'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night', 'These Days'

This was the first and only time the band performed 'I Am', fulfiling the promise to perform every track off Have A Nice Day on the tour.

Encore 2: 'Wild Is The Wind', 'I'd Die For You', 'Wanted Dead Or Alive'

And then... it was all over. The band made their way off the stage into the backstage area where Jon Bon Jovi was surprised with a gift from the tour promoters & agents. With a handmade sign that read 'From your very first ride to the greatest ride - congrats' Jon found himself staring at white Datsun 280ZX, the very first car Jon had ever owned. The band showered off and headed into the crowed aftershow hang that had a definite "you've earned a vacation" theme.

The backstage hospitality area was turned into Tommy & Gina's Cantina and the rules posted on massive signs read as follows:

No cell phones

No blackberries

No emails

No business talk

No watches (it's always 5 o'clock!)

No attitude

No shirt, no shoes, no problems!

Margaritas and mojitos were flowing. Fresh mexican food and mexican beers were to be had. A giant cake decorated with the Have A Nice Day smirk congratulated the band on the entire HAND run. Decorations looks like the entire backstage party area had been set up as a kitchsy Baja town. The band's friends, families, wives and children were all on site. But it was time to wrap the night and the tour up.

So now, on the Monday morning following an incredible end of the tour, the band members are all at home and officially off duty."



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