New Jersey Syndicate Tour

1988–90 concert tour by Bon Jovi

The Jersey Syndicate Tour (also known as The Brotherhood on Tour and New Jersey: The Tour) was the fourth concert tour by American band Bon Jovi, that ran from 1988 to 1990. The massive, highly successful world tour was put on in support of the band's fourth studio album New Jersey (1988).

Background

The tour was the band's first major world tour taking them to new continents of Australia and Europe. Bon Jovi also made history in becoming one of the first North American bands to play Russia, with two performances there at the Moscow Music Peace Festival on August 12–13, 1989.^[1]

The tour was very grueling and exhausting and led to the band's hiatus at the tour's conclusion. Bon Jovi had toured heavily since 1984 and the tour put pressures on the band's relationships with each other and their families, on their health, and their emotions. The tour was often noted for its extended musical performances of songs, which would often run twice the length of the album track as well as raw emotional vocal performances by Jon Bon Jovi. Jon had to enlist the help of a vocal coach to help sustain his voice and lead guitarist Richie Sambora would often help out more on the high notes. The band would also perform some of their songs in acoustic format, signaling a change in musical style and maturation of the band.

The concert performances on the tour featured vivid pyrotechnics, a catwalk elevated above the crowd, and an elevator in the middle of the stage that allowed Jon to seemingly materialize out of nowhere during a pyro blast. Prior to the band taking the stage Emerson Lake & Palmer's Karn Evil 9 First Impression Part Two was played at full volume over the PA. The concerts also required extensive security due to the band's iconic status as major rock stars of the time.

In addition, Bon Jovi shot the music videos for "Lay Your Hands on Me", "I'll Be There for You", and "Blood on Blood" during performances on the tour, and recorded footage for their video releases Access All Areas and New Jersey: The Videos on this tour.

This was the last tour by the band to feature a notable amount of material from their first two albums. After the band hit it big with the album Slippery When Wet, they began to phase their pre-stardom material out of their live sets because according to interviews it did not match the standards set by the material on their later releases. Even on this tour only "Runaway" and "Get Ready" from Bon Jovi and "Tokyo Road" from 7800° Fahrenheit were performed except for one performance of "Silent Night" at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1990.^[2]

With the exception of "Runaway", which is still played regularly to this day, virtually nothing from those albums has been performed since the tour's conclusion (though a notable exception is on "The Circle Tour" in 2010 in which Get Ready, Shot Through the Heart, Tokyo Road, Roulette and Only Lonely were played).

Opening acts

• Lita Ford (Europe, Leg 1, select dates)^[3]
• Dan Reed Network (Europe, Leg 7, select dates)^[3]
• Skid Row (North America, select dates)^[4]
• Roxus (Australia)^[3]
• Scorpions (Munich - December 1988)^[3]
• Cinderella (Munich - December 1988, Akron - July 1989)^[3]
• Billy Squier (East Rutherford - June 1989)^[3]
• Sam Kinison (East Rutherford - June 1989)^[5]
• Bad Company (Saratoga Springs - June 1989)^[5]
• BulletBoys (Thornville, Akron - both July 1989)^[3]
• Winger (Akron - July 1989)^[3]
• Icon (Phoenix - September 1989)^[5]
• Johnny Diesel and the Injectors (Auckland - November 1989)^[3]
• Noiseworks (Auckland - November 1989)^[3]
• Knights Blade (Auckland - November 1989)^[3]

Setlist

The following setlist was obtained from the concert held on March 15, 1989, at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.

1. "Lay Your Hands on Me"
2. "I'd Die for You"
3. "Wild in the Streets"
4. "You Give Love a Bad Name"
5. "Tokyo Road"
6. "Born to Be My Baby"
7. "Let It Rock"
8. "I'll Be There for You"
9. "Blood on Blood"
10. "Runaway"
11. "Livin' on a Prayer"
12. "Living in Sin"
13. "Travelin' Band"
14. "Ride Cowboy Ride"
15. "Wanted Dead or Alive"
16. "Bad Medicine"
17. "Shout"
18. "Never Say Goodbye"

Tour dates

Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

A This concert was a part of "Heat Beat Live"^[12]

B This concert was a part of the "Moscow Music Peace Festival"^[13]

C This concert was a part of the "Milton Keynes Festival"^[14]

D This concert was a part of the "Christmas Rock Festival"

E This concert was a part of a charity benefit for "Nordoff–Robbins music therapy"

F This concert was a part of "Hollywood Rock"

G This concert was a part of the "Derby Rocks Festival"

Cancellations and rescheduled shows

References

1. "BON JOVI HEADLINING HEAVY-METAL, ANTI-DRUG 'SUMMIT' IN USSR". Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. August 9, 1989. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
2. "Bon Jovi January 10, 1990 Hammersmith Apollo London, U.K." Bon Jovi Archives. January 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
3. "New Jersey (1988-1990)". Bon Jovi Museum Collection. November 2001. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
4. Wilker, Deborah (June 11, 1990). "2 LIVE CREW NOT FIRST TO FACE ARREST". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
5. Daniels, Neil (May 6, 2014). Let It Rock: The Story of Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet. Bedford, England: Soundcheck Books LLP. ISBN 978-0957144286.
6. Source for tour dates in Italy (November 1988):
   • Putti, Laura (November 13, 1988). "ECCO BON JOVI FACCIA D' ANGELO DELL' HARD ROCK" [HERE IS BON JOVI HARD ROCK ANGEL FACE]. la Repubblica (in Italian). Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
7. Sources for tour dates in Orlando, Inglewood, Oklahoma City and Saratoga Springs:
   • Curtin, Mike (June 27, 1989). "Bon Jovi must find own image". The Post-Star. Glens Falls, New York. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • Duffy, Thom (February 13, 1989). "BON JOVI ROCKS THE ARENA". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • Goff, Kevan M. (April 7, 1989). "Bon Jovi Ready To Rock". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • Leim, Christof; Hömke, Andrea (April 25, 2019). "Zeitsprung: Am 28.4.1989 heiratet Jon Bon Jovi seine Jugendliebe – heimlich" [Jump in time: On April 28, 1989, Jon Bon Jovi married his childhood sweetheart - secretly.]. uDiscoverMusic (in German). Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
8. Sources for North American box score data (January-August 1989):
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 6. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. February 11, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 7. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. February 18, 1989. p. 36. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 8. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. February 25, 1989. p. 33. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 9. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. March 4, 1989. p. 35. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 10. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. March 11, 1989. p. 72. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 11. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. March 18, 1989. p. 39. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 12. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. March 25, 1989. p. 39. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 12. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. March 25, 1989. p. 39. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 14. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. April 8, 1989. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 15. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. April 15, 1989. p. 30. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 16. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. April 22, 1989. p. 39. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 17. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. April 29, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 18. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. May 6, 1989. p. 40. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 19. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. May 13, 1989. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 21. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. May 27, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 24. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. June 17, 1989. p. 36. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 25. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. June 24, 1989. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 26. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 1, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 27. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 8, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 28. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 15, 1989. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 29. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 22, 1989. p. 36. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 30. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 29, 1989. p. 38. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 31. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. August 5, 1989. p. 33. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 32. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. August 12, 1989. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
   • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 34. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. August 26, 1989. p. 38. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
9. Source for tour dates in Russia:
   • Tannenbaum, Rob (February 9, 1989). "Bon Jovi in the USSR: Bon Voyage". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
10. Sources for North American box score data (August-October 1989):
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 37. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. September 16, 1989. p. 40. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 39. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. September 30, 1989. p. 36. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 40. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. October 7, 1989. p. 45. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 41. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. October 14, 1989. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 42. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. October 21, 1989. p. 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    • "Amusement Business Boxscore: Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. No. 43. Nashville, Tennessee: Billboard Publications, Inc. October 28, 1989. p. 41. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
11. Molina, Gilberto (September 28, 2013). "Bon Jovi, ¿vivo o muerto?" [Bon Jovi, dead or alive?]. El Universal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
12. "BON JOVI他 Sanyo Heat Beat Live '89 フライヤー" [BON JOVI and others Sanyo Heat Beat Live '89 Flyer]. Mercari (in Japanese). November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
13. Wilker, Deborah (August 11, 1989). "METAL BANDS TO VISIT MOSCOW POORLY REPRESENT U.S. MUSIC". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
14. "Heart Break" (PDF). Record Mirror. London, England: United Newspapers: 5. August 19, 1989. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

External links

• Bon Jovi on stage | New Jersey tour
• NEW JERSEY SYNDICATE TOUR (1989)
• NEW JERSEY SYNDICATE TOUR (1990)