Enter Lars? Jon Bon Jovi asked Metallica drummer about crafting set lists

Even if he’s seen and subsequently rocked a million faces, Jon Bon Jovi still seeks the advice of other musicians.

The “Livin’ on a Prayer” rocker tells the U.K.’s Planet Rock radio that he consulted Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich about coming up with a set list for Bon Jovi‘s 2026 tour, which includes nine shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Jon shares that he was curious about Metallica’s No Repeat Weekend shows, where the metal legends would play two completely different set lists over two nights.

“I talked to Lars, I said, ‘So let me get this straight, if you’re only doing ‘Master of Puppets’ on one night and ‘One’ on one night, is the audience mad that they’re not there?'” Jon says. “He goes, ‘Nope, we have enough songs that it works.’ He goes, ‘And your catalog … .’ And I went, ‘I am digging that concept.'”

While Jon isn’t planning on going the full Metallica route and creating completely unique sets for each show, he notes, “I have enough songs and enough hits, I could do two separate entire shows and have hits on both sides.”

“I’m having a lot of fun putting together shows that are multiple night kind of shows,” he says.

Bon Jovi’s Forever Tour launches in July. It marks the band’s first full live run since Jon underwent vocal cord surgery in 2022.

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