Possibility of The Gaslight Anthem playing at 2012 Bamboozle?

Seems like people are living off Bon Jovi as a nostalgia thing maybe and are unwilling to listen to any 'new' bands coming out of NJ. I don't know, I don't know how popular they are in the rest of the US but it definitely seems like the general response to them over there is lukewarm compared to the genuine excitement over here in Europe.

Yeah. I really appreciate how Bruce is ushering in the next generation though. It means a lot to have the torch passed down, and I don't think JBJ would give anyone the time of day for that. It also could've been that it was Sunday, but seriously there is no excuse for not enjoying what you paid for.

As a hardcore fan of this band I just can't see how you can't get excited seeing The Gaslight Anthem. They stand out from all the other bands. Maybe that's what people don't like the fact that they may not sound like all the other bands they listen to. I don't know. Gaslight are so great live as well. There are a lot of New Jerseyians who need to wake up and realise what a great band they have right in front of their eyes!

Brian went to my high school here in Jersey, and it baffles me that maybe 3 kids in my school know the band. I think there is definitely a lack of open-mindedness in finding new music which puts upcoming bands at a disadvantage. But there are some Jersey hardcore fans like myself---but most just don't appreciate the music scene beyond the nightclubs. It's sad.

I remember seeing them at Sasquatch festival and being bummed that nobody knew them. Because I was so used to seeing them on the East Coast. I remember dancing and screaming all of the words with literally 1 other person in a venue that holds 20K (that wasn't full, but still).

I'm really glad that I didn't go to this, I would've been so sad...

Sad thing is...There is a deffinate lack of open mindedness for music these days. I have recently admitted I was, and have been trying to open up to newer music. Heck, I recently discovered Chuck Ragan,

Check out Tim Barry. Opened for Brian at MHOW. A little more southern than Chuck, but a good guy with a good story.

At least I know when I see them at Koko the crowd are going to love every minute One of the main reasons I don't go to festivals is because of the fact that a lot of people won't know the bands I want to see and the atmosphere is just flat. That's why I always prefer to see a band at their own show, people show up specifically to see the one band.

I have become so much more open-minded musically over the past few years. I listen to stuff I would never have listened to three or four years ago and a lot of that is down to discovering Gaslight and then Brian turning me on to other artists.

A quote I just stole from the internet that is so freaking relevant: "It's like everyone under 25 in this town is confused by anything on stage that isn't a Macbook."

^ love that

chaingangchorus wrote:

Yeah. I really appreciate how Bruce is ushering in the next generation though. It means a lot to have the torch passed down, and I don't think JBJ would give anyone the time of day for that. It also could've been that it was Sunday, but seriously there is no excuse for not enjoying what you paid for.

To be fair. JBJ gave a shoutout to only 2 bands during his performance. One was Foo Fighters, the other was Gaslight.

I also think a lot of the crowd (at least up front) was not from jersey. Because even if they didn't care, you'd think they'd react to all the times when he talked about Jersey, saying AP was his hometown, telling people to support the local shops, etc.

Personally, I just don't get why more people don't hear them and think "wow, something different that's quality". It amazes me that getting people to like them can be like pulling teeth (that's my experience trying to convert my friends)

I was thinking the same thing everyone is saying while they were on stage. This crowd was DEAD. So sad in comparison to other absolutely insane Asbury Park shows. The only thing I'll say in comparison to their much better crowd at last year's Bamboozle is that this year they were on the main stage and it was full of old people camping out for JBJ. Last year they closed a side stage and were on at the same time as Dashboard Confessional and then TBS, so the people that were watching Gaslight deliberately were there for them...either way it was really frigging sad that I was the only one near me screaming the lyrics to Miles Davis and the Cool and Wooderson. Hopefully one day more people will know about them!

I'd just like to say this, that my 53-year-old uncle saw TGA at Bamboozle last night, and he was blown away (note: I didn't get to go, because I was busy, but good thing my middle-aged uncle who'd never heard of them got to see my favorite band before I did).

Personally I think this is a crazy testament to TGA. I mean, I've seen people on here ranging from me (17, I haven't seen anyone younger, although I'd love to be proven wrong) to mid-30's, but 53? My uncle may just well be the oldest damn Gaslight fan on the planet. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this because of how relatively young I am to the average fans on here, but 46 years is a long span of time, and for the boys to be able to touch people spanning that time is pretty cool.

MattL wrote:

I'd just like to say this, that my 53-year-old uncle saw TGA at Bamboozle last night, and he was blown away (note: I didn't get to go, because I was busy, but good thing my middle-aged uncle who'd never heard of them got to see my favorite band before I did).

Personally I think this is a crazy testament to TGA. I mean, I've seen people on here ranging from me (17, I haven't seen anyone younger, although I'd love to be proven wrong) to mid-30's, but 53? My uncle may just well be the oldest damn Gaslight fan on the planet. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this because of how relatively young I am to the average fans on here, but 46 years is a long span of time, and for the boys to be able to touch people spanning that time is pretty cool.

my dad is 53, and i converted him to TGA a few years back.... he loves them and has seen them a few times! its not that hard to convert older folks to TGA, but narrow minded ppl are worth trying to...

I mean I was just so surprised, because you always get that stereotype that older people will only enjoy older music and think today's stuff is all crap. But then again, I've always loved older stuff and I'm a younger person, so it only makes sense that it can go around the other way.

Converting people to Gaslight hasn't ever been hard for me. I talk about the band almost nonstop among my "music" friends, and eventually one of them will get tired of hearing the constant praise and ask me to show them a few songs.

Of course, I show them nearly the entire catalog of songs. In the end, they're hooked. Everybody's swinging to the Gaslight Anthem, now.

EveryLittleSecret wrote:

MattL wrote:

I'd just like to say this, that my 53-year-old uncle saw TGA at Bamboozle last night, and he was blown away (note: I didn't get to go, because I was busy, but good thing my middle-aged uncle who'd never heard of them got to see my favorite band before I did).

Personally I think this is a crazy testament to TGA. I mean, I've seen people on here ranging from me (17, I haven't seen anyone younger, although I'd love to be proven wrong) to mid-30's, but 53? My uncle may just well be the oldest damn Gaslight fan on the planet. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this because of how relatively young I am to the average fans on here, but 46 years is a long span of time, and for the boys to be able to touch people spanning that time is pretty cool.

my dad is 53, and i converted him to TGA a few years back.... he loves them and has seen them a few times! its not that hard to convert older folks to TGA, but narrow minded ppl are worth trying to...

Both my parents watched the set because they're big fans. age 53 and 59. I agree it's cool that they reach such a large range. I'm glad someone was blown away. Think of how many more may have liked it if the sound had been better! Although from the few videos on youtube it seems like some other spots in the crowd got slightly better audio than I heard. They did win some people over though so I have hope!

I agree older people are easier to convert IF they are willing to listen (some are skeptical about young bands). I still am trying with my friends. I've got one who only likes "45". Everything else she says is "just not my thing". Also got a few friends who are "passive fans". I don't understand how that's possible but I suppose I shouldn't complain.

At the same time we have to understand that not everyone is convertible, although those that aren't are totally missing out.

My pops has seen them 10 times, he has multiple copies of all of their CD's that he gives to people.

I've never had any problems converting anyone though. Guess my friends already heard of em...

I am still confused how Bon Jovi fans got the right to reserve their spots? Bamboozle offered a seating area with their most expensive ticket package, but that was an area where there were bleachers at house left. I really think those people just showed up wicked early.

Last year Alkaline Trio and New Found Glory went on before Gaslight Anthem on that second stage. That bill made way more sense than yesterday. Having said that, I'm a fan of Buckcherry, Gaslight (obviously) and Bon Jovi, so I was thrilled. I don't know Brand New from anything aside from The Quiet Things..., but was also impressed with their set.

I don't take it as it was a statement about Gaslight's popularity in New Jersey. I'd take it as Bon Jovi fans are psychotic, got there early, and took up the front sections. Also, tickets were pricy and Gaslight's demo is younger and not as wealthy as 50 year olds are. So Gaslight fans didn't step up because honestly, they can't. Otherwise I'm sure you all would have loved to have come in and seen them in their hometown, right? It just wasn't their crowd, end of. They sold out Convention Hall, so to me that would be the gig to go by. If they didn't fill that place, then I'd start asking such questions about how much NJ cares.

I was there too, and as most people said, it was a shit show.
Me and a group of my friends worked our way to about the 3rd or 4th row just to the right of Alex L (if you're looking at the stage). We got there towards the end of Buckcherry's set, and we were satisfied with our spot. There was no way of getting in front of the thick layer of Bon Jovi fans, or as my friend called them, BON JOVI BITCHES. Right before Gaslight came on, there was a big push behind us, and we all fell forward. This resulted in us moving up a bit. One of the women who got pushed back by the wave came up to my 6'3 bearded/tatted friend punched him in the arm, and punched ME in the mouth. (Mind you, I'm only a 5'6 innocent 18 year old).
Even the security guard on the barrier was annoyed by the Bon Jovi fans. He'd roll his eyes every time they would complain. They even tried to have us kicked out. It was ridiculous.

You could tell Brian was disgusted by the crowd's reaction. The crowd was dead, and as previous posters mentioned, there were only a few people singing along. The Bon Jovi fans talked through most of the set. Gaslight's performance was solid as usual, but you could tell they weren't as 'into it' as other shows.

Then Brand New came on (one of my other favorite bands)...
I knew these women were in for the roughest crowd of their lives. Somehow, through all the crowd surfing, big waves of pushes, attempted moshing, they maintained their spots on the barrier. It was also obvious that Brand New was just pissed off at the entire event. The went on 5 minutes late, and had to cut their set short by an entire song. During the last song, the guitarist swung his guitar like a baseball bat into the Bass Drum. Which resulted in the hi-hat's crashing down, and eventually the entire kit was destroyed. I don't think this was an act they planned. I thought they were furious about the fact that the crowd was terrible, they were cut-short, and they had such a short set-length compared to Bon Jovi. (Which is also another reason why Gaslight may have been pissed).

Bamboozle made a huge mistake by putting Gaslight and Brand New before Bon Jovi on the same stage. The crowd did not mesh at all, and it was just a weird experience. As someone else said, they should've had them on the Zumiez stage. Hopefully next year Bamboozle is planned a little better - it had the potential to be amazing this year. It was pretty good besides this whole mishap.

Anyway, that's my recap of the night. Time to rip the bong again, and hit the sack.

Oh right, totally forgot to mention Brand New trashing the set. I was annoyed cus I couldn't get photos of it! ha He really tore up the bass drum, like, it was ripped apart as the drummer kept playing.

I felt like Gaslight was into the performance. I have a bunch of photos of Brian and all the guys smiling. The reaction they got had nothing to do with how they played. I actually would think Bon Jovi fans who liked the older stuff, say the NJ album, would take to Gaslight. But Bon Jovi's gotten REALLY pop over the years so I guess not. I also heard Springsteen and Bon Jovi don't get along or something (?) I don't know.

A woman on the bus ride home didn't believe me Gaslight was the special guest. That was awkward.

Anyway, if Gaslight made any new fans yesterday than it was worth their time.

Meanwhile none of us posted a setlist. From setlist.fm
Great Expectations
Old White Lincoln
Casanova, Baby!
The '59 Sound
45
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Miles Davis and the Cool
The Diamond Church Street Choir
Wooderson
The Queen of Lower Chelsea
American Slang
Here's Looking at You, Kid
The Backseat
Baba O'Riley

And WTF how did you not report that woman? You could have pressed charges.

I'm not surprised about the behavior of the Bon Jovi fans. I was a BJ for a long time and I know/knew a lot of BJ fans and many of them are crazy, insane, psychotic and just not from this world. In the BJ community is so much bitching, envy, jealousy, fighting like I have never seen in any other community of another band.
One of the many reasons I'm not a BJ fan anylonger.
The BJ fan club always offers early entrance at the BJ concerts which used to be a good thing cause everyone could join the fan club and could get early entrance. But they changed it so now the fc members have to buy overpriced tickets from the fan club to get early entrance and with overpriced I mean very very expensive... I just think early entrance sucks at festivals. Especially cause BJ fans are so not open-minded about any other music.

And I have a question for those who were there. Some BJ fans keep telling around that Brian talked bad about JBJ, that he said while being on stage that JBJ is arrogant and nasty. Did he really say that?
From my point of view it would be very cool if Brian had the balls to say that cause I can just say its true. I have made negative personal experiences with JBJ and i can say that there possibly is no other rock star who is as arrogant and hypocritial as JBJ. But to be honest I cant imagine that Brian would say something like that, especially not now that they are on the same lable.

I know here are some Frank Turner fans so maybe some of you know what Frank always says inbetween Phtosynthesis, that music is about equals and not about rock stars not making contact with their fans and just getting out of a limousine before a concert...I think Frank is talking about JBJ.lol

I know Brian called Axl Rose a pig last week, but I myself have not read anything about his feelings towards Bon Jovi. When I interviewed Frank Turner he specifically mentioned Bon Jovi as someone he strives NOT to be like.

Quote :

The first thing I should say is that I'm not all that comfortable with the word "fan" per se. To me it seems like a slightly derogatory word, you know what I mean?

Oh, ok. Well what term do you prefer to use?
Just..."people at my shows." I know that's kind of a clumsy way of putting it. I guess growing up with the whole slightly Bon Jovi-ish "We're doing it for the FANS man!" thing. In that context, that word to me has the same ring about it as "proles." Kind of like "the little people" who pay their money and enable me to be some f**king coke-boshing, jacuzzi-trashing ass.

If they indeed paid more than any other person at Bamboozle, then I guess I understand their feeling of entitlement if they shelled out money for the privilege to be up front. But there's no need to be defensive and violent with everyone else around them. Seriously, WTF?

I tried to see if they had a message board discussing the concert but apparently you have to pay to post and/or read it (!)

NeverTrustAJunkie wrote:

I know Brian called Axl Rose a pig last week, but I myself have not read anything about his feelings towards Bon Jovi. When I interviewed Frank Turner he specifically mentioned Bon Jovi as someone he strives NOT to be like.

Quote :

The first thing I should say is that I'm not all that comfortable with the word "fan" per se. To me it seems like a slightly derogatory word, you know what I mean?

Oh, ok. Well what term do you prefer to use?
Just..."people at my shows." I know that's kind of a clumsy way of putting it. I guess growing up with the whole slightly Bon Jovi-ish "We're doing it for the FANS man!" thing. In that context, that word to me has the same ring about it as "proles." Kind of like "the little people" who pay their money and enable me to be some f**king coke-boshing, jacuzzi-trashing ass.

If they indeed paid more than any other person at Bamboozle, then I guess I understand their feeling of entitlement if they shelled out money for the privilege to be up front. But there's no need to be defensive and violent with everyone else around them. Seriously, WTF?

I tried to see if they had a message board discussing the concert but apparently you have to pay to post and/or read it (!)

Yep you have indeed to pay to be able to read and comment on the BJ fan club message board.

Thats very cool what Frank said about BJ and he is totally right. And that is exactly why I think JBJ is so hypocritical, saying we do it for the fans and then ripping off their fans whenever possible. Its all just about making more and more money. And they favor their rich fans and that altho they call themself a blue-collar band. They were many years ago mabye but now they are the typical white-collar band. This makes me so sick...

Would it be ok if I use this quote from your interview? Its just too good.lol