The 1986-1987 Slippery When Wet Tour, named after their knockout bestselling album Slippery When Wet, was still not Bon Jovi’s 80s peak!
That was the behemoth tour that not just crushed it in terms of revenues, number of gigs, and probably had the fastest selling tickets in rock n’ roll history;
But that was also the tour that nearly crushed the bandmembers as well.

The New Jersey Syndicate Tour.

Homesick, disillusioned and suffering from every ailment 16 months of non-stop touring will give a man, the band closed their New Jersey Syndicate tour in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Which ended up as being two concerts on the same day.
The report on what happened is actually the most compelling part about the whole documentary series “Thank you, goodnight” (end of episode 2), as they face student protests and riots, blocking the stadium they were scheduled to play.

The footage of those draining, confusing days in Mexico, the endless waiting, the boredom, the restlessness of knowing you are so close to being able to go home but instead you’re stuck in a hotel with nothing to do except being angry with an antagonistic manager who you hold responsible for having worked you to absolute exhaustion;
Split in with voice-overs from Tico Torres, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Jon Bon Jovi, all vividly remembering how Guadalajara ripped the band apart within days.
As well as enriched with interviews with others like audio engineer Obie O’Brien, songwriter Desmond Child and manager Doc McGee himself;

Guadalajara claims the spot as most compelling part of the entire four part documentary.

The endless touring had worn out and stretched their bond so thin, there wasn’t any cohesive strength left.
It all fell apart, like dust, and after finding a compromise around the student protests which involved playing two Guadalajara shows in one day;
A lot more had ended than just the New Jersey Syndicate Tour.

For years, the band would now be hanging by a thread.

.
~Suzanne
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“How Guadalajara became the heart of “Thank you, Goodnight” the Bon Jovi story ”
is the first gem-sized outtake from yesterday’s juggernaut post:
Messy 80s randomness versus the proper documentary
| Bon Jovi 1987 07 11 East Troy & Thank You Goodnight (2024)