Bon Jovi Omits ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ During Sixth MSG Residency Show
Bon Jovi fans at Madison Square Garden on July 19 experienced a noticeably shorter performance than previous dates in the band’s ongoing nine-show residency. The concert, which served as the sixth night of the run, concluded after two hours and five minutes and featured 20 songs, marking a decrease in length compared to earlier shows in the series that lasted between two hours and 15 minutes and two hours and 30 minutes.
The most significant deviation from the established set list was the absence of the 1986 Slippery When Wet staple, “Wanted Dead or Alive.” According to setlist.fm, the track stands as the third-most-performed song in the band’s history, trailing “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” by only a small margin. In addition to the omission of this fan favorite, the band also bypassed “Always,” which had served as the show-closer for the preceding three nights of the residency, and the 2024 single “Red, White and Jersey.”
The Current State of the Residency
The current residency, which launched on July 7, represents the group’s first full-scale public performances since 2022 and follows frontman Jon Bon Jovi’s recovery from vocal cord surgery. While the band has not provided an official explanation for the set list changes as of Monday, fans have engaged in online speculation regarding potential vocal fatigue following the singer’s well-documented health challenges over the past four years.
Throughout the New York run, the band has frequently adjusted their performance list, including swapping “In These Arms” for “Bed of Roses” and introducing the 2020 track “Let It Rain” into the rotation. The band’s residency at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” is scheduled to resume on Tuesday and wrap up on July 26, before the group moves on to a series of dates across the United Kingdom scheduled for August and September.
July 19 Set List
The full set list for the July 19 show included:
1. “With a Little Help From My Friends”
2. “Beautiful Drug”
3. “We Weren’t Born to Follow”
4. “Lost Highway”
5. “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”
6. “You Give Love a Bad Name”
7. “Born to Be My Baby”
8. “Legendary”
9. “Let It Rain”
10. “Whole Lot of Leavin'”
11. “Bed of Roses”
12. “Have a Nice Day”
13. “It’s My Life”
14. “Livin’ on a Prayer”
15. “Lay Your Hands on Me”
16. “Limitless”
17. “This House Is Not for Sale”
18. “Keep the Faith”
Encore
19. “I’ll Be There for You”
20. “Bad Medicine”