Bon Jovi - London Review

Stadium shows are quite a rarity for me. Here in the UK there are not too many hard rock and heavy metal bands that could easily fill a large stadium, so going to one of the country's big football/rugby grounds to take in live music is a bit of a novelty for me. I have been to a handful over the years, with the most recent being Elton John at Twickenham Stoop in 2017, but most of the bigger bands that I go and see choose to play in the indoor arenas instead. I have also been lucky in the sense that I have managed to see most of the big rock and metal bands that I genuinely like live. There are still a few on the list which I hope to cross off at some point, but over the years I have managed to see most of my favourites at least once. One band that I had not had the chance to see previously was Bon Jovi - but that changed a couple of days ago when I headed up to Wembley Stadium in London to see the American rock legends for the first time. Bon Jovi are not one of my most-favourite bands, but I have always enjoyed them. They are legends for a reason and, despite a rather weak string of recent albums in comparison to many of their peers, I had always wanted to see them live. They visit the UK every few years, but I have never really been able to make a plan work to see them previously. When a handful of UK stadium shows were announced last year however I knew that I had to make the effort. I had feared that the ticket prices might be eye-watering, but this thankfully was not the case. Of course there were expensive tickets for those who wanted to be close to the stage, but for those of us like me who were just happy to be there, there were plenty of cheaper options available. I had been to Wembley Stadium once previously for a concert, and that was for Bruce Springsteen in 2016. At that show I could not have been further back from the stage - as I was in the very last and highest row of seats in the stadium! Anything closer than that for Bon Jovi would be a bonus, and I found myself a little closer this time. I was still extremely high up, but had a much better view of the stage and big screens this time. The stadium's gates opened at 5pm to allow the large crowd plenty of time to assemble before the show started. I got to Wembley at around 5:30pm and found my seat in time to see the venue gradually filling up. While there were a few pockets of empty seats around, the place was extremely full by the time Bon Jovi took to the stage at 8pm - which more than justified the choice of venue.

Before Bon Jovi's show however, the growing crowd was treated to 45 minutes of music from the Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers. A big name band in their own right, the Manic Street Preachers did not really have to break through the usual barriers that support bands need to, and instead just let their music do the talking. Despite the fact that the band have been around for a number of years now, they are not a group that I have ever really listened to. I did not really know what to expect from them, but I found myself quite enjoying their music. Their songs were more intricate than I had expected them to be, with main man James Dean Bradfield (vocals/guitar) particularly impressing throughout with lots of excellent fluid lead guitar work. I had assumed that the band were more of an indie act, but there was a decent classic rock influence to be found in their songs. While not exactly driving hard rock, the band's sound still had a strong energy about it - usually thanks to Bradfield's lead guitar playing or sideman Nick Nasmyth's keyboards. During the set I felt that a couple of the band's songs sounded familiar, so I must have heard some of their songs previously without ever realising who they were by. They also included a pretty faithful cover of Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine, which unsurprisingly drew a positive reaction from the crowd towards the end of their set. It was an enjoyable version, and really showcased what a good guitarist Bradfield is as he nailed the famous riff and solo. Despite this song probably garnering the biggest reaction of their set, there were clearly quite a few Manic Street Preachers fans in attendance. Many of their songs were met with audible cheers, and there were certainly quite a few people up around me in the Gods that were singing along. I quite enjoyed my time with the Welsh band and, while I am not exactly in a rush to go out and buy all their albums, I am glad that I finally got an opportunity to check them out and I now have a good understanding of what they are about.

There was about a 40 minute break between the Manic Street Preachers' set coming to a close and Bon Jovi starting - so there was enough time to make a trip to the loo and get a drink from the free water machines. By the time that Bon Jovi took to the stage at 8pm, the stadium was full and was packed with revellers ready to have a great time. The band's current European tour is still part of the cycle to support 2016's This House Is Not for Sale - and the band took the stage to the album's hard-rocking title track. It is one of the band's best modern albums in my opinion, so it was a bit surprising that the title track was the only song played throughout the evening, but the band instead took the opportunity to play songs from as many of their albums as they could. Jon Bon Jovi's (vocals/guitar/percussion) voice is often the topic of debate among fans these days, as he has certainly lost some of his power over the years - but at Wembley he was in fine voice throughout. A little lower and grittier than in the 1980s, the Bon Jovi of today is more of an elder statesman. He knows when to hold back, and the six other musicians on stage were often there to cover him during the big choruses - and of course the large crowd did their bit too! Getting back to the show, This House Is Not for Sale was a great opening number - and live it was drawn out to include a lengthy guitar solo from Phil X (guitar/vocals) at the end. This transitioned perfectly into the 1980s stadium rock duo of Raise Your Hands and You Give Love a Bad Name which saw everyone on their feet and singing along. The latter of the two was one of the show's early highlights, and just showed how tight this current version of Bon Jovi is. Phil X and the band's long-time producer John Shanks (guitar/vocals) teamed up for the song's shredded guitar solo perfectly - as they often did throughout the night. Shanks in particular impressed. Considering he has co-written some of the blandest Bon Jovi songs over the years, I was not expecting him to be such a good guitarist. He took many of the guitar solos throughout the night, which was a certainly a surprise. Everyone up there on the stage really pulled their weight, although I am not sure that Everett Bradley's percussion added that much to the overall sound. He did seem to be really putting in a shift on the backing vocal front however which justified his inclusion and in fairness was probably the main reason he was up there. As the setlist was culled from throughout the band's career, it did have a bit of a 'greatest hits' feel to it at times. None of the songs played were particularly out of the ordinary, which suited me as this was my first time seeing the band. I imagine fans who had seen the band a number of times over the years would have appreciate a few deeper cuts however, but it is hard for bands like Bon Jovi to please everyone! Early highlights for me was a stunning rendition of the country-tinged Lost Highway, before the band went right back to the beginning for the keyboard-driven Runaway. David Bryan (keyboards/vocals) was high in the mix all night, which was great to hear, and Springsteen-esque driving keyboard riff of the song allowed him a moment in the spotlight.

In the band's efforts to hit as many albums as they could, most of the modern songs featured were they leading singles. We Weren't Born to Follow represented 2009's The Circle while Have a Nice Day was the only cut from its 2005 namesake. The latter in particular was a highlight, although a barnstorming version of Keep the Faith that followed rather stole its thunder. Bradley's percussion actually added a lot here, and the song was extended to feature solos from Phil X, Bryan, and Shanks in a moment of 1980s hard rock excess. Bryan's Hammond organ solo was the best of the bunch, and it was great to see him really letting rip in an almost Jon Lord-esque fashion. The only deep cut played was the acoustic-based Amen from 2013's weak What About Now. It was probably the weakest moment of the set for me however, and is a song that really represents the blander side of the modern Bon Jovi sound. This dip in quality only lasted for a moment however, as the soaring power ballad Bed of Roses and the band's song of brotherhood Blood on Blood really got the show back on track. From this point on, the last third of the evening was mostly made up of some of the band's best-known tunes. The single that catapulted the band into the new millennium, It's My Life, certainly got everyone out of their seats (although I have always found the song to be one of the band's blandest singles in my opinion), before a final 'rarer' song in the form of We Don't Run was the final modern offering. I would not call the song a deep cut however as it has been featured a lot live since it's 2015 release, but it certainly stood out among the big hits. Wanted Dead or Alive was of course a winner, with Bon Jovi and Phil X teaming up for the song's acoustic melodies, before the latter swapped to his electric for the bluesy, emotional solo. After that moment of relative calm, the last four songs that brought the main set to a close were packed with pure energy. Lay Your Hands on Me prompted one of the biggest sing-along sections of the night, but it was the closing duo of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and Bad Medicine that really got everyone moving. The latter in particular was excellent, with Bryan's keyboards once again leading the charge, and a great representation of why Bon Jovi are still one of the biggest and best stadium rock bands round. It was a great way to end a set that was already over the two hour mark by this point, and it left the crowd baying for more. After a few minutes off stage, the band came back out for a couple more - and a big drum fill from drummer Tico Torres heralded Always. Always was a huge hit over here, but the vocally-challenging song is only wheeled out occasionally these days. Unsurprisingly it went down a storm, and at times the crowd were actually drowning out the band - especially during the drawn out, heart-wrenching choruses. It was left to Livin' on a Prayer to close the evening out, with Phil X's last guitar solo living long in the memory. The band took their bows to huge cheers, and it was clear from the crowd's reaction that the evening had been a real triumph! The setlist was:

This House Is Not for Sale
Raise Your Hands
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to be My Baby
Whole Lot of Leavin'
Lost Highway
Runaway
We Weren't Born to Follow
Have a Nice Day
Keep the Faith
Amen
Bed of Roses
Blood on Blood
It's My Life
We Don't Run
Wanted Dead or Alive
Lay Your Hands on Me
Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen from Mars
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Bad Medicine
-
Always
Livin' on a Prayer

I had tempered my expectation for this show prior to going, as I had feared that Bon Jovi might be a little tame these days and that the setlist would be packed with ballads - but I have to say that all my expectation were exceeded and then some. The current incarnation of Bon Jovi is an excellent hard rock act, and its leader and namesake is still a fantastic frontman who still possesses a powerful voice. The band really were on top form, and this will certainly live long in the memory and will probably be one of the gigs of the year.