Bon Jovi aren’t dependant upon trends or album sales to gather their fans. Their fan basis ranges from hardcore fans to younger fans that weren’t even born when New Jersey’s finest positioned themselves on the global map with the release of their 1986 12 million selling album, “Slippery When Wet”. Bon Jovi have survived and flourished through two decades of metal, grunge, pop, rap and various other musical trends are still undoubtly; preposterously huge.
Chants of “Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi” flooded the Molineux Stadium as the band emerged and began the intro for Bounce. Jon Bon Jovi ‘bounced’ onto the stage, still displaying the sex appeal with a killer, pearly white smile; (which could be seen in the highest corners of the stadium – without the assistance of the oversized screens) in an chest bearing shirt and led his band into an astonishingly energetic set of tunes from their latest album, ‘Bounce’ to their early classic ‘Runaway’, including a couple of covers.
Flanked by vastly underated guitarist, excellent singer in own right, Richie Sambora, drummer, Tico Torres, keyboardist, David Bryan, and “new” bassist Hugh McDonald, the frontman flashed his smile, punched the air, danced and jumped about from one side of the stage to the other, pumping the audience into a frenzy.
Richie Sambora gave Jon Bon Jovi a time out when he proved himself to be no ‘Stranger In This Town’ as he sang lead the power ballad ‘ I’ll Be There For You’ and wound up producing one of the most excellent moments of the night. His re-worked guitar riffs and vocal treatment helped revamp the early nineties ballad. Another highlight came during the band’s anthem ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’, as Sambora and Bon Jovi traded licks on their acoustic axes. After the first note the crowd prepared themselves for the right moment to begin singing the song. The entire crowd belted out the entire first verse and chorus as the band played on in support.
Ever the crowd pleasers, the men from Jersey returned for an encore, ‘Bad Medicine’ which gave the audience yet another chance to display their vocal ability.
Kim Davies - 10th June 2004