Segunda-feira 16 Jun 2008, 17h:48
The day of the dog
Disclaimer: This is not actually a full gig review. It's a fan's journal of a wrap-up of the years he listened to Captain Kidd & King of Swing & Co and one great night. Following journal may be found totally biased and deemed as unnecessarily exaggerating the performance of the artist. Well that's because it's written by a die hard fan who waited to see the band live for the most of his mortal life…Likewise fans in the same position would show emphaty maybe. So this one's for me and them.
Enter at your own risk..it might change the way you think (probably not for non-fans but enter any way :))
The last time I had the chance to see them live was 1993, as a teenager who's been listening to the band since New Jersey. I couldn't but I never thought it might take 14 years for me to have a second chance. A lesson for the younger generations :)
The more you wait through the years, the higher your expectations, but you can also help but afraid that the group who is responsible for the soundtrack of your life for a good part of 20 years is aging and may not deliver from what you'd expect from them. Was that the case on Friday the 13th (never noticed :))? hell no, hell no.
The show started sharp at 10:30 just as the soccer game finished. The crowd was crazy because of the win, which had a positive impact on the concert as well.
I will not give the setlist here since it is already been given already in last.fm in journals and not really relevant to the style of my journal. but I will mention some of the numbers which surprised me and send me out of mind with delight. but(again) before that had a little commentary on what has not happened:
Usually bands, name their tours with their latest albums, and no matter what the fans want, the majority of the setlist includes tracks from that one. well it's a commercial world, and selling your latest album is always an easier job then to sell an album to people who did not born at the time the album was released. By the way I am not coming up with an idea of Bon Jovi is not a commercial rock band at all. We're talking about a band who sold more than 100 million records, so I would sound to naive to say that. Anyway back to the point. Although you play your best hits, it is also quite normal you send your great album tracks(non singles but die hard fan favorites) to the test of time and not play them on shows. I mean why you would play it? just for fans?
…yes…and they made the day,week,month or even the year of this fan. It was a 25 song set list, including songs from every era, singles, non singles. I lost my mind watching them live, it was an outstanding performance, they still have it, hope they will have it for the next decade and the next. Sometimes reporters ask Richie Sambora if you see Bon Jovi playing like The Rolling Stones until you are 60something. He says why not. I'll drink to that, yes go on as long as you can guys.
Watching the show, I had a show of my own, I lost my mind and ended up singing every song played. Never felt better probably, though.
The highlights of the show for me was:
Diamond Ring of These Days (wow)
of course Livin' on a prayer with crowd going crazy at the end of normal setlist
all the stadium singing -the first verse and chorus with no mistake- Wanted Dead or Alive at the end of encore..
and at last but not least. as the first song of two song encore.. Jon and Richie, starting with the acoustics, pretending to read the lyrics from the papers by fans, one of my all time faves, from New Jersey.. someone should take a picture of my face expression at the time I heard the first chords and realized that it is…
Stick To Your Guns.
Amazing..absolutely mind blowing..
I had that grin on my face by the time the show was over, I think some of it is still on. Thanx. Very much.
I couldn't ask for a better setlist, for a better performance. I waited sooo long and it was worth the wait. Da gig of my life so far. Probably the best until the next Bon Jovi gig I'll watch:)
For those who are waiting to watch them for the upcoming weeks in Europe and also US in the remaining legs of the tour, I must say you are up for a great show. the surprises (hope you'll have a few too) may send you over the moon. Especially like for those debutants like me. Lucky ones :)
I would like to check out the adjectives, people(of course fans) use to describe their observations on the upcoming shows since I was lost for words at some points in this one.
One last thing, I save a prayer for the ones who crave to see them live. Well, mine is answered and I'm more than happy…