Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tokyo 1 set list

Bon Jovi headed to the Tokyo Dome tonight for the first of two Japan shows. I'm still flabbergasted that they chose to overlook Osaka in favour of an apparently failed attempt to sell out the Dome twice, but I'm no CEO.

Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome - November 30, 2010
Blood on Blood
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Born to Be My Baby
Lost Highway
Whole Lot of Leavin'
When We Were Beautiful
It's My Life
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
We Got It Goin' On
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]
Lay Your Hands on Me [Richie Sambora on lead vocals]
What Do You Got?
(You Want To) Make a Memory
I'll Be There For You
Something for the Pain
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Work for the Working Man
Runaway
Have a Nice Day
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Keep the Faith

ENCORE:
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' on a Prayer

Videos and other media links will pop up on Hath's Circle Tour blog in due course.

It's a week before Bon Jovi hits my town. Frankly I'm not expecting a gem-packed set, but if they keep "Something for the Pain" I'll be very happy. Actually, if they play "Always" and "Bed of Roses" I'll be happy.

Monday, November 29, 2010

CNN Heroes - What Do You Got

Here's Bon Jovi's performance of "What Do You Got?" from the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.


The Circle/Greatest Hits Tour resumes tomorrow in one of my favourite cities in the world, Tokyo. :)

Friday, November 26, 2010

Bon Jovi on Ellen

Bon Jovi was on Ellen on November 23. Here are some videos.

"You Give Love a Bad Name"


"What Do You Got?"


Interview with Jon, where he mentions the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

AMAs, Altiyan wins X Factor, Aussie VIP gig, GH vinyl

Bon Jovi performed at the American Music Awards on Sunday, November 21. They played a medley of "What Do You Got?", "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "It's My Life".



Also on November 21, was the first half of a two-night grand finale on The X Factor Australia which culminated in "my boy" Altiyan Childs being crowned the winner on Monday night. I've been shamelessly plugging him on Twitter for the past couple of months, as well as posting his performances of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Blaze of Glory" on this blog. Anyway, Altiyan reprised "Prayer" on the Sunday night show so here's more blog fodder. :P


In more Down Under news, I remember watching with amusement as we went into frenzy over Oprah Winfrey's visit in December... Seems Bon Jovi, who are also in Australia in December, will be doing a private VIP concert at Star City for Oprah's touring party:
The new management of Star City want to make a statement . . . the private Bon Jovi concert show and the after-party will be one of the biggest VIP events Sydney has seen in more than a decade, a source said.

Invited guests include Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, James and Erica Packer, Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch, Hugh Jackman and Deborah-Lee Furness.

And Sydney Confidential readers should stay tuned for a special offer.

And for old school audiophiles, the Greatest Hits has also been released in vinyl.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Bon Jovi still rocking 'n' rolling (interview)

This interview with Jon from the Malay Mail is a few days old, but it's in promotion of the Greatest Hits which is still current.

Jon talking about the new songs:
Well to be honest we wanted those who already had the songs from previous albums to have something extra to look forward to. The new material needed to fit what the Greatest Hits was, which was a representation of a body of our work thus far. They are mostly anthemic rock songs about who we are, where we are (or were) in late 2008. They're very lifting and optimistic and they befit the Greatest Hits, which is a "celebration" album.

This part cracked me up to no end:
You have over five million fans on your Facebook page. What do you think about social networks and are you a frequent Facebook or Twitter user?

There was an occasion when my kids were texting while watch­ing something on YouTube, and in the distance the TV was on and they claimed to be watching a programme. And I asked my daughter "How is it that you think you are doing all these three things well?"

And she looked at me like I was an idiot and said "Can't you do all that at the same time?"

And I just shook my head and took my newspapers into the next room and felt like an old man. I can't even read when the TVis on but it's very natural for kids nowadays to multitask. I do not Tweet but it is an amazing way to reach five million people who are interested in you with just a touch of a button.

Doesn't really look like there'll be an Asian tour (apart from Japan) anytime soon though:
You last toured Asia (more specifical­ly Malaysia) 15 years ago. Any plans to tour here again?

We would love to but we're trying to keep our touring to a schedule that doesn't really inflict too much pain. Err... how I can put that better? We like to tour in a manner that is not too ex­cessive and since the Crush tour, we've kept the touring schedule to about a hundred shows a year but because of the success of The Circle and hopefully The Greatest Hits, we've extended it by about 30 shows, so Asia may play into our plans in the coming year.
I know that response kind of left the door open, and it's hard to read the tone when you only have text in front of you, but I interpreted this as a diplomatic way of saying "no". Hopefully for fans in Asia I'm wrong though!

Anyway, check out the full article here.

Friday, November 19, 2010

CNN Heroes + Greatest Hits hits #1

Bon Jovi will be among the stars appearing on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute which will air in the US on Thanksgiving night and on CNN International on November 25 and 26:
Rock legends Bon Jovi also will be part of a two-hour celebrity-studded tribute to the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010.

The supergroup will perform "What Do You Got?" a new song from their greatest hits album which debuted November 9.
I was under the impression that "supergroup" referred to a band whose individual members had already achieved fame prior to the band's formation (e.g. Traveling Wilburys, CSNY, Chickenfoot, Velvet Revolver) which would preclude Bon Jovi, but whatever. It's not very often you'll see Bon Jovi described as "rock legends", so savour the moment, folks. :P

In other news, the Greatest Hits has topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, and my native Australia.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Today Show, Private Sessions + more 2011 dates!

First up, new tour dates have been added. I thought I'd posted this already but apparently not. From BonJovi.com:
Due to popular demand additional Montreal, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and New York shows have been added to the 2011 Tour.

2/12/11 -- Pittsburgh, PA -- Consol Energy Center
2/15/11 -- Toronto, ON -- Air Canada Center
2/19/11 -- Montreal, QB -- Bell Centre
3/05/11 -- New York, NY -- Madison Square Garden
3/09/11 -- Chicago, IL -- United Center

Tickets and Backstage JBJ VIP Packages are on-sale now! For more information regarding these new shows and to get your tickets, please visit BonJovi.com/Tour and BonJovi.com/VIP.

Bon Jovi also performed in New York City for The Today Show on November 12, 2010. Here are some videos:

What Do You Got?


It's My Life


You Give Love a Bad Name


The boys were also on A&E Private Sessions on November 14. Hath has links and downloads from the show on her blog.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Altiyan Childs sings Blaze of Glory

About five weeks ago, I posted a video of The X Factor Australia contestant Altiyan Childs' performance of "Livin' on a Prayer". Well, I'm beginning to wonder if his mentor Ronan Keating has a slight man-crush on Jon Bon Jovi, because he gave Altiyan a JBJ solo hit to cover last night. :P The theme was "Chart Toppers" and I think this is the only Bon Jovi/Jon Bon Jovi single to actually get to number one in Australia (The band has had a few number one albums here, but no singles to my knowledge).

Here is Altiyan's rendition of "Blaze of Glory" (including a few words from the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb at the start, and the judges' comments at the end):

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Extra Dublin, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Chicago shows in 2011

From BonJovi.com:
Due to Phenomenal Demand an Extra Date has been added for Bon Jovi Live at the RDS, Dublin on 30th June 2011, the first date 29th June Sold Out just under 2 hours after going on sale this morning at 9am. For more information regarding this new show, please visit BonJovi.com/Tour.

Backstage JBJ Pre-sale tickets and VIP Packages will be available starting Monday, November 15th at 8:00PM Dublin time. Backstage JBJ Pre-sale tickets and VIP Packages are exclusively available for members--to become one today, visit BonJovi.com/Join.

And again:
Due to popular demand additional Pittsburgh and Toronto shows have been added to the 2011 Tour.

2/12/11 -- Pittsburgh, PA -- Consol Energy Center
2/15/11 -- Toronto, ON -- Air Canada Center
3/09/11 -- Chicago, IL -- Bell Centre

Tickets and Backstage JBJ VIP Packages are on-sale now! For more information regarding these new shows and to get your tickets, please visit BonJovi.com/Tour and BonJovi.com/VIP.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Not Fade Away from Best Buy Theater

Here's Bon Jovi opening the November 10 YouTube webcast from New York City with "Not Fade Away". Maybe I'm affected by the fact that this was the rarest thing the band played, but I reckon this is a great opener for an intimate venue. Amazing build-up. How good is that Bo Diddley beat? And the only way Jon's one-and-a-half minute emotional death stare for the camera could be improved is if he glued his eyes open so he couldn't blink. :P

New York City (YouTube webcast) set list

Bon Jovi's promo gig at Times Square today was broadcast live on YouTube (and will be replayed twice every six hours for 24 hours, but I'm not sure of the times). The set was a pretty vanilla (and familiar!) from a diehard's perspective, especially after fans were asked to send requests, but obviously they were only planning to play stuff from the Greatest Hits which they can claim they did. I did actually think we'd get more 90s representation though. Oh well. It was a good performance.

New York City, USA - Best Buy Theater - November 10, 2010
Not Fade Away [Buddy Holly cover]
You Give Love a Bad Name
We Weren't Born to Follow
Lost Highway
It's My Life
What Do You Got?
When We Were Beautiful
Wanted Dead or Alive
Who Says You Can't Go Home?
Keep the Faith
Livin' on a Prayer

ENCORE:
Have a Nice Day
Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]

Letterman, Richie and Dave interview + a trip down memory lane

Bon Jovi performed on "What Do You Got?" and "It's My Life" Late Night with David Letterman overnight. Videos below.

What Do You Got


It's My Life


Here's a cool 10-minute Radio Nova interview with Richie Sambora and David Bryan in Madrid. They talk about the band's sexless marriage, live performances and style through the years, Lady Gaga, touching people's lives, and charity work.


And finally, with the Greatest Hits now out around the world, I guess now is as good a time as any for reflection (I know how Jon hates the word "nostalgia"). NJGirl4523 dropped this into my inbox about a fortnight ago... It's an old series of videos of Jon giving a driving tour of the New Jersey neighbourhoods where he and the band grew up and got their start:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Inboxed updates...

Until yesterday, I've been pretty crazily busy. At the time of writing this post, I have 106 unread e-mails. No joke. Granted, only a handful of these are actually e-mails from people... the others being e-newsletters and things like that. But here are some bits that Blame It On The Love readers and marketers have sent me, as well as a couple of Google Alerts.




Oh, and the YouTube webcast is on tonight/tomorrow (depending on your timezone). If I'm not mistaken, it begins at 1am GMT on November 11. If I am mistaken, I'm sorry; I haven't really done any maths in five years and I sucked at it then, so I asked someone else. ;) Bon Jovi really ought to give GMT times, especially for global events, since that's kind of the world standard, and it would be easier to work out your own time from there instead of figuring out which American timezone to convert from.

Greatest Hits worldwide, Bon Jovi movie review, VEVO webcast, iheartradio

With the release of Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits and The Ultimate Collection (the 2-disc version) in North America on November 9, it should now be available worldwide. I actually only received mine today, having pre-ordered it along with The Ultimate Video Colletion, but seeing as it wasn't a brand new studio album, waiting a few days wasn't such a big deal. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet but Hath posted Catte's review of the DVD over at her blog.

Hath's blog also features a review of the Bon Jovi movie that screened in the US on November 8.

There was also a webcast last night courtesy of VEVO and Letterman. I didn't get to see it but I've been told Richie Sambora was on fire. Did anyone record this by any chance? ;) Apparently the set list was:
You Give Love a Bad Name
We Weren't Born To Follow
Lost Highway
It's My Life
What Do You Got?
When We Were Beautiful
Wanted Dead or Alive
Who Says You Can't Go Home?
Keep The Faith
Bad Medicine / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]
Livin' on a Prayer

A four-song "stripped" set for iheartradio was also broadcast on 450 US radio stations. If you're in the US you should be able to watch the performances here.

Glee covers Livin' on a Prayer

I admit it, I love Glee. Sure it can be cheesy and silly, but it's also quite witty and even dark and dramatic at other times. Not unlike the different shades of Bon Jovi's discography. ;)

Anyway, here are the Glee girls led by Rachel (Lea Michele) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) performing a mash-up of "Livin' on a Prayer" with "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones.


As a point of comparison, here is last year's mash-up of "It's My Life" and Usher's "Confessions" featuring the boys. If you're wondering about the over-the-top cheesy grins, they were actually all high at the time... the characters, not the actors. :P


I have a few more general updates to catch up on but that's a task for tomorrow, methinks... :)

ITV One Night Only

The ITV Bon Jovi One Night Only special aired in the UK on November 6.

Here's an interview with the band prior to their televised gig:


Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora's cool acoustic cover of Elvis' "That's Alright, Mama":


Here are links to all the songs that went to air:

The show also featured a chat with Jon:
  • Part 1: Jon talks about growing up in New Jersey

  • Part 2: Jon on songwriting and the cross-generational appeal of "Livin' on a Prayer"

  • Part 3: Jon on surviving the post-New Jersey tour burnout

  • Part 4: Jon on the pursuit of perfection
  • Global Icons

    Now that my final assignments are out of the way... Time to blog! ;)

    Bon Jovi were in Madrid for the MTV Europe Music Awards on November 7, where they received the inaugural Global Icon Award. They were also up for Best Live Act, but Linkin Park won. Anyway, Bon Jovi performed a medley of "What Do You Got", "Bad Name" and "It's My Life"...



    And here they are accepting the Global Icon Award (includes Tico Torres speaking Spanish). Apparently this was cut from the US broadcast.


    Bon Jovi also performed in Madrid the night before. I posted the video of "Livin' on a Prayer" with Rihanna earlier... here is the set list.

    Madrid, Spain - Teatro Circo Price - November 6, 2010

    Not Fade Away [Buddy Holly cover]
    You Give Love a Bad Name
    We Weren't Born to Follow
    Lost Highway
    It's My Life
    What Do You Got?
    When We Were Beautiful
    Wanted Dead or Alive
    Keep the Faith / Sympathy for the Devil [Rolling Stones cover]
    Livin' on a Prayer [feat. Rihanna]

    ENCORE:
    Have a Nice Day
    Bad Medicine / Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover] / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]

    And here's a video of "Not Fade Away"...

    Sunday, November 7, 2010

    Bon Jovi and Rihanna duet

    We just had a very special guest join us on stage... Thanks @... on Twitpic

    Bon Jovi are in Madrid for the MTV Europe Music Awards and played a gig at Teatro Circo Price. The set list hasn't been confirmed yet but it did feature this performance of "Livin' on a Prayer" with Rihanna.

    Saturday, November 6, 2010

    Jon Bon Jovi thanks 6 million Facebook fans

    Bon Jovi's Facebook page has hit 6 million fans. Jon posted a thank you video message from Madrid, where the boys are at for the MTV Europe Music Awards. Check it out at this link.

    Making November 10 a special event

    So, most of us probably know about the November 10 Best Buy Theater/YouTube webcast, for which we the fans have been invited to help pick the set list. Anyway, Bon Jovi diehard Dante made an appeal on my Facebook page yesterday, for everyone to request rare songs in order to make it "a great bon jovi show not an ordinary show". Dante's suggestions included "Something to Believe In", "Only Lonely, "Let It Rock", "Dry County", "Hey God", "One Wild Night", "I Get a Rush", "Any Other Day", "Thorn In My Side", "Brokenpromiseland", and pretty much anything from Bounce.

    I think most of us do want, and perhaps even expect, something special for the diehards. And a lot of people on Bon Jovi's YouTube channel have requested rarities. What isn't entirely clear to me is whether or not Jon considers Bon Jovi's entire discography to be fair game on the night, or whether he's just going to pick from tracks that are on the Greatest Hits.

    Nevertheless, all we can do is log into YouTube, request a rarity and vote up or "like" the requests that feature rare songs, and hope for the best. We have two days left!

    This is what I submitted (It sounds a bit cheesy but I don't care):
    Something to Believe In both reflects me in my darkest hour and elevates me to greater heights.

    Please give us something to believe in, Bon Jovi. :)

    I also requested "Hey God", "Dry County", "Brokenpromiseland", and "Hardest Part is the Night" in another submission.

    Bon Jovi on German radio / Greatest Hits promo

    Bon Jovi played in Cologne, Germany for Radio Hamburg on November 4, 2010. The set was as follows:

    You Give Love A Bad Name
    We Weren't Born To Follow
    Lost Highway
    It's My Life
    What Do You Got
    When We Were Beautiful
    Wanted Dead or Alive
    Who Says You Can't Go Home
    Keep The Faith
    Livin' on a Prayer
    Always
    Bad Medicine

    Hath has the show uploaded on her MediaFire.

    And here's a little accompanying interview with the band.


    Oh, and in case you didn't know Hath is an absolute legend, she's also got a video of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora talking about the Greatest Hits tracks here.

    Friday, November 5, 2010

    The Circle Tour movie at Vue cinemas

    I got sent this media release about the Bon Jovi Circle Tour movie which is screening in select Vue cinemas in the UK.
    What: Bon Jovi, ‘The Circle Tour’
    When: Tuesday 16th November, 8pm - tickets are £10

    Rock fans are in for a treat with the screening of one of Bon Jovi’s biggest gigs to date and part of ‘The Circle Tour’, which was filmed live this May at their homecoming gig at The New Meadowlands Stadium, New Jersey. Selected Vue cinemas nationwide will be showing the concert as a special one-off broadcast in High Definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The show will include the band’s biggest anthems including hits, ‘Keep the Faith’, ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’ and ‘It’s my Life’. What’s more, fans will be treated to a sneak peak of the band’s new music video for ‘What do you Got’. The showing is part of Vue’s ‘Larger than Live’ series which has seen Queen, Take That and Muse appear on the silver screen.
    Visit the Vue website for details.

    JBJ interview with Kyle and Jackie O

    Jon called into the Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia recently. He talks about performing live, money and giving gifts, Rich Bozzett's book Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi, Jake's potential acting career, and going bowling with Romeo at the White House.

    You can listen to and download the podcast from the 2day FM website (direct link here).

    (BTW, Altiyan was NOT in the cave for two days... it was a few hours, Kyle. And they didn't "find" him, he returned all in his own. Sheesh! :P It wasn't actually after the "Livin' on a Prayer" performance either, though that's probably Kyle Sandilands' dodgy memory rather than a deliberate creative license, haha.)

    Thursday, November 4, 2010

    BBC Radio 2 + ITV One Night Only fan review

    Before I went to bed last night I promised to do a catch-up post about the BBC and ITV shows today, so here it is. :)

    Bon Jovi performed for BBC Radio 2 on November 2. The set was as follows (Asterisks denote songs that were not broadcast on the radio):

    You Give Love a Bad Name
    We Weren't Born to Follow
    When We Were Beautiful*
    It's My Life
    It's Only Make Believe [Conway Twitty cover]*
    (You Want to ) Make a Memory*
    What Do You Got?
    Bed of Roses*
    Work for the Working Man
    Who Says You Can't Go Home
    Wanted Dead or Alive

    To hear the Bon Jovi bits that were on the radio, check out Hath's MediaFire folder.

    And here are a couple of iPhone videos from the event.

    IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE / MAKE A MEMORY


    BED OF ROSES (sound is muffled for the first 18 seconds)


    Also, on November 1 Bon Jovi recorded a gig for ITV's One Night Only. It will be broadcast this Saturday, November 6. Neurotica won tickets to attend the taping and wrote an interesting blog about it (thanks to Hath for the heads-up).

    Pick the set list, watch it live!

    So for anyone who didn't get the memo... the November 10 show at Best Buy Theater is going to be streamed live on YouTube... You can also submit your requests via the Moderator tool on Bon Jovi's YouTube channel and vote on people's suggestions. (You have until Monday, November 8th at 5:00PM ET to do this).



    which Bon Jovi song from their vast catalog inspires you the most?

    You can submit your song requests from all over the world right here. You can submit with either a text request OR (even better) with a video request explaining why that Bon Jovi song is your particular favorite. Other fans will then be able to vote on all of the suggestions and the most popular picks will rise to the top. So get your video cameras ready and tell us what to play! Tell everyone the song title FIRST and then go on to tell us why it's your favorite. You can submit your favorite song now through Monday, November 8th at 5pm ET. On November 10th, tune in to our live streaming concert right here on the Bon Jovi channel on YouTube to hear YOUR top picks of our greatest hits.

    According to Bon Jovi's Twitter page:
    We will be showing the performance twice more after it airs live on the Bon Jovi YouTube channel for those of you watching around the world!

    One of my criticisms about Bon Jovi in the past has been their sometimes dinosaur-like use of the Internet and social media, especially for a band that's so hell bent on staying relevant, so it's nice to see them trying things like this.

    Seems Bon Jovi's performance on the Late Show with David Letterman on November 9 is also being broadcast live to (presumably American) iPhones and iPod Touch users via the VEVO app.

    Video: Want to be front row at a Bon Jovi gig?

    How to get into the front row of a Bon Jovi concert. This is freaking hilarious... mostly because painfully true. ;)


    Anyway it's 3am and tomorrow I need to get my photo taken for my first adult passport so I better get some sleep, haha... I'll post about the BBC Radio 2 and ITV gigs tomorrow (well, technically later today but you know what I mean). :P

    Jon Bon Jovi interviews with The Guardian

    These interviews were conducted/published in the lead-up to the Greatest Hits' release (It came out in the UK on November 1).

    The first took place when Polly Vernon caught up with Jon while Bon Jovi was in Brazil:
    You have an endless capacity for commercial success, I say.

    He pauses; he's not sure whether or not I intend the comment as a dig. Bon Jovi have come to define a certain kind of rock: soft and girlish and people-pleasing; lacking in rawness, edge, credibility. Critics don't like them, on principle.

    "Weeeeeell… If that's how you see it. Thanks…" he says eventually.
    I've always wondered if Jon would trade a few million of those record sales for a patch of critical acclaim. At the end of the day, I'm sure he'd rather his music connect with "the common man" than the critic, but I think it does bother him on some level that music writers generally look at Bon Jovi like some kind of joke.

    Anyway, Jon also talks about his own political evolution (from voting for Ronald Reagan at his first election to becoming the Democrat he is today), his need to be team leader, and his feminist leanings. Meanwhile, the author suggests that his passions lie with politics now instead of music. You can read the full article here.

    The Guardian also published this interview as part of its Portrait of the Artist series...
    What has been your biggest challenge?
    To be sure that I never sold out or sacrificed my art for commerce. We never had rappers when that was popular, or hung out with grunge guys, or tried to be a boyband. What Bon Jovi did, we did our way.
    Plenty of cheap shots you can take to a comment like "I never sold out" coming from a guy like Jon Bon Jovi. I don't really think they've sold out from a artistic perspective though; they've been a commercial band since the 80s and it's true that they didn't try to be Nirvana or anything like that in the early 90s. Concert tickets, on the other hand, are another issue...

    What's the worst thing anyone ever said about you?
    Where do I begin?
    I don't know why this bit made me smile but it did. Read the full article here.

    Bon Jovi and X Factor

    Time for a few of those posts I've been meaning to write/publish over the past few days but simply haven't had the time. But my final two assignments are due on Monday and after that I'll be able to finish a new header for Blame It On The Love, and of course, blog when I want to. ;)

    I'll start with Bon Jovi's appearance on The X Factor in the UK on Sunday, October 31. They performed "Livin' on a Prayer", backed up by the contestants. TV performances are usually very underwhelming so this actually isn't too bad at all; I quite enjoyed it. But I'm very surprised they didn't give "What Do You Got" some airtime. In my opinion, "What Do You Got" was a poor choice of lead single, but miracles can happen with the right promotion so it's a bit curious that they didn't take the opportunity to spruik it.



    Speaking of The X Factor, a few weeks ago I blogged about Altiyan Childs' rendition of "Prayer" on the Australian version of the show. A lot has changed in that time... I think Altiyan was an $18 outsider to win going into that week; he's now the $1.60 favourite. And following his performance of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" last Sunday, radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands told him "Bon Jovi said to say hello to you, Altiyan". Ronan Keating did mention a couple of weeks ago that Jon had watched the "Prayer" performance on YouTube so that was a pretty cool moment... It's always nice to get a random Jovi reference on Aussie TV. ;)