Thursday, December 24, 2009

Terry Gross interviews Jon Bon Jovi

Jon was interviewed on National Public Radio's FRESH AIR. He talks about The Circle, preparing for a tour, the songwriting process and "Work for the Working Man" (I suspect this is going to be a concert staple in 2010), his formative years in New Jersey.

The full transcript can be found here.

Merry Christmas + Oprah viewer surprises

Merry Christmas from my Tokyo hotel lobby to all my readers... or perhaps that should be Season's Greetings, seeing as I don't know whether or not you celebrate Christmas. Regardless, I wish you all happiness. Stay safe.

Anyway I just got this e-mail from a FutureWorks public relations person:

Hello!

I am writing to you on behalf of Harpo Productions to share the details about a very special Oprah encore presentation full of surprises (literally). On Thursday, December 24th, Oprah looks back at some of the best viewer surprises over the years that are destine to make you smile.

Here are a few highlights of the surprise filled episode:

-Oprah looks back on the HUGE surprise pulled off for a special 10-year-old co-host that nearly left her in tears!
-Bon Jovi gave his biggest fan a surprise of a lifetime!
-The legendary Stevie Wonder surprised the Star Search Grand Champion on the Oprah stage.
-Plus, one superstar is waiting in the wings to surprise an audience member (can’t tell who)!

Be sure to check your local listings for the time the show will air. Thanks so much and please let me know if you have any questions!

Best,
Stephanie

Monday, December 21, 2009

Darren Middleton interviews Richie Sambora

Darren Middleton plays guitar for one of Australia's premier rock bands Powderfinger. He spoke to Richie for Australian Musician magazine. Here's a taste:

Darren: The world of music is constantly changing, not just the technology but there's still great new music being created, and every time you plug in your guitar or whatever instrument you play, it's still fun to do, so I completely understand what you are saying. There are things to learn and new people, new producers to work with etc. Could I ask you outside of Bon Jovi, what occupies your time?

Richie: Well I'm a single dad so that takes a lot of my time. That's one of the most enjoyable things in my life. I'd have more kids if I could find the right receptacle (laughs). I have actually been working on an interesting thing. I have a clothing line that I have been working on which is pretty crazy. It's just for women and I came up with this title which is White Trash Beautiful. We tried to write the song Jon and I but it was a bit too misogynistic coming from a guy talking to a chick, so we shelved it and never really went back to it. I'm walking around my house one day and I thought, you know what? That sounds like a clothing line. So I started to put this thing together. The interesting thing about it is ... what I am going to do is distribute music on the clothes on a G drive.


Check out the full interview here.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

New Hugh McDonald website

Check out Huey's new website here.

Sorry again for this blog not being updated as much as it would normally be. I'm in Tokyo at the moment and it's hard to find the time. I also don't have any headphones with me and would prefer not to blast any video or audio out in the hotel lobby (currently the only place I can get free wireless internet). ;) I'm back in Perth in mid-January.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Bon Jovi headlining HullabaLOU

I'm a bit behind with my blogging at the moment (I'm currently in Tokyo) but Bon Jovi will be headlining the HullabaLOU festival next year, along with Kenny Chesney and The Dave Matthews Band. The festival will take place July 23-25, 2010 at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Jersey Boy Hero trailer

Apparently this is a trailer for a documentary about a New Jersey musician named Chris Vaughn trying to get Jon Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen to listen to his song. Anyone know anything about this?

Sunday, December 6, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Bart Steele on his case against Bon Jovi, et al.

I recently managed to secure an interview with Bart Steele, who's known around fan circles as "the guy suing Bon Jovi for $400 billion". Bart took great pains to point out that his copyright infringement case is a bit more complicated than that. Basically he believes his baseball anthem "Man I Really Love This Team" was used as a temp track for the MLB/TBS commercial featuring Bon Jovi's "I Love This Town". But click on the links below to read it in his own words.

I ended up splitting what Bart told me into four articles:

Bart Steele talks about temp tracking

Why Steele claimed $400 billion

Steele denies suing for publicity

Steele reflects on the case (some final questions in Q&A format)

So that's Bart Steele's story. You can make up your own mind.

But if anyone from the Bon Jovi camp wishes to comment, they can always contact me. Hey, I can dream, can't I? ;)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

A support act, a Grammy nomination, and leavin' on a jet plane

Dashboard Confessional will be opening for Bon Jovi on The Circle Tour from February 19 through to April 22, 2010.

Meanwhile, "We Weren't Born to Follow" has been nominated for a Grammy in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category. One of the other nominations for that category is "Never Say Never" by The Fray, which is a sentimental favourite for me, but I'm pretty confident Black Eyed Peas will win with "I Gotta Feeling".

And finally, this coming Tuesday, I'll be flying out to Japan where I'll be for the next month so I apologise in advance if this blog isn't updated as frequently as it should be during that time. I'll do my best though. I'm also planning to write about our trip on another blog, which you should be able to access from my Blogger profile.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Epic parenting fail

This plea for Bon Jovi pit tickets was apparently posted on craigslist and picked up on FAIL Blog.

epic fail pictures
see more Epic Fails

Click here to see it in full, add a comment, or share it.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Superman Tonight on Conan

Bon Jovi were back on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, this time to perform "Superman Tonight". Finally, a song other than "We Weren't Born to Follow". :P

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Bon Jovi's fall from grace

Bon Jovi had the dubious honour of the third biggest drop from the #1 spot in US Billboard chart history this week, with The Circle falling to #19.

Anthony Kuzminski discusses some of the possible reasons (other than the padding of album sales in the first week by forcing people to purchase the digital album with pre-sale tickets) for this decline on The Screen Door.

Bob Lefsetz
also had some interesting things to say in an e-mail to his subscribers... here's a taste:
If older folk still buy music and younger people steal it, why did John Mayer sell almost twice as many albums the first week out as Bon Jovi?

Yes, according to hitsdailydouble.com, John Mayer sold 301,204 copies of his new album, "Battle Studies", this week. Whereas last week, Bon Jovi moved 165,871 copies of "The Circle".

Ready for some truly horrifying news? This week "The Circle" fell all the way to number 19, selling 50,153 copies, a whopping drop of 70%. Whew!

What's the difference between John and Jon?

One is living in 2009 and the other is living in the last century.

Jon Bon Jovi was positively old media, tying in with NBC.

John Mayer was new media, appearing in concert on Fuse and tweeting up a storm.

It doesn't matter the total reach, it matters who actually watches and what the perception is.

Fuse would be canceled, the entire channel, if its programming was on NBC. To say the ratings are anemic would be charitable. But Fuse airs music, unlike MTV. And most people watching the shows featuring Bon Jovi on NBC don't give a shit about the man's music. In other words, Jon's shoving it down the wrong people's throats.


EDIT: The full article is now up on Bob's website. Click here for the link.

Bon Jovi on Ellen

Some videos of Bon Jovi on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Jon interview... the story about Romeo and the big ears was quite funny.


It's My Life


We Weren't Born to Follow

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Who says you can't go home?

Here's an article on MyCentralJersey.com about Richie Sambora's "You Can Go Home" campaign for Kelly Mahon, a girl from his hometown of Woodbridge who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year. Check out the link here.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Jon Bon Jovi on Conan O'Brien

Here are a couple of clips of JBJ on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Jon talks about the art of seducing an audience, and makes me insanely jealous of his Labor Day jam session...


Jon talks about Bon Jovi being NBC's "artists in residence" and Richie treats us to a special cameo appearance...


Bon Jovi performing "We Weren't Born to Follow"...

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Richie Sambora interview on Classic 21

In this interview with Belgian radio station Classic 21, Richie Sambora talks about The Circle, Lost Highway, the 90s, multi-millionnaire rock stars writing about the working classes, "When We Were Beautiful" (the song and documentary), the band's longevity, and some of his solo projects. Check out the video here.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Richie and Ava Sambora at New Moon premiere

Richie and Ava at the premiere of the new Twilight movie. They talk about vampires, romance, and the new Melrose Place.

Videos: JBJ & Friends at Alice Tully Hall

Jon Bon Jovi, along with Bob Bandiera, Lorenza Ponce, Everett Bradley, and Jerry Cohen performed a special acoustic set for American Express at New York City's Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center) on November 16. I'm a big fan of the unplugged format so this is magic to my ears. There was also a Q&A with Phil Griffin (who directed the documentary) and Jon.

SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT - Just Jon


WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME


LOST HIGHWAY


LIVIN' ON A PRAYER


WHOLE LOT OF LEAVIN'


SUPERMAN TONIGHT - Just Jon and Bobby, as the others didn't know it


WE WEREN'T BORN TO FOLLOW - Jon spends the first five minutes or so talking about the background to the song


HALLELUJAH


WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

Monday, November 16, 2009

Boston songwriter files appeal in lawsuit against Red Sox, MLB, TBS, Bon Jovi, et al.

This press release landed in my inbox today in relation to the "I Love This Town" copyright infringement appeal. I have no vendetta against Bart Steele so I figure it's only fair that I reproduce this and let you, the readers decide.

For Immediate Release - November 15, 2009:

BOSTON SONGWRITER FILES APPEAL IN LAWSUIT AGAINST RED SOX, MLB, TBS, BON JOVI, et al.

Dispute Centers on TBS/Major League Baseball Commercial


Bart Steele, a songwriter living in Chelsea, MA, has filed an appeal in his lawsuit against Turner Broadcasting, Major League Baseball, The Boston Red Sox, the rock band Bon Jovi, and other defendants. The case is Steele v. Turner Broadcasting et al, case #08-11727, and is pending in federal court in Boston. Steele argues that his song and an MLB/TBS commercial, which he believes was created using his work as a “temp track,” are similar enough to support his claim that the commercial infringes upon his copyright.

“Basically, the District Court believed the defendants’ argument that this was all a bunch of coincidences,” Steele says. “But it wasn’t. It was copyright infringement, pure and simple. In 2004, I wrote my Boston Red Sox-based country baseball anthem entitled ‘Man I Really Love This Team.'

“I emailed my song and also mailed the song with lyric sheets to the Red Sox and Major League Baseball several times, including in October 2004, June 2005, and June 2006. I also told them I had another version called 'Man I Really Love This Town' that could be used for any team in any town. To this day, neither the Red Sox nor Major League Baseball has denied receiving my letters, song, and lyric sheets. I never heard back from them.

“Three years later, MLB’s "I Love This Town" commercial aired on TBS, with Bon Jovi providing the audio. And I started getting phone calls asking me when I had sold my song. The answer was – and is - never.

“I was never asked for permission to use my work, much less paid or even given credit for it. Defendants admit, in Court documents, receiving my song in October 2004. Defendants have not denied receiving my letters informing them I had created a derivative work, which replaced “team” with “town.”

“Defendants admit “access,” which is a big part of any copyright claim. It is hard to believe TBS and MLB when they say their commercial’s similarities to my song were all a series of unbelievable ‘coincidences.’

Steele elaborates, “A close analysis of the MLB/TBS commercial proves that it, and the Bon Jovi audio, was derived from my work,” says Steele. “They left a pretty blatant trail of evidence behind,”

“There are just too many places where the visuals match up exactly with my lyrics to be coincidence. For example, at the exact time I am singing "Yawkey Way," the video shows a Yawkey Way street sign, and Bon Jovi is singing "this street." Another obvious example, at the exact time I sing "Tigers," the video shows a Detroit Tigers player."

“As for the lyrics, at the end of my song’s bridge I sing "come on and let ‘em know say here we go;" the Bon Jovi audio's bridge ends "come on now here we go again." Compare my song to the MLB commercial and see if you can find all the other 'coincidences.'

“In fact, over 50% of the commercial's lyrics are identical to, or paraphrased from my song, according to a number of professional musicians and video experts.

“96% of the commercial's frame-cut edits (149 of 155 video sequences) are in perfect synchronization with my song's tempo, beat, and measure. And the commercial and my song are exactly the same length, both fading out at 2:38.

Steele says the Court failed to properly consider his experts’ statements, and that is a major reason why he is appealing.

“I registered 3 titles as both writer & publisher with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP): 1) 'Man I Really Love This Team' 2) 'Man I Really Love This Town' and 3) 'Man I Love This Team,' and this can easily be confirmed at www.ascap.com by title search.

“Everyone tells me that this kind of thing happens all the time in the music business even though it’s illegal. The big corporations think musicians will just give up if they have to face a big law firm hired to wear them out. But I’m not giving up.

“When ASCAP saw my evidence, their exact words to me were: "We find it very hard to believe this was independent creation on their (Bon Jovi's) part with the whole baseball and video thing."

“ASCAP subsequently opened a “Discrepancy” case file and requested statements from me and from Bon Jovi. In fact, an ASCAP title search for “I Love This Town” returns only an ASCAP request to call the “Clearance Line” with respect to the “Discrepancy” on that title code (392590937). I replied immediately to ASCAP’s request.

“Bon Jovi never replied to ASCAP’s request.

“ASCAP eventually froze all royalties on Bon Jovi’s audio, "I Love This Town," from the MLB/TBS commercial.

“Amazingly, Bon Jovi never questioned or challenged ASCAP’s royalty freeze. Actually, since MLBAM (MLB’s non-baseball media/marketing arm) – and not Bon Jovi – owns the copyright to the TBS/MLB commercial, including the audio, maybe it’s not that amazing.”

Steele concludes, "Bon Jovi is a major client of MLBAM and has been for years. In fact, Bon Jovi, TBS, and MLB teamed up yet again just this fall to promote baseball on TBS. Please check for yourself, this is all public record."

To view and listen to the MLB commercial with Steele’s song, go to www.myspace.com/chelseacitycouncil

To view and listen to the MLB commercial with the Bon Jovi audio, go to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070827&content_id=2173003&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

For further understanding on how this happened

Google: Fenway Sports Group+FSG+Red Sox+MLBAM+Bon Jovi

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Bon Jovi Inside the Actors Studio (preview)

A few preview clips from Inside the Actors Studio.

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora talk about the band's name.


A pretty sick sounding David Bryan talks about his formative years.


Jon and Richie talk about philanthropy.

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Critics' Guide to Bon Jovi

Jeff Giles' review of The Circle on Popdose is pretty much the only text an aspiring music critic ought to study before writing about Bon Jovi.

Jon Bon Jovi’s always been a nakedly craven opportunist, and I refuse to believe he’s approached the band’s career as anything other than a business plan. I think he realized that after five years away, Bon Jovi nostalgia would be high, and with rock radio mostly dead, he could afford to make what would have been a credibility-killing move in the ’80s — namely, hooking up with Max Martin for a lollipop of a leadoff single — and finally turn the band into what he’d always thought it should be: a tribe of musical mercenaries who didn’t have to feign allegiance to any particular genre, but could cop to whatever trend happened to be popular at the moment in an effort to stay on the charts, and do it without hurting sales enough to matter. Other bands had tried this before, but they’d all failed, possibly because they all still had credibility to squander; Bon Jovi made it work, because credibility had always been a meaningless abstract concept for them. Their music was never as important as how people responded to it — or to put it in more appropriately crass terms, how well it sold.


I don't even particularly like Crush (at least two of my least favourite Bon Jovi songs of all time are on that record), and I'm not denying Bon Jovi's commercialism for a second, but that was a blow low enough for me to feel it. :P And it's quite a revealing paragraph about the open-mindedness of our reviewer, methinks. ;)

Now how's this line: "If curing AIDS sold records, I’m pretty sure Bon Jovi would have done it by now. Sadly, curing AIDS doesn’t sell records. But pinching out tubes of boneless, easy-to-digest rock & roll does, and that’s why the band’s 11th studio album, The Circle, is coming out today" (review was posted November 10).

Ooh, burn! You can read the rest of the review here.

Coming full circle

Check out this interview published on channelnewsasia.

The word "circle" denotes "completion." Are you guys done?

Jon Bon Jovi: A friend of ours gave it to us, and her name is even on the credit. She suggested the title and I said, "Don't say anymore. I know exactly what this means." This could mean something different to everybody but to me it means it's never ending.

It's sort of what we feel about our band. In very New Jersey terms, it's very hard to get in, and even harder to get out.

Tico Torres:
Infinity is a wonderful way to look at music because there is no end.


Richie Sambora also suggests that Bon Jovi could be in Singapore in the first quarter of 2011.

The rest of the article is here.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Bart Steele appeals I Love This Town verdict

Oh dear.

Remember that guy who sued Bon Jovi for $400 billion over "I Love This Town" and had his case dismissed?

Seems he's appealing. His statement on the matter can be read on antiMusic and on his MySpace blog.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Bon Jovi - The Circle - Japan interview

Masa Ito interviews Bon Jovi about The Circle.



Interesting comments about how it was a kid's solo on Youtube that influenced them to add a guitar solo to "We Weren't Born to Follow". I posted Rafael's solo on this blog back in August and still think it's terrific, so check it out if you haven't already.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora on This Morning

An interview with Jon and Richie aired on ITV's This Morning in the UK today. Jon was asked about ticket prices for the O2, to which he pleaded ignorance but said that he would look into it and shoulder some of the blame. Interesting. Personally, I don't see how any CEO worth his salt could possibly not know about those prices -- especially after the backlash and media attention -- but whatever. When I'm important enough to be interviewed, I'll be able to say whatever the heck I want too. :P Jon and Richie were also asked the usual questions about the new album, documentary and touring. They seemed to be in a fairly good mood.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Circle album review

The review of The Circle I did for Suite101 is now up. Suite101 doesn't allow first person articles which can be a bit restricting when it comes to writing reviews, but it's not too bad. Ideally I would have waited a few months or a year before reviewing something I'm so enamoured with but obviously it wouldn't be very current by then. Anyway, the link to the review is here and I'd award the album 4 out of 5 at this stage.

And in case you hate my review, here's "We Weren't Born to Follow" from BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge so you can decide which is better. :P

We Weren't Born to Follow (acoustic)

A limited edition release of "We Weren't Born to Follow", performed acoustically on Inside the Actors Studio, is currently available from iLike and Lala.

Unfortunately, I can't work out how to get it outside the US. If anyone can help me out, it would be much appreciated.

Jon Bon Jovi Inc

A Times Online article about the CEO of Bon Jovi...

Jon Bon Jovi is not your average rock star. When you tell people you are meeting him, you get two reactions: disdain or “Phwoar”. Both are usually followed by a rousing rendition of Livin’ on a Prayer. So for the conflicted out there, let’s start by getting a few things straight: he is not tiny; he’s a very respectable 5ft 10in or 11in. His hair, while by no means a No 1 all over, is no longer so big that it need dominate our thoughts. He’s a handsome and successful rock star who gets a reliably sneering press (too commercial, too soft-rock, too cheesily uplifting); a stratospherically rich man who nonetheless keeps plugging away with the CDs, the tours, the long absences from his family. And today, he is in a rubbish part of America listening to local dignitaries drone on at a tree-planting ceremony.


Link to the full article is here.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Alan McGee meets Jon Bon Jovi

Founder of British indie label Creation Records Alan McGee interviews Jon Bon Jovi for The Guardian. Jon talks about the rock 'n' roll life, reality TV, and the band's longevity. He also reveals "Bullet" was about Jennifer Hudson's family.

The link to the full article is here.

Bon Jovi's prayers answered: WalesOnline

Jon Bon Jovi talks politics, The Circle, and the documentary When We Were Beautiful in this article from WalesOnline:

Since he and band Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut on 1984, they’ve sold 120 million albums and performed to more than 34 million fans in 50 countries. Quite simply, they’re one of the biggest bands out there.

It’s a pleasant surprise then, to discover Jon making his bed at the beginning of our conversation.

“Oh, yeah, it’s the maid’s day off,” he says sarcastically, while continuing to tidy his New York bedroom.


Link to the full article here.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

My thoughts on the Bon Jovi documentary

Well, I finally got to see When We Were Beautiful at Hoyts Carousel in Perth tonight. Apparently their shipment of CDs and DVDs got stuck in customs (What the? "I'm sorry but you can't bring these CDs in..."?!) so if you bought a ticket with the album/documentary package, you had to write down your address and contact details for them to mail out later. It had to happen in Perth didn't it. :P

Anyway, onto the actual film. I did enjoy it but I don't know if it would be worth watching again. I may or may not ever do a full review (it's more or less been covered elsewhere) but here are some thoughts in point form...

- The black and white worked well.
- Sometimes Jon sounds so arrogant it's hilarious ("I'm a CEO of a major corporation, don't waste my time"). But I guess it's those traits that have made him the front man he is.
- Dave's little hint that the dictatorship of Jon does bother him slightly on occasion was probably one of the most refreshing parts of the doco.
- The anecdote about Richie and Tico running into each other when Richie was with a girl and Tico was with her mother had everyone in stitches... there could have been more stories like that.
- The footage of "Diamond Ring" was magic... Would have been cool to see "Stick To Your Guns" or something like that. Because it's those gems that make us cynical fans fall in love with the band all over again.
- The lack of Hugh was to be expected but considering Obie O'Brien got to speak for the cameras, one measly quote from the bassist would not have killed anyone.
- They tended to "talk around" stuff like Richie's downward spiral with the alcohol and drugs. If you weren't familiar with that story, you would have been pretty confused during the doco.
- The censorship of swear words was a bit irritating, because a chunk of sound (including any background noise) was simply removed whenever an F-bomb or whatever came up. It sounded really jerky, especially when Jon was talking about organising the free Central Park gig and seemed to say the F-word half a dozen times in a couple of sentences.

Overall, I think the documentary is too Jon-centric for the typical diehard Bon Jovi fan, but not accessible enough for casual or non-fans. Still, there's no harm in checking it out at least once.

Superman Tonight: Possible 2nd UK single

"When We Were Beautiful" was the follow-up single to "We Weren't Born to Follow" in the US, but if this video is any indication, it appears that "Superman Tonight" could be chosen for the UK and international markets.

From BBC Radio 2 in London on November 3... Audio quality is poor, the video is very Jon centric, and Jon doesn't seem to know the song that well yet. But it's the first live performance of "Superman Tonight".


Here's a pic of the set list taken by Chris Evans...


...and a rather scathing review of the Radio 2 gig by Rick Pearson.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora on Absolute Radio

Here's an interview Jon and Richie did with Christian O'Connell from Absolute Radio after their appearance on X Factor. They talk about reality TV, the changing music industry, and Bon Jovi's upcoming O2 residency.

Musings about The Circle, the tour, and raising a hand...

If you're a Bon Jovi fan, there's a good chance you've already heard The Circle, either when it leaked last week or because it's already been officially released in a few markets. If you haven't heard the album, there's a good chance you've heard other fans calling it the best album in 14 years or more. If you hadn't heard any other Bon Jovi fans talking about the album until you read this post, then welcome to the world wide web -- I'm flattered my blog was the first page you visited. :P

So while we're all feeling warm and fuzzy about the new album, and while more and more O2 dates seem to keep popping up, it's good to see that the fan backlash about the European ticket prices, especially for the O2, getting some outside coverage. After making Perez Hilton last week (even though he couldn't resist an unnecessary swipe at Bon Jovi for the effort), articles have appeared in The Sun and Contactmusic, among other sites. The more stuff like this is talked about, the more likely we are to bring about change.

I've heard some fans defending Jon and the band on this issue. How dare we criticise the band, they say. We're clearly not real fans if we can't just appreciate the fact that they play concerts at all. You can't blame Jon because he doesn't have anything to do with prices. Other artists charge high prices too but Bon Jovi are worth it because they're the best band in the world. Et cetera.

Sure, AEG and the O2 want to get some of their money back after the untimely death of Michael Jackson before his 50-show residency. But Jon Bon Jovi is the CEO and face of a very lucrative business. If he wanted to do something about ticket prices, he could. He doesn't. I know people need to make a living, and that for musicians, the real money now lies in touring and not record sales. But Bon Jovi do not need to bleed their fans dry to make money.

This is not just about the O2 either. It is about getting a fair deal for all Bon Jovi fans -- no matter where they live and whether they are in the fan club or not -- on this tour and into the future. It's about making sure the passionate supporters who have made Bon Jovi the success they are today, get the chance to experience them at a reasonable price.

But as I was saying, ticket prices aside, I think this really is the best album since These Days, and probably the first time since then that they've been able to put together 12 good songs. (I do still enjoy the balance of Bon Jovi's work this decade, but IMO there have always been a few glaring clunkers per album prior to The Circle). I'm still so in love with The Circle it's ridiculous. Tony Kuzminski has been a little more tempered in his review on antiMusic and The Screen Door, but it's worth the read.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Screen Door reviews Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful

Check out Anthony Kuzminski's review of the new Bon Jovi book on The Screen Door and antiMusic:
Many of the quotes and stories can be heard in the documentary, but the book houses dozens of stories and quotes not found in the film. We get some interesting anecdotes from Jon about how he keeps his voice in shape, some minor reflections on the These Days record and individual reflections from all four main members of Bon Jovi. While there are no earth shattering revelations in the book, but there is enough here to hold one's interest amidst the stunning photos.

The full review can be read here and here.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Circle leaks!

There have been a few fake ones floating around for months but this one is the real deal. Given the album comes out in Germany in three days, I'm surprised it's taken so long to leak.

EDIT: I think the songs are all still up on Youtube too. Of course you're all going to buy this album anyway so it's up to you whether you want an advance listening or wait for it the old school way. ;)

I'll write a review after the album has been officially released.

The Circle tour to reach Australia

Jon Bon Jovi has promised the band will come to Australia on The Circle tour.

"So we neglected a whole region of the world, including Australia, which we always loved immensely, and by neglecting it we lost our footing there.

"The last record we came back and started to re-establish that, and with our hearts on our sleeves I can tell you we are going to spend a lot more time in Australia, starting with this record.''
Link to the rest of the article is here.

Monday, October 26, 2009

When We Were Beautiful

"When We Were Beautiful" -- the song, that is -- is now available for download from the US iTunes store. You can also listen to it here.

The world is cracked, the sky is torn
I'm hangin' in, you're holdin' on
I can't pretend that nothing's changed
Livin' in the shadows of the love we made

Back when we were beautiful
Before the world got small
Before we knew it all
Back when we were innocent
I wonder where it went
Let's go back and find it

Shalala, shalala hey...

Some dreams live, some will die
But for you and me, they're still alive
Now am I blessed or am I cursed?
'Cause the way we are ain't the way we were

Back when we were beautiful
Before the world got small
Before we knew it all
Back when we were innocent
I wonder where it went
Let's go back and find it

The world is cracked, the sky is torn
So much less meant so much more

Back when we were beautiful
Before the world got small
Before we knew it all
Back when we were innocent
I wonder where it went
Let's go back and find it

Back when we were beautiful
Back when we were beautiful
Back when we were beautiful

Shalala, shalala hey...

Those O2 ticket prices are still obscene, btw.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Take action against ticket prices!

Below is a letter from Matt Bongiovi to members of the Backstage With Jon Bon Jovi fan club regarding recent unrest over ticket prices. I know there's a rule about what happens Backstage stays Backstage, or something along those lines, so I thought a lot before reposting this here. First and foremost, I didn't want anyone to get into trouble on my account. Secondly, one thing I don't need this semester is a nasty letter personally addressed to me from the Bon Jovi camp, which is quite possible seeing as they seem prepared to threaten fan club members. But in the end, I figured this letter's already out in the open and I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I pandered to some fan club over the public interest. And besides, the letter is relevant to the rest of the post. Want to voice your anger or disappointment over ticket prices? Read on. (Scroll to the end of the post if you don't want to read/re-read the letter.)

Hey All,

I wanted to drop you all a note to let you know your concerns do NOT fall onto deaf ears. I have as many concerns as you. First I want to assure you that a long letter went to the powers to be regarding these concerns. There are no guarantees but what I can tell you is I am working on getting more options for everyone. I want to set some records straight. First I do not set prices. I am actually only now a part of the scene with regards to the FC. This is not a negative thing. My roll has and alway will be being the link between you and the band. ALL of your concerns are legit and will be addressed.

Let me also explain that on this tour we are offering a variety of price levels. We have not had that in the past. This allows everyone no matter what your budget is to be able to have access to tickets to see the band. I do understand that you want to be close to the stage but i'm sure everyone in the house would like that. Also understand that though you may see the packages are what you feel are priced high, to some it holds a value. On LH people could not imagine paying the price for front row and the tour backstage. When they bought the package and I led the tour backstage and handed them Richies guitar to put around their neck or to let them hold JBJ's Mic stand as well as bring them into the dressing room (as long as the band was not in it) or the chance that JB or the other guys would be in catering or in the halls. They always would stop and take photos. The point is to some it is a priceless. Understand you do not get that kind of access unless you work for the band. The limited edition merchandise that you are given is also a Huge collectible. Again I'm not saying it is cheap but you can't argue that it holds value. Think of the inner circle this way..... Last year the package that got you backstage cost $1500 per person = $3000 for two front row. This year the inner circle offers much more and actually is less then the front row package last year. Only difference is what row you are in. Personally I'm not a big fan of front row. You actually miss most of the show and the sound is not that good. Think of being in the front row at a movie...

Going back to the other levels that are offered....Know that our seats in every price level are the BEST of that price level. Meaning that with a Amex pre-sale or any other pre-sale for that matter they are BEHIND the FC.

We went through this drill on the LH tour and when all said and done everyone was Happy.... Very Happy. I agree with some changes that should be made and again I am bringing it to the right people. This is NOT JB who sets the price for the packages. He has enough on his plate. But know the people who do set it is now well aware of the concerns.

Now I have to ask a favor from everyone. It is highly rude to email ANYONE outside of this FC complaining. It is not fair to the hard workers at the record company or the publicist office to be getting such rude emails. It is not their fault nor do they have anything to do with this. I will stay strong when I say I can assure the ones who are doing it and continue to do so will be dealt with with everything I have. Weather it is being banned from ANYTHING Bon Jovi related or legal action for harassment. It is really uncalled for. I also ask that the fighting between members stop as well. I have no problem pulling memberships on anyone who harass any other member. It is a sham that grown adults yet again have to be treated like children.

We all need to breath and get ready for one of the GREATEST record and Tour this band has done to date. We are a family and at time siblings don't always get along but they also protect each other. Have your family's back and know I have yours.

Talk soon
Matt


Someone posted an open letter to Jon in response to Matt's letter. Check it out.

Now apparently if you're upset about ticket prices, you can't e-mail any third parties because Matt Bongiovi will sue you. We're so lucky to be rocking in the free world.

Here are some things you can do:
If you know of any more campaigns or petitions, leave a comment or e-mail me. Bon Jovi do have the power to make a change, and through the "Power of We" that Jon loves so much, so do the fans.

It's for Tommy and Gina who never backed down. Who's gonna work for the working man (and woman)?

The irony of The Circle

It might be too early to make that call, but based on the samples we've heard, The Circle could well be Bon Jovi's best album this decade, song-wise at least (I promise not to whine about the production until I have a physical copy of the album in my hands). But ticket prices are growing more ridiculous by the tour. I think I touched on this when the fan club show was announced, and when mentioning the Prudential Center shows, but lofty ticket prices are a recurring theme in Joviland so here we go again.

How can you justify telling every interviewer that you just had to write THIS album NOW in light of the economic downturn and hunger for political change, and then turn around and rape the wallets of your loyal fans? Hell, fans in Europe kept the band going strong through the 90s. How can you go on stage every night singing about Tommy and Gina while ripping off all the real life Tommys and Ginas out there? AEG might be the promoters, but Jon is the self-proclaimed CEO of a company and I don't believe for a second he is Mr Innocent when it comes this particular brand of daylight robbery. Sure, Bon Jovi is one band that can probably get away with charging exorbitant prices for every show because at the end of the day, they have enough fans who are eager or desperate enough for live shows to scrape up the cash. And as long as people are paying, the money making machine can keep jacking up prices. But does that mean they should?

It might have been a slightly different story in North America, but Jon might do well to remember the half empty stadiums at some of their European shows on the last tour, despite it being probably the best tour of the decade.


(On an unrelated note, some of you may have noticed the above clip is from Hey Hey It's Saturday which was the source of recent international controversy...)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

More samples from The Circle

Following on from the Amazon snippets a few days ago, you can now listen to a few more clips of The Circle via Germany's iTunes Store. You'll need iTunes installed on your computer. Scroll down to the bottom of the iTunes window where it says Main Store. Your country should probably be listed there. Change it to Deutschland so you can access the German store. Then in the "Search iTunes Store" box in the top right hand corner of the window, type Bon Jovi and enter. Then click on "Alle anzeigen", then "The Circle (Bonus Track Version)". The track list for the album should come up. Double click on the song title to hear a preview of it.

EDIT: For anyone who's had trouble listening to the previews on Amazon and/or iTunes, try here.

Here are the lyrics from those iTunes clips, to the best of my hearing. There's some overlap with what we've already heard, as well as some new stuff.

When We Were Beautiful
I can't pretend that nothing's changed
Even in the shadows of the love we made
Back when we were beautiful
Before the world outside
Before we knew it


Work for the Working Man
And there's nothing left of what's on my mind
Who's gonna work for the working man?
Work for the working man
Get your hands in the dirt
Who's gonna work off the curse?
Brother I'll be damned if I don't raise a hand
Who's gonna work work work for the working man
Working man


Superman Tonight
...for a hero but it's just my old tattoo
Tonight I swear I'd sell my soul to be a hero for you
Who's gonna save you when the stars fall from your sky?
And who's gonna pull you in when the tide gets too high?


Bullet
What is the distance between a bullet and a gun?
God are you listening or have you just given up?
Corporate countries go to war
And the lies they're fighting for
Black gold from an old king's soul
It's round...


Thorn In My Side

But I'll survive
I'll give up on love but I'm still getting by
Yeah I'm gonna be alright
You can test my faith but you can't take my pride
Thorn in my side, thorn in my...


Live Before You Die
...you'll have to say hello to goodbye
Sit down son, come take my hand
Look me in the eye
Take these words, promise me
Live before you die


Brokenpromiseland

Imagine that, imagine that
Nobody's getting out of here alive
No turning back, no turning back
Who's gonna bail out all our shattered dreams?
And scrape some truth off of these city streets
No time for praying, get up off your knees
There's hope I know, out on...


Love's the Only Rule
Crying like a lonely whistle of a long black train
Dance in the pouring rain
Spit in the eye of a hurricane
Who said life has got to be so cruel?
Love's the only rule


Fast Cars
We are fast cars
How can I pretend the signs don't say dead end?
So many hearts just wind up in a junkyard
And memories are nothing but spare parts
Turn around, just turn around
Leave the past...


Happy Now
Would you tell me to go back to sleep?
Take a look in these tired eyes
They're coming back to life
I know I can change
Got hope in my veins
I'm telling you I ain't going back to the pain
Can I be happy now?
Can I let my breath out?


Learn to Love
Of rising and climbing
Holly, Holly, we're one breath away
Holly, Holly, from our Judgment Day
[thanks to Anthony for amending this line]
Leave it all on the table
If you lose all you win


The bonus track is a Jason Nevins dance remix of "We Weren't Born to Follow". I'm hoping there are more/better bonus tracks on other versions of the album.

Sneak peak of the new Bon Jovi book

Click here for a preview inside Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful. Well, it's visually quite appealing. Some really great photos in there. And for what it's worth I'm just over the moon that Jon even acknowledged Hugh's existence:
Hugh McDonald has played bass with me for longer than there's been a Bon Jovi. He actually played on "Runaway" when I didn't have a band. He was the obvious and only choice to tour with the band after Alec John Such's departure in the mid-90s. It's Hugh and Tico's chemistry that makes us sound so good.

I'd be surprised if Hugh is mentioned anywhere in the book beyond that paragraph but I'll take what I can get. Plus Jon also said "the obvious and only choice to tour with the band" which kind of implies the long open secret that Huey had already started to cover for Alec in the studio before eventually replacing him on the road. ;)

Superman Tonight on USA Network

"Superman Tonight" makes its debut in a 40 second promo for the USA Network. For US viewers, it'll be on TV during the premiere of White Collar. You can also view it here courtesy of the Ausiello Files blog.

Who's gonna save you when the stars fall from your sky?
Who's gonna pull you in when the tide gets too high?
I won't lie
I wish that I could be your Superman tonight

Friday, October 23, 2009

Videos from the Kick Off

Here are some vids from the WPLJ show at Meadowlands Stadium yesterday.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME


WE WEREN'T BORN TO FOLLOW


YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME


IT'S MY LIFE


WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE


LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

Jon Bon Jovi on the Mail

Jon talks about the band, The Circle and growing up in this Daily Mail article.

'I'm not interested in doing the things I did when I was 25. I don't want to turn into a rotten cliche like Kanye West at awards ceremonies with his bottle of Hennessy. How embarrassing - grow up!

'But I'm not mellowing. I'm just interested in other things, a fine wine rather than a beer. As you get older, your motivations change. For me, it's not about money or adulation.

'It's not even about respect. It's about finding a subject that resonates and sharing that with others. I think our new album says something, and I want to see if other people feel the same.'


Apart from maybe the Kanye West quip, it's nothing we haven't heard before. Nevertheless, the link to the full article is here.

WPLJ secret show + The Circle North American tour dates

Confirmed: Bon Jovi will open Meadowlands Stadium (the "new Giants Stadium") on May 26, 2010.

Anyway the webcast from the band's "secret show" in the carpark for 95.5 WPLJ just ended a short time ago. The set was as follows:

Who Says You Can't Go Home
We Weren't Born to Follow
You Give Love a Bad Name
Wanted Dead or Alive
It's My Life
Livin' on a Prayer

Jon's voice wasn't that great. But "Born to Follow" sounds much edgier live, without the syrupy overproduction... I like it a lot more.

EDIT: You can listen to an audio rip of "Born to Follow" here.

Ahhh....just got a tweet that some tour dates have been posted on the official website. The first North American leg kicks off on February 19, 2010 in Seattle. They'll be touring "well into 2011" according to AEG Live.

Beginning with the band's North American tour launch on February 19th, 2010 in Seattle, WA, Bon Jovi will spend much of the next two years on the road, performing 135 shows in 30 countries. Following in the footsteps of their hugely successful Lost Highway Tour, Bon Jovi will draw fans around the world into The Circle, with a residency at London's O2 arena in June 2010 before returning to America in the fall for an additional nationwide leg, and further dates well into 2011.


Hmm...I hope Australia didn't fall off the map between the Lost Highway tour and The Circle. Not to mention all the countries they haven't visited, let alone toured properly in years.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Samples from The Circle!

You can now listen to some short snippets of tracks from The Circle from UK Amazon. :)

Sounds promising, even if "Working Man" doesn't only sound like "Livin' on a Prayer" in acoustic format. :P Looking forward to November more and more.

I've been pretty busy putting in nine hour days at uni this week, including this past weekend, but I'm sure glad I logged on tonight!

EDIT: I had a go at deciphering the Jerseymumble behind the Shanksproduction last night. Terri corrected a few and filled some of the gaps and this is what we came up with.

When We Were Beautiful
I'm hanging in, you're holding on
I can't pretend that nothing's changed
Even in the shadows of the love we made


Work for the Working Man
Never getting back what I'm giving
Can someone somewhere help me justify
Why these strong hands are on the unemployment line
And there's nothing left what's on my mind
Who's gonna work for the working man?
Work for the working man
Get your hands in the dirt
Who's gonna work off the curse?


Superman Tonight
Maybe I'm cynical
Painfully logical
You're tragically beautiful
That's good enough for me
You're looking for a hero but it's just my old tattoo
Tonight I swear I'd sell my soul to be a hero for you


Bullet
For the pink slip of an SUV
Night cut down in tragedy
As defense another generation breakdown
[hmm, this doesn't sound right]
Yeah, yeah
What is the distance between a bullet and a gun?
God are you listening, or have you just...


Thorn in My Side
To let you know
I've been pushed around
Been knocked down
Lost a round of three
[Thanks to Alana for what seems to be the most logical lyric]
I've took a couple of things I loved when I was
Too blind to see
But I'll survive
I'll give up on love but I'm still getting by


Live Before You Die
I was much too young to understand but he would say to me
When you're young you always think the sun is gonna shine
There'll come a day you'll have to say hello to goodbye
Sit down son, come take my hand, look me in the eye
Take these words, promise...


Brokenpromiseland
Angels falling from the sky
Imagine that, imagine that
Nobody's getting out of here alive
No turning back, no turning back
Who's gonna bail out all our shattered dreams?


Love's the Only Rule
One man's ceiling, another man's sky
High, flying like an aeroplane
Crying like a lonely whistle of a long black train
Dance in the pouring rain
Spit in the eye of a hurricane


Fast Cars
Dark road we've been heading down
Trust me tonight
I swear I know where we are
We're gonna run all the lights
We're gonna blow right through the radar
Fast cars
We are fast cars
How can I pretend the signs don't say dead end?


Happy Now
What would you say to me
If I told you I had a dream
If I told you everything
Would you tell me to go back to sleep
Take a look in these tired eyes
They're coming back to life
I know I can change


Learn to Love
I was lost in life's blindness
When you're born without wings
All you dream of
All you want is that feeling of flying
Of rising and climbing
Holly, Holly, we're one breath away


Some people have suggested that last line is "Halle, Halle" as in "Hallelujah" but I don't know why you wouldn't just say "Hallelujah" since you can fit four syllables in easily. Then again, I don't know who "Holly" is either. So who knows?

These lyrics could all turn out to be way off the mark, but hey, it'll make for some amusing reading once we get to look at the lyrics booklet. :P

Saturday, October 17, 2009

MSG tracklist

According to Obie, these songs will be on the Madison Square Garden DVD.

Lost Highway
Born To Be My Baby
Blaze of Glory
It's My Life
Keep the Faith
Raise Your Hands
Living in Sin
Always
Whole Lot of Leaving
In these Arms
We Got it Going On
I'll be There for You
Make a Memory
Blood on Blood
Dry County
Have a Nice Day
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Hallelujah
Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin' on a Prayer
Bad Medicine
You Give Love a Bad Name
Runaway
Bed of Roses

Guess that means the DVD will include both nights after all...Phew! :)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Bon Jovi new release dates

I've been crazy busy this week on the editing, laying out pages, and chasing people up for my university newspaper but at last, here are the release dates as revealed by Obie O'Brien.

The Circle album and When We Were Beautiful documentary:
November 2 - UK
November 4 - Japan
November 6 - Europe, Australia
November 10 - USA

I don't know about the rest of the Americas, Asia or Africa but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it'd be either the 6th or the 10th.

When We Were Beautiful book will be released November 3, and the long awaited Madison Square Garden DVD/Blu-Ray outside of North America on November 23. No North American date set yet.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Keep the faith

Today -- October 12 -- marks the seventh anniversary of the first Bali bombings. We've all heard, and seen, how the world changed after 9/11 but I think in Australia, it wasn't until the 2002 Bali bombings that people started to develop a fear of terrorism. That's obviously due to Indonesia's close proximity to Australia, and the fact that Bali is such a popular tourist spot for Aussies and 88 Australians were killed.

I was thinking about what song/video to blog and eventually settled on a performance from 10 years before the bombings. So this is "Keep the Faith" from An Evening With Bon Jovi, which has unfortunately never been released on DVD (the VHS is probably still floating around somewhere though).

Saturday, October 10, 2009

We Weren't Born to Follow video

The official video for "We Weren't Born to Follow" is up on BonJovi.com. Plenty of stock footage of various people who I guess "paved the road" and "did it differently" throughout history. It's actually a pretty cool video. But why the hell is Hugh McDonald not in it?! It's not like Jon or the band members are acting out a story. They're just "playing"! Huey is normally in those type of band shots. :(

Sorry to rant, but unless Hugh suddenly came down with swine flu on the day of the filming, this is just ridiculous. He has been Bon Jovi's bassist for over 14 years, which is four years longer than Alec John Such. Is it too much to even have a few measly seconds of him to Jon's left?

Okay, I'm still annoyed but rant over. Check out the video here.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Madison Square Garden DVD trailer

Looks like the long-awaited MSG DVD is going to be released in conjunction with the When We Were Beautiful documentary. This trailer was made available to BackstageJBJ members and has since been ripped and put onto Youtube so it might get deleted soon. But if not, you can view it here.


As some of you know, I'm not a Backstager. I love Bon Jovi with all my heart but I'm sorry, I'm also a full-time student with neither the means nor the desire to pay those kinds of prices for a messageboard and few exclusive videos. I also don't understand the logic in keeping a trailer exclusive, when the purpose of trailers is to promote a product that will hopefully be purchased by many people and result in a lot of profit, but who am I to argue with the marketing strategy of the all-knowing fan club? :P

I'm a bit worried about this DVD too. It was originally promoted as being a combination of the last two nights of the Lost Highway tour, but I see only one date on that trailer: July 15, 2008, the final night. And quite frankly, with the exception of "Blood on Blood", the first night was superior. If there is no footage from July 14 on this DVD, we won't get "Always", "Bed of Roses", or my personal wish "Dry County".

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Jon talks about new songs in BURRN Magazine

Thanks to TokyoRockChick for the tweets and e-mail. The article is in Japanese so she has translated Jon's words into English. Great effort... yokuyatta! :D

Superman Tonight
This would be the most Boy-Girl song.
There was a girl, I watched her from far away, but I was powerless.
She's like a pinball machine in a way, rolled over many guys.
She's very beautiful & smart, however, she thought that it would be much more happy if she could have a little more confidence.
This song is a kind of observation diary. And Im a fly on a wall.

Broken Promise Land
I sing about the state that the personal world collapses. There is a guy I know who has no luck badly.
Everything does not go well, the stock, business, buying and selling of the house, kid's school... He is late 40s.
He works but its not profitable and he does not even enjoy it.
He wants to find his way again (rediscover himself) soon but its not easy.
Its difficult to give up everything you got now and start over again from zero (a brand-new life).
People like him are the chief characters of the story. But its the reality Ive seen.
He left NY and started his new life which was sober in an unknown land.
But he had lived in the era of dreams and hopes in 20s-30s, so it makes him wonder why he is here now.
They are divided into "successful man" and "No successful man" in late 40s.
And they notice the severe reality, that the life he had is much longer than the life he will have ahead.
"What have I really achieved?" I know lots of people who think like that.
Its not too late, but this is a sort of test if we can stay who we are, when we look at ourselves in the mirror.

Happy Now
I wrote this lyrics on the next day of the presidential election.
Are we going to be happy at last? Can we take a break?
"What would you say if I talk about my dream? You might say just sleep again? Look at my tired eyes, but at last my life is back.
Maybe I can change something. Hope runs through my vein. I wont back to pain." - the lyrics is like that.
"Pain" means 8 years till then. "Are we going to be happy at last?" I wrote this kind of lyrics right after the new President was born.
Its just one year ago. Tell the truth, I was concerned if we really needed to find an answer "Yes" or "No".
But its not timely. Now its time to be judged if the promises were real thing.

Fast Cars
This is also about me. I took a holiday with Richie in spring. Desmond Child was also there,
We're on the beach in Saint Barts island & talked about similar subject like now, "What is the legend? Is it to let go? Or is it to make?"
The story is there're drivers who always follow taillights, on the other hand, there're ppl who drive at their pace & go their own way.
I mean, lets go on our own roads forever! In this album, there are lots of similar themes as I hate to follow someone.
I at last got a position to be able to say like that, but so many people are stuck in the same trap, they are scared of change.

Thorn In My Side
This is the song that I wrote with Richie in the beginning. I wrote it almost before I met him.
I want something worthwhile after I wake up every morning. I got here with such a long career, still Im not satisfied,
I want to be bigger and work more. I want to complain to guys who complain.
I just live my life in the way I am everyday, though. I sometimes have to accept the reality, such as wrinkles around my eyes. LOL!
The thorn is a kind of motivation.
Obviously the two languages don't directly correlate but you can get the gist of it. Just think... in roughly a month's time, we'll have this record in our hot little hands.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Happy birthday Tico!

Happy birthday to the hit man, Hector Samuel Juan Torres! :)

Tico channels Louis Armstrong as he sings "Only In My Dreams" at Borgata 2004.

As for Jon, I think we're lucky he became a singer and plays the guitar rather than the drums. :P

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Glee covers It's My Life

Cory Monteith, aka Finn, and the boys from musical dramedy Glee perform a medley/mashup of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" and Usher's "Confessions Part II" in an upcoming episode.

Tour info from BURRN Magazine

As tweeted by TokyoRockChick... arigatou gozaimashita! ;)

These 8 posts are Bon Jovi info from Jon's interview for BURRN mag. The interview was on 5th Sep by Masa, same as his radio & TV program.

1 : Bon Jovi will play for the opening of NEW Giants Stadium in May 2010. Jon didnt mention how many shows. Is this New Meadowlands Stadium?2: Bon Jovi tour will start from Hawaii on 14th Feb 2010. Only 1 show or 2 shows there. Its a sort of warming up.

3 : The capacity of the venue (arena) in Hawaii is about 10,000.

4 : When they're back in US, the tour is supposed to start from Seattle.5 : Bon Jovi will play 20 shows at London O2 Arena in Jun 2010.6 : They will return to US in July 2010 & tour again at stadiums.7 : Bon Jovi will take a holiday in Aug & Sep 2010. There's no schedule after that just yet.8 : Japan tour might be in fall 2010.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Circle album cover, version 2.0

So the album cover for The Circle has been revealed on BonJovi.com and you can check it out at this link. It looks pretty cool; four guys walking side by side, bringing light into a dark sewerage pipe... Nah seriously, I think it looks great. However, I took the liberty of making a couple of improvements. :P



In The Circle Version 2.0, Hugh is preparing to enter "the circle", and the old Bon Jovi font has been resurrected. Now even if you don't get as worked up as I do about Huey not being official, you can't possibly tell me that font is anything less than awesome! ;)

Monday, September 28, 2009

Nathan Brake covers Livin' on a Prayer

18-year-old Nathan Brake sings "Livin' on a Prayer" on Australian Idol's 80s night.



He's been described by one of the judges as being rather camp, but he's a pretty strong vocalist, especially when you consider that Jon Bon Jovi himself hasn't really sung the whole chorus to "Prayer" since the 80s.