Sunday, December 23, 2018

That time I met Phil X + Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Lee-Ann and Phil X
Lee-Ann and Phil X
I hinted in my blog post on the Sydney show that there might be a separate post about meeting Phil X so... here it is.

As you may have noticed, Bon Jovi didn't come to Perth on their This House Is Not For Sale Tour. Once I'd got over my indignation, I saw an opportunity to visit Sydney for a week, spend some time with family and friends, and go to their concert at ANZ Stadium on December 8.

The day before the concert, Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, and Tico Torres were doing a Runaway Tours Q&A, but Phil X was doing a free meet and greet at Guitar Factory Parramatta, so I decided to go meet him.

I'm always a bit apprehensive about meeting people I idolise or admire (in case they turn out to be jerks or otherwise disappointing) but Phil was super chill and so nice to everyone. When it was my turn, he asked me my name and introduced himself.

I had brought my print of a painting of Phil by artist Jag Lall, and gave it to Phil to sign (along with a gold marker so it would show up against the dark paint).

"Did you paint this?" Phil asked.
"My friend did it," I replied.
"That's awesome!" Phil said.

Phil autographed the print and got me to hold it up so he could take a picture of it on his phone. One of the staff members then offered to take a photo for me. "We should get the painting in it," Phil said. The staff member took a picture of Phil and me, with Phil holding up the signed print, and it quickly became my top Instagram post of the year.



Afterwards, Phil carefully put the print back in its protective cover for me (of his own accord, I didn't tell him to do it, lol). Two sisters waiting behind me borrowed my gold marker, and after Phil had signed their stuff, he handed the marker back to me and thanked me for coming. I thanked him and the staff before making my way back to the city where I was staying.

I know there are fans who have met the whole band, or met band members in more natural situations than this, but I'm just happy I had a positive encounter. The closest I'd gotten to the band before was meeting roadie Mike Rew in 2010, which was pretty cool, but this was better. (Sorry Mike.)

Phil has also released his own version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and the video -- featuring Bon Jovi band members and crew -- was made on the Australian tour. It made me smile, so check it out if you haven't already!

Phil X - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town:

Monday, December 10, 2018

Bon Jovi in Sydney 8/12/18

Bon Jovi ended the Australian leg of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour in Sydney. I'd spent the week in Sydney catching up with family and friends before going to the concert on Saturday night so it's been a busy few days, but I'm finally home in Perth and writing this blog post.

Here's what was played in Sydney:

Sydney, NSW, Australia - ANZ Stadium - December 8, 2018 set list


  1. You Give Love a Bad Name
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. Lost Highway
  4. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  5. This House is Not For Sale
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. We Weren't Born to Follow
  8. We Don't Run
  9. It's My Life
  10. God Bless This Mess
  11. Born to Be My Baby
  12. Have a Nice Day
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen From Mars
  18. Livin' on a Prayer

    Encore #1: 
  19. Bad Medicine
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. I'll Be There For You

    Encore #2: 
  22. Blood on Blood
  23. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night


Videos from Sydney

"Blood on Blood":

"Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" plus the final bows:

"Born to Be My Baby". Jon goes into the crowd and sings in front of the person filming:

"Livin' on a Prayer". Jon dips into the crowd for this one too:


If you have any videos from Sydney you'd like to share, feel free to link to them in the comments.

My thoughts


Jon's vocal issues have been pretty well documented by fans over the last few years. But he sounded good by current standards, even if he was kind of running out of steam in the second encore (I'm still glad he did the second encore though). There are concerts where he's been pretty much rooted to the spot and clinging to the mic stand while sounding average, and that obviously doesn't make for a good show. In Sydney, however, he was moving around, working the crowd, and being a front man worth seeing. I had the best time, and I'm really glad I made the trip.

Plus, as I briefly mentioned in my belated Brisbane post, I got to meet Phil X in Sydney... I might do a separate blog post about that?

I'm also quite proud of the fact that the lead singer of my favourite band is one of the few Americans who can pronounce "Melbourne" and "Brisbane" correctly. 😛

Birds of Tokyo were great as the support act too. They're from Perth, by the way. Hopefully Bon Jovi can make it there next time. 😉

Were you at the show?

Where to next?

Bon Jovi have announced tour dates for Europe in May, June, and July 2019. The Sydney concert also coincided with a Runaway Tours trip, so there was a Q&A with Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, where it was reportedly revealed a new album is slated for release in 2019.

Bon Jovi in Brisbane 6/12/18

I know this post is much later than usual, but on the day that I would've posted it (December 7), I caught up with some friends who were doing the whole Bon Jovi Australian tour and met Phil X. And then the day after (December 8) was the day of the Sydney concert, which I was attending (and yes, that post is late as well). And the day after that (December 9) I was flying home to Perth.

Anyway, Bon Jovi's Brisbane show brought some more surprises with it, including the tour debut of "Last Man Standing".

Brisbane, Qld, Australia - Suncorp Stadium - December 6, 2018 set list


  1. You Give Love a Bad Name
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. Lost Highway
  4. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  5. This House is Not For Sale
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Runaway
  8. We Weren't Born to Follow
  9. It's My Life
  10. New Year's Day
  11. Born to Be My Baby
  12. Have a Nice Day
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. We Got it Going On
  17. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. Last Man Standing
  20. Blood on Blood
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from Brisbane


"Bad Medicine":


"New Year's Day":


"Last Man Standing" and part of "Blood on Blood":

If you have any videos you'd like to share from Brisbane, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at this show?

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Bon Jovi in Adelaide 4/12/18

Bon Jovi's This House Is Not For Sale Tour rolled into Adelaide and brought with it a few somewhat unexpected changes...

Adelaide, SA, Australia - Botanic Park - December 4, 2012 set list


  1. Lost Highway
  2. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Raise Your Hands
  5. This House is Not For Sale
  6. Living With the Ghost
  7. Runaway
  8. We Weren't Born to Follow
  9. It's My Life
  10. God Bless This Mess
  11. Born to Be My Baby
  12. We Don't Run
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen From Mars
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore: 
  18. When We Were Us
  19. Blood on Blood
  20. I'll Be There For You
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer

Videos from Adelaide

There's been a marked lack of good videos from this show at the time of typing, but I'll check again later. If you'd like to share any videos from Adelaide, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Edit 6/12/18: Videos have arrived!

"Living with the Ghost". This is probably my favourite song from the album, and it's good to see Jon start to move around and perform this instead of being glued to his mic stand the entire time:

"When We Were Us":

"Keep the Faith":

Other notes


Jon dedicated "It's My Life" to  two brothers who were victims of a convicted Adelaide paedophile:

"These two brothers they put on masks and they fought a childhood abuser," Jon Bon Jovi said to the crowd.
"They met him in court today and he was sentenced to jail.
"We have to protect our children, it's not easy when you have to stand up in court and face your devil.
"So for those two brave brothers, my heart, my respect, this is for you guys."
Read the full story on the ABC News website.

You can also watch this report on 9 News Adelaide, which includes Jon's words at the concert and an interview with one of the brothers:


Were you at this show?

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Bon Jovi in Melbourne 1/12/18

Bon Jovi kicked off their Aussie tour at the MCG, where my football team, the West Coast Eagles, won this year's AFL Grand Final. (Sorry, I had to throw that in. 😛)

I wasn't at this show, but I did attend both Melbourne shows (at a different venue) in 2013 (the last time Bon Jovi toured Australia) and have fond memories of freaking out because I finally got to hear "Dry County" and "These Days" live. That didn't happen this time around, but here's what did get played:

Melbourne, VIC, Australia - Melbourne Cricket Ground - December 1, 2018 set list

  1. This House is Not For Sale
  2. Knockout
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. We Weren't Born to Follow
  7. Roller Coaster
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. Born to Be My Baby
  10. It's My Life
  11. God Bless This Mess
  12. We Don't Run
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore: 
  18. Blood on Blood
  19. I'll Be There For You
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer


Videos from Melbourne

"I'll Be There For You":


"It's My Life":

If you have any Melbourne videos you'd like to share, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at the show?

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Bon Jovi in Osaka 27/11/18

Bon Jovi followed their Tokyo show with a gig in Osaka. Here's what was played:

Osaka, Japan - Kyocera Dome Osaka - November 27, 2018 set list


  1. This House is Not For Sale
  2. Knockout
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. We Weren't Born to Follow
  7. Roller Coaster
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. Born to Be My Baby
  10. It's My Life
  11. God Bless This Mess
  12. We Don't Run
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  18. In These Arms
  19. Someday I'll Be Saturday NIght
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer


Videos from Osaka


"This House Is Not For Sale" and "Knockout". If you were following the blog when THINFS came out, you might recall that I... strongly dislike "Knockout". But I thought this outro was cool:

"In These Arms", with Jon throwing to David Bryan on the second verse and John Shanks still playing the guitar solo:

If you have any videos you'd like to share from Osaka, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at the show?

Other notes


Meanwhile, David joined Instagram about three weeks ago and has been uploading some behind-the-scenes posts, like this video, shot on the plane heading to Australia:



Dave's sitting next to Matt Bongiovi, who's indicated that this leg will be his final Bon Jovi tour:


Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Bon Jovi in Tokyo 26/11/18

After a six-month break, Bon Jovi kicked off the Japan/Australia leg of their This House Is Not For Sale Tour in Tokyo. Here's what was played:

Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome - November 26, 2018 set list

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Runaway
  7. Roller Coaster
  8. When We Were Us
  9. Born to Be My Baby
  10. It's My Life
  11. God Bless This Mess
  12. We Don't Run
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore: 
  19. We Weren't Born to Follow
  20. Blood on Blood
  21. I'll Be There For You
  22. Wanted Dead or Alive
  23. Livin' on a Prayer


Videos from Tokyo



"Bed of Roses":




If you have any videos from Tokyo you'd like to share, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Were you at the show?

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Jon Bon Jovi interview on The Project + Tico Torres' Modern Drummer interview

Lisa Wilkinson & Jon Bon Jovi.
(Photo: lisa_wilkinson/Instagram.)
Ahead of Bon Jovi's upcoming Australian tour, Jon sat down for an interview with The Project's Lisa Wilkinson. Among other things, Jon discussed Richie Sambora, the band's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, marriage, and the cult of celebrity.

Watch the full JBJ interview on Ten Daily.

If that video doesn't work for you, the interview is also on YouTube:

Bon Jovi will be back on the road very soon, with two late November dates in Japan, followed by four stadium shows in Australia in December. Unfortunately, they're not visiting my hometown of Perth, so I'll be heading over to Sydney to see them. That'll be the last show of the Aussie tour so I'm hoping it's a good one. 😉

And because I haven't blogged since the end of the last leg of the tour 😳 ... Tico Torres did an interview with Modern Drummer not too long ago:

MD: What’s your typical day on the road like?
Tico: We usually fly after the show to the next city. Most days I go to the gym to run and stretch to keep my muscles in shape. For indoor shows we go to the venue at 5 p.m. to do soundcheck, and then we have dinner. And then we do a session with our sports guy to stretch and get our heads on track. The set changes every day, so it keeps it moving and fresh. I keep a small pad in my road case, and I run through patterns to warm up my arms and hands before the show.
MD: What kind of warm-ups do you do?
Tico: First I use a portable massager called the Thumper; it loosens up the fascia [connective muscular tissue] from the night before. Then, on a practice pad, I start out with very slow and deliberate motions to stretch the wrists and forearms, the slower the better, until I feel I have full motion and I’m warmed up enough to do singles, paradiddles, triplets, press rolls, etc. If there’s no pad, I like to use a cushion to do slow single-stroke rolls—again, very calculated.
Read Tico's full interview on the Modern Drummer website.

Are you going to any of the shows in Japan or Australia?


Sunday, May 20, 2018

Bon Jovi in Montreal 18/05/18 + What next?

Bon Jovi's second of two consecutive nights in Montreal marked a) the end of this leg of the tour, b) possibly the last show of the tour, and c) probably the most surprising set of the tour. They signalled it early -- This is the first show of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour not to open with the title track. Jon started the concert in the crowd, while the B-stage where he's been singing "Amen" and "Bed of Roses" was not used (and those two songs were dropped).

Here's what was played:

Montreal, QC, Canada - Bell Centre - May 18, 2018
  1. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  2. You Give Love a Bad Name
  3. This House Is Not For Sale
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Because We Can
  8. Runaway
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  14. Born to Be My Baby
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. New Year's Day
  17. I'd Die For You
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore #1:
  19. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  20. In These Arms
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer

    Encore #2:
  23. Blood on Blood
  24. I'll Be There For You

Videos from Montreal, night #2

"Blood on Blood":

"I'll Be There For You":

"I'd Die For You":

"In These Arms":

"New Year's Day":

"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead":

If you'd like to share any videos from the second Montreal show, feel free to link to them in the comments.

At this stage, no other shows have been announced. Jon did mention Japan and Australia to an interviewer at the iHeartRadio Awards, but there was talk (and expectation) of a 2018 European tour, which ultimately fell through. So who knows? Will they make it to the rest of the world? Will there be another album?

Jon's latest Instagram post implies there'll at least be more shows (whether that's for this album cycle or the next) so I guess we'll wait and see...

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Bon Jovi in Montreal 17/05/18

Bon Jovi returned to Canada for the first of two nights in Montreal to end this leg of the This House Is Not For Sale Tour (and possibly end the tour?). The Montreal shows were originally meant to be in early April but were rescheduled due to illness. Here's what was played for night #1:

Montreal, QC, Canada - Bell Centre - May 17, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. When We Were Beautiful
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. Born to Be My Baby
  10. It's My Life
  11. We Weren't Born to Follow
  12. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Amen
  15. Bed of Roses
  16. Lay Your Hands on Me
  17. God Bless This Mess
  18. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
  19. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  20. These Days
  21. Runaway
  22. Wanted Dead or Alive
  23. Livin' on a Prayer
"When We Were Beautiful" made its tour debut, having not been performed by the band since the Because We Can Tour in 2013.

Videos from Montreal, night #1



If you'd like to share any videos from the first Montreal show, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Bon Jovi in Washington, D.C. 14/05/18

Here's what Bon Jovi played in D.C.:

Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena - May 14, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. We Got It Goin' On
  11. Keep the Faith
  12. Amen
  13. Bed of Roses
  14. Lay Your Hands on Me
  15. God Bless This Mess
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  18. I'll Be There For You
  19. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Washington, D.C.


"It's My Life":

If you'd like to share any videos from Washington, D.C., feel free to link to them in the comments.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Bon Jovi in Toronto 12/05/18

Here's what Bon Jovi played in Phil X's hometown:

Toronto, ON, Canada - Air Canada Centre - May 12, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Because We Can
  7. Roller Coaster
  8. Born to Be My Baby
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. God Bless This Mess
  17. In These Arms
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Toronto



"Bed of Roses". This was shot from in front of the main stage, so you see a lot of Phil X and David Bryan rather than Jon, who's out in the crowd for most of the song:

If you'd like to share any videos from Toronto, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

RSO album Radio Free America out now

RSO's debut album, Radio Free America, was officially released on May 11. It contains songs from their EPs, Rise and Making History, a couple of songs that were released ahead of Valentine's Day, as well as new tracks "Hellbound Train" and "Blues Won't Leave Me Alone".

Here's the full track list:
  1. Making History
  2. We Are Magic
  3. Rise
  4. Take Me
  5. Masterpiece
  6. Walk With Me
  7. I Don't Wanna Have to Need You Now
  8. Truth
  9. Together on the Outside
  10. Good Times
  11. Forever All the Way
  12. I Got You Babe [Sonny & Cher cover]
  13. One Night of Peace [Modern Mix]
  14. Blues Won't Leave Me Alone
  15. Hellbound Train [Savoy Brown cover]


Friday, May 11, 2018

Bon Jovi in New York 10/05/18

Bon Jovi returned to Madison Square Garden to play the second of two consecutive shows. Here's the set list from night 2:

New York City, NY, USA - Madison Square Garden - May 10, 2018
  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. Born to Be My Baby
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
  17. When We Were Us
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. In These Arms
  20. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. These Days
  23. Livin' on a Prayer
"These Days" and "Captain Crash" made their second appearances of the year. "In These Arms" was listed as an audible, but ended up being played.

Videos from New York City, night #2

Jon talks about Bon Jovi opening for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden before performing "When We Were Us":


If you'd like to share any videos from MSG, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Bon Jovi in New York 9/05/18

Bon Jovi headed back to New York for the first of two consecutive MSG shows. Here's what they played:

New York City, NY, USA - Madison Square Garden - May 9, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. Born to Be My Baby
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. God Bless This Mess
  17. Runaway
  18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  19. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  20. I'll Be There For You
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
  23. Livin' on a Prayer
"Saturday Night" made its second appearance of the year.

Videos from New York City, night #1




If you'd like to share any videos from MSG, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Bon Jovi in Ottawa 7/05/18

The biggest surprise of Bon Jovi's Ottawa show was arguably the exclusion of "Who Says You Can't Go Home". 😉 "Make a Memory" also made another appearance in the encore. Here's the full set list:

Ottawa, ON, Canada - Canadian Tire Center - May 7, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. We Got It Goin' On
  11. Keep the Faith
  12. Amen
  13. Bed of Roses
  14. Lay Your Hands on Me
  15. Runaway
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  18. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  19. Wanted Dead or Alive
  20. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Ottawa



Monday, May 7, 2018

Bon Jovi in Uncasville 5/05/18

Bon Jovi's previous concert at Mohegan Sun Arena, a little over a year ago, was the "playback scandal" show that came about a week before Jon was diagnosed with bronchitis. Fortunately, nothing like that happened this time around. (It was, however, a very short set.) Here's what the band played:

Uncasville, CT, USA - Mohegan Sun Arena - May 5, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. We Got It Goin' On
  11. Keep the Faith
  12. Amen
  13. Bed of Roses
  14. Lay Your Hands on Me
  15. God Bless This Mess
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  18. Wanted Dead or Alive
  19. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Uncasville

Most of "Amen" and "Bed of Roses":

"Livin' on a Prayer":

If you'd like to share any videos from Uncasville, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Bon Jovi in Philadelphia 3/05/18

Bon Jovi headed to Philadelphia to celebrate radio station WMMR's 50th birthday. Ahead of the show, Jon was talking up his connection to Philly and hinting that the next Soul Kitchen would be located there.

Anyway, here's what the band played:

Philadelphia, PA, USA - Wells Fargo Center - May 3, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale 
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Runaway
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. I'll Be There For You
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
"I'll Be There For You" made its second appearance of the year.

Videos from Philadelphia



If you'd like to share any videos from Philly, feel free to link to them in the comments.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Bon Jovi in Allentown 2/05/18

Bon Jovi (as a band) hadn't played in Allentown since 1984, when they were Scorpions' support act. Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora played solo shows there in the 90s, but either way it's been a while. One might have expected a very predictable set list for Bon Jovi's first ever headlining gig there. It turned out to be the most surprising set of the year (so far). Here's what they played:

Allentown, PA, USA - PPL Center - May 2, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. In These Arms
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Runaway
  17. Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. Dry County
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer

"Dry County" made its tour debut, having not been played since the Because We Can Tour. "Saturday Night" and "Captain Crash" were played for the first time this year. "In These Arms" made its second appearance of 2018. And "We Got It Goin' On" was dropped (which I'm not at all sad about, but it was a surprise given it's pretty much been a staple for over a decade now).

Videos from Allentown

"Dry County". Won't lie, this is pretty rough vocally, though I think Jon sounds marginally better as the song progresses. But I love the song so much I probably wouldn't have cared if I were there:

"In These Arms". A decent performance by current standards. The camera pans to Phil X during the solo but it's definitely John Shanks playing it:

UPDATE: "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night":

If you'd like to share any videos from Allentown, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Monday, April 30, 2018

Bon Jovi in Milwaukee 29/04/18

Bon Jovi's Milwaukee show was the final concert ever at the Bradley Center. Here's what they played:

Milwaukee, WI, USA - BMO Harris Bradley Center - April 29, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. Runaway
  12. We Got It Goin' On
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Amen
  15. Bed of Roses
  16. Lay Your Hands on Me
  17. God Bless This Mess
  18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  19. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  20. I'd Die For You
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer

"Roller Coaster" was played for the first time this year and "I'd Die For You" made its second appearance of the tour.

Videos from Milwaukee

"This House Is Not For Sale":

"It's My Life":


"Bed of Roses":

If you'd like to share any videos from Milwaukee (especially "I'd Die For You" 😉) feel free to link to them in the comments.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Bon Jovi in St. Paul 28/04/18

"I'll Be There For You" was performed for the first time this year at Bon Jovi's St. Paul show. Here's the full set list:

St. Paul, MN, USA - Xcel Energy Center - April 28, 2018
  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. Runaway
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith / Sympathy for the Devil [Rolling Stones cover]
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. God Bless This Mess
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore 1:
  19. I'll Be There For You
  20. Blood on Blood

    Encore 2:
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from St. Paul




If you'd like to share any videos from St. Paul, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

UPDATE 30/04/18: The full concert:

Friday, April 27, 2018

Bon Jovi in Chicago 26/04/18

Here's what Bon Jovi played in Chicago:

Chicago, IL, USA - United Center - April 26, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. When We Were Us
  7. Born to Be My Baby
  8. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  9. It's My Life
  10. We Weren't Born to Follow
  11. Runaway
  12. We Got It Goin' On
  13. Keep the Faith
  14. Amen
  15. Bed of Roses
  16. Lay Your Hands on Me
  17. God Bless This Mess
  18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  19. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  20. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  21. Wanted Dead or Alive
  22. Livin' on a Prayer
I'm happy to see "Knockout" gone again despite my affection for This House Is Not For Sale overall, and I think "Raise Your Hands" is a stronger choice for that second spot. "When We Were Us" was also back in the set, having not been performed since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Videos from Chicago





If you'd like to share any videos from Chicago, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

A few days ago, Anthony Kuzminski sparked some debate by ranking each song in the Bon Jovi and Jon Bon Jovi back catalogue for Ultimate Classic Rock. He was also at this show and live tweeted from behind the stage. Here are a few of those tweets:











Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Bon Jovi in Raleigh 24/04/18

I guess the previous two shows (Charlotte and Atlanta) weren't quite a sign of things to come, but here's what Bon Jovi played in Raleigh:

Raleigh, NC, USA - PNC Arena - April 24, 2018
  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Knockout
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. Because We Can
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  17. Blood on Blood
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. Wanted Dead or Alive
  20. Livin' on a Prayer
"Knockout" was back (*sigh*), and only two This House Is Not For Sale songs were played.

Videos from Raleigh

"Wanted Dead or Alive":

If you'd like to share any videos from Raleigh, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Bon Jovi in Charlotte 21/04/18

Bon Jovi's Charlotte show brought a couple more surprises. "Living with the Ghost" was played for only the second time on the This House Is Not For Sale Tour, and the first time this year. "Raise Your Hands" also made its 2018 debut, while "Make a Memory" was back in the set. Here's what was played:

Charlotte, NC, USA - Spectrum Center - April 21, 2018
  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. Raise Your Hands
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. Runaway
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. Living with the Ghost
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. (You Want To) Make a Memory
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Charlotte


"Living with the Ghost", following an introduction in which Jon kind of alluded to what the song is about:

"Make a Memory":

If you'd like to share any videos from Charlotte, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Bon Jovi in Atlanta 20/04/18

Bon Jovi's Atlanta show brought with it a couple of changes. "In These Arms" and "New Year's Day" were played for the first time this year, the latter replacing "God Bless This Mess". "We Don't Run" stayed in the spot that "Knockout" had occupied for most of the tour (which is fine by me, since I've said a few times that "Knockout" is my least favourite song on This House Is Not For Sale).

Here's the full set list:

Atlanta, GA, USA - Philips Arena - April 20, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. We Don't Run
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. Runaway
  11. We Got It Going On
  12. Keep the Faith
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. New Year's Day
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. In These Arms
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Atlanta

"In These Arms". In the same way that I don't really understand why Bobby Bandiera used to play the solo for this song when you had Richie Sambora in the band, I don't know why John Shanks is playing it now when Phil X is there... No disrespect intended to Bob or Shanks. As for Jon's voice, it is what it is; I remain hopeful he can turn it around like he did in 2008, but accept that may not be the case. It's still nice to see "In These Arms" in the set:


If you'd like to share any videos from Atlanta, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Bon Jovi in Orlando 18/04/18

Fresh from their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and apparently sipping themed cocktails at the after-party), Bon Jovi resumed the tour in Orlando. "We Don't Run" was played for the first time this year, replacing "Knockout". A snippet of "Sympathy for the Devil" was thrown in, "Runaway" made another apperaance, and a few other songs were shuffled around. Here's the full set list:

Orlando, FL, USA - Amway Center - April 18, 2018

  1. This House Is Not For Sale
  2. We Don't Run
  3. You Give Love a Bad Name
  4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
  5. Lost Highway
  6. Born to Be My Baby
  7. Who Says You Can't Go Home
  8. It's My Life
  9. We Weren't Born to Follow
  10. Because We Can
  11. We Got It Goin' On
  12. Keep the Faith / Sympathy for the Devil [Rolling Stones cover]
  13. Amen
  14. Bed of Roses
  15. Lay Your Hands on Me
  16. God Bless This Mess
  17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
  18. Bad Medicine

    Encore:
  19. Runaway
  20. Wanted Dead or Alive
  21. Livin' on a Prayer
Videos from Orlando




If you'd like to share any videos from Orlando, feel free to link to them in the comments. 🙂

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Bon Jovi gets into the Rock Hall

Bon Jovi was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on April 14.

Then & now: Dave, Alec, Jon, Tico, Richie.
Photo: David Bergman.
Howard Stern's hilarious, NSFW speech included such glorious soundbites as "Bon Jovi beats sperm". After Howard's introduction, the inducted band members each got to speak. Alec John Such went first, followed by Hugh McDonald, Richie Sambora, Tico Torres, David Bryan, and finally Jon Bon Jovi. The speeches ranged from the emotional to the nostalgic to the outright funny.

Everyone (the members who were inducted, plus Phil X, John Shanks, and Everett Bradley) took to the stage together, although I think Alec only played on "Livin' on a Prayer". The following songs were performed:
  1. You Give Love a Bad Name
  2. It's My Life
  3. When We Were Us
  4. Livin' on a Prayer
I know Jon wanted to do a new song but "When We Were Us" was still a bit unexpected and, as far as I'm aware, a pretty unconventional choice for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (artists usually stick to their hits or most influential songs). It was great to hear Richie's harmonies though, and to see him and Jon singing from the same microphone.

The official HBO telecast of the induction ceremony will air on May 5. Hopefully those of us not in the US will be able to watch it too.

In the meantime, there are some unofficial streams from fans in attendance, including this one:


"Wanted Dead or Alive" was conspicuously absent, but Richie did perform it at the Rock Hall the previous weekend to kick off induction week:

In case you missed it, Bon Jovi and the Moody Blues had made an appearance at the Rock Hall the day before the ceremony, with Jon giving a speech saying, "We're thrilled, we're honoured, and it's about f***ing time".

The red carpet, including Bon Jovi's arrival and interviews with Jon and Richie, was also live streamed: 

Now I know there are plenty of fans who have harboured varying degrees of discontent with the state of Bon Jovi over the past few years. I'd be lying if I said I was completely happy about everything. But tonight that didn't matter. (I won't speak for anyone else, but it didn't matter to me.) Tonight was a celebration of what Bon Jovi's music has meant to me for so long. All the times they lifted me up, consoled me, saved me. And that history won't change, no matter what happens going forward.