JBJ gets COVID, show gets canned

As you've probably heard by now, Jon Bon Jovi tested positive to COVID-19 during the Runaway Tours Halloween trip to Miami.

JBJ and the Kings of Suburbia each took a rapid antigen test for COVID before their concert and Jon's came back positive, resulting in the decision to cancel his gig at Loews South Beach. Jon had been at the Halloween costume party the night before, dressing up as Gomez Addams and posing for photos with fans, so that was some cause for concern too. But at least Jon is double-vaxxed and was reportedly feeling fine.

Here's the moment Matt Bongiovi came out and broke the news to the waiting crowd:

COVID previously touched the Bon Jovi camp last year, with David Bryan and Everett Bradley getting it fairly early on in the pandemic. Jon posted a short video on social media to mark Day 6 of his quarantine period, confirming he was feeling okay and urging people to take the virus seriously. 

Runaway Tours has since confirmed that fans who went on the trip will get a full refund.

Anyway, I'm glad Jon seems to have had mild symptoms, and I hope everyone who was in attendance is fine too. COVID flipping sucks.

Not sure if/when things are going to get back to "normal" around the world, but when Bon Jovi the band were the surprise guests at a private event for trucking executives in October, I allowed myself to dream of an upcoming tour. It all feels an extremely long way off though. 😔

Oh, by the way... that book I talked about in an earlier post? Black and Blue is a contemporary coming-of-age story written by, um, me! The main character loves Bon Jovi and the book is out now.  

Find Black and Blue at your preferred online retailer if you're so inclined. Thank you for indulging my shameless plug and goodnight. 😀

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Hey, man, I'm alive...

I haven't blogged here in quite some time. Aside from the busyness of life getting in the way -- which I'm extremely grateful for because not everyone has been lucky enough to keep working throughout the pandemic -- there just hasn't been a huge amount for me to talk about when it comes to Bon Jovi. I mean, individual members have their own projects, but the band obviously hasn't been able to get together and tour.

But 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of Bon Jovi's breakthrough album Slippery When Wet -- a record that I think deserves a lot more celebration than it's currently able to get. To honour the milestone, Bon Jovi digitally remastered the "Wild in the Streets" video and uploaded it to YouTube for the first time.

Cool, but... I would love something more. And no, cheap-looking merch does not count as "something more". 😜

In Perth, where I live, a local band -- also called Slippery When Wet -- paid tribute to the anniversary by playing the album in its entirety at a recent gig. I shot a video of "Never Say Goodbye" on my phone:

It was beautiful and actually kind of emotional getting to see Slippery performed in its entirety, albeit not by the real Bon Jovi in their prime.

Will Bon Jovi (current lineup or otherwise) tour again? It's hard to say anything with any certainty these days. 

In the absence of touring, it looks like Jon's going to keep doing the Hampton Water Makes a Splash online gigs -- the "second annual" charity concert, in support of The Roots Fund, took place back in July. I neglected to write about it at the time, but if you're yet to watch it and have about an hour to spare, here it is:

Set list:

1. Help! [The Beatles cover]
2. You Give Love a Bad Name / Hit the Road Jack [Percy Mayfield/Ray Charles cover]
3. Do What You Can
4. American Reckoning
5. Watermelon Sugar [Harry Styles cover]
6. Livin' on a Prayer
7. It's My Life
8. Fast Car [Tracy Chapman cover]
9. Story of Love
10. Lost Highway
11. Who Says You Can't Go Home
    

I feel like this sort of thing suits Jon more these days but man, I'd still really love a Bon Jovi show. 🥺

But I'll end this "hi, I'm still here" post on something different... Phil X plays guitar on Kurt Deimer's version of "Have a Cigar" (originally by Pink Floyd), which was released in August. Phil is also in the music video:

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Jon Bon Jovi sings Here Comes the Sun on Inauguration Day

After recent unrest, the inauguration of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris went off without a hitch. 

Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia recorded this performance of the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic "Here Comes the Sun" for the event:  

The song fits the occasion and I like it, but it would've been nice to take the chance to showcase the still-very-topical 2020 album. "Do What You Can" would've worked well. "Let it Rain" would've been awesome. What do you think?

Here's the "Let it Rain" performance from On a Night Like This:

And because building bridges and tearing down walls is imperative right now, I thought I'd post a bit of a throwback... "Walls" from 2018:

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A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas + the Washington Post interview

JBJ just dropped a holiday EP, A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas, which features three tracks:

1. Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover
2. If I Get Home on Christmas Day - Elvis Presley cover
3. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl cover

You can download or stream A Jon Bon Jovi Christmas now.

"Fairytale of New York" is actually one of my favourite Christmas songs, but the original version by The Pogues contains some pretty controversial lyrics so I did wonder if Jon was going to:

1. change the lyrics to the offending verse
2. skip the offending verse entirely
3. go all out calling someone an "old slut on junk" and words of that nature

Unsurprisingly, he did not go with C. 😆 (He chose A.)

Jon also did an IG Live interview with Geoff Edgers from The Washington Post, which has been described as awkward. And frankly, it is. But I thought there were some cool moments too, like when they discussed the evolution of Jon's social consciousness, and whether or not he worries about alienating fans. Besides, awkward video meets are the epitome of 2020, aren't they? 😜

You can watch the interview on The Washington Post's Instagram:

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A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

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Kings of Suburbia's Hampton Water happy hour

In today's episode of Things I Never Thought I'd See, Jon Bon Jovi covered The Killers and Black Eyed Peas. It was part of Hampton Water Cares -- a virtual concert featuring Jon's other band, the Kings of Suburbia, and lots of bottles of Hampton Water rosé. The show was streamed on Facebook and raised money for World Central Kitchen's COVID-19 relief efforts.

Jon was joined at his studio (with plenty of social distancing) by Everett Bradley on percussion, Lorenza Ponce on violin, Greg Mayo on guitar and Carl Gentry on keyboards. Jon's son and Hampton Water Wine co-founder, Jesse Bongiovi, hosted the broadcast.

You can watch/re-watch the full broadcast of Hampton Water Cares on the Hampton Water Facebook page. The performances are also up on YouTube.

I really like Jon in acoustic mode these days. He sounds pretty good and it's the only time we can realistically expect him to pull out bonus tracks like "I Will Drive You Home". Plus, it was unexpectedly cool to see him having a bit of fun with "Mr Brightside" and "I Gotta Feeling", even if he flubbed the lyrics. I've affectionately renamed the latter song "I Gotta Feeling (Oh No, Somebody Sing the Chorus)". 

Jon also indicated during the after party on Instagram that there are plans to broadcast the 2020 album being performed live, in lieu of a tour.

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JBJ inducts Southside into NJ Hall of Fame, Desmond Child Live out now

Jon Bon Jovi was recently on hand to induct one of his idols -- Southside Johnny -- into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Jon, who was himself inducted in 2009, made a nice speech, as did Southside:

Southside and Jon (and the Kings of Suburbia) also performed "I Don't Want to Go Home", from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' debut album of the same name:

In other news, Desmond Child Live has officially been released. I first posted about Desmond's new live album when his version of "Livin' on a Prayer" came out, but now you can purchase or stream the whole album. Here's the track list:

1. Livin' on a Prayer
2. You Give Love a Bad Name / Dude Looks Like a Lady - feat. Justin Benlolo
3. Angel
4. I was Made for Lovin' You - feat. Justin Benlolo
5. I Hate Myself for Loving You - feat. Lena Hall
6. Weird
7. Where do I Go from You - feat. Tabitha Fair
8. How Can we be Lovers - feat. Justin Benlolo
9. We All Sleep Alone - feat. Tabitha Fair
10. Love on a Rooftop - feat. Rouge
11. The Cup of Life / Livin' La Vida Loca / Shake your Bon Bon / She Bangs
12. (You want to) Make a Memory / I was Made for Lovin' You (outro)

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RIP Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen died this week at the age of 82. Jon Bon Jovi, like many other artists, was a great admirer of Leonard's work. In honour of a legend, here's one of my idols paying tribute to one of his.

Bon Jovi performed "Hallelujah" quite frequently on the Lost Highway and Circle tours. It appeared on the Live at Madison Square Garden DVD:

JBJ has also covered "I'm Your Man" (not to be confused with the song on Burning Bridges) with the Kings of Suburbia:

Rest in peace, Leonard Cohen.

Merry Christmas to all Bon Jovi fans, past and present

As we approach Christmas and the new year, I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me and this blog over the past six-and-a-half years. Bon Jovi will always hold special place in my heart (I'm never getting that tattoo removed :P) but I probably wouldn't have kept going all this time without all of you reading, leaving comments and sending messages, whether you agreed or disagreed with me. And even though it's been an "interesting" couple of years and blogging has taken a back seat, I'm still here.

Being a fan of both Bon Jovi and Star Wars, a 17-year-old John Bongiovi's appearance on the Star Wars novelty Christmas album is a moment of pure brilliance that I share on my social networks nearly every year:

Jon Bon Jovi - R2-D2, We Wish You A Merry Christmas


CBC Music writer Andrea Warner recently put together The first-ever oral history of Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album, interviewing co-producer/engineer Tony Bongiovi (Jon's cousin), Anthony Daniels (aka C-3PO) and composer Maury Yeston in the process. Read the full article at this link.

A lot changes in 34 years (or 3 for that matter -- just compare the difference in Jon's voice between then and Runaway)...

I'll leave you with two recent Christmas performances by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora respectfully to (hopefully) appease both "sides" at this time of year. ;)

Jon Bon Jovi & the Kings Of Suburbia: I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas - Las Vegas (Dec 9th 2014)


Richie Sambora & Orianthi perform "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" on Home & Family


Have a safe and happy festive season!

Jon Bon Jovi & Kings of Suburbia Riviera Maya set list 4/5/14

Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia performed on May 4 as part of a Runaway Tours fan club trip to Mexico. Phil X isn't usually a member of the Kings but joined the band for this gig, as did JBJ solo show regulars Bobby Bandiera and Lorenza Ponce. This was the set list:

Cancun, Mexico - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - May 4, 2014

1. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles cover
2. (Ain't Nothin' But a) House Party - The Showstoppers, J.Geils Band cover
3. Lost Highway
4. Whole Lot of Leavin'
5. Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison cover
6. Everyday People - Sly and the Family Stone cover
7. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger cover
8. You Give Love a Bad Name
9. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding - Brinsley Schwarz, Elvis Costello cover
10. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen cover
11. American Girl - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover
12. We Got It Going On
13. Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie cover
14. Baba O'Riley - The Who cover
15. Because We Can
16. The Letter - The Box Tops, Joe Cocker cover
17. Who Says You Can't Go Home
18. Livin' on a Prayer
19. 634-5789 - Wilson Pickett cover
20. Bad Medicine

Were you at the show?

Bon Jovi / Kings of Suburbia Saratoga set list 22/7/13

Bon Jovi was joined by the Kings of Suburbia (Jon's backup band for his solo/benefit gigs) at this show in Saratoga Springs. The set ended up being what you would typically get at one of those solo gigs. Some fans loved the surprise, while others were fuming.

Were you at this concert? What did you think of it?

Saratoga Springs, NY, US - Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) - July 22, 2013

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles cover (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
2. Ain't Nothin' But a House Party - The Showstoppers cover
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Lost Highway
6. It's My Life
7. Because We Can
8. Under Pressure - Queen/David Bowie cover
9. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen cover
10. Amen
11. Not Running Anymore
12. The Fighter
13. Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison cover (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
14. The Letter - The Box Tops cover
15. We Weren't Born to Follow
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home
17. Baba O'Riley - The Who cover (Bobby Bandiera on lead vocals)
18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
19. Bad Medicine
Encore:
20. Wanted Dead or Alive
21. Livin' on a Prayer
22. 634-5789 - Wilson Pickett cover
23. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger cover

Jon's brother Matt tweeted about the show:

Great fun for all the guys doing something different and out of he box. Reminds me of the old days. Back to the roots of the jersey shore

— Matthew Bongiovi (@MatthewBongiovi) July 23, 2013

@unicornyankee sometimes you just need to have some fun and the boys had some fun.

— Matthew Bongiovi (@MatthewBongiovi) July 23, 2013

@CoryKarma were you there? I have 30 tweets saying how fun and different it was and 2 not happy. No need for people to get shitty with me

— Matthew Bongiovi (@MatthewBongiovi) July 23, 2013

@Ra_nae @unicornyankee @CoryKarma only for 2 shows. Not the new norm

— Matthew Bongiovi (@MatthewBongiovi) July 23, 2013

Jon Bon Jovi Las Vegas set list 24/3/13

Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia performed at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas last weekend. Were you at this show?

Las Vegas, NV, US - The Joint - March 24, 2013

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles cover
2. (Ain't Nothin' But A) House Party - The J. Geils Band cover
3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Oh, Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison cover
5. Because We Can
6. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen cover
7. Bad Medicine / Shout! - Isley Brothers cover
8. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll - Bob Seger cover
9. We Weren't Born to Follow
10. Wanted Dead or Alive
11. Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie cover
12. Baba O'Riley - The Who cover
13. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
14. The Letter - The Box Tops cover
15. Who Says You Can't Go Home

Encore:
16. Livin' on a Prayer - acoustic
17. 634-5789 - Wilson Pickett cover

Hard Rock Live: JBJ & the Kings of Suburbia set list

Jon Bon Jovi and his freshly branded "solo band" the Kings of Suburbia performed at Hard Rock Live on Thursday night. Here's what they played (It was almost identical to the Tiger Jam set):

Hard Rock Live - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, Florida, USA - July 26, 2012

1. So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star [The Byrds cover]
2. You Give Love A Bad Name
3. Ain't Nothin' But a House Party [The J. Geils Band cover]
4. Oh, Pretty Woman [Roy Orbison cover]
5. Lost Highway
6. Chain of Fools [Aretha Franklin cover]
7. I'm Your Man [Leonard Cohen cover]
8. Bad Medicine / Shout! [Isley Brothers cover]
9. Old Time Rock and Roll [Bob Seger cover]
10. We Weren't Born To Follow
11. Just Older
12. Livin' on a Prayer - acoustic
13. Wanted Dead or Alive
14. Under Pressure [Queen/David Bowie cover]
15. Sympathy For The Devil [Rolling Stones cover]
16. Baba O'Riley [The Who cover]
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
18. The Letter [The Box Tops song]
19. Who Says You Can't Go Home
20. Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen cover]
21. 634-5789 [Wilson Pickett cover]

Who was there? How did you find the band and the show?

In other news, Richie Sambora tweeted that he's finished the Every Road Leads Home to You video... Can't wait to see it!