A review by Alvaro / yo_alvarisimo@hotmail.com

Yes, finally I could enjoy a Bon Jovi concert.
First of all I'll write about the sound. I have to say that the sound in the first 6-7 songs was HORRIBLE!!!!! I couldn't hear neither the vocals, nor the guitar solos, only drums and bass (thatīs why bon jovi sounds as powerfull as it does). From then things started to sound better (and i remark JUST better).
Now lets take look at the band. They had the crowd in their hands without doing anything special, and I think that they know it and they say 'why do we have to make a special effort to get the crowd if we just have them by going into the stage?'. Jon didn't sing high pitched notes (as he always do) and richie didn't sing as much as he's used to (for example, in wanted dead or alive he didn't sing those high pitched chorus as he always do) I think that, as Richie is singing I'll be there for you on lead vocals in this tour, he doesn't want to force his voice too much. But they didn't have to sing those things just because the crowd was singing too and they limited to listen to the audience when those parts came and say "muchas grasias". I already said that the sound was bad (at the begining VERY bad) and that I couldn't hear guitar solos properly, but I have to say that Richie is a really good guitarist. In spite of the sound, he played as well as he is used to. I got very surprised with Tico, that I had always thought wasn't a great drummer, and knowing that the rithm base was the one that could be hear very good, I have to say Tico is a good drummer. Hugh McDonald was great as a player but (this as same as always) he didn't move at all!! And Dave 'surprise' the audience with a piano solo while the band changed clothes.
When I said 'surprise' I wanted to say that the setlist didn't surprise at all! If you are going to watch them in concert soon, then you have to IGNORE the setlists from the other concerts, otherwise you'll know at every time what they are going to play because they play EXACTLY the same as other concerts. And I think that they don't spend much time preparing the tour, because they don't arrange again the songs, they just sound EXACTLY as always, I mean you know how they are going to start and finish the songs and the tricks they have in each one. I'm not saying that they have to re-arrange all the songs every year, but in 13 years they could have modified a bit some songs.
From the other hand, I have lots of videos and concert cds but this has been the first time I watch them live and I have to say I enjoyed it, just jumping and singing all the OLD songs (I havenīt bougth their last 2 albums 'cause I don't like most of the songs).
So if you are planning to go to a Bon Jovi concert, just go to enjoy, not to analize it, and don't read the setlist from the last... 20 concerts.
I didn't write down the setlist, but I think it I can remember the songs (not in the real order). And I don't know the name of the balad they sang after the piano solo, maybe someone can fit it. The songs were:
Bounce, You Give Love A Bad Name, Wild In the Streets, Livin' On A Prayer, Everyday, Undivided, Keep the Faith, The Distance, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, It's My Life, Misunderstood, Runaway, (Piano solo + song after piano solo), I'll Be There For You(Richie on lead vocals), Blaze of glory, Born To Be My Baby, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Raise Your Hands.
And the encores were:
In These Arms
Captain Crush & the Beauty queen from Mars
Bad Medicine (Shout)

BYE!!

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