A review by Michael Steele / crush7800@hotmail.com

I’ve seen Bon Jovi only twice before, and I have to say that both shows were fantastic, I had high expectation for Huddersfield, and after seeing the other set lists for the European concerts, was expecting a set just as unpredictable as the others. Unfortunately, the concert was neither unpredictable, nor did it live up to my expectations.

The band came on with a particularly week version of On Wild Night, it was much better last year. The band weren’t playing loud enough to carry the sound through properly, and although they had the right system, the volume was very wrong. The next track was actually fantastic, the definite highlight of the concert. I expected a slightly rocked down version of Raise Your Hands, but the band seemed to give it everything, except for Jon who missed out screaming opportunities. Bad name was quite good, although again, very let down by the sound system.

In these arms was something of nothing, Jon played it safe, (as he seemed to do all the way through the concert), and it was a disappointing version. The next two tracks rocked last year, but the power from them seemed to have been lost. The band seemed to take the edge of them, turning it into a glorified Karrioke session, whilst again the sound system let us
down!

Jon then came to the front and sang Can’t Help Falling in Love, he really shouldn’t have, it was terrible, which lead into an ordinary version of Bed Of Roses. I think that song is good, but is only brilliant when the band nail the rocked up bridge part leading into the solo, and they didn’t last night. Then came the bands “lets plug our not so new crap pop album” which they did, starting of with Say it isn’t so. It was awful, I was bored, Jon’s voice was terrible. The song is simply a pop song, nothing more, there is no substance to it, and the instrumental section of the song, i.e backing, is rubbish!! Then Captain Crash was played, again, nothing more than a merry little POP song! Even Just Older, which is one of the better songs from the album, was week, and really shouldn’t have been included in the set.

Then the band played an o.k Wild in the Streets, followed by a poor Saturday Night. There was no real power in either of them, and you feel that by this stage Jon has just given up trying with his voice. To be fair, the last three were quite good, Lay Your Hands on Me when it got going rocked, and seemed not to posses the sing along quality the band have ruined many songs with. I’ll Sleep when I’m dead was played at a high energy level, and Bad Medicine was very good, apart from Jon’s bland vocal track.

Onchores, and at this time you are thinking, ordinary set, predictable, but maybe the onchores will surprise us. No luck there. They came on and did 100 years, which I suppose was a rarity, well didn’t we get a treat? The song is again one of the better ones on the album, but it’s only good the guitar solo onwards! Keep the Faith rocked, but the band played it safe, with no Sympathy.

Then there was a wait, whilst the band pretend not to be coming back on...

It’s my Life was poor, not the best of songs to start with, was good last year, but just didn’t have any power. It was difficult to hear the band properly because of the volume of singing, I didn’t approve! Next there was a very good version of Wanted, atmospherically it was brilliant, and the band got most of the power from the song. Jon sang the fist verse thank god, and it was probably as far as the vocal parts went, was the highlight of the evening. the band took a bow

Why o why didn’t they leave then! It would still have been a poor concert, but it would have ended on a high. But no, they ended the concert in possibly the worst way possible, Tequila followed by Twist and Shout. Both were terrible, both shouldn’t have been played. If you are trying to recreate the feeling, I suppose it was about twice as bad as Eric Clapton coming out with a sing along Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I was at this stage very bored, and really wanted the band to do something special, but they left on the very low note!

I’ve seen poor concerts before, but there are some bands that I really do expect to put on a great show. I don’t think the fact was that the concert was particularly poor, by other bands standards it would have been great, it was just that it was so predictable. The band didn’t take one risk all night. There was barely any improvising, and Jon played everything very very safe, as if he couldn’t be bothered making the effort! I feel very frustrated, and actually very depressed, because I know that potentially the band are the best, but when they are like that, it makes you think why you bother. The tickets aren't cheep (plus there is transport, which usually costs more than the ticket itself), it’s a lot of money, especially for me as a student, to pay to see a concert like that.

I feel let down by the band, but also by the crowd. I arrived quite late to the venue, damn exams, so I was quite far back, probably about 1/4 of the way. There didn’t seem to be one “fan” of the band around me. Everybody seemed to be there for the new stuff, the say it isn’t so’s, and it’s my life’s. For instance, there was a much better reception for Captain Crash, the crap pop song, than there was for Raise you Hands, the fantastic rock rarity! I was really hopping the band were going to treat us to a Homebound train, since they have been playing it recently, so I thought I’d try to get it as a request. I suppose a little silly considering I was so far back, but I thought if the band don’t hear, at least other people will, and they can shout for it as well. When I did, people around me looked at me as if thinking, “what does he know, Homebound Train isn’t a song”. Possibly the greatest ever rock song written, and the so called fans of the band who wrote it didn’t know it existed. I rest my case.

Sorry for the negative review, lets hope Milton Keynes is much much better, if your going, you’ll notice me because I’ll be the one with the big Homebound train poster!


Songs Which wern’t played wich should have been (only incudeing songs that have been performed in the past year or so)

Homebound Train
Wild Is The Wind
Living In Sin
I’ll Be There For You
Blood On Blood
Tokyo Road
Runaway (electric)
Hey God
Damnd
Something To Believe In

Songs which were played which really should NOT have been played

In These Arms (too week last night)
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Say It Isn’t So
Captain Crash
Just Older
Saturday Night (far too week)
Next 100 years (very boreing before the guitar solo)
It’s My Life (song too comerciallised)
Tequila (terrible)
Twist and Shout (a load of sh*?t)

They could do a straight sway for the good songs with the bad! :)

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