| 23 August 2000 - Stoke-On-Trent, UK Concert Review |
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WOW
Got off the coach about 2.45 but the turnstiles were not being opened till 3.30, so I had to stand around for about an hour before I could get in. When I got my ticket (On the coach) on the back it said that NO cameras would be allowed in.
I nearly had an heart attack.....what am I gonna do????
The queues were absolutely enormous when we arrived, so I decided to join it half way!!!!!! I Met a man and his mate, who had been before to a Bon Jovi concert, so I stayed with him for the first hour or two, of the queuing and waiting for the gig to start.
His mate went to the Wembley concert on Saturday, as well as this Stoke gig. He told me a story about how many guitars that the bands have…..he said 'Andreas Johnson' and 'Toploader', brought a couple on a small stand - "Probably coz that's all they can afford, and then Bon Jovi come on, and it's like this massive big trolley full of em".!!! (As he takes off his £120 sunglasses.)
I sneaked my camera in without anyone noticing!!!!! Phheeewwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I was inside the stadium (Finally - after months of waiting), the stage was at the opposite end of the ground, and hardly anyone was there YET, so the two men that I met and myself went straight to the front (Well as near as possible) THIRD ROW!!!!!!!!!! Although wherever you sat, you would have got a good view. Someone told me that they have been to a number of Bon Jovi concerts previously, but have never been this close before.
The stage was quite small, well smaller than I had expected, but still big enough.
But once the concert started, and most people tried to push their ways to the front, I got stuck behind some man who was like 8 foot 10 tall (Sort of anyway)......I could still see pretty well. Apart from when everyone put their hand in the air, to clap or cheer.....that's what you get for being so small!!!!!!!
First onto the stage were "Andeas Johnson"......well he was poor for starters.......he and his band lasted about half an hour.
Next up was "Toploader" - Now these were pretty good for a band which I knew next to nothing about. They sung versions of "Achilles heel" and their new song "Just hold on" amongst many others. Toploader lasted just over an hour.
Before the MAIN ACT, the whole stadium, done about 6 or 7 Mexican waves, and we all applauded each other for doing so.
FINALLY Bon Jovi entered the arena to an ENORMOUS ROAR.......like you've never heard before.
First up (As usual) was "Livin' on a prayer", followed by "You Give love a bad name". Well you probably wont believe me, but Jon "waved" to ME....honest
Some big fella behind me lifted me up during my favourite song ("You give love a bad name") and I shouted "Jooooooon" (Jon) and he turned round and gave me the THUMBS UP!!!!! Honest......honest......honest....honest.....honest.....honest!!!!!!
The man who lifted me up, was a big hippy with long hair and an annoying voice, who very strangely kept shouting (Well twice!!!) "RICHIE RICHIE - I WANT YA BABIES"......(Richie - who is the bands guitarist) this was a Male for heavens sakes!!!!
But I didn't complain, coz I got quite a few "GOOD" photos of Jon, Richie, Dave, Tico and Huey.
During the first few songs of the opening set, Jon asked us "So, this is where they buried Sir Stanley Mathews? Huh? Cue Roar of approval. Who stared for The Stoke football team in the 1950's.
During "One wild night", Jon went up to the bar on the left hand side of the stage ( Which they called "Dean Martini"), and danced with a lady, who was then taken to the centre of the stage, where Jon asked everyone if we knew her, he all replied "Yes" - although we didn't!
ALL people around me (who were all very friendly by the way!!!) said that for someone so small,
I had a very loud voice!!!
During one song, one male fan decided to run onto the stage, and grabbed Jon, but security were there immediately to escort him off the stage. Jon didn't seem to mind him running on stage, and asked security to bring the fan back to meet him but they ran off. Jon replied - "Wise Guy"!!! in his distinctive New Jersey accent.
The concert was very loud. There was hundreds upon hundreds of speakers, which were on FULL BLAST.
While a HUGE amount of money had also been spent on the lighting for the concert.
During "LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME", the backstage people, blew up two MASSIVE inflatable balloons that were bigger than the height of the stadium and were in the shape of arms that when released, LAYED THEIR HANDS ON THE SIDES OF THE STAGE!! - and moved!! During the performance itself, Jon went into the crowd, touching and shaking hands with as many people as possible, so people could lay their hands on him!!!! Someone lifted Jon up while he sung a verse of Lay your hands.... and when he came back onto the stage we all discovered that someone gave him a 5 foot UNION JACK flag, which he wore for the rest of the song.....which was strange for American person.
It shows how loyal he is to the UK though!!!
As Tico - the drummer, started the familiar drum beat to "I'll sleep when I'm dead", Jon decided to us a story.
But because a woman next to me, who had also been to the Wembley concert, decided to spoil it for me, by telling me what Jon was going to say.........some people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I missed half the story, with her shouting down my ear!!!!!!
He talked about how the band were reunited in his hotel room. He thought that a knock at the door -
(In time with Tico's drum beat) would be from Steven Spielberg or Arnold Schwarzeneger to give him another lead role in a Hollywood movie. Jon claimed that he would try and make Arnold Schwarzeneger a star by putting him in one of the bands videos! ("Say it isn't so")!
Jon also carried out his usual "Getting the crowd in the mood" motives by asking if we were "Still with me out there?!? And say Oh year (Then the crowd repeat whatever he says) After the first round of interacting with the crowd Jon had a quiet word with Richie, and came back to the mike, and told us that we were pathetic, and told us to do it a "Little louder"….2, 3, 4…..cue Tico's drum beat again and the start of "I'll Sleep when I'm dead" for real.
The band left the stage twice, but returned, to carry out, not one, but two encores, 2 songs, followed by another 2.
2 Hours from the "biggest" band of all time.
Towards the end, everyone was shouting which song that they wanted Bon Jovi to play, some wanted "Blaze of Glory", but I wanted "These Days"…neither however were played, and they ended with "Keep the faith".
I bought a T-shirt (£15), Program (£8) and Poster (£3) and many drinks!!!
After that we had a MASSIVE fireworks display, so that the band, could sneak out the back door, and avoid the traffic!! The fireworks did leave some fans choking on the amount of smoke, which they left.
I avoided it though…JUST.
The concert finished at ten past ten, with an extra 5 minutes of the fireworks.
After coming out of the stadium, the search was on to find my coach again!!!!!
I got a Taxi with 4 women off the coach, who lived in Bootle and its surrounding area(s).
I arrived back home about 12.30,
All in all a fantastic night........WOW…...Unforgettable……Rock on lads……I'll see ya soon!
Set List:
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS
SAY IT ISN'T SO
ONE WILD NIGHT
BORN TO BE MY BABY
IT'S MY LIFE
TWO STORY TOWN
BED OF ROSES
SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT
WILD IN THE STREETS
JUST OLDER
LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD (Rockin' all over the world)
BAD MEDICINE (Shout)
Encore 1: NEXT 100 YEARS
BLOOD ON BLOOD
Encore 2: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
KEEP THE FAITH
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