A review by Captain Crash

BON JOVI came to Stockholm, Sweden, a couple of days before the ONE WILD NIGHT show. The evening newspapers accused BON JOVI of playing pop, instead of a rock, because they hooked up with MAX MARTIN on the CRUSH record. JON BON JOVI wasn’t pleased, he said: ”You can kiss my ass”, but I think that he took some of the “critics” with him to the stadium.

BON JOVI did a great rock-show and they chose to leave slow-songs out of the setlist this evening. Bon Jovi didn’t play songs like, Bed of Roses, I’ll be there for you, Always, Thank you for Loving me or Never say Goodbye, even though they are great songs. I guess Wild is the Wind and In these Arms became the “ballads” of the night. Instead they trough in songs like Homebound Train, this wasn’t enough for the evening press though, who called Bon Jovi “a bunch of pussies” who didn’t even play more rock than supporting act Mel C from the Spice-Girls, in the paper the next day.

The newsboy gave all the BON JOVI fans a kick in the ass by writing: “If you love Livin on a Prayer, it can’t be the love of rock music that guides you, rather the need for some easy and nice entertainment”. He also said something about that BON JOVI isn’t any hard-rockers, and I agree, they never were a hard rock band and that’s why I and so many with me like them. I guess the newsboy got the impression that BON JOVI should play hard rock – I only got one thing to say to you newsboy: You were in the wrong place last night and I’m sorry that you didn’t like the show as much as the rest of us. BON JOVI is a rock band, newsboy, who are able to play a stadium anywhere in the world, or like JON BON JOVI ones said: “We’re a bar band, we just play big bars”

You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers. In this case I think the writer is a rock wannabe who’s jealous of all the pretty girls JON BON JOVI are able to satisfy on a night like this, while the newsboy ends up alone dreaming of what it would be like to be a rock-star.

BON JOVI came on the “Empire state Building” stage, with three big TV-screens, along with the intro to ONE WILD NIGHT. It was a pretty cool thing when you could see them in the elevator on their way to the top of the building. The elevator door opened, and there they stood, just looking out over the people. A ONE WILD NIGHT was about to begin.

BON JOVI opened up as they always do, in a great tempo with ONE WILD NIGHT, YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME, IT’S MY LIFE, KEEP THE FAITH, LIVIN ON A PRAYER and BORN TO BE MY BABY. You could see that they were exited to play, this was the European premiere and I guess the ten day break they had done them well. I can tell you, it was a cold night but you weren’t freezing anymore. I GOT THE GIRL followed before they started to play on the intro to WILD IS THE WIND. This song haven’t been played in a while, it’s a great song and you could tell the fans like it. I wish the would do this kind of thing more, I mean play songs like Wild is the Wind, Ride Cowboy Ride or Stick To Your Guns for example.

I can’t give you the whole setlist, simply because I can’t remember it exactly but they kept on going in that area with IN THESE ARMS, CAPTAIN CRASH & THE BEAUTY QUEEN FROM MARS and JUST OLDER who are great mid tempo songs. In Just Older, Jon and Richie looked up at Tico to remind him who the oldest man in the band are.

They finished the first round with LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME, I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD and BAD MEDICINE.

BON JOVI took on the stage again with HOMEBOUND TRAIN, that was a real suprise. Then JON started SOMEDAY I’LL BE Saturday NIGHT alone in a slow tempo, it was really great, before they took it home together. I guess some people really thought this was it because they started to walk towards the exits.

But there was more to come. The funky guitar riff on SAY IT ISN’T SO blasted out over the stadium before the cowboy song WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE ended encore two. JON said, do you know this one? All the best to the fans who took WANTED all the way through the first vers and course in a sing-along. You could see that the boys on stage were happy.

JON BON JOVI said – haven’t you had enough yet? Before they ended this great evening with TEQUILA and TWIST AND SHOUT. You really thought that the “Empire state Building” was about to take off into the sky!!!
At the same time the boys got in the elevator, they looked really pleased as the door closed in front of them. They where gone and ONE WILD NIGHT were about to end. I hope you’ll be back soon!!!

Setlist (not confirmed)
One wild night, Bad name, It's my life, Keep the faith, Livin on a prayer, Born to be my baby, I got the girl, Wild is the wind, In these arms, Captain crash, Just older, Lay your hands on me, I'll sleep when I'm dead, Bad medicine. Encore1: Homebound train, Someday I'll be saturday night.
Encore2: Say it isn't so, Wanted dead or alive.
Encore3: Tequila, Twist and shout

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