A review by Bonjovikitten / bonjovikitten@aol.com

Wow, that was One Wild Night, I have been on cloud nine since the start of Saturday, but now reality is just about setting in! Here’s my story………….

My fiancé and I arrived at the Bowl at around 9.00 am, we found a car park opposite the main entrance only a few minutes walk away. We then started to look for gate 3, great we found it about 10 minutes later. The fan club queue wasn’t too long only about a 100 fans ahead of us. Now we were in for a long wait, the heavens opened but luckily we had an umbrella to protect us! 12.30 came and the queue started moving, I was getting really excited and then nerves began to set in, I had won on stage passes and I was just thinking that I would be so close to Bon Jovi and I would be standing in front of 65000 fans, god, I had all sorts of emotions running through my mind! About an hour later we got our wristbands for the pit, then we had to wait until 2.00pm to get the on stage wristbands, when I received those I was much happier and relaxed, everything was going according to plan.

We headed for the bar for a few drinks, then we went into the pit. We stood at the back but the view was still fantastic. The stage was amazing I couldn’t believe how close the band was actually going to be. We waited and waited which seemed like hours (probably was!), the sun had started to shine which was a relief from all the rain that we had, believe it or not I came back home with a tan! Then Delirious emerged onto the stage, to be honest I thought they were really good, the lead singer had a great personality. The songs were easy to listen to and I was getting really into them, they weren’t on stage for long, which was a shame. Then there was another wait for MB20, when they finally came on I wasn’t impressed! I found their songs quite repetitive and boring, and I was willing them to finish, but it may have been the fact that as soon as they had finished their set, I knew that I was going to meet the Mercury Rep about going on stage!

It was 7.30pm and I was at the meeting place ready to meet the rep, there seemed to loads of people there to go up on stage. Finally he came, briefed us about what was going to happen and then we were split into two groups. I was praying that we would be the on left hand side (Hughs), as I knew Jon mainly went to that part of the stage. Guess what I was on the right, I felt a little disheartened but I wasn’t going to let it spoil my experience (at least I was going to be next to Richie!) We were lead by the rep through the press aisle to get to the right hand side, we went past the front row of fans, and we getting a few funny looks! Again we were split into groups, four this time. Thankfully we were put into the first group to go on stage, that meant that we weren’t going to miss too much of the show! To my surprise the rep told us that we could go back into the crowd, I wasn’t going to miss the start after all! We were told to meet back when Raise Your Hands came on, the other ‘fans’ in our group didn’t even know what song that was! My fiancé and I were the only Fan club members in our group, I felt a lot of the on stage winners weren’t that bothered if they were there or not!

It was just after 8.00pm and the intro music to One Wild Night came on, the audience went crazy, and so did I! You could see the guys on the big screens coming down in the elevator, I thought that was a nice touch, and then the doors opened. There stood the five guys, smiles beaming on their faces, from then on I knew the it was going to be the best night I had ever had! One Wild Night was just about to finish and we raced from the pit back to Mercury reps, I was getting worried as I couldn’t see anyone else from our group, had they already been let past the security guards? Then to my relief I saw them behind a barrier, behind us. I was going to be the first person on stage! I was getting really excited by then. The other guys were let through the barrier and we were all ready to go on stage. Half way through You Give Love A Bad Name we were directed to a steep platform. An American guy said ‘we want all the girls at the front, Jon wants to see girls, not blokes’! By then I was half way up the ramp, no-one was going to get in front of me!

We were then instructed to go, I was told off for running but I didn’t care! There I was on stage at the front, only a barrier between me and the boys! Richie noticed us first, I smiled and waved to him but he didn’t respond. He didn’t look his usual self, I could tell that something was on his mind. Tico, Dave and Hugh were looking pretty hot and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then I looked over at Jon, my heart melted, I was so close to him. They were playing In These Arms and then I could see Jon coming over to our group. I was wearing pink sunglasses, a pink strappy (slightly revealing) top and bright pink lipstick, I was going to make sure that I was noticed! (did anyone see me)?

Oh my god, Jon was heading in towards me, I held my hand out and he took it, still holding on to me he bent down to my level, face to face singing In These Arms to me, just me! I can’t describe how I felt, I had so many feelings running through my body, but I can tell you it was the best and most amazing experience of my life! I was holding hands with Jon Bon Jovi, my idol, my hero, it was perfect! I don’t think that I will ever be the same again! Unfortunately it had to end and he pulled away, my fiancé managed to do a high five with him and then he was gone, back to his position on centre stage. We danced and cheered through It’s My Life and Born to be My Baby, and then it was time for us to come off. I was walking down the ramp, and guess who I saw, Heather Locklear. She looked really pretty, I smiled and waved to her and she smiled back.

We got back into the pit and we were ready for some serious partying, Jon was in a great mood and his funny dancing made the crowd laugh, he was really up for it, although he did say that ‘I maybe cheap, but I’m not easy’! He makes me laugh so much he has a great sense of humour! All the hits were played, my personal faves, It’s My Life, Born To Be My Baby, Bad Med, KTF and Just Older. The fireworks were great treat, I couldn’t believe that the concert was nearing to the end, and they hadn’t even played Prayer, I was getting slightly worried. After the second encore, the guys all stood together and took a bow, I thought it was over, then the crowd started singing Living On A Prayer, Jon then started to sing it on his own then the band joined in, it was one the best finales I have ever seen, although it did leave you with feeling that you wanted to rock some more! Then it was over, but it has been one the best nights of my life and one that I will never forget.

Thanks to everyone reading my story, I have enjoyed writing it and reliving the memories. Thanks again.

Lots of love

Claire

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