One Person's Review Of The "HAND" Tour 05/06

CathyNYC · #1 03-16-2006, 01:57 AM

Hey There

I wanted to share with you what I think is a near perfect review of one person's experience of the "HAND" 05/06 tour. This person is a friend of mine and has given me permission to share here at the DC Message Board. I hope you enjoy this as I did and as others have done.

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I tried to think about where to start when it comes to doing a review of the H.A.N.D. tour ‘05/’06, and realized that the best place was to go back in time to the S.W.W. tour of Australia, 1987. That’s when the love-affair with BON JOVI first started and I have had the privilege of seeing every tour since then. Serendipity brought me to live in New York, and unlike my fellow compatriots, I did not miss out on the Crush and Bounce tours. (To my fellow Aussies, I wish with all my heart that BJ would tour our sunny shores again.)

I started my H.A.N.D. tour in New York, at Madison Square Gardens!! A life-long dream of seeing BJ play the Garden was being realized, and in order to guarantee great seats I opted for the Fanclub Event. Nothing could prepare me for either the seats or the show. Both shows were absolutely amazing…incredible. A magic and energy that I had not seen in the band’s live performances since the KTF tour was back, if not, even more so. The new album translates to the live forum in a way that neither the Crush nor Bounce albums did. The chemistry within the band, was joy personified. The guys were rocking and having fun, and it showed.

I had planned on going to the NY shows (2), the NJ shows (3), the Philadelphia shows (2) and the Long Island show, but after the second night at MSG, I knew that I would have to see more. And so I traveled up and down the east coast; up and down the west coast; into the Heartland of America and finally on to the last note in Sin City. I can’t tell you which was the best show, or my favourite show. I can’t single out one highlight, there are far too many. There are some shows that stand out more than others, and each for distinctly different reasons. I’ve tried to narrow it down to my top three, but that has proven to be impossible. I’ve enjoyed every show. I’ve experienced front row, and I’ve been back at the Front of House when Jon stood solo to welcome the faithful with Last Man Standing. I watched as Richie bled upon his guitar at MSG, and did not miss a note. I saw the usually energetic and inexhaustible Jon push past the searing pain of back spasms in Washington DC and still wow the crowd. And if it was at all possible, his voice is stronger now than 20 years ago, his energy higher, his performance sharper.

Boston on February 10th was a show where magic electrified the air, the crowd energy surged and the band played like there was no tomorrow. Atlantic City pulsed with raw emotion as Richie channeled his heart and soul into IBTFY, so much so that the audience felt his heart ache. Across the country he played this song, both for us and for him, and every time the guitar solo was exquisite, different, passionate and raw. As Jon introduced Richie to the Vegas crowd, he expressed what most of us already knew in our hearts -- that this song had been “a kind of purging” for this extraordinary guitarist, and we had been called to bear witness to that pain. My respect and admiration for Richie as a musician and guitar virtuoso was elevated to new heights each time he stepped forward and played that solo and his fingers wove each note into a musical tapestry.

I have fond memories of Fresno, four rows directly in front of David. A quiet crowd in front of me, allowed my friend and I to spend most of the show interacting with David…singing, unashamedly playing air drums, air keys, and watching as David’s enthusiasm for the music had him playing like a man possessed. Bad Medicine, Runaway, Sleep When I’m Dead ,… the maestro of the keys raised the roof. Watching David you see a man who reacts as though it was the first time he’d walked out to a stadium audience. No jaded rocker here folks!!

Nassau Coliseum, Long Island gave me a view of the incomparable Tico Torres that will long stay with me. His driving, unshakeable beat and fierce all out explosion on Raise Your Hands whipped the crowd into a frenzy at Anaheim. To the brilliance of his subtle, delicate percussion and haunting beats on Blaze of Glory. The man is precision, his talent immeasurable, his playing flawless.

I remember the first time I heard Bells of Freedom, I Want to Be Loved, Last Cigarette….there were only two songs from HAND that I didn’t hear live (I Am and Wildflower). Mixed in with the old favourites, and unexpected treats - In These Arms, I’d Die for You, Blood on Blood, Wild in the Streets - they seamlessly blended to showcase a catalogue of songs that left you wanting to hear more (how can 2 and a half hours go by so quickly?) and giddy for having heard so much.

To Hugh McDonald, there is no KTF without you and your rumbling bass. Your quiet presence is like the steady breath to Tico’s heartbeat. To Bobby Bandiera and Jeff Kazee who brought an extra dimension to the songs and the shows with your musical presence, thank you. You filled out the sound and added guitar licks and keyboard runs that are oft overlooked and passed over when translated live. The HAND album is guitar and keyboard layered, and the songs wouldn’t have stood up as well without you. And with three additional voices, blending with David, Richie and Tico, Last Cigarette filled the venue with sweet, sweet harmonies.

There are no complaints from this tour weary woman. I could do it all again, and more. If the finances were willing, I’d be heading to Japan and Europe, but for now I count my blessings that I have experienced one hell of a US tour. I have more memories, more photos than I could ever have imagined I would gather when I sat at MSG back on November 28th.

There is so much more I could write about ~ the light show, the LED effects, the superlative Hi-Def screen, hearing the TLFR arrangements of IBTFY and Bed of Roses, the playful interaction of the band with the fans… all an intricate part of the brilliance of BJ live. And then there are all the “on-the-road” stories that will go unwritten (‘What happens on the road, stays on the road’ -- Vegas stole it from rock ‘n’ roll people).

On a personal note, after hearing far too often on this tour the reference of “him”, “his show”, “his new album” I just wanted to say (with no disrespect to anyone) that BON JOVI is a BAND. It’s not just about the one exceptionally talented man. It’s the sum of all the parts, the symphony of this exceptional group of individuals, their talent, their energy, and their passion that forms one of the greatest rock bands and becomes one of the greatest rock shows every time they assemble on stage.

And so to the boys in the band ~ Jon, Richie, David, and Tico ~ thanks for making my winter a whole lot warmer. Thanks for doing what you do, and doing it like no other band in the world. Your joy on stage was palpable, and it was a joy and an absolute blast to have gone along for the ride. You opened with Last Man Standing, a homage to the great singer-songwriter-musicians of yesteryear. I just wanted to say that this song, in time, will stand as a testament to all of you ~ BON JOVI, one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands ever.

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Thanks!