By that time, Jon supposedly farewelled us by saying “Thank you all very very much. We’ll see you all tomorrow night. Bye bye!” and produced his multi million dollar smile to the crowd. I knew they were returning for an encore, but what I didn’t know was what was going to be included in this encore, which had me on the edge of my seat anticipating surprises and rarities.

With the crowd increasing their pleas for the band’s return, it wasn’t long before the spotlight was on Jon and his electric guitar for the commencement of I’D DIE FOR YOU. I’ve always loved this song mainly for its lyrical power, as exemplified with the following “I might not be a savior and I’ll never be a king. I might not send you roses or buy you diamond rings. But if I could see inside you maybe I’d know just who we are, cause our love is like a hunger and without it, we would starve. In a world that don’t know Romeo and Juliet, boy meets girl and promises we can’t forget. We are cast from Eden’s gate with no regrets. Into the fire we cry… I’d die for you, I’d cry for you, I’d do anything, I’d lie for you, you know it’s true, Baby Id die for you….” My favourite version of this song is the Yokohama 1996 acoustic version. That arrangement was breathtaking, especially in the way the lyrics were sung, which in my opinion, enabled the meaning of the lyrics to be expressed more effectively and added a whole new dimension to the song. However, with the original version, to effectively express the lyrics powerfully, the vocals and beat of the song need to be aggressive and passionate, because effectively “I’d die for you” is a strong statement.

In anticipation for a special song, the slow piano introduction to the legendary Leonard Cohen cover HALLELUJAH emerged. Belinda Carlisle’s song ‘Heaven is a place on Earth’ was never more apparent and relevant than at the Acer Arena, Sydney, Australia on 21st January 2008 at approximately 11.00pm. Word’s cannot describe this performance, which in my opinion, matches the same level of passion and emotion as the Wembley 1995 performance of ‘Always’ ), the Yokohama 1996 performance of ‘Something to believe in’ () and the Dortmund 1993 performance of ‘Dry County’ (). To try and explain the magic of this performance would be like a Father trying to explain to a childless person the feeling of witnessing the birth of your own first new born child. Unless it is experienced, there is no point. One thing that should be mentioned is that Jon really proved his vocal strength when he held the last Hallelujah note for 13 seconds. Mind-blowing and unforgettable!!! The lyrical superiority of this song is extraordinary, with my favourite being “Well, maybe there's a god above but all I’ve ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you. It's not a cry that you hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah…” It was a blessing to witness this legendary vocal performance by Jon of a legendary cover song, which reinstalled my confidence in Jon’s voice and took me to our world far far away from the current world we live in. The following is one of Leonard Cohen’s famous quotes regarding the meaning of the song- “Hallelujah is a Hebrew word which means "Glory to the Lord." The song explains that many kinds of Hallelujahs do exist. I say: "All the perfect and broken Hallelujahs have an equal value." It's, as I say, a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way but with enthusiasm, with emotion....It's a rather joyous song. I like very much the last verse. I remember singing' it to Bob Dylan after his last concert in Paris. The morning after, I was having coffee with him and we traded lyrics. Dylan especially liked this last verse, "And even though it all went wrong, I stand before the Lord of song with nothing on my lips but Hallelujah."” (LC 1985)

As the crowd was still speechless, the band decided to play their national anthem, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, and produced another moment where the crowd reacted crazily. The song can sometimes be misinterpreted by its title. It’s really a song about the band’s life on the road, with "I walk these streets. A loaded six string on my back…" referring to Jon’s six string guitar and “I’ve seen a million faces, and I’ve rocked them all” referring to the many concerts where they blew their fans away. The lyric “I’m a cowboy on a steel horse I ride. I’m wanted, dead or alive...” runs deep into Jon’s life, as quoted by him during the time warp, as “a rocking roll star”. The performance was fantastic, especially Richie’s solo vocal part “I been everywhere, still I'm standing tall” and how he combines with Jon. Musical geniuses!!!

By that point, I knew the end was near, which was quite saddening. I just hoped they didn’t end with Twist and Shout like they did in Melbourne, but rather with a classic rarity. However, to my surprise, I LOVE THIS TOWN was to close the curtains to a memorable night. Whilst I could have done without it, it was a fitting song lyrically from the band and great to hear live. I really loved it when he sung “There's shoutin' from the rooftops dancin' on the bars, hangin' out the window and drivin' in their famous cars. You want it? You got it. You ready? I'm on it. Come on now, here we go agaiiinnnnnn....” The beat surrounding that verse was awesome. As the final lyric “That’s why I love this town” was sung, the show sadly ended with the blink of an eye.

Eighteen thousand people were left with no room to complain. Surprisingly enough, there wasn’t a huge plea for the boys to keep kicking on. The crowd let the boys end the show at their own accord. In saying so, the crowd was more than satisfied with what was delivered. Once the normal lighting returned, most people were on their way out. However, some people, including myself, couldn’t leave, or more like, didn’t want to leave. The ultimate memory was made. As I eventually left my seat, I saw one of my good mates, Steven, in another section still seated with his friends. He too was left speechless. He cracked me up when he said “I could see your Fcking sign from here...” We left the arena and I located some of my good friends from high school (who weren’t sitting with me in the front section). They were not diehard fans. They were mild fans. God only knows how long I had been promoting this night, and telling them they were going to experience an unforgettable night. They didn’t understand until 21st January. Here is one piece of feedback (via email) from my good mate from school, Daniel, which summarized the show from the point of view of an ordinary member of the crowd and not a major fan: “Brilliant concert! They stayed true to their word about playing their greatest hits. Only let down for me and many others was not playing ‘Always’. I was disappointed there. Thought he might have finished with it. Imagine if he did? The roof would have blown off the joint. I gave it 9/10. Loved singing along to all of it. Living on a prayer was gangbusters! The whole place was hoarse with screaming out the lyrics. Blood on Blood was tops too. I bought a program and a tour poster. Going to get it framed with my ticket so one day I can put it up in my Bar along with all my memorabilia! Haha…… It was definitely something special, that’s for sure. I read on the Bon Jovi website last night that they played 27 songs Monday and only 25 last night. Plus the whole vibe, sense and buzz that it was his first time back in Sydney, held a special feeling and aura about the show and his presence. Goosebumps did occur regularly throughout the night I must admit. I would have died if he sung Always. That’s my only disappointment. I can’t fathom as to why they left it off the play list as the song was one of their most successful….. And Jon’s voice? Nothing wrong with his apparent failing vocal cords! No hint or sign of weakening. Jon sung as strong as I’ve ever heard. He was on song and in form vocally. He held on to notes, raised the pitch and could continuously make key changes without hassles. Superb! The night couldn’t be explained any simpler.