In conclusion to this masterpiece, I must admit that I have learned many new things about the band. The experience has redefined my love for Bon Jovi. As I write this review, it comes after witnessing three concerts- Melbourne and two Sydney shows. Whilst every single show was amazingly special, the first Sydney concert was, without doubt, out of this world. In closely watching each of the three performances, I can honestly conclude that they gave their heart and soul in each show, with the first Sydney concert witnessing something extra special. Not at one point did they disappoint and therefore, I was left with no regrets, including the fact that they didn’t play my two diehard requests, as I knew that what they delivered was as good as it could ever be. My initial obsession and desire of wanting to hear ALWAYS and DRY COUNTY was due to the fact that these two songs are the main symbol of my love for the band and essential form part of the initial period of being a fan. Ever since watching the Always performance for the first time on the Live from London 1995 DVD (video back then) and watching 72,000 people being hypnotized by this legendary performance of their greatest ever song was truly unforgettable. Every single bit of emotion and passion that a human being can ever exhibit was produced in that performance. What blew me away was the additional verse Jon added towards the end when singing “Through the wind, through the snow, through the driving rain, I’ll crawl all the way to you baby, baby, baby….to be back in your arms. Just to taste your kiss and just to hear say baby, are you all right on a night like this…yeah”. Legendary!!! As for Dry County, this song runs deep into my history and some of the struggles I’ve encountered in that time. From the first time I heard it’s introduction, I instantly felt attached to it and in many ways, have lived in the song due to its lyrical relevance. In particular, it was the following lyric that really pinpointed the struggles I was experiencing and was at core of what I feeling “I cursed the sky to open. I begged the clouds for rain. I prayed all night for water for this burning in my veins. It was like my soul is on fire and I had to watch the flames, all my dreams went up in ashes and my future blew away…” It was through these lyrics that I was able to relate them to my experiences. It was through this song that I was able to see Jon Bon Jovi (through his lyrical genius) as a role model and inspiration, particularly before Richie’s guitar solo during the Milton Keynes performance in 1993, when he charismatically and powerfully said “Everyday a man wakes up and everyday a man who has to pour himself a cup of coffee, take a good long hard look in the mirror. And sometimes what he looks at he doesn't like and sometimes what he sees it makes him angry and sometimes what he sees it makes him sad. Sometimes what he sees is himself and that disappointment just gets into you, and it just rips at you, little by little, piece by piece. And sometimes you can just lay down, you can just play the game, you can just take the cards that they deal ya, you can just pretend that it's all over. But not me!”, and similarly in Wembley 1995 “There are times in a man's life where he has to face up to the truth because it seems in this world, this life is based on two things: love and fear. And there's people out there, in our world, that are gonna question everything you do, every single day, every single night. But when you lay down tonight, you'd better know one thing: if you believe in yourself, there ain't nothing, there ain't nobody that’s gonna tell you that it ain't gonna happen for you. And I’ll tell you one thing right here, right now: I've laid down long and hard enough baby!” For me, that was the ultimate Bon Jovi piece of inspiration/motivation in conjunction with the final note of Something to believe in. Words can’t describe the effect it has had on me and the countless number of times where I’ve listened to it religiously. The initial and most striking effect that these piece(s) have had on me was back in the 2001 year during my final year of High School. Without doubt, it proved to be the most decisive year of my life that had ultimately determined where I am now. Whilst enduring this difficult period and attempting to create a future for myself out of nothing, these lyrical pieces proved to be the drug I needed to get by and succeed (even though it may sound like a cliché). I declare this with my head held up high. I vividly remember how on the day of my final and most important exams for the year, I used to place my Sony earphones in my ear and religiously listen to Something to believe in, especially the final high note (particularly the Yokohama 1996 version) and Dry County at full volume before eventually entering the exam room. I felt like I was literally being injected with some miracle drug because after I had listened to the songs, I was ready to reach the stars. It was something that proved to be a vital formula associated with my academic success in my final year of high school (only- before that, I was just the average student) and also, my University and Post Graduate studies. Also, I still constantly listen to it whilst working and during special isolated periods in my life where I might be struggling personally.

The three concerts enabled me to learn a lot about the band and how they conducted a live show, especially Jon. It was a dream fulfilled to be at the shows and experiencing the performances first hand after many years of living in the DVD or Video. Leading up to the Australian leg of the Lost Highway tour, I usually referred to concerts from the These Days and Keep The Faith tour to prepare me psychologically, as these concerts are at the heart of my love for the band, because it was during the band’s peak period when Jon’s voice was at it’s very best and witnessed the release of some of their greatest songs (i.e. Always, Bed Of Roses, Dry County, These Days etc). After coming out of all three concerts speechless, I learned something really important. I learned that to live in the past would be a great sin. I fell victim to that mistake leading up to the Australian tour, but was revolutionized when experiencing the real thing. The era of Keep the Faith and These Days is well cemented in Bon Jovi’s wonderful history, but cannot be repeated. It is history. The Lost Highway era is indeed, quite different to what the band originated from, but it’s a positive step leading into the future, as the continual discovery of lyrical art is at the heart of being a musician and surviving in the industry. The current phase that the band is living must be embraced. I for one have definitely embraced it after very harsh criticism early in the release of Lost Highway. Looking in hindsight, I made the mistake of comparing the Lost Highway album to their old albums and assessing its quality based on that. That was a mistake. I realised that to do that, it would be easy to overlook and appreciate the quality of the new album in its own right. It is obvious that the new songs are different to songs from These Days, Keep the Faith, New Jersey etc. However, it didn’t mean that they are not great songs. I guess the problem that I had initially was that I was comparing and benching the songs to their old music when in actual fact, they cannot be compared. For example, when I initially heard TIL WE AINT STRANGERS ANYMORE, it didn’t blow me away like ‘Always’ did when I first heard it, and songs like Bed of roses, In These Arms, I’ll Be There For You etc. But one day, I played it and listened to it with an empty history. I didn’t want to compare. I just wanted to hear it and feel the lyrics for what is. Guess what? It has become one of my favourite BJ songs and I hoped they played it during their Australian shows. The effect that the shows had on me was quite incredible. It was like being reborn again, with the love for the band being renewed. After 23 ½ years of existence, 2008 witnessed the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, a dream to experience a full Bon Jovi concert dream, and as that roller coaster ride continues into the future, I’ll be still riding in the front seat. God bless Bon Jovi!!!!