Remember how it felt when....

What a fantastic thread, where do i start, so many memories. Been fantastic reading everyones.

About my dates and tour names may have got them mixed up.

Milton Keynes - These Days Tour - 1996
First Concert ever! Can remember standing all day 1 row from front of GA richies side having all my friends being pulled out because they couldnt hack "the crush" and feeling sick after the opening bands sound/base pushing on my chest for the few hours before BJ came on, Just couldnt believe what i was witnessing, the brass band opening to Lay Your hands on Me, Remember Grabbing a complete stranger(a girl) shouting i can play this on my guitar! totally hyped up, Remember being totally gutted at the end when i went to get a programme and they sold out. Also remember being at work for about 2 days after the show and still not being able to speak properly as was shouting singing too loudly.

Wembley - Crush tour - Went both days

Remember taking non bon jovi friends with us and they just loved it, the Richie Guitar solo at end of Next 100 Years. Opening to the Clash Londons Calling.

In addition to this, we went to see Oasis at Wembley 2 weeks earlier and wembley way was just lined with broken beer bottles, Beer cans and rubbish everywhere, inside during the show people throwing beer/piss everywhere. constantly there were glasses bottles being thown. and then 2 weeks later was just such a brilliant atmosphere, no pikeys/yobs. Just love that about Bon Jovi fans, everyone is just so nice you never get any trouble.

Milton Keynes - one wild night -

This was first time i had Fan Club wrist bands, just remember queuing up chatting to everyone and then got to enter MK around 1330 and just remember everyone in Fan Club pit just sitting down in the sun, and then watching when they opened the main gates and watching an endless stream of people coming in getting squished (just like i did in 1996) They were all standing and we were just sitting, and then having the ability to come and go as you please and everyone looking at you with envy when you get to walk right down the front again!

Cardiff - one wild night

As per above we also had FC wrist bands, picked these up around midday and then instead of waiting around all day at the venue we went back to some friends houses we were staying with, then around 1900 went with them to the show, they went to there seats/standing area and we walked straight in down the front.

Cardiff was really good at this stage this was the closest we got to the band and just loved everything about the weekend. Never say goodbye was really good, and loved it when Jon said the band were off to paris for the next show, and everybody boo'ed! not very politically correct but funny, was cool that Jon bought out his kid and he sat on drum riser with ear protecters on very cool.

Matchbox 20 for the opening act was also really great, i remember coming back from the show and on monday rushing out and buying both there albums.

Hyde Park - Bounce Tour

Wow, this show was just amazing, absolutely brilliant, was my favorite show and may still be, o2 show may just beat it, But loved everything about it, The Band/Jon loved every minute of it and you could tell, you could just tell it was one of there career highlights, the size of the crowd, you could tell they were savouring every moment. We got to meet all of the bands kids on stage. The length of the set was great, Richies version of IBTFY.

Loved when Jon was introducing the band and he said something like, "the person that has been driving all of the office workers crazy, with the base drum peddle, Tico Torres" you could kinda of sense that, Hyde park and the surrounding area was being hijacked with Bon Jovi for that afternoon, everybody even though they were not at the concert in that area could hear them.

Im probably making no sense to anybody but myself but am getting excited thinking about it all.

Southampton - HAND - June 2006

My wife being 6months pregnant and still loving it, Taking my brother in law, he has never really liked Bon jovi and again loved it, as for the show i thought it was pretty average, again Richie Guitar solo at end of Ill be there for you was amazing.

Due to muck ups and companys going into liquidation i missed out on MK shows this time.

o2 Arena - Lost Highway Promo - 24th June 07

Unbelieveable, Loved it all, I was 2nd Row Richies side and loved every second of it, Could see him spitting when he sung! (nice image!) we were that close, Speaking to everybody around me and just being really excited about the show, The 2 girls next to me got pulled out on stage and i didnt notice until they were up there and they were waving to me, again 2 strangers but everybody is your mate when you are at a show. Feeling like royalty walking to and from the seats going to get drinks/toilets, Getting stupidly excited with the o2 Arena staff showing you to your seats, to get from the toilet/food area to our seats we had to show the ticket about 4times, and every time i was like "im 2nd row baby!"

The show itself was just great, seeing richie for the first few notes of Livin and finally realised he had made it to the show after weeks of speculation about him coming after detox/rehab. loved watching Richie appear to try and prove himself to Jon the whole night and during the guitar solo on Any other day when Jon just stood there in disbelief and looked around at David and Tico thinking to himself and the band that Richie is Back, and then walked to the mic when richie is still in the middle of the solo and Saying to the whole arena "look whos just got back". was just amazing. The chemistry on stage the energy the atmosphere was great. Being that close was just fantastic.

There are a million other memories from these shows but cannot list everyone. Reading everyones stories is just fantastic and this is why i love this band.

I have mentioned above several times, but love going to the venue and just speaking to complete strangers and sharing Jovi stories about previous tours/concerts. I love it when you near a city/town/venue and you see more and more Jovi T-shirts and everyone always acknowledges each other.

Anyway i have gone on enough, i guess the best memories are the ones you cannot put into words. I have tried above and probably made no sense.

Rich

I have surprised myself with the length of that post, sorry if i have bored anyone.

Nope not bored - some great stories. I liked the mental image of watching Richie spit when he sang. I saw Jimmy Page that close in 1998 at a small club in New York City and he was sweating on me he was so close. It's one of my favorite memories as he has been my guitar hero since the late 60's.

I also love talking to the people around me at concerts - I have gotten to know some nice fans that way too.

Kathleen

May I ask, approx. how many times have the band played in Milton Keynes?

Hello

It looks as though they have played in:

1989
1993
1996
2001

and twice in 2006

I got this info from another website but it doesnt state the dates, i could have probably guessed the above. but wondered if they would have played earlier than 1989.

Ok my First and still one that means allot is when my father brought me up to Dublin to go see Bon Jovi just after Slippery When Wet was released.It was on Halloween night if I remember correctly (Def in Oct as it was for my birthday).
I was 16 and he had no idea of who they were.It was on in the indoor part of the Rds-(Simmons court).
The lovely Lita Ford got the crowd nicely warmed up before the lads came on and the place took off. My father took a seat towards the back,and I wrangled my way to the front.
My father got off his seat and decided to start to walk through the crowd to see if he could see if I was ok.He got as far as a metal structure in the middle of the floor and stood there for a bit.Meanwhile nature had called so I headed to the toilet and Living on a prayer started as I ran out it got to the part where Jon fly's over the crowd(he really did do this back then)and landed on the top of this metal structure so I made my way towards it only to spot my Dad reaching up and shaking hands with Jon.It was so surreal.The show carried on my Dad went back to his seat I went to the front and had a blast.
They played some strange songs that night one of which stood in my head for quite a while containing the chorus 99 in the shade how I remember is he got the crowd to sing 99 etc,I know this didn't come out until New Jersey but I am still convinced I got to hear this on this night.
My Dad actually loved the show and thought they put on a better show than Michael Jackson(a show he had been to in the Summer time)

There are loads of other memories too like when they opened the New Jersey tour with Lay your hands on me in the Point Depot in Dublin and Jon flying out from through the floor to hearing In these Arms for the first time live in the Point on the next tour with my then girlfriend now wife and saying this will be our song(and still is)
When on the These Days tour they played My Guitar Lies Bleeding and just standing watching a band just get into what they were playing.I could go on but others have theirs to share.
The other tours have been good but my wife gave up on their music since These Days.So I convinced her to come along to O2 as I hoped it would be a special one and when Richie done his solo for Any Other day she was hooked again.Even to the point where she now wants me to get Gold circle tickets for the tour next year and so that will be Making a Memory-Hopefully

They played 2 nights at MK in 1996.

Thanx for the info

Yeah I did that too. In fact I think the following MB20 tour was made up mostly of BJ fans.

I enjoy reading this thread, Its a shame my other mates dont seem to understand why i've been to 20+ gigs, maybe I should make them read this!!!

Funny you should say this, i went to the tour and saw MB20 at Wembley arena, afterwards, as you say with all the other BJ fans, Supporting BJ in the UK must have had a huge impact on there fanbase, i bet there CD sales (in the uk) doubled after the BJ tour.