Wolverhampton review (not been posted before)

found this on bbc.co.uk:

Bon Jovi
Reviewed by Chas Watkin

They've sung some songs at Molineux over the years - football chants to celebrate, to motivate - but the crowd that turned up last night sang to a very different tune as Bon Jovi became the first band to rock the football stadium.

So could the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers cope with being transformed into a rock venue for an evening? Well it coped pretty darn well if this performance by New Jersey’s finest is anything to go by.
And that’s even with Jon Bon Jovi doing an impersonation of Lulu at the end of the night - more of that in a moment!

Something like 34,000 people packed into the ground - and the atmosphere was good even before the old rockers appeared. The crowd kept themselves amused with Mexican Waves in the sunshine, until the band bounced on stage on the latest stop in their Bounce tour.

And thankfully they didn't keep their biggest hits for the encores as they launched into old favourites such as You Give Love a Bad Name, Keep The Faith and Livin' On A Prayer early on.

Then time for singer Jon Bon Jovi to talk to the assembled masses: "Wolverhampton - it's the first time I've been here - and I thought I'd been everywhere in the universe.

"I can see we've got a lot of friends in Wolverhampton." Cue huge cheers and much arm-waving. Yes you sure have Jon - and they're a noisy lot. I don't know what the neighbours'll make of all this. In fact, the band and the thousands of backing singers in the crowd could be heard a mile away I’m told. No wonder my ears are hurting!

How the band would sound had been worrying me before the concert - being the first rock band in an open-air venue is quite brave but to my (sore) ears it sounded great.

Bon Jovi are much-maligned in the music press - but they’ve sold albums and CDs by the truck load. All those fans can’t be wrong! I must confess that I’m not a fan but you have to admire their ability to churn out big rock numbers with frightening regularity. They did their hits justice last night.

And they’re also great showmen - Jon Bon Jovi sings "Raise Your Hands for me" - and 34,000 duly oblige.

I’m also glad the band hasn’t made the mistake many seasoned rockers have, which is to junk their old numbers to concentrate on the new. There was a happy mix of old and new - plus a crowd-pleasing rendition of Rockin’ All Over the World.

The band ended with what seemed an odd choice of a song! Was this their answer to Stars in their Eyes as Jon Bon Jovi became Lulu to perform Shout for the final encore? The crowd lapped it up.

Earlier, the singer had announced (in his New Jersey drawl): "Wolverhampton huh - I’m starting to like it around here." Yes and if you hang around this football stadium for long enough Jon, someone will even try to explain the offside rule to you.




Your reviews

Review by James from Birmingham

I saw Bon Jovi last night, and I have to say (been a die-hard fan), it was the greatest show ive ever seen them do! I liked the mix with the old songs (Wanted Dead or Alive & Livin on a prayer) with songs from there latest album 'Bounce' and there album released in 2000 'Crush' (Bounce, Everyday, Its my life). Although Id wished them to play 'Always', I was not dissapointed in the slightest. I went away thinking

1) My legs are going to give way in a minute

2)I aint going to have a voice tomorrow

3)I bet this is the first time a Birmingham fan has been on the pitch here and not been arrested

4) I HAVE GOT TO SEE THEM AGAIN!

The atmosphere was so friendly that I ended up having a compleate stranger on my sholders so they could see better! It was a fantastic experience, and I will never forget it!

Review by Laura

It was my first time to a football stadium and first time to see bon jovi. What an experience I'll never forget. It was fantastic. The atmosphere was amazing.

My thirteen year old daughter got that carried away she stood on the small wall by the pitch screaming and dancing until a nice security man told her to get down.

Bon Jovi certainly know how to get a crowd going to their max. Hope to go to the moulineux for a concert again. What an ace venue. Keep up the good work.

The writer seemed to 've liked it

Cool, that brings back all the memories of the summer shows. Cant beleive it was nearly three months ago now

3 months ???
It feels like it was just yesterday!!

Well that's a good thing as well ... as 3 months look like it was yesterday ... the next tour will be here verrrrrrrry soon haha

Hahaha... yeah that`s true ...

3 months?

NO WAY!!!

how time flys...

Thanks - brought back a few memories... I was almost there when reading that

i think we were all there, i wish I could invent a time machine and go back in time to 24th June 2003 around the time of 11am-1pm when I was meeting you and Chocbaby

*sigh*

those were the times