Your fondest Bon Jovi memory
 

Hey guys. I guess it’s safe to say we are nearing the finish line when it comes to live shows. It’s clear Jon can’t do it anymore.

Naturally, the criticism has been constant (myself included). So I thought that I’d be nice to remember the good times. With that in mind, I ask you: what’s your fondest Bon Jovi live memory ?

There are so many that comes to my mind, but there’s one that’ll never be topped. The year is 2010. By then, I had gone to 7 Jovi concerts (two in the LH tour and 5 in the Circle Tour, including the amazing Soldier Field concerts in 2010). I had tickets for both São Paulo and Rio concerts, and I remember being amazed at the setlist that Buenos Aires got two days before my show. We left the hotel and couldn’t find a taxi to take us to the stadium. After a couple of hours trying, we hopped on a bus but we were stuck in traffic. I started to became desperate, decided to drop off the bus and started running. I remember entering the stadium and as soon as I saw the stage, the lights were turned off and the band kicked in Blood on Blood. I was completely exhausted and couldn’t feel my legs, but the energy coming from the band was incredible. And the crowd was up to it. The show was spectacular. But then the encore came and this happened:

https://youtu.be/VS2MdAdHjL8

So basically I relived the It’s my Life clip, got a spectacular concert and got my first live version of my favorite Bon Jovi song. After it was over, I had a feeling that till this day I can’t describe. I went to 20+ shows after that, some were incredible (Europe 2011), but when I think about Bon Jovi live, that’s the night that pops up first in my mind.

Good times …

Cheers

Eduardo


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My first Jovi show - Manchester 1996. I had no idea what to expect in terms of the setlist - they just played hit after hit after hit, plus the amazing songs from These Days. Jon was in a great mood the whole night but one of the bits I remember the most was during Bed Of Roses...after "the barkeepers' wigs crooked, and she was giving me the eye, well I might have said yes" he just shrugged and said "I was drunk!".

Total ad-lib and unforgettable.

Dublin 1996. These Days was the final song of the night after 4 encores and the sun just appeared. He said "whether it's the clouds breaking or the sun shining all of a sudden you wake up and go damn it's a good day today. Well thanks to you folks we wake up every day and say damn it's a good day today. Sometimes you might forget what day it is, what month, what year. But you don't forget why you come out here. And tonight, as I dedicate this song I want you to know that when Richie and I wrote it, it wasn't there is noone else but us the days, but there is no one left but us (audience) these days. So wherever your dreams might take you, let the sun shine alright?

I was 16 and that was me hooked.

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I have three... The biggest to me it was the One Last Wild Night show. I was 6 at the time, was already a little Jovi lover and it could be bought on pay per view here in Brazil, I begged my dad to buy it so I could watch. I remember being the best thing that happened to me to that day, was great to see them live and not just music videos, it was great to see tracks I never heard before at the time, I recorded it in VHS and watched everyday for years
Second was my first gig, Rock in Rio 2013, it was a shit show because of all the reasons we know but I was with my best friend and with a lot of good friends I made online through the years that are also Jovi fans
And the last one was the first time I saw Born To Be My Baby live, they didn't play at my show in 2013 so the first time I watched it was in 2017. I cried like a baby

Honourable mention to the first time, in my early teens, I actually sat down with a borrowed Cross Road cd, put my headphones on and gave Bon Jovi a try. Not only did it open up my eyes/ears to what would be a constant in my life but it opened the world of music to me. My music listening journey has taken twists and turns everywhere but I know I can always come back to Bon Jovi.

Strangely enough the best time I’ve had at a show would have been Wembley 2019. I’ve spent years telling myself I’ll never go to another show but always been persuaded by friends catching on late or wanting to tick a bucket list. The show itself was by no means perfect but it didn’t matter for the group I was with and to be in the moment with people I love.

Mine was seeing them for the first time at Wembley in 1995. The first time they had played the stadium and you could see how much it meant to them to play there. It was a fantastic night that I never wanted to end. I remember I kept looking back after it had ended hoping they would come back out for another encore. I’ve seen them several times since but that night/performance was never bettered for me.😊

Only seen them four times but the first was by far the best. Opening with Livin’ On A Prayer. Playing a stellar version of Blaze Of Glory. Richie’s version of IBTFY. Diamond Ring and Always. Dry County.

From a non-viewing perspective, controversial I’d assume but I enjoyed following 2008-11 on this board. The excitement when tracks like Hey God, Stick To Your Guns, Let It Rock, Tokyo Road etc. were brought back. Fun times.

A good number of close choices, but it's Mannheim 2011 for me.

The disappointment of Dusseldorf three days earlier, the rough travel to the concert site and then having gotten stuck in the back there for quite a while had me low in spirits.
But that night just had everything I needed. From a great place to watch, great company, an excited crowd to a band that was lead by a frontman who left no doubt he was THE rockstar at that concert.
Every setlist surprise was something that I was able to relate to at the time, from The Radio Saved My Life Tonight to Miss Fourth of July.
It's something I can't really put into words, but that whole thing was like an euphoric rush that just kept rising and rising until it erupted with Keep The Faith and Hey God. I never got that burst of emotion or specific feeling before or afterwards (to that extent) at a concert and I'm not sure I ever will again.
But Mannheim was in so many ways the ending to a special time in my life (and the ending of MY Bon Jovi band) that it'll remain THE ultimate memory for me.

As vanilla and autopilot-esque as the Tallinn 2019 show was, These Days (the first time I've heard it live) was THE highlight that saved the night for me and, to this day, is the only time I've ever cried during a concert. Not even Jon's patchy vocal delivery could take anything away from the moment.

https://youtu.be/UBVo_hw-aGs

Your fondest Bon Jovi memory
 

I have the exact same feeling about Mannheim 2011. Dusseldorf was my first Bon Jovi concert in Europe, and I left feeling very cold. Zurich the day after didn’t help much either.

Needless to say that the run from Mannheim to Lisbon was something out of this world. Considering what they are delivering nowadays I feel very grateful for being able to attend that.

Cheers

Eduardo


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