Bon Jovi: Jon Australia Fan Club Q&A

Thanks to shawnsgirl69 for recording the whole thing and posting it on Youtube.

Bon Jovi: BB King & Ricky Somboro

Here is the legendary BB King performing with a guy who he calls Ricky Somboro.

Someone should bring a sign to a show that says I LOVE YOU RICKY SOMBORO.

I'll be posting Random Videos throughout the day!

If it's not already 2011 where you're at I hope you have a great New Year!

Bon Jovi: As Expected...

And "Work for the Working Man" sounds in my head...

Bon Jovi, AC/DC top concert draws in 2010

LOS ANGELES | Wed Dec 29, 2010 4:03am GMT

 (Reuters) - Bon Jovi may have recently been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the veteran band still ended the year as the world's top concert attraction, according to a trade publication.

The group sold $201.1 million (£130.6 million) worth of tickets, split almost evenly between North America and the rest of the world, said Pollstar magazine. Its success was noteworthy given that it was promoting a 2009 album that did not sell strongly.

Bon Jovi also shone even as overall sales slid in a tough economy. Pollstar said sales for the top 50 tours worldwide fell 12 percent to $2.93 billion. In North America, the top 50 tours dropped 15 percent to $1.69 billion.

Overseas tours are increasingly becoming more lucrative for musicians, especially as infrastructure improves across Asia and the former Soviet bloc, Pollstar said.

Indeed, hard rockers AC/DC came in at No. 2 and Irish foursome U2 at No. 3 after making all their money overseas. AC/DC grossed $177 million, and U2 $160.9 million. U2 was the top worldwide act in 2009 with $311 million, followed by AC/DC with $227 million.

In a field dominated by rock acts, flamboyant pop star Lady Gaga was No. 4 this year with $133.6 million. The "Poker Face" singer worked harder than any other musician in the top 10, playing 138 shows, two-thirds of which were overseas.

Bon Jovi, by contrast, played 80 shows. AC/DC (40 shows) and U2 (32 shows) took it relatively easy.

Metallica was No. 5 with $110.1 million from 60 overseas shows. Both Metallica and AC/DC last released albums in 2008, relying on their extensive catalogues of headbanging favourites to keep drawing fans.

The field was rounded out by Canadian singer Michael Buble (No. 6, $104.2 million), the "Walking with Dinosaurs" live family show (No. 7, $104.1 million), Paul McCartney (No. 8, $93 million), the Eagles (No. 9, $92.3 million) and former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters (No. 10, $89.5 million).

Waters earned all his money in North America, where his acclaimed restaging of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was the No. 2 draw behind Bon Jovi with $108.2 million. Among all-time North American tours, the Bon Jovi trek ranks at No. 9, Pollstar said. The Rolling Stones hold the record with $162 million from their 2005 outing. The publication has been collecting worldwide data for only two years.

The Dave Matthews Band was No. 3 in North America with $72.9 million. Buble followed with $65.7 million and the Eagles with $64.5 million.

Bon Jovi's previous best performance in North America was in 2008, when the band was fifth with ticket sales of $70.4 million. The New Jersey rockers, led by singer Jon Bon Jovi, were on the ballot for inclusion in the 2011 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, but failed to make the cut. Critics have largely been dismissive of the group's catchy "soft-rock" tunes, even as the band has little problem selling out stadiums and arenas to its female-skewing fan base. Its 2009 album "The Circle" debuted at No. 1 in the United States, but ended up selling relatively poorly.

Bon Jovi: Amazing Art

I've posted this guy's work in the past.  And he just completed a 3rd painting of Jon.



Happy Birthday Boots, who ever you are!  What a great gift!

Bon Jovi: I want a Snapple!!!

I vaguely remember this video since EVERYONE in the NY/NJ area drank snapple in the late 80's Early 90's.

Although I was not able to get the $2 off since I bought Stranger in this Town the day it came out at Coconuts on Rt 46 in Totowa/Wayne, NJ.



I know you want a Snapple now too (thanks @SwissRichieGirl for sharing)!!

Bon Jovi: Back Door Santa? Which door is that?

I'm just putting this out there.  I know when I hear Back Door Santa that's the first thing that came to my mind (same thing with Back Door to Heaven.)

Yes I have a dirty mind.  But these same thoughts have launched a million Bon Jovi fan fiction ships.  So many of you are not only coming down into the gutter with me, but you're moving in down the street.

And I am the neighborhood welcome committee.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

The Weakest Cut: A Very Special Christmas

James Greene Jr.

Christmas music: okay in small doses and generally inconsequential…unless a charity is somehow involved. Such was the case with 1987′s A Very Special Christmas, the Jimmy Iovine-produced Yuletide compilation that invited a smattering of pop stars like Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Sting to record holiday standards for the benefit of the Special Olympics. The altruistic exercise proved a big hit, raising garbage trucks of money for the SO and spawning six or seven sequel albums. This first entry was the best, though, just like any given movie franchise or potato chip or shot of heroin.

Look, I’m not saying I didn’t love Chris Cornell’s rendition of “Ava Maria” on 1997′s A Very Special Christmas 3, but…ah…okay, listen, I’ve made enough jokes at Chris Cornell’s expense this year. I should give the poor fella a break during the holidays. Merry Christmas, Spoonman!

So what did A Very Special Christmas Part One give us? A timeless, chicken fried performance of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” from John Cougar Mellencamp. Madonna reigning it in for a cute and faithful run-through of Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby”. A U2 version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, the only known recording of Bono that doesn’t make me want to drive hot skewers through my eyes. And, of course, Bon Jovi’s Aqua Net-laced cover of “Back Door Santa”, the obvious weakest cut amidst all the cheery December din. Don’t get me wrong: sexually suggestive Christmas music has its place in society, but on a pop compilation attempting to raise money for the Special Olympics with Keith Haring cover art? Even as a kid, I recognized this tune about sneaking in some hot mama’s rear entrance was inappropriately placed.

On top of that, ugh, Bon Jovi, your friggin’ keyboardist! It feels like the trashiest hooker in Orange, New Jersey, is jabbing me in the ear with her stiletto every time I hear that WANK WANK WANK WANK WANKWANKWANKWANK on the digitized keys.

The irony, of course, is that Run-D.M.C. sampled the original Clarence Carter version of “Back Door Santa” for their Very Special Christmas contribution, “Christmas in Hollis”. The result (AVSC’s only original composition) was a completely non-sexual and staggeringly awesome hip hop Noel creation, a stone cold Xmas classic if ever there was one. The most satisfying Christmas present I received in 1987—aside from my Peter Venkman action figure—was hearing the deep record scratch in “Hollis” that intro’d Daryl McDaniels’ deliciously hard verse about eating collard greens, drinking egg nog, and busting “Chris-MAS CAROLS!”

But I digress. Validating the shittiness of Bon Jovi’s sleaze-tastic “Back Door Santa”: the song was swapped out for Jovi’s tamer “I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas” on later pressings of A Very Special Christmas. No official reason was ever given, but I think we all could imagine an uncomfortable scene wherein Special Olympics officials and/or participants were listening to Jonny B croak thinly veiled metaphors about getting in his lady’s butt. Lord in Heaven above, Bon Jovi! No one wants to hear about your third input desires, especially on Christmas Day!

The sad part of this story? Jon Bon Jovi was recently appointed to some dippy White House Council for “community solutions” by our half-black president while the surviving members of Run-D.M.C. are currently spending their days slumming with folks like Jackyl. I can only assume Obama’s a secret fan of Bon Jovi’s other musical Christmas abomination, Christmas in the Stars (a.k.a. the Star Wars Christmas album). That 1980 embarrassment was actually the first pro recording young John Bongiovi ever appeared on.

Which begs one question: when will America see a Jon Bon Jovi/R2-D2 singing reunion? 2012? Hope so. That robot’s only got a few good years left in him.

Musical machismo beats pop in a rock-solid year

90,000 Australians got to hear Leonard Cohen sing Hallelujah.  Awesome!

Musical machismo beats pop in a rock-solid year

Amy Sinclair

December 26, 2010

Never too young . . . AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. Photo: Paul Rovere

LAST year it was girly pop with Beyonce, Britney Spears and Pink, but '80s rock blasted back as the stadium filler of choice for 2010.

Using estimates provided by promoters and venues, The Sun-Herald compiled a list of the highest-selling concerts of the year.

The legendary Australian rockers AC/DC were the biggest touring act, selling 660,000 tickets across Australia, almost of third of them in NSW.

Promoter Michael Chugg said it had been ''a healthy year, and 2011 is looking bigger and better, with ticket sales already high. The industry is in great shape.''

While the Sydney U2 shows were not quite the sell-outs promoters had wanted, about 450,000 tickets still sold across Australia, making it the second-biggest touring act in the country.

Bon Jovi had the largest ticket sales worldwide but were only third on the list in Australia, selling about 300,000 tickets.

Rounding out the top five acts and continuing the male rock trend were Powderfinger, who played more than 30 shows on their farewell tour, and Metallica, with crowds of 300,000 and 170,000 respectively.

Just when the big concert tours seemed to be mirroring a Triple M playlist from the 1980s, along came Lady Gaga, the flamboyant queen of pop music.

The eccentric American singer, fond of puzzling the world with her weird outfits, was the first pop star to break into the top 10 at No. 6. Her polar opposite, America's sweetheart Taylor Swift, was at No. 9 in what was a tough year for US pop stars - Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers and Christina Aguilera all cancelling shows in their home country owing to poor ticket sales.

Tours by Leonard Cohen and Carole King and James Taylor rounded off the list of artists coming here, most touring well beyond their heyday but still selling out stadiums.

Among those coming to Australia next year are Justin Bieber, Usher and Katy Perry, all for the second time in six months. The nostalgia trend is set to continue with Lionel Richie, Joe Cocker, the Doobie Brothers and Bob Dylan confirmed for Australian gigs.

The influx of overseas artists may be having an effect on music festivals. Big Day Out organisers have announced all ticket holders for the January 27 show can bring a friend without paying, upsetting many ticket holders for the 26th, who paid up to $155 for their tickets.

Top of the pops

1 AC/DC 660,000

2 U2 450,000

3 Bon Jovi 300,000

4 Powderfinger 300,000

5 Metallica 170,000

6 Eagles 150,000

7 Lady Gaga 150,000

8 Leonard Cohen 90,000

9 Taylor Swift 85,000

10 Gorillaz 61,000

Figures are Australian tour audiences.

Bon Jovi: Through it all, Christmas still manages to shine brightly

Through it all, Christmas still manages to shine brightly

DECEMBER 25, 2010

It may seem we live in coarsening times where scandal and salaciousness are the only things that draw people's attention.

How then is the good will felt by all on Christmas Day explained?

Today is the one day of the year where faith in the innate goodness of man seems to be renewed and invigorated. It's renewed during the giving of presents on Christmas morning. It's renewed by the breaking of bread Christmas afternoon. It's renewed by the tender wishing of Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, of strangers to strangers.

It's renewed by events like the Christmas lunch being offered by Temple Emanu-El, a Reform Jewish synagogue, in Edison today.

"The Temple Emanu-El decided to do something to help the community, and since we know our Christian friends are busy with their own families on Christmas Day, it would be a nice idea to provide a Christmas Day dinner (in the afternoon) for those who would not otherwise have a place to go," said Dara Winston, office manager at the temple.

Christmas is the day Christians observe the birth of Jesus Christ. But perhaps even more than that, it is a day of goodwill in which everyone can partake. A HIT for Christmas Day, and the Christmas spirit.

HIT: Mr. Bon Jovi goes to Washington

The notion of Sayreville native Jon Bon Jovi as a steadfast humanitarian is quite a contrast from his '80s image as a teased-hair carefree rocker. But he has received that stamp of approval from none other than President Obama, who has named Bon Jovi to the newly established White House Council for Community Solutions. The council will advise Obama on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs, according to the White House.

In choosing Bon Jovi for the panel, the White House cited the work of Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Foundation. "The Soul Foundation launches programs and partnerships with the intent to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in the United States," said the White House. Like we said, Bon Jovi's come a long way. And we applaud. Using his celebrity to bring awareness to the plight of others is a noble thing.

HIT: Full moon disappearing

Those who braved the icy early morning temperatures on Tuesday were treated to a spectacular sight — a total eclipse of the moon. For 72 minutes, the moon appeared like a dusty light-red marble, ready to be plucked from the sky. It was wondrous — and very rare, too, because this eclipse happened on the winter solstice. The last time that occurred was Dec. 21, 1638. The next time? Dec. 21, 2094. So we'll just have to settle for this appy with this particular bit of majesty.

Bon Jovi: A Bon Jovi Musical?

Interesting....

"I heard the idea mentioned and I thought: 'Great, go put it together, show me a story, let me see what it looks like'." - Jon Bon Jovi is open to the idea of a musical based on the band's hits.

Source

Um, hey Jon you already have someone on the payroll who can put that together for you.

Bon Jovi: Showbiz: Twice as great with Bon Jovi

Dear Jon,
Justin Beiber may be hot today, but you've been hot pretty much my entire lifetime.
Love,
Me

Showbiz: Twice as great with Bon Jovi

2010/12/21

The rock star talks about staying relevant and the inspiration behind his band’s second Greatest Hits album

WITH the release of Bon Jovi Greatest Hits recently, the rock group’s frontman, Jon Bon Jovi, reflects on the success of the five-member outfit that was formed in New Jersey in 1983.

How does it feel to have released your second Greatest Hits album?

I’m pleased to have had two greatest hits albums in my career. A Greatest Hits album is usually the culmination of a career and one that’s perhaps finished and we’re anything but finished. The last we did a Greatest Hits was in 1994 (Cross Road), and we’ve had a lot of hits since then. I’m pleased with the way it’s turned out, with the older tracks and the newer songs.

What inspired this volume of the Greatest Hits?

I initially rejected the idea but I had to do it as a compromise and a commitment to my record company. I was in Nashville a couple of years ago and I wanted to make a country album. Since we’re such an established band, my producers naturally couldn’t say “No” but the CEO said, “While you’re losing millions of my dollars, could you consider making a Greatest Hits album?”

We went on to make Lost Highway, but it was more of a Bon Jovi-influenced Nashville record than a country album. It did very well but a deal is a deal and we sat down and started thinking about the greatest hits compilation.

How did you decide on the track arrangement?

The songs had to fit the idea of what the greatest hits were. I guess in a strange way, I thought of this album as a party and the songs were guests invited to this party. The old tracks mingled well and the new songs had to fit in naturally and comfortably. The song choices were heavily influenced by our fans’ input — that was our priority — and it made the process easier. There is European, American and Asian version so our fans worldwide can get the tracks they like best.

Your new single, What Do You Got, is getting a good response. What’s that like?

It’s great. It was written during The Circle, but it was set aside for the Greatest Hits album because it didn’t really fit the socially-and-politically-conscious tone of The Circle. It has a timeless and universal appeal, and when the people at the studio first heard it, they really liked it.

I wanted to put No Apologies as the first single, but relented and changed it to What Do You Got. We re-recorded it the week we released it. We re-recorded it on a — no exaggeration here — maybe on a Tuesday, mixed it on Wednesday, mastered it by Thursday and on Friday it was on the radio.

You’ve been in the music business for a long time. How have you managed to stay relevant?

You know, fashions and trends come and go but at the end of the day, good music is good music. Look at that Justin Bieber craze going on right now. In six months, there will be six more Justin Biebers because commercialised music sells, or so record labels think. Consumers are getting smarter now, with the advent of social networks and things like YouTube, and they can tell original, creative work from uninspired ones.

Have you ever looked around and thought you were at the peak of your career?

Every stage of my career feels like the big-time. When I was 16 or 17 and playing in nightclubs I was too young to be in, I thought that was big-time.

When my first record was released, I thought that was the peak of my career. When you have an album like Slippery When Wet, you certainly believe that’s the big time.

When I look back to the success of Slippery, at the kind of venues we were playing then to the venues we’re playing now, we’ve dwarfed it.

So there’s always another rung of the ladder above you but I think at this point I measure success by the length of a career.

Our last couple of albums are still No. 1 records. We’re the biggest touring band of the world of 2010 and the only reason it wasn’t the biggest touring band of 2009 was because we weren’t on the road. But every day there’s another rung that’s higher.

What do you think of promoting music via social networks?

There are ebbs and flows, and if you were to ask me about the state of rock music say five or 10 years ago, I’d have said it was in trouble. There’s a newfound freedom and discovery with the use of social networks, and bands are finding their influences’ influences.

Virally, the world may be able to come up with the next Bob Dylan without having to go through the traditional obstacles such as getting a radio to support a record and the kind of junkets I’m still going through. I’m hearing some really interesting, original kind of music through YouTube so I’m holding out for hope because the traditional methods of music distribution are changing. The model is gone.

Which do you think the fans enjoy listening to more — Bon Jovi on album or Bon Jovi live?

In our early career, Bon Jovi was the best-kept secret in rock ‘n roll. People would say “You gotta see them live”. The third album was when we really captured that energy on vinyl. Our reputation as a live band preceded us, we were known for our live shows.

On the other hand, when you come to see us live, you don’t come because you want to see a jam band. People would go see the Grateful Dead because of the surrounding, because of that experience. People come to watch us because they know those songs, generations sing those songs.

You once performed a groundbreaking concert on the roof of a stadium. What was that about?

We’d been spending a month at the O2 in London and that roof-top concert was just our way of saying “Hello, London, we’re here!” We love being the first to do something, and this was definitely the first time someone had performed on the roof of the O2, but it was really just a promotional tool.

Where do you find the inspiration for your songs?

If you open your eyes and ears, every day is a song waiting to be written. If you watched the rescue of the miners in Chile, there would be a story there if you chose to write about it. When you watch your kid going to school, that’s a story. A busy week is a story. Every day is another opportunity to make a memory — sometimes it’s about you, sometimes about the world around you.

What instrument do you use when you’re composing songs?

Primarily the guitar but I have written some different songs on the piano. Both instruments give you a different feel. Some of the more intimate songs have come from the piano, the longer storyteller songs like Joey and Dry County and those sit-down to piano songs we’ve written over the years. The big rock songs seem to lend themselves easier to the guitar. These days I’m writing more on the guitar.

You have often been called the sexiest man alive. Any comment?

None. That’s for Justin Bieber.

Note: Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits album is now available in record stores

— Universal Music

Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi "toying" with Glastonbury slot

One of the Biggest Festival's in the UK. Didn't Bruce play it like last year or the year before.

And then he played Hyde Park too...

Do I detect a pattern?

Bon Jovi "toying" with Glastonbury slot

Wednesday, December 22 2010, 5:18am EST

By Robert Copsey, Music Reporter

Bon Jovi have revealed that they are "toying" with the idea of performing at Glastonbury next year.

The group, who were recently declared the highest grossing tour act of 2010, said they would consider performing at the three-day event if they were invited by organiser Michael Eavis.

"I've always toyed with the idea of playing there," Jovi told the Daily Star.

"If they don’t have another old-timer like me, I’d love to go out and see it and perhaps do a set, sure."

The 'Living On A Prayer' rockers, who are due to play London's Hard Rock Calling festival next year, also revealed that they were persuaded to play the event over a concert at Wembley Stadium because of the gig's location.

Jovi explained: "We could have sold out Wembley Stadium no problem but Hyde Park is right out the back door of the hotel I stay at in London.

"The traffic of getting to Wemb­ley from central London I’ve done enough times. I like to walk across the park - it’s that simple."

The band recently announced a further two 2011 tour dates.

Bon Jovi: Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Ok Jon was at this show.... :)

I don't know who Santa is, but Bruce points out Southside Johnny as the Grinch (Ho Ho Ho).

Enjoy

One of my very Favorite Christmas songs, no one does this like Bruce does.

Bon Jovi: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

I prefer this one over the rolling around with Cindy Crawford Please Come Home For Christmas, so here is Jon doing  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).  This is off A Very Special Christmas Live!  Which as you can see can be purchased through Amazon and helps the Special Olympics.

Bon Jovi: Old article, Nice read

Thanks to @Dobronyi for tweeting this.  I remember reading it a few years ago.  I believe Jon was still in his old apartment, not the current Penthouse in SoHo that he's in now.

'I'm the poster boy for marriage'

There's no sex, no drugs and - cynics say - precious little rock'n'roll. But Jon Bon Jovi wouldn't swap places with Pete Doherty, he tells Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman

The Guardian, Friday 26 May 2006

Jon Bon Jovi 'A United Nations of thinking' ... Jon Bon Jovi. Photograph: Stephen Chernin/AP

Jon Bon Jovi has a bad reputation, but it's not the kind of bad reputation rock stars crave. There's little to report when it comes to sex (he's been married to the same woman for 17 years) or drugs (he prefers fine wines) or even, for that matter, rock'n'roll. The critical consensus on this latter point is that Bon Jovi is a sort of unthinking person's Bruce Springsteen: a spokesman for the working man, born in New Jersey like the Boss, but without the poetry, and with a mane of blond highlights where his blue collar ought to be.

Interviewers describe him as a weapons-grade bore; celebrity magazines ignore him. His band, also called Bon Jovi, has sold more records in America than Jimi Hendrix or the Beach Boys or Frank Sinatra, and yet the correct protocol for listening to a Bon Jovi song - even among those who love them - still seems to involve inserting one's tongue into one's cheek. He does little to redress any of this by: a) holding our interview at his desperately beige, totally unrockular uptown Manhattan apartment, and b) spending the whole time with the top three buttons of his shirt undone, exposing his greying chest hair.

So it's disconcerting to find him immediately likeable, exuding the serenity of a man who will be playing to several hundred thousand people at stadiums across Europe this summer whether you happen to rate his music or not. The UK leg of the tour begins next week, and was due to have culminated with the first gig at the new Wembley. But what with livin' on a prayer being the modus operandi of all major British construction projects, the stadium isn't finished, so the band will play the Milton Keynes Bowl instead. "Sucks," Bon Jovi observes. "I offered to play in the parking lot with a long extension cord, but they didn't seem to find that very humorous."

He is 43 now ("old enough to be Lindsay Lohan's dad") and a Bon Jovi concert these days is a carefully calibrated affair, pressing the right buttons - You Give Love a Bad Name, Bad Medicine, Livin' on a Prayer - while trying not to descend into the pure nostalgia of, say, a Rolling Stones show. But middle age is treating him well, roughening his striking good looks just enough to remove the semi-comical boy-band sheen. It is also helping him address the central existential problem of being Bon Jovi, which is this: when you start your career as part of a phenomenon so manifestly stupid and image-based as 1980s hair metal, when can you ever tell if people really like you for your music?

"At 25, your thought process is, 'I want credibility! I want the critics to like this!'" he says. "I hated [the focus on looks]. Hated it. We'd written a record, Slippery When Wet, and we were sitting there going, 'Right on! We got three No 1 singles, this is the biggest-selling record in America, and we're on the cover of Rolling Stone!' And then the first thing a girl talks about is, 'Your hair looks nice. Will you take your shirt off for me? Got any tattoos?'"

But time moves on. "You get older, and you can joke about it and say, well, I've still got my hair. And so now even somebody who might despise everything we did has to admit that there's a body of work that people listen to. It's the body of work that matters."

We are sitting in Bon Jovi's lounge at a heavy wooden table, which is empty except for a glass bowl containing 15 identical green apples. Every piece of non-wooden furniture, plus the carpet, is some shade of beige or cream. There is a photograph on the wall of Bon Jovi meeting Bill Clinton, an Elton John CD, and a coffee-table book of aerial photography, but few other signs that anyone lives here. Which, it turns out, they don't: Bon Jovi lives with his wife Dorothea and their four children across the river in an upmarket corner of New Jersey. (The children's surname is Bongiovi, the one their father was born with.) The New York apartment is a calculated pretence, designed to make you think you are in the presence of authenticity.

This is what the critics say about Bon Jovi's music, too. The charge is that the band output is corporate pap, laden with cliches, incapable of eliciting any emotional tug. By way of example, their latest album, Have a Nice Day, contains a song with the following lines: "Like a blind dog without a bone/ I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone/ I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold/ I been there, done that, I ain't looking back/ On the seeds I've sown." (Although if you think that's embarrassing you should see the video, which features a man in a dog costume, and of which Bon Jovi concedes: "It's fucking out there, man ... I don't get it, one iota." )

But calling music corporate isn't an unanswerable put-down: some such bands endure and some don't. What distinguishes all of Bon Jovi - co-songwriter Richie Sambora, Tico Torres, David Bryan and Hugh McDonald - is their unremitting energy and their level of belief in what they're doing. "We didn't pretend to be from Seattle when that got popular," Bon Jovi says. "We didn't hang out with rappers when that got popular. I didn't do a boy band dance routine. I'm not in the tabloids, I'm not in the gossip magazines, but there's a lot of other guys who can do that."

The self-belief is in the band's DNA, but the nonchalance about media attention is new: until fairly recently, the feud over press coverage between Bon Jovi and Axl Rose, of Guns N' Roses, was one of the most entertaining in rock. Bon Jovi complained that Rose was in the spotlight too much, considering that the band hadn't recorded anything decent in a while. Rose, among various responses, suggested in public that Bon Jovi might like to suck his dick. But while Rose struggles perpetually to orchestrate a comeback, Bon Jovi never really went away, and so it falls to the victor to declare an end to hostilities.

"Taken out of context," Bon Jovi says today about his attack on Rose. "Let me clarify that. They've written some great songs. But people [attending concerts] also wanted to know, 'Is this the show where he ends it all?'" There is little danger of Jon Bon Jovi collapsing on stage in a drug-addled heap. "I'm not a drug guy," he has said. "I have a nice wine habit, but I was never into drugs ... Why do I need something that's going to grind my teeth all night and won't let me get it on with a woman?" He knows that adopting a less suburban lifestyle might make some people think he was cooler. "Those people get a lot more press. Like, I know who that guy is - Pete Dyer, Pete Doherty? I hear he's great. But I've never heard a Babyshambles song in my life ... I'd rather be doing what I'm doing."

In the midst of all this Happy Days talk about clean living and doing what you do best, Bon Jovi's politics come as a bit of a surprise. But he is serious about his leftwing commitments. He performed at rallies for John Kerry in 2004 and, by all accounts, spends serious time and money tackling homelessness in Philadelphia, near where he grew up, in association with the charity Habitat for Humanity. He also owns an unprofitable minor-league football team, the Philadelphia Soul, which "has made helping the local community a cornerstone of its identity", according to the national volunteering umbrella group Points of Light. "I'm Bono's biggest fan, I love what he's doing for the world, but where he's acting globally, I act locally," Bon Jovi says. The comparison comes off as a little awkward, but who's to say Bon Jovi's philanthropy isn't just as effective on its own terms? It is certainly a lot less annoying.

The problem is that the politics don't find a voice in the music. The title track of Have a Nice Day is a bitter screw-you to George Bush, written in the aftermath of the 2004 election, but we know this only because Bon Jovi has said so. "The Japanese came over and said" - he adopts a bad Japanese accent - "'Oh, Have a Nice Day, very nice song!' And you go, 'No, no, no, you don't get the irony in it. You're missing it. It's have a nice fuckin' day.'"

In part, the vagueness of the lyrics is to avoid internecine disputes: the rest of the band, Bon Jovi says, aren't nearly so liberal as he is. But there is another calculation involved. "I could have started that song with 'Dear Mr President'," he says. "But I had to say, now, wait a minute, I have to sing this in Africa, and Asia, and Australia, and Europe. So I need to make the theme universal. Because, maybe you have a prime minister instead of a president. Maybe you have a boss. Or maybe you don't care about social issues. I tend to find if I make a universal theme people can relate to, they'll get their own message ... It's a United Nations of thinking." Your response to this statement - is it cynicism, or just populism? - will probably serve as a good barometer for your views of Bon Jovi in general.

Does he ever envisage retiring? "I won't be like the Stones. I don't anticipate being sixtysomething and doing a lot of shows. You probably heard Keith fell out of a tree a few days ago. I don't envision myself being like that." Bon Jovi will pack up their guitars, he swears, "the minute that this is all nostalgia, that it's the fat guys out there pulling up their tight jeans. Then I'm out. I'm out. Until then, I can't stop."

Nothing gives him more pride than the fact that there are two generations of fans at the average Bon Jovi show: couples in their late 30s, who might have just met each other when Slippery When Wet came out, and a new wave of people in their late teens and early 20s. Sure, they might have their tongues in their cheeks. "But you go to a Springsteen show, and they're 50 or 60 years old!" Bon Jovi says, which sounds a little bitter, but is also, by and large, true.

Bon Jovi's publicist has warned the Guardian that he may storm out of the interview if asked about his love life, so I leave it till last, and tell him what she said.

He laughs. "Nobody cares. Richie's the one getting all the media for that." (Sambora has been dating the actress Denise Richards and has previously dated Cher and Ally Sheedy, as well as having been married to Heather Locklear.) "Me? Nobody cares. I'm the poster boy for marriage. How I became the poster boy, I don't know, because I'm not the only one. Up until about two minutes ago, Steven Tyler [of Aerosmith] had been married for as long. Bono's been married as long. Springsteen's been married, this time, for as long. But that's OK. People say, you know, 'How come you're not sleeping with Angelina Jolie?' Well ..."

He leans back in his chair and makes a characteristic Bon Jovi expression, somewhere between a shrug and a smirk. "I can't. Whatcha gonna do? That's the trade-off. That's OK. I can live with that. I got a good deal."

· Bon Jovi play Hampden Park, Glasgow on June 3, then tour.

Bon Jovi: Short Hiatus, not for me though...

With the Sydney shows done The Circle/Greatest Hits Tour is done for 2011.   After a holiday Hiatus the guys will be back on the road in February, 2011.

They played 86 different songs throughout the course of this years shows.  Pretty Good. (see the Play by Play abbreviations list to the right).  Can they top that in 2011?

If you start going through withdrawals until they go back on the road (Cause we all know Bon Jovi is like Meth, except without the whole Faces of Meth,we have the Faces of Jovi which is kind of like the O face, but Prayer is playing in the background, your singing along and most importantly its not a mug shot) check out my Media fire folder, I have plenty of things to share (its the holidays afterall!).  Media Fire  If a Link doesn't work let me know I'll re-up it.

Also while this blog isn't a gossip blog, I am amused by the fact that Denise Richards may be dating Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.  Many of us remember Denise from her time with Richie, we also remember that Richie was married to Heather Locklear who also was married to Tommy Lee also of Motley Crue.  What's the point of all this?  No point really except that I want Cher to date Vince Neil just for sh*ts and Giggles.

Bon Jovi: Sydney Review... OUCH

Not a positive review.  But the author doesn't explain why the middle was so drawn out.  This guy is a casual fan who stopped buying Bon Jovi CD's after New Jersey and just wanted to here the same 5 hits over and over again.

Bon Jovi

George Palathingal

December 20, 2010

Captive audience . . . Jon Bon Jovi on the first date of a three-night stint in Sydney. Photo: Sasha Woolley

Genre Rock Performer Bon Jovi

BON JOVI

Sydney Football Stadium,

December 17

IF THERE is an art to the seduction of a full stadium, Jon Bon Jovi is up there with contemporary masters such as Bono and Robbie Williams. Of course, it helps if you're as handsome and well-preserved as this particular 48-year-old and have an enormous screen or three through which to smile, smoulder and gyrate at those who want your babies.

But it's still no mean feat when you have to play three stadium shows, likely to many of the same attendees, on consecutive nights.

The issue with such a mini-residency, however, is that the set list has to change nightly, so song omissions are inevitable. This is fine if you're a hardcore fan with up to $500 per gig to spare on tickets and it's your highest priority on the last weekend before Christmas.

It's not such good news if you saw the hugely entertaining 2008 Bon Jovi show and came along for one memorable night of wall-to-wall anthems. Of the opening 10 songs performed on this first night, only three - the preposterous but irresistible You Give Love a Bad Name and its less impressive cousins In These Arms and It's My Life - properly fit that description.

There's a fun section in the middle, with I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and Bad Medicine each segueing into covers of jukebox classics (the Rolling Stones' Start Me Up, complete with comedy Jagger dancing, and Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll respectively). But after that it's another long haul to the big finale - for anyone other than the faithful.

Even when the encore arrives, you get the feeling during Wanted Dead or Alive that Jon Bon Jovi is either knackered from dancing to Keep the Faith or saving something for the next song (or show) - he wastes the opportunity to milk Wanted's chorus and one of the expected highlights falls flat. At least the batteries are recharged for Livin' on a Prayer, which doesn't disappoint.

The rest of the set, though, has too many obscurities, forays into countryish territory and too many unintentionally hilarious moments, from lame video accompaniments to the faux-blue-collar rock of Work for the Working Man - the irony being that, after three nights of this, the average working man could be having a pretty quiet Christmas.

Bon Jovi: Please stand for the playing of our National Anthem.

GUH, just GUH.

What a great Set list they got last night in Sydney.  And they Got Wanted with Mr Sambora on lead for the 2nd verse.

Totally fantastic and I am way jealous.  I hope they bring this spirit back with them to the states.

Bon Jovi: Run Run Rudolph

From last night (or is it this morning?) in Sydney.

Bon Jovi: Richie's Rig

This guy in Melbourne got a close up tour of Richie's Rig, go over and check it out here

If your a guitar geek this type of stuff is for you.

Bon Jovi: Cool News for DirecTV subscribers

Guess what I'll be watching on Christmas day, need to make sure I have this channel.

DIRECTV Rocks the Holidays: Exclusive U.S. Broadcast of 'The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010' in 3D

Beginning Christmas Day, DIRECTV Customers Can See Music Legends like Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Tom Jones, Brian May, Paolo Nutini, and Many More, in 3D Exclusively on n3D ™, Powered by Panasonic

n3D ™ to Also Air Exclusive 3D Broadcast Premiere of Bon Jovi's Latest Music Video 'What Do You Got' and Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Interviews, Beginning this Month

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 17, 2010 — Tear the wrapping paper off those new 3DTV's because on Christmas day, DIRECTV is bringing Britain's rock royalty to the U.S. with the exclusive broadcast of The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010 in 3D. The two-part concert series, shot at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, last month, will be available on DIRECTV's 3D channel, n3D™, powered by Panasonic (channel 103).

The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010, a charity event that brings music legends together to support young people in the U.K., features memorable performances by Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor performing with Keane's frontman Tom Chaplin, and Alison Moyet singing with Jamie Cullum. In addition, customers will be able to hear classic hits like "Heat Wave" and "Can't Buy Me Love" performed by Phil Collins; "Rocking Chair" and "Same Old Blues" performed by Eric Clapton; and "Days of our Lives" and "We Will Rock You" by Queen. The two-part concert series will premiere in 3D on n3D™, powered by Panasonic, on Dec. 25, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT. In addition, DIRECTV will also offer the 2D version of this concert series on The 101® Network, beginning Dec. 31.

"This is a phenomenal opportunity to see a variety of A-list musicians performing together for a great cause," said Chris Long, senior vice president of DIRECTV Entertainment. "The stunning scenery of London's Royal Albert Hall combined with the robust list of musical performances, all produced with the latest technology, makes this a 3D event that can't be missed."

The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 2010 will also feature performances by Tom Jones, Paolo Nutini, Jools Holland, Mark King, Status Quo, Paloma Faith, James "Midge" Ure, Tom Chaplin and more.

In addition to the Gala, n3D, powered by Panasonic, will air the exclusive 3D broadcast premiere of Bon Jovi's new music video, "What Do You Got." The feature will also include behind-the-scenes footage and an interview with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, which was filmed at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.

n3D is currently offering a variety of 3D music programming, including the exclusive, original series Guitar Center Sessions, which is now featuring intimate, acoustic performances by Peter Gabriel, Jane's Addiction, Buddy Guy and The Cult. Throughout the holiday season, n3D will also air Macy's Presents Jessica Simpson: Happy Christmas Special.

n3D, powered by Panasonic, is available at no additional cost to millions of DIRECTV HD customers. In addition to exclusive 3D coverage of special events such as the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and the 2010 U.S. Open Tennis Championship, n3D customers also have access to exclusive, original 3D programming such as Guy's Big Bite in 3D and Guitar Center Sessions. n3D and DIRECTV CINEMA's 3D offerings are all powered by Panasonic.

DIRECTV HD customers received a free software upgrade that enables them to have access to the 3D channels on DIRECTV. DIRECTV HD customers will need a 3D television set and 3D glasses to view 3D programming on DIRECTV. For more information on n3D™, powered by Panasonic, or DIRECTV CINEMA™, please visit www.DIRECTV.com/3D or www.DIRECTV.com/cinema.

Bon Jovi: Sitting on Jon's Face

BEST TITLE EVER!!!  Ah yes many of my Gutter Girl friends would like that.  But a woman actually had Jon's face tattooed on her butt and not she sits on he face....

Why wouldn't she have it tattooed on her Labia Majoria?  I mean the butt seems kind of mean...

Sitting On Bon Jovi's Face

Post by: Dave-O 17 December, 2010 - 8:44 AM

For Jon Bon Jovi reaching people is a part of his job. But there must be a point when it comes to the millions of fans he meets on the road where he goes 'okay, alright, that's a little bit crazy'. Like getting a tattoo of Jon on your back?

Photo: Triple M

An English lass named Lucy is one of Bon Jovi's biggest fans. And as you can see in the photo that Triple M's Byron Cooke found on her Twitter account, words are not enough to express her love for the Jov. Instead, she got a pictures of Jon's face inked on her back. If this doesn't faze Jon we'll be well impressed.

"Well I wouldn't have done it," says Jon. "But I can one-up you. I was backstage with the director of the movie Moonlight And Valentino that I did and he brought back his nanny and she says 'I'd like to show you a tattoo'.

"She starts to unbutton her drawers, and on her rear-end was a picture like that and she looked me in the eye and [said] 'I get to sit on your face every night'.

"I went 'Wow, nice to meet ya!' I haven't seen the director either since… there's a restraining order against both of them."

The English aren't the only ones keen to fly the Bon Jovi colours. Judging by our Bon Jovi's Biggest Fans photo gallery the Aussies also have a healthy and very passionate love for the Jov.

Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi Rock Star City

Jon & Russel Crowe together....  OH *swoon*!  I love Russell he's a great actor.  Go watch Gladiator a few times...  GUH!  The 2 of them together.  Sweet Merciful Hey-soos.

Bon Jovi rock Star City

Kathy McCabe From: The Daily Telegraph December 16, 2010 12:00AM

Jon Bon Jovi wears Souths jersey

The rocker returned onstage at Star City for an encore sporting a South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey

Star-studded ... Jon Bon Jovi with Russell Crowe at last night's concert.

JON Bon Jovi was the preacher at a rock and roll revival show last night relaunching Star City as one of Sydney's premiere entertainment venues.

With his spirit fingers punching the air, the frontman had the majority of the crowd on their feet for the band's entire 75 minute set - with the only exception being the older members of the celebrity-studded audience who needed to rest their legs.

It was a searing performance which rocked from the moment they took the stage and was greeted by the kind of screaming which would drown out a Justin Bieber crowd.

"This is not TV - get up out of your seats," Bon Jovi demanded, flashing that brilliant white smile.

You Give Love a Bad Name, It's my Life, Keep the Faith, Wanted Dead or Alive, Livin' on a Prayer and Bad Medicine prompted massive shout-a-longs from a crowd who knew every word.

Covers of Pretty Woman and Shout were extra bonuses in the hit-laden set.

Souths owner Russell Crowe pulled off a marketing coup, convincing the US superstar to wear a Rabbitohs jersey for the encore of his gig.

Crowe's Souths chief executive Shane Richardson confirmed that the super group's lead singer had joined the club as an ordinary member on Tuesday.

"Russell you got me to ear your team's jersey," Bon Jovi said, just after closing out the show with his version of Johnny O'Keefe's Shout.

The pressure is now on for a band who commands the world's biggest arenas, to bottle the energy they harnessed during last night's gig and translate that to their three night stand at the Sydney Football Stadium starting tomorrow evening.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Bon Jovi: Just a Thought on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Feel free to post all over your blog, facebook, Backstage, Twitter, wherever.

Bon Jovi: Obama taps Jon Bon Jovi for new advisory board

Obama taps Jon Bon Jovi for new advisory board

By Ed O'Keefe

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi. (Skip Bolen Photo)

Looks like all those years of performing for Democratic candidates has paid off: President Obama is tapping rocker Jon Bon Jovi to serve on a new presidential advisory council.

The White House announced Tuesday that Bon Jovi (or is it just Jovi?) will join the new 25-member White House Council for Community Solutions, a panel established to provide advice on "the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs."

The 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act established the panel, which also includes eBay CEO John Donahoe and Starbucks Vice President Paula Boggs and Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin.

Jovi, the formerly big-haired rocker, is a well-known Democratic Party supporter who once made a cameo in support of fictional Democratic presidential candidate Matthew Santos on NBC's "West Wing."

More recently, Bon Jovi performed at Obama's inaugural concert and promoted the Obama administration's United We Serve initiative during his recent world tour.

But, on a serious note, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has partnered with public and private organizations to help combat homelessness. The efforts have yielded more than 260 units of affordable housing for low income individuals and families, according to his spokeswoman.

Obama has tapped several other celebrities to serve on presidential commissions and councils. Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah Jessica Parker are on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, for example.

Bonjovi.com has a full write up in case you're like me and don't know who any of these people are.
I've put behind the cut for length.

Bon Jovi: Join Oprah

I must say not a big Oprah fan. She's never been on at a time when I can watch her.

So she's in Australia in a trip funded by the Australian People.  And she's got guests down there like Jay-Z, oooh lots of soccer Mom's know him since he's been on her show before and is married to Beyonce.  I bet they don't know that he was a crack dealer once upon a time....

WTF is Oprah wearing?  Is that like an Orange Ballgown?  The color looks good on her, but a floor length dress in the summer?  I don't think she's in the WTB demographic.

And is Jon the only man on Earth who can rock the white t-shirt with the black vest and still look good, or am I biased? 

And why does it look like the photographer put Vaseline on the lens?  All the pictures have this slightly out of focus quality. 

Bon Jovi and Jay-Z Join Oprah Winfrey In Sydney

By Paul Cashmere

Bon Jovi and Jay-Z were two of the guests on the first Oprah Winfrey Show filmed at the Sydney Opera House this morning (December 14, 2010).

Bon Jovi performed two songs ‘Living On A Prayer’ and ‘Its My Life’ before Jon joined the Big O to talk about his 25 years of touring down under.

Jay-Z talked about his visit to a Sydney boys school this week where he jammed with the students. Oprah went to his show with U2 in Sydney last night.

The first of the Oprah shows also featured Russell Crowe and Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin.

A second show is being filmed this afternoon. More on that later.

And here are some pictures:

Source