With what is quite possibly the most-elaborate and downright silly stage set the world has ever witnessed (A fifty foot office block complete with flashing tower top) the introduction of the worlds biggest rock sir is equally as ridiculous. On the three giant screens surrounding the stage we are shown the band in what is supposed to be a lift that opens up on the stage for Jon and co. to arrive to an ecstatic reaction. From here it’s party anthem after anthem that flow like wine for two and a half hours. While two and a half hours of pure, unadulterated Bon Jovi sounds like the soundtrack to an immanent suicide tonight in the vacinity of the Bowl you find yourself caught in way to many moments that are good for your own health. Listening to 80’s throwbacks like ’Raise Your Hands’ and the cringe-worthy ’Wild in the Streets’ tonight actually sound (gulp) cool as opposed to moments to bury your heads in your hands to. OK, so nothing saves ‘Bed of Roses’ from sounding anything other than pompus and the set dips with twenty minutes of inferior ’Crush’ material but other than this, for the soundtrack to a party you cannot argue with ’You Give Love a Bad Name’, ‘Bad Medicine’ and (WOOOOOAH) ’Living on a Prayer’.
Tonight Bon Jovi were the ultimate party band for two hours only. Oh dear, now I’m going for a long lie down.
