Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith, Cardiff
Wed 12 June
★★★☆☆
Aaahhh, 80s rock ballads were back with a vengeance tonight with the long-awaited return of the middle-aged, middle of the road rock gods that are Bon Jovi. At a mere 51 years of age Jon Bon Jovi glided across the stage, all pearly whites and leather, and a more age-appropriate haircut, charming his audience along the way.
“Cardiff! What a beautiful Wednesday night! Are you with me out there? “ he shouted and whipped the mainly 40-plus audience into a frenzy, well as much as a frenzy as they could muster without causing personal injury. The cheesy hits just kept coming: You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin’ On A Prayer, and Bad Medicine amongst a plethora of new and old taken from various albums.
This gig was part of the huge Because We Can album tour, covering five continents and ending up in Australia towards the end of the year. Missing this tour due to personal reasons is Jon’s long time sidekick Richie Sambora, known equally for his brilliant guitar playing and his volatile, quintessentially 80s marriage to Heather Locklear. Thankfully the show was all about the music, and was professional, fun and a pleasure to be at, unlike Rihanna’s disgraceful performance earlier this week. The huge front grill of a 1959 Buick Electra, bearing down on the crowd, added to the ‘rock concert’ vibe, as well as making it look like an all-American 1950s drive-in.
Despite their cheesy reputation, Jon Bon Jovi know how to give their fans a show and a good time. Everyone left feeling good, and that’s what it’s all about.