Classic Rock

April ’03

Bon Jovi / Goo Goo Dolls
Air Canada Centre,
Toronto

Now into their 40s and aging about as gracefully as one could expect of 1980s hair rockers, Bon Jovi have proved many of the naysayers wrong. The last decade has seen their record sales continuing to rise, their singles hogging the airwaves and a live schedule taking them around the globe. So all is right with their world - if they just knew where they were in it.

Despite Jon Bon Jovi's territorial faux pas midway through his bands two-hour rock spectacular (he's clearly not hot on his Canadian geography), he and guitarist Richie Sambora certainly know how to appease the female-dominated sold-out audience.

From the opening one-two punch of 'Bounce' and 'You Give Love A Bad Name', the New Jersey band mixed the old and the (occasionally overtly patriotic) new to good effect.

As Bon Jovi began a hair-raising 'Undivided', images of NYPD officers, American flags and the aftermath of 9/11 were displayed on three circular video screens. And yet, despite the occasionally heavy and somber tone of the new material, the band have more than enough good-time staples in their armoury ('Bad Medicine', 'Raise Your Hands', 'Wanted Dead Or Alive') to validate a temporary straight-faced lull.

Perhaps the only oddity of the evening was that the band have clearly read the Jagger/Richards guide to touring. This was exemplified as Sambora took the lead on 'I'll Be There For You' near the home stretch, allowing Jon a much needed breather.

But oddity turned into bizarre as the band played Bowie's 'Heroes' in a cover-heavy
encore, with the 9/11 images in full view.

Jason MacNeil