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FULL CIRCLE
For 25 years Bon Jovi have negotiated the music industry's fickle waters and remained one of the
planet's biggest rock bands. Music Week caught up with them on the eve of their 12-date 02 run
LEFT
Talent Back at the
By Adam Woods crossroads: a
host of Bon Jovi
activity is planned
MICHAEL JACKSON'S MYTHICAL SO-NIOHT STAND ai The for 2010 including
a new best-of
O2 never happened, but even as an abortive enterprise it compilation and
set the bar unreasonably high for future residencies at the expanded reissues
south-east London venue. of the band's
Next month, Bonjovi come through to play 12 nights studio albums
on the Greenwich peninsula, «ith anight at Paris-Bercy in
the middle. Ic is the longe.st run at the venue since Prince's
2I-night stint in 2007, by a band who have sold 120m
records in 26 years, scored four US and five UK number-
one albums and are in the early stages of what may prove
tobe the biggest tour ofthis year. But still: only 12 nights?
"Well, we started co schedule stuff and then American
opportunities came up on one bookend and a couple of
European rhings on the other bookend and that was it."
shrugs Jon Bon Jovi who, frankly, does not need to
lustify himself.
London, after all, is just one stop on an as-yet unfi-
nalised route that will keep Bon Jovi on che road into
2011. The Circle Tour, the band's biggest since the lace-
Eighries, makes a good case for rhe band as one of the very Inspired equally by the trickle-down misery of the while Bon Jovi's own philanthropic work through his
biggest in the world, as the frontman attests. downturn and the arrival of Barack Obama in the White Soul Foundation - which provides afFordable housing
"If we are not the biggest tour in the world this year, House, the record cajne hard on the heels of 2OO7's coun- and support for America's homeless and disadvajicaged -
we will certainly be number two," he says. "Maybe it's try-influenced Lost Highway and landed, like that album, keeps them authentically close to the real people who
going to be us and U2." at number one in the US and number two here. populate cheir songs.
According ro the promoter of the shows, AEG Live "I didn't intend to put out a studio record," says Bon "There is a whole new audience being innoduced to
president of inremational touring Rob Hallect, Bon Jovi Jovi. "Lost Highway was just out and having too much Bonjovi wich each new release and each new cour," says
are a bigger draw now than they were at the time of Livin' music in the marketplace sorts of waters everything down, Jack Rovner of Vector Management, which handles the
On A Prayer, the song which, more than any other, made but 1 went co the record company and said, 'I have got band's recording afïàirs. "The net has been spread so
cheir name. "And they were one of rhe biggest groups in these timely songs, but I don't know if they are pop hits.' wide - they certainly have the widest demo of any band
the world chen," he points out. And God bless them, they said, 'You should always be out there."
In the context of the broader tour - which has already timely. Don't worry abouc us - do what you want to do."' Bon Jovi and Sambora, rwo of ¡bur founding mem-
done one lap of the States since kicking off in Hawaii in As the tour for The Circle goes on. its promotional bers remaining, along wich keyboardist David Bryan and
February - a 12-night residency in London is virtually a load will increase, wich che arrival on May 24 of a coin- drummer Tico Torres, share a belief that today's weak-
summer break, especially as it stands in for more or less plete set of reissued albums - all of them bolstered with ened industry lacks rhe muscle co create bands of Bon
an entire European leg. live material from che relevant era - followed by a new Jovi's size and stature fa>m scraccb,
"Last year, [guitarist] Richie [Sambora] and 1 were best-of compilation, due in November. "Tliere are only a few bands chac have the capability Co
mixing the last record in London and we said. 'Isn't it do what we do, and that's really the cruth," says Samhora.
always so great here in June, with the shows in the park "Richie Sambora and I were "I don't think there's going to be any bands thac are going
and Wimbk-don and rhe great weather?'" says Bon Jovi, to do the business that we do and I feel bad for the
"'We should just do a long run at The O2 and park our- in London and we said, instead younger bands that are coming up now."
selves here. Instead of the usual European stadium run,
let's just do London and nothing else,'"
of the usual European stadi- Bonjovi, 48 in March, cannot resist a rant about the
deach of physical releases and the failings of the labels, but
The O2 shows come just two years after rhe band um run, let's just do London he maintains a hopeful outlook,
filled Twickenham twice. With all 185,000 O2 tickets "I had to be inno\'adve myself to get a record deal," he
virtually sold out, Bon Jovi have effectively dou- and nothing else'" says. "I knocked on DJs' doors in 1982 with a cassette tape
bled cheir London audience this time around, JON BON JOVI ON THE 0 2 DATES and that was pretty creative thinking, instead of just try-
basically by inviting the European hardcore to ing CO get a lawyer and a record deaj. Maybe che keys to the
come to Englajid and see them. Of rhe latcer, Bonjovi says the tracklist future aren't in my hands, but somewhere there are kids
Ic is che late.sc smart strategy in a run of has still to be finalised, but 16 years on thac are thinking like that and chey have to figure out
sharp thinking thar has kept Bonjovi at the from the last hits set Cross Roads there is their own crazy idea."
top of che ladder while many of their Eighties plenty of potential fot an update. Of the Never che critics' choice. Bon Jovi have nonetheless
rivals have slipped at least a rung or two. reissues, he notes that he is particularly long since transcended their hair-metal beginnings and
"It always looks like strategy if it works," pleased with the quality of the band's 25- abundant Springsteen comparisons. Tlie two New Jersey
laughs Bon Jovi's personal manager Paul year-oid live recordings. giants' total record sales are more or less a direct match
Korzilius, who cakes responsibility for their "Today, you could put us live on TV, these days, but the singer paitly blames himself for the
touring business. "I know we think, 1 know we live on the radio, and I know rhe bajid can Boss Jr tag char hauiiced che band's reviews for so long.
plan and adapt our plan and we are flexible and play," he says. "But back in 1984, you think "Naming an album New Jersey was probably one of
dynaiTiic, But check in wich me in a year and 1 will tei abouc it and you chink, 'Christ, could we? Or the few things we shouldn't have done, because people
j'ou know if we are strategic or scupid," did we just think we could?' But I was sur- started comparing it ro something thac it wasn't." he says.
For a rock band with international touring prised. You could see why we are Still here now Is tliere a Bonjovi song about having only a handful
responsibilities, Bon Jovi have also been remarkably - we were actually an aggressive little band." of regrets after more than a quarter of a century of
prolific of late. The Circle, their 11th album, released On top of the touring and recording, recent immensely profitable rocking? If chete is not. It might be
in November through long-time label Mercury was appearances in Guitar Hero, The X-Factor and another timely one.
[heir fifth new set in less than 10 years. American Idol have kept rhe band current.
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