BJCT Post: Sydney (Night 2)

Bon Jovi was in Sydney last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

New Chapter of Rings

Yep, we've got another one for ya. Click here to read what happens to our boys next...

Just a note for you ~ With the holidays next weekend, we may not have another chapter for you next Friday.  We might, but no promises :)

Enjoy!

~ Hath

New Chapter of Rings

Yep, we've got another one for ya. Click here to read what happens to our boys next...

Just a note for you ~ With the holidays next weekend, we may not have another chapter for you next Friday.  We might, but no promises :)

Enjoy!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Magic Fingers

Nice one, Willow.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Hath

Check Out This Band: HWY99

Cameron Melnyk (vocals) & Jesse Wainwright (guitar) from State Of Shock, team up with producer Jeff Dawson, mixer Mike Fraser and co-writer Jordan Thorsteinson to create "Let The Sunrise Say Goodbye."

The project name is HWY-99.

Jordan reached out to me and asked me to share this with my readers -- he thinks that the rock-n-roll sound, the smokin' riffs, the lyrics will appeal to the Bon Jovi fan, and I daresay, he's right.  I passed it around to a few friends who all loved it, and it's passed the driving test: it sounds AWESOME in the car. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can listen to it with the sunroof open :)



The song made its world premiere on the mighty CFOX in Vancouver, BC in September.

The inspiration for this song came from legendary bands like Bon Jovi, U2 and Van Halen. A song about living life to the fullest with someone you love.
LYRICS:

Written By: Jordan Thorsteinson, Jeff Dawson, Cameron Melnyk, Jesse Wainwright

The moon is rising, stars aligning
Step in from the outside
Fuse igniting, strangers shine
Will love and fate collide ?

Chorus:

All I ever needed, all I ever wanted was motion
We got 24 hours to keep this love alive
No hesitation, just raw acceleration
You are the fire in the sky ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

The passion flowing, lover's glowing
Fire from the inside
Intoxication, elevation
Hang on for the ride

Chorus Repeat:

Tonight's the night stand up if it feels alright
In the morning light you'll know it was worth the fight ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

Heat ignites, gadgets talk, fly away, stop the clock
Take my hand, don't let go, hold on tight, we're in control ...

All I ever needed, all I ever wanted was motion
We got 24 hours to keep this love alive
No hesitation, just raw acceleration
You are the fire in the sky ...
Let the Sunrise say goodbye

The song is billed as: a song that is pure, straight up Rock n' Roll. From the opening guitar riff, this track makes you want to get in your car and drive!

I have to agree.

If you love it, you can buy it from itunes, here.

~ Hath

BJCT Post: Sydney (Night 1)

Bon Jovi was in Sydney last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

Memphis Book Released

A new 160-page book chronicling the Broadway life of the rock musical Memphis — from the first performance to its big night as the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical — is now available.

Official Memphis blogger Carolyn D. Miller, an associate of the musical's producing team Junkyard Dog, has kept the blog since the hit musical arrived at the Shubert Theatre Sept. 23, 2009.

"Memphis Lives in Me: One Blogger's Journey to Broadway and Beyond" is a collection of blog entries detailing the onstage and backstage action of the musical's first year on Broadway.

"Memphis Lives in Me: One Blogger's Journey to Broadway and Beyond" is currently available for purchase by clicking here. A representative for the musical told Playbill.com Miller is hoping a publisher will take on the book for wider distribution.

Read the rest of the article at Playbill.com.

~ Hath

Casino Gig

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.

source

Snippet of Prayer:



Pretty Woman:

Mid-Day Motivator: Heaven

Once again, I think so :) :) :)

~ Hath

Nice Thought, but it'll Never Happen

Vanity Fair asks, Is It Time To Stop Making Fun Of Bon Jovi?

Most fans would say of course!  And there are a few naysayers who would say the #FAIL of the RRHOF would provide more fodder for the make-funners.

But the article's author believes it's time to let the poodle-hair hair/boy band jokes go.

Shouldn’t we finally give the band themselves some credit for the Springsteen-level success they are now enjoying in middle age? With the recession making Tommys and Ginas of all of us, Jon and Richie feel somehow more necessary than they did back when they were still writing songs about Diane Lane.

[...]

The most appealing thing about this band, though, is the size of their heads. They are low-maintenance heroes, and I’m pretty convinced their stature is down to tenacity and not some elaborate marketing campaign to get people like me to write words like these. (I could be wrong, but you gotta believe, right?) I once interviewed them for Nylon magazine. It was one of those terrible situations where the Q & A and the photo shoot are done at the same time, which usually finds the writer waiting for hours while trousers and split ends are discussed by the stylists and the photographer. Not at a Bon Jovi shoot. They walked right in, Jon ran a hand through his hair, shook his head out, and said, “O.K., let’s go.” Later, he shrugged as he told me, “It’s just genetics.” I’d never seen anyone less affected, much less a major rock star.

It’s a little odd to proclaim affection (and respect) for Bon Jovi, since what I do for a living is completely irrelevant to them. I occasionally contribute to the music magazine Uncut and I read all of the expensive English music mags and papers (Q, Mojo, the N.M.E.), which essentially dictate what bands we are supposed to like (even the ones that come from America), and I cannot recall a single feature on Bon Jovi … ever. (Please correct me if I’m wrong here.) And yet, when they play over there, it’s cricket fields or Wembley Stadium. I know some of those in attendance must be rock writers in disguise. I once got a text from a very influential music journalist who was standing on the side of the stage during a Bon Jovi show out in Jersey. It was a gush; the kind of thing you can’t tweet if you want to keep your job.

But slowly, with every passing honor and record set, the secret is getting out.

Click here for the full article.

~ Hath

Presidential Appointment

The White House released a statement yesterday that has everyone just busting with pride over "our" Jon Bon Jovi:

President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs.

President Obama said, “These impressive men and women have dedicated their lives and careers to civic engagement and social innovation. I commend them for their outstanding contributions to their communities, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well in their new roles on the White House Council for Community Solutions. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

In addition to providing advice to the President on solving specific community needs, the White House Council for Community Solutions has been tasked with three key functions: enlisting leaders in the non-profit, private, and philanthropic sectors to make progress on key policy goals; providing strategic input and recommendations to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration; and honoring and highlighting those making a significant impact in their own communities. The Council will be composed of leaders from non-profits, corporations and foundations who are committed to social innovation and civic engagement.

The press release also offers this brief thumbnail of Jon:

Jon Bon Jovi, Appointee for Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
Jon Bon Jovi currently serves as Chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the lives of those in need. The Soul Foundation launches programs and partnerships with the intent to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in the United States. To date, Mr. Bon Jovi and the Soul Foundation have provided affordable housing to hundreds of low-income individuals and families. Mr. Bon Jovi is also the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning group Bon Jovi, which has sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts for more than 34 million fans.

This puts a finer point on what he's going to be doing when the band "takes a break to recharge" after this tour wraps up.

Congratulations, Jon!

~ Hath

David's Soundcheck BooBoo

This was on Triple-M, and has made its way to YouTube.  Now you curl girls, don't get all upset :)  Check out Jon's smirk as he does the berating :)



~ Hath

No Go for RRHOF

Of course, this is the big news that has Jovidom all a-twitter.  The "snub".

Yes, I put "snub" in quotes.  Why, may you ask?  Well, because it's not really a surprise.  Seriously, if you search your hearts, are you truly shocked that the band was left off the RRHOF inductee list?  Given all the talk about the critics never really feeling that Bon Jovi was anything more than an aging hair band (though we know differently), we can feel the acute disappointment that a trip to Ohio isn't in our imminent future, but can we really fill ourselves with righteous indignation?

Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.

This is the criteria that critics and naysayers hone in on.  They say, "What has Bon Jovi done to further rock-and-roll?  Finding Cinderella doesn't count."

Terry Stewart, the President of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, offers this by way of explanation of criteria for HOF induction:

Nomination and induction into the Hall of Fame is not about popularity, records sales, which label the group is on, or anything other than the process below. The love for, the evaluation of, and the impact of any artist are subjective questions to be answered by the nominators and the voters. Unlike baseball, football, basketball or hockey, statistics are not relevant.

They say this, but in the press release announcing the nominations, the numbers are prominently quoted, with the rest as [seemingly] an afterthought:

Beyond the numbers – over 120 million albums sold (more than 34 platinum titles cumulative in the U.S. alone), more than 2,600 concerts performed in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans, including The Lost Highway World Tour, ranked as 2008’s #1 top-selling tour, and 2010’s 30-country, 135-show The Circle World Tour – there is also Bon Jovi’s enormous influence on innumerable young bands seeking to follow in their footsteps. Bon Jovi steadfastly follows their own instincts, ignoring obvious trends and providing a model for other bands and musicians just starting out on their careers."

This should have triggered the Chinese gong sound in the collective mind of Jovidom.  They did a lot, sold a lot, toured a lot.  Oh yeah, and they ignore trends and do their own thing and don't care if you don't like it.  The way Bon Jovi's accomplishments were phrased should have (in hindsight) been telling.

Mr. Stewart goes on to say:

The entire nomination and induction process is coordinated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in New York City. Individuals can be inducted in four categories: Performer, Early Influence, Non-Performer and Side-Men. The only formal criteria for the performance category is that an artist has to have had their first record 25 years ago. That said, candidates are reviewed and discussed relative to their impact on this music that we broadly call rock and roll. The innovation and influence of these artists is also critical. Gold records, number one hits, and million sellers are really not appropriate standards for evaluation.

You can interviews with inductees Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Darlene Love, and Dr. John here.

~ Hath

Additional Source: Future Rock Legends

Hey there, good morning!

So I missed a LOT of news yesterday, playing Mom and chaperoning a 4th grade class field trip.  I'm back today, though, and getting through  my emails and DMs (thanks everyone)!

I'll have everything up in due course; I just ask you be a bit patient until I get caught up!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Hangover

Crude language warning :)

Catte, d'ya suppose this is really running through his mind? Or probably not until next year? :)

~ Hath

Wanted Wednesday: Sessions @AOL

Please rise, for the singing of our national anthem...

I was in the mood for a little acoustic happy-happy today, and the AOL Sessions track fit the bill. Acoustic, "professionally recorded" so you can hear everything you're supposed to, and just the deliciousness of The Boys and waht they do best.

Short but sweet intro today.


Let's ride!





You can download the song here.

And thanks to Zwanatic, you can watch the video of this performance:



~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Duck Lips

Well, I think so anyway!

~ Hath

Traveling Guitar Foundation News

The Traveling Guitar Foundation, of which David Bryan is a board member, is co-producing "Come Together: A Tribute to John Lennon" with Bergen Community College students.  The tribute is one of a slew of memorials taking place this year (Lennon would have turned 70 this year). Area bands and BCC students will perform Lennon's repertoire, both solo and with The Beatles. The concert is designed to help fund the non-profit's operations next year.

WHAT: "Come Together: A Tribute to John Lennon."
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
WHERE: Anna Maria Ciccone Theater at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus; 201-447-7428 or tickets.bergen.edu.
HOW MUCH: $15, BCC students $10.

You can read the whole article here.

~ Hath

You Knew It Was Coming...

... but did you know it was today?  Neither did I.  But this site reminded me that it just ain't Christmas without Jon Bon Jovi and R2D2:

John Bongiovi, as he was known as back in 1980, was making some extra money sweeping floors at his cousin’s music studio. Tony Bongiovi was working with Meco Monardo on the Star Wars Christmas album and couldn’t get “R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas” to sound the way he wanted it to. Tony asked Meco to give his cousin a shot and the rest is history: Jon Bon Jovi’s first professional recording. Check it out:

Do you suppose his kids taunt him relentlessly with this?

If they don't, do you suppose Richie changes his ringtone to this song in December just to piss Jon off?

~ Hath

PS: If you find you just simply have to have a copy of Christmas in the Stars, you can scour eBay, or purchase it from a reseller on Amazon.

Oprah Taping

Getty ImagesThousands of people have descended on the Sydney ‘Oprah’ House for the much-hyped filming of the Opera Winfrey Show, RadarOnline.com is reporting.  According to Undercover News, 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.

Here is a video (snip, about 26 seconds) of Prayer.  You can see the gorgeous weather, the ecstatic crowd, and get a hint of what the sound was like.  Hopefully more videos will come out soon -- I saw lots of people with cameras in the clip :)



And there are a boatload of snaps up and around -- here's what I've found so far.  Anything else I may stumble upon, will be up in this photobucket folder, so check back!


~ Hath

BJCT Post: Brisbane

Bon Jovi was in Brisbane last night!

Check out the BJCT for setlist, photos, and videos/audio (as we find it).

Have anything you want to share? Drop a line to the BJCT Blog Team

~ Hath

Jon to Judge X-Factor?

Hello XM Satellite Radio...

Keith Roth announced on Hair Nation today that Jon will do a 1-week stint on UK's X-Factor as a judge.  No dates yet; he called it "breaking news."  

Hmmm...

Sounds surprising to me, especially in light of the comments he made on Larry King.  I guess this is why it's a RUMOR, right?

Anyone know anything more?

~ Hath

At The Longroom

A few snaps of the guys last Friday night, post show.  I think it was cool of Richie to stick around for autographs and photos after the guys had their down-time in the private rooms.

Loving Richie's jacket!

~ Hath

Mid-Day Motivator: Cammo

Yeah, Catte, I don't think anyone cares that he isn't doing this right :)  Just what this cold Monday morning needs -- a little beach reminder!

~ Hath

Tico Torres Talks About the Band Going Indie

Tico Torres, the drummer for Bon Jovi, can see the writing on the wall for the group being a major label band. It's only a matter of time before they go Indie.

“We are still on a major label but we can see the writing on the wall,” Tico tells Undercover News.

Part of the problem, he says, is that the old model doesn’t work in the current world. “It was a conglomerate machine that was invented many years ago which in essence owned and manipulated bands but also gave bands a chance to get some upfront money that was again recoupable,” he says. “The companies always made a lot of money of it. It got to a point where the price of records were so dear for the buying public that as soon as the internet came in there was there was another avenue for people to listen to music”.

Tico advises acts today to think before signing. “So you have to think out of the box now, new bands especially. You can’t go that way,” he says. “You should maybe release your own thing and do it through the internet. It’s just a different way of thinking. You can’t follow the old rules. Thats a dead soldier. Its just hanging on by threads”.

source

Last Call: New Post

The next chapter has been posted.  Click here to see Richie's view of their first encounter.

~ Hath

Larry King Live

Thanks to all of you who emailed and DMd me about sharing the LKL episode.  You are all very sweet, and I very much appreciate it!!!

Catte uploaded the interview to my Mediafire.  It has 8 segments, separation points come where the commercials were.

Enjoy, and thanks again, everyone!  I am truly blessed.

~ Hath