The first time American rock band Bon Jovi played live in Malaysia was back in 1995, on the 4th of May, at Shah Alam Stadium. For the next 20 years they toured the rest of the world, wrote more hit records and aged with substantial grace. When they announced that they would finally be returning to Kuala Lumpur in September 2015, Malaysian fans rejoiced.
Now, I have loved Bon Jovi since my teenage years. Their songs are the kind of classics you hear on the radio all the time, regardless of the station. "Livin' On A Prayer" is a karaoke staple for me, and "Always" makes me hopeful for a timeless kind of love. Attending the concert was a dream come true, with much heartfelt gratitude to a friend of mine who procured free tickets for myself and two other friends.
The concert was due to start at 8.30pm. The journey from Subang Jaya to Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on a regular day shouldn't take more than 45 minutes but that night the traffic was absolutely crazy. It literally came to a standstill when we reached the turning into the stadium because there were too many cars going in. My friends and I ended up parking on the other side of the highway and walking over using the pedestrian bridge. From the bridge to the stadium we had to walk up a narrow slip road. This was fully lined with stalls selling fried snacks, canned drinks, glowsticks and of course, concert paraphernalia. I was especially amazed at the amount and range of merchandise they had ready - from t-shirts to singlets to lanyards to tote bags, all emblazoned with the Bon Jovi logo. Some even specifically stated the date and location of the Kuala Lumpur show.
We arrived at the stadium and made our way into the VIP area, which was really the grassy field in the middle, cordoned off into sections and filled with numbered chairs. Judging by the sea of faces in the stands and in the middle, it was a near-sold out crowd. Bon Jovi was already rocking out in full swing on stage as we found our seats.
The audience was comprised mostly of young working adults, with a good sprinkling of middle-aged people, which wasn't surprising seeing as Bon Jovi would be a little too old for teenagers. Their diehard fans seem to be mostly the baby boomers as well as early Generation Y-ers.
I was a little surprised that they chose Stadium Merdeka over some of the newer stadiums in KL, especially since Bon Jovi is a big name, but they pulled off an excellent show nonetheless. The six-piece band sounded amazing in the open air, each member fully energised although their ages range from late forties to early fifties. Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi himself was in his element, working the stage in leather jacket and jeans with the effortless charm that has won him fans all the world over throughout their impressive 30-year run.
The setlist was fairly safe, consisting of mostly classic hits mixed with a few lesser-known ones. One of these was "We Don't Run", from their latest studio album Burning Bridges (2015). The usual staples such as "Bad Medicine", "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Dead Or Alive" were met with great enthusiasm from the audience. It was amazing just hearing the crowd sing their hearts out.
About halfway through the set we decided to go to the front to take some photographs. In my experience with concerts and festivals, the front is always a sweaty mess of bodies where your feet get trampled on, tall people block your view and drunkards annoy everyone with their antics. You never get close to the railing (the one that separates the crowd from the stage) because that's where the hardcore fans camp out. This time, however, we were able to get right up to the railing because it was a VIP section. Most of the hardcore fans were right in the centre, while we were on the right side of the stage. It was a good spot so we stayed there, hanging on to the railing and jamming out to the tunes. It wasn't long before Jon decided to take a stroll. He got off the stage and started walking along the railing, shaking hands and high-fiving people. My friends and I were practically beside ourselves with excitement. I was the closest to the middle, hanging right over the railing as far as I could go. Sadly, I was within five feet of Jon when he stopped and turned to walk back to the other side.
The band played for nearly two hours, ending their set with "Bad Medicine" and Jon bidding everyone goodbye, saying they were done. The audience knew better, though, and chanted for an encore for several minutes before Bon Jovi came back on to the stage. They performed "Have A Nice Day" and finished with "Livin' On A Prayer", which was the absolute highlight of the night. Everyone was on their feet, singing their hearts out. It was a fantastic concert, one for the books, and I'm very grateful to have been able to see a much-loved, well-weathered rock band live in my home country.
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