Bon Jovi Wembley Stadium review: ‘A glorious victory lap to end a triumphant chapter’
“Who says you can’t go back,” Jon Bon Jovi crooned on a rendition of ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ as Bon Jovi concluded the ‘Forever’ tour at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night. After everything Jon has endured in recent years, it was a lyric that felt remarkably fitting as Bon Jovi rolled back the years with a glorious victory lap to end a triumphant chapter in the band’s story.
The ‘Forever’ tour has seen the band celebrate their return to the road with a nine-date residency at Madison Square Garden, stadium dates in Edinburgh and Dublin and a three-night residency at Wembley Stadium. It was a run that was a fitting celebration of Bon Jovi’s timeless legacy and one made even sweeter, as it came after Jon underwent a serious and complex procedure to treat vocal cord atrophy.
It was a surgery so serious it required Jon to rebuild his stamina, requiring nearly four years of rehabilitation, which included him rehearsing in his garage to reach the stage where he was ready to perform live. The rigorous recovery perfectly underlined his dedication to hitting the road once more, giving back to the fans and adding a remarkable chapter in Bon Jovi’s storied history.
Wednesday night provided the fitting conclusion to that chapter as the frontman entered the stage beaming with delight, undoubtedly with a sense of pride knowing the adversity he’d overcome and an appreciation for the band’s devoted fanbase. The performance opened with an acoustic-driven rendition of ‘Blood on Blood’, setting the tone for a thrilling set.
‘Beautiful Drug’ was delivered with fuzzy, distorted guitars from Phil X and John Shanks as well as Tico Torres’ impeccably tight drumming. ‘We Weren’t Born To Follow’ provided the perfect blend of Jon’s bright acoustic guitar, Hugh McDonald’s steady, finger-picked bass line and Jon embracing the joyousness of the situation, encouraging everyone to sing along and waving his arms as if he were a conductor.
‘Lost Highway’ was complemented by warm, overdriven guitars, David Bryan’s driving keyboard part and also saw Bryan, Shanks, percussionist Everett Bradley and Phil X singing lower harmonies underneath Jon’s vocal, enriching the arrangement. Jon’s soaring vocals impressed on ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’ with the voices of a sold-out Wembley Stadium backing him every step of the way. ‘Born To Be My Baby’, delivered with Torres’ powerhouse drumming and Bryan’s urgent yet spacious keyboard line, saw the band’s frontman break off into a spontaneous dance as the band jammed away, underlining the excitement and enjoyment that being back on the road has given him.
‘Legendary’ was performed without James Bay, who was seated for the entirety of his opening set after suffering a severe ankle injury on Tuesday. ‘Bed of Roses’ provided the perfect moment for fans to light up Wembley Stadium with their phones, as Bryan’s rich keyboard line and Torres’ steady, driving drumming complemented Jon’s vocals.
“This has been an incredible few nights for us,” the frontman stated after a pulsating rendition of ‘Have A Nice Day’, highlighting the band’s rich history in the UK capital. Bon Jovi were the final band to be invited to perform at the ‘old’ Wembley in August 2000, having previously held a historic three-night residency at the venue in 1995, which became arguably one of the biggest highlights of their touring career.
From being the inaugural act to open the O2 Arena in 2007 to their historic 12-night residency at the venue in 2010, which they famously opened with an acoustic set live on the actual curved roof of the arena dome, to Jon performing an acoustic-led ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ with Prince William at the Winter Whites Gala at Kensington Palace, London has been the place for numerous iconic moments in Bon Jovi’s history, making the decision to close out the ‘Forever’ tour inside Wembley Stadium all the more fitting.
‘It’s My Life’ and ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ saw Phil X impeccably handle the talkbox moments on both tracks, as Jon played the unofficial role of conductor, joyously commanding huge singalongs from the audience. The tour debuts of ‘Love’s The Only Rule' and 'Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars’ were welcome surprises, with the latter blending Bryan’s rich keyboards, Jon’s bright acoustic guitar and Torres’ powerful drumming before an encore of the ‘I’ll Be There For You’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘Bad Medicine’ and ‘Always’ provided the perfect conclusion to a wonderful three-night residency.
“I’ll love you always,” Jon sang in the final notes of ‘Always’, hoisting his hands in the air and offering a round of applause, uttering the words, “thank you” with genuine gratitude and appreciation, promising they’ll be back very soon. We love you too, Jon.