2003: The beginning of my live adventures in Spain

In May 2003 I had the chance to fulfil an 8 year old dream and travel to Barcelona and Madrid to see my most favourite Rock band Bon Jovi. The journey began on May, 18th on Lisbon’s railway station of Santa Apolónia where I and 6 friends took off for this adventure.

I was the first to arrive and so I was able to write down some of the thoughts that were crossing my mind at the moment:
“It didn’t even started and a whole lot of contradictory feelings have already took over me, from frightening to anxiety, with joy in the middle, I felt all that while seating at the station. It’s hard to express the meaning this experience has for me, so may I’ll try to say how it all began in 1995…”

“I was a 12 year old boy who was discovering the music world for the first time, in the Christmas Season of 1994, and there was one particular song that was constantly on the radio. Being caught by the melody I ask the cd containing the song as a Christmas present. The album’s title was “Crossroad” and I couldn’t possibly know back then that the record would really mean a crossroad in my life. And the reason was I, for the first time, really connected with all the songs of the record, basically because of its intensity, emotion and realism that each track was performed. Six months later that same band came to Portugal to play a concert in order to promote their forthcoming album that would go to stores a couple of days after the show.

Unfortunatly I wasn’t able to attent dut to the fact I was living too far from Lisbon, which didn’t stopped me from being stuck to the radio all day and listen to the broadcast it was being made from the concert. Four days later I bought the album that would confirm me as a fan of this legends of Rock. The new songs were a deep thought about Society in that day and age, but that I couldn’t understand from the start, so what mayde me love the album was again the autencity and truth each of those songs had. And so I started to buy each of their catalog albums, singles as well as video and audio recordings. Despite they toured in Europe for several times in the following years – 1996, 2000 and 2001, Portugal was not chosen to be visited and so when in 2003 another European tour was scheduled I figured I wouldn’t waste another chance of seeing them live. So in Mach of that year when two shows in Portugal’s neighbor country of Spain were announced I knew from that moment those were the shows I’d attend”.

Day #1: May, 19th 2003 Lisboa -> Madrid -> Barcelona
We left the railway station at 10 p.m. of the 18th and during the following 17 hours all the atempts to fall asleep were impossible to succeed due to the excitement (and the train’s trembling). 10 after our departure we got to Madrid where we stayed only for 30 minutes before getting into the next train that was leading to Barcelona. So at 4 P.M. of the 19th we finally arrived to our destination, and ran to our hotel where we would stay. Then we had some time to visit Catalunha’s capital city centre as well as to get aquanted with the venue in which the band would play the next day. By the venue we were able to talk with one of the truck drivers that had brought stage and all the stuff needed for such a big production. Shortly there after a heavy rain started to fall and we were forced to get back to our hotel.

Day #2 May, 20th 2003
We got up at 5:30 A.M. and fgot to the venue at 6:45, where around 30 other fans were already queing. By 10: 30 the doors opened for the area and we had to run to get a good spot near the dooors of the actual pavillion, Palau de Saint Jordi.

However, we were then informed the fan club entrance was in the back and so again we had to find our real queue. The fan club gives the opportunity to its members to be the first to get in the arena so they can get the best spots right in front of the stage. So, finally in the correct queue we waited another 9 hours for the gates to open. While wainting we were able to talk with other fans and check the merchandise that little by little was made available near the venue.

By 7 P.M. we got in but this time in a calmer way, no running was allowed, So I was to stay in the first row on the right side of the stage, where David Bryan, the Keyboard player, and Hugh McDonal, the bass player, would be. The next couple of hours were spent talking as I was trying to hide how nervous I was.

The show had its kick off with the introduction music that had been used in the previous shows of the tour, and as I had a couple of bootlegs I was familiar and knew what to expect. The band members came on stage each from a different area as the intro was about to end and when Jon appeared coming from an elevator door that was placed side by side withe the drums (just like in the 2001 One Wild Night stage) hysteria took over and the the title track from their latest record Bounce marked the beginning of the show with an unbelivable amount of energy. The 16 thousand people that filled the arena started jumping, clapping and singing as the band demanded for the crowd’s best. Three classics from the band’s biggest success album followed: “You give Love a bad name”, “Wild in the Streets” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”, this last one driving the audience even crazier due to its high emotional power. When the song was over a smilling Jon Bon Jovi saluted the crowd saying that after the acoustic gig they had done by the end of 2002 they really wanted to go back to Barcelona and play a proper show. Then he mentioned the record they were promoting, announcing they would play its first single next: “Everyday”. “Undivided”, other track from the new record, and the classic “Keep the Faith” followed, and together these three songs really build a strong ode of hope and faith in humanity, since the former 2 are reflections of how to get back on track after 9/11 and the latter a sream of hope that was rooted in 1992 when several riots happened in the United States. This way the message was clear: hope never dies and even in dificult times people have to unite and together not only believe but build a better tomorrow.

“Wanted Dead or Alive”, the band’s anthem, followed with the audience singing the first verse and chorus of the song. Just like it is stated in the song “I’ve seen a million faces and I’ve rocked them all” the band achieved it once more. The hits were constant and it was time for another new song, “The Distance”, followed by the energetic “It’s my life”. During the latter the heat took over the pavillion and you could see a crowed jumping all at once which was most impressive. The current single at the time “Misunderstood” had background singing from the audience, while “Someday I’ll be Saturday Night” was enhanced with an extra verse improvised in the interlude after the guitar solo and an extraordinary ending with a good guitar jamming. Superb.

At this time all the musitions left the stage with the exception of David Bryan, the keyboard player, who started to play a 2 minute solo, after which the whole band got back and “Right side of Wrong” a piano ballad with a great storyline in the line of Elton John’s or Billy Joel’s finnest tunes was played. For me this was probably one of the highlights, since there was such an emotional atmosphere that realy gave the lyrics a sense of honnesty and simplicity which anybody can relate with.

When the song was over Jon introduced the guitar player, Richie Sambora, who then assumed the main role and played a very blues rendition of “I’ll be There for you”, a classic ballad from the 80’s. During this tour Richie was given the chance not only to show his talented guitar skills but also how gifted he is as a singer and performer, a wise choise that proved to be correct.
Then Jon returned and asked for a big ovation to Richie, to which the audience responded chanting the guitar player’s name. Richie couldn’t help to smille while significantly touched by the action.
“Blaze of Glory”, Jon’s solo hit song was next and I must say this is a song I could really live without, since I had the theory that the band should play no solo tracks during a band’s show. However I was able to see the cumplicity singer and guitar player shared during the intro that proved most of all the friendship that those two man share, after so many years writing and playing together.
“Runaway”, the band’s first hit, was also played, like celebrating their 20th anniversary.

“Born to be my baby” had an extraordinary finale with a drum stop that made success and even more “Na Na Nas”after a fake ending. “I’ll Sleep when I’m dead” is always fun while an electrifying “Raise your hands” allowed for another magnificant sight with everybody with their hands up high. So it was with such a good vibes that the main set came to an end.
We had to wait another couple of minutes before the band returned for the encore which started with “In these Arms”, and the missing element of spontanity and madness. This is a song that carries the strenght of edgy riffs with a catchy chorus and so the audience couldn’t help but to be carried away by yet another burst of energy. “Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars” was coreographed by the audience, while “Bad Medicine” and “Shout” closed the show with even more energy. It seems that there was no end to ability the band had to suck enormous ovations from the crowd. No one was showing tired even after a 2 and a half hour show. Finally the whole band united at the edge of the stage and thanked to the crowed that had giving them all they had for the last couple of hours.

The emotions were at the surface of our skins as the lights were turned on and so we rushed to take a taxi and tried to get to the band’s hotel before the band, with no luck however and so we could only return to our hotel and have a good night sleep, happier than ever for I had accomplished something I had dreamed for so many years.

Day #3 May, 21st 2003: Barcelona->Madrid
We had little time to rest since at 8:30 we had to go to the railway station and take the train to our next destination: Madrid. We left at 10:30 got to our destination at 5 P.M. So we had the rest of the day to sight see Spain’s capital. The day didn’t last long since we were still tired and had another emotional day ahead. And once again I barely was able to sleep since I knew I would see the band again.

Day #4 May, 22nd 2003 The gang's all here
By 5:20 A.M. we were already at the stadium and this time we ensured we were in the right queue and were glad to know there were only 10 people ahead of us.
On Jon’s emblematic words of Wembley Stadium in 1995 "It's been a long day and a hot sun" was what we lived during the whole waiting of the day. Many Portuguese fans arrived early morning and helped us make it through the hot day. By 5 P.M. the queue was made and 2 hours later we were able to see Jon and Richie arrive in a limousine a couple a meters from where we were, just a few minutes before we were given sign to go in, again in a very calm way, to get our spots in the same place we were in Barcelona.

A local Spannish act played for 30 minutes before Bon Jovi took the stage at 9 P.M.. Most of the songs played in the exact same order they had been in Barcelona, but this time in stead of a packed pavillion they had a crowed stadium with 30 000 enthusiastic people that gave them an even better treatment than 2 days before. The atmosphere was completely different since we were in an open air venue in which we could sense a more wild energy in stead of the intimacy we felt in Barcelona. So the regular starters “Bounce”, “You give Love a Bad Name”, “Wild in the Streets” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”, opened the show and it was amazing to hear the whole audience singing to a delighted band. Jon even tried a few words in spannish: "Buenas Noches Madrid", and couldn’t help to share the joy he was feeling for such a communion. “Everyday”, “Undivided” and “Keep the Faith” were again magically performed. This time let the people sing by themselves the chorus for “Undivided”, something that had not happened in Barcelona. The far west atmosphere took the place when “Wanted Dead or Alive” was heard. During “The Distance” all the 30 Portuguese people that were present raised their flags and showed they had travelled the distance just to be there and so the lyrics got a whole new meaning.

“It's My Life” and “Misunderstood” gave the audience opportunities to participate even more in a show that lived of a communion between band and crowd. In fact, each song the band proposed was getting a better and better response with a never ending energy. “Someday I’ll be Saturday Night” and “Just Older” were played and during the latter both singer and guitar player stayed shoulder to shoulder permorming exactly what you can listen in the song’s lyrics. When the time came Jon with a little help introduced Richie in Spannish: “me amigo Ricardo Sambora vai a cantar una composicion I’ll be There for you... en espanhol” which pleased the corwd who reduced to the interpretation of the guitarrist. “Blaze of Glory”, “Born to be my Baby”, “Sleep When I'm Dead” and “Raise your Hands” rose the temperatures to new heiths and it was with a celebration atmosphere the main set was over.

After a few mintutes break the biggest surprise of the night happened, David sat in his keyboard started to play the fist notes of “These Days”, my very favorite song to which I could only stare completely speechless and with a tear in the corner of my eyes. This song represents the record that for definite consolidate my passion for this band and is very rare to be heard live, so it was with emotion I saw the whole band playing the song. No words can describe the following 5 minutes by I can assure they were the highlight of this trip for me, since no words can describe the honesty of complete communion everybody in that stadium felt. Brilliant.

“Captain Crash & the Beauty Queen from Mars” was a joyful moment as band and audience kept doing the coreography for the whole song. The band was on fire so they played the cover “Twist and Shout” next which made everybody move like a Rock Star of the 50’s. Suddenly everybody felt like Elvis Presley. Like in Barcelona “Bad Medicine” and “Shout” closed the show with a contagious energy that prevent anybody to leave without a ear to ear smille. During the show Richie experienced some technical failures, having to see his guitar being replaced during “It’s my Life”, just like David’s michrophone during “I’ll be There for you”, all details when compared with the overwhelming performance of the 5 man from New Jersey.

After a complete mess after the show, since 30 people are not easy to organise, we managed to reach our hotel and I couldn’t be happier since my mission was accomplished and with great ucced since I had been able to witness to different but equallly amazing shows from my very favorite Rock band.

Day #5 May, 23rd 2003 Way back home
This day was spent visiting Madrid, with a stop in the band’s hotel with no luck for me. Finally I realised I had completely lost my voice, hence the energy I spent in those two shows, all in all I had given 100% and this was the price I needed to pay. Fair done.

Even if we were all tired the trip back home was spent talking since all of us had so many great memories and we all wanted to share our perspective over last night’s show. Our trip came to an end on the morning of the 24th and we all had a big smille in our faces that proved the satisfaction we had lived during those Spannish days. I can honestly say this experience contributed for my development as a person since I had to live with such diferent personalities and ways of thinking, making decisions in group which is always not an easy task, but mainly because we were able to strenghen a friendship that despite rooted in a Rock band, largely trancended it and remained intense for a long period. For me this was thr fulfill of an old dream that had lasted 8 years and so on the one hand it was the end of a chapter, since I had now seen my idols in flesh and bone, but on the other hand it was the beginning of a much bigger adventure since I got the adiction of their live shows and so as this adventure ended I couldn’t help to think when I would have the chance to live that atmosphere all over again. And that couldn’t dream at the time what surprises the future would bring me. But that’s a whole other story.