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Bon Jovi > My show reviews > MARCH 19 & 20, 2010 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

My show reviews

MARCH 19 & 20, 2010 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Warning: If I ever find out that the pictures displayed on this page end up on someone's website without my consent, or if some people try to remove the watermarks and try to resell these pictures, they will have to provide some good explanations. I will then have to remove my pictures and other visitors of my website will be deprived of them!

The Bon Jovi hurricane conquered Montreal and left imperishable memories behind

Bon Jovi hadn't come to Montreal in a long time! After seeing them 9 times since November 2000 (once in 2000, twice in 2001, once in 2003, twice in 2005, once in 2006 and twice in 2007), I had to wait a little more than 2 years this time! A lot happened since 2007; at that time, I still had my wisdom teeth, my braces and I had not gone through my orthognathic surgeries! I always thought that there was a superhuman force watching over me concerning Bon Jovi. This force made sure that Bon Jovi waited until I was at ease with my jaws (to shout my head off a lot like I enjoy doing without hurting myself) and until I had no longer my braces before going on tour again! Let's say that I had accumulated a lot of energy to give to the band and it had to come out before I exploded!! My intensive muscular and cardiovascular workout sessions (to survive to 2 shows in 2 nights) also helped me to look forward to these shows! In short, I was well equipped to flash my... beautiful white teeth to Jon! ;)

You will understand that I never do things halfway when it comes to Bon Jovi... Anyway, if I started departing from all this preparation and this excitement around a tour, it would probably be the time for me to think about stopping paying to go see them. Fortunately this day has not come yet, far from it!

I must thank all of those who took the time to send me emails and even call me (!!) to wish me a good time. It's the first time I felt such enthusiasm for "Bonjovism" among my loved ones, it's extremely appreciated! It also means that I talked about it enough for you to remember it! :P

Day 1 – The day I met a member of Jon's family

Venue: Bell Centre
Ticket: Floor, Row G, Seat 25
Pictures: Available
Videos: Available

Cardiac palpitations, brain that refuses to fonction intelligently, feeling like being able to run a marathon... Yep, Bon Jovi was definitely in town on this beautiful sunny and hot day of March. Despite the years that pass, the morning of a Bon Jovi show, I feel exactly the same as when I went to see them when I was 13 years old. The same energy, the same excitement, the same agitation, the same emotional headache... It's marvellous to have a passion that keeps me as young at heart!

On the morning of March 19, it was crazy to try to learn as much as possible about my new digital camera which, I was hoping, would become a very good friend the same night! I also got ready to meet with Sandra (always the same Sandra since 2005!) so we could get to the Bell Centre together. We were going together the first night because of her who had succeeded in buying a pair of tickets on the fan club website before they were all gone! Personally, I had not had that chance, so a big thank you to her!!

The fan club evolved again since the last tour; we knew at least in advance where our seats were (row G on the floor in the middle), but the unknown in the equation was that there was a kind of circle (the tour is called The Circle) formed by a catwalk linked to the stage and we didn't know how big this circle was! So, yes, we had tickets in the seventh row on the floor, but we also knew that we would not be in the seventh row; we would probably be in the seventh + about 6-7 rows included in the circle. We were not too thrilled to know that us, fan club members, hadn't tickets located exclusively in the circle! And these tickets were very expensive (350$US plus 70$US of fees instead of 143$US plus 30$US of fees for tickets outside the circle). I would have paid for one, but well, they were sold out even more quickly than the other fan club tickets!

We also had to get our tickets at the Bell Centre starting at 5h pm on the night of the show. All of that to counter the scalpers so they would not be able to sell them too quickly on the day of the show... So, we had to go there before going to dinner. I got ready calmly, because I had taken the day off work; anyway, I would have not been very productive during the day!

At the beginning of the afternoon, I decided to go on GEG website which was selling the Bon Jovi tickets. What a surprise for me to see that there were still a few excellent tickets in the circle (!!) for 350$CAN. These tickets were part of VIP packages too expensive for the "normal people" who I am a part of, namely 969$ for tickets in the circle and 1870$ for tickets in the first row of the circle! I already had my tickets for the show on March 20: one in row G on the floor and another one in row P on the floor for Martin. While doing different searches, I went across a ticket in row D of one of the "pits" of the circle... I was too tempted and I immediately bought this ticket for 350$CAN while knowing very well that I already had mine. I couldn't resell my extra fan club ticket, because it's forbidden, but well, I was telling myself that at worst, my ticket in the circle would have cost me 550$ (350$ + 200$ that one of my fan club tickets cost me with the conversion into American money). Yeah yeah, I know, you are all telling yourself at this moment that I'm crazy to have done that, but well, I was so upset not to be in the circle in Montreal that I saw my purchase as a purchase of peace with myself. I wanted to be in the circle and it would have cost me 420$US to be there with the fan club. And my "Bon Jovi fund" made sure that all of this will not do that big of a hole in my budget at the end of the month.

Well, let's get back to March 19 now... I will come back to the March 20 show later... The afternoon was so long! I had made a list of things to do and I had quite a busy schedule, but the thing is that I was ahead of time on my schedule. I left to meet with Sandra at her house at the end of the afternoon and we headed towards downtown Montreal by bus from the South Shore. Parking at 20$ at the Bell Centre vs 3$ and no parking lot fees to take the bus that does the shuttle from the South Shore to 1000 de la Gauchetière in Montreal, the choice was not hard to make!!

We arrived at the Bell Centre around 5h pm to get our fan club tickets. We were told by email that there would be an assigned tent to those who had fan club tickets and VIP packages. Unlike the tour in 2007, it was quite well organized and we only waited for about ten minutes to get our tickets. The only person who I recognized in the fan club line was Chantal, met in 2005, so I said hello. Sandra and I then went to have dinner. We went back to the same place as in 2007, that is the Gare Centrale to eat poutine. We chatted about all kinds of things, such as a discussion that she had several years ago with Mrs B, Jon's mother, during a fan club trip... We had finished eating at 6h15 pm and we thought that we were a little too efficient... Usually, we run everywhere to arrive on time for the show and we still had 1h15 to waste before the first act! We walked a little around the Bell Centre and we hung out at 1000 de la Gauchetière.

Around 7h30 pm, we decided to head towards the Bell Centre, because the first act was starting and Sandra wanted to go around the Bon Jovi merchandise stands. There was a huge banner on a digital screen at the Bell Centre entrance which read: "Bon Jovi remercie ses fans de Montréal" with the English translation on the same banner. I thought it was an extraordinary idea! After the turnstiles of the Bell Centre entrance, the same banner was there with a huge picture of Jon beside it... We weren't in the mood to go sit down right away to have the first act called Dashboard Confessional deafen us, so we walked a little. Sandra bought a key ring and a reusable Bon Jovi bag, but personally, I didn't buy anything. The merchandise seemed more beautiful than usual, but it was still expensive; 45$ for a T-shirt, it has to be nice to buy it!

It was already very hot and we were not even in the show room yet! There were all kinds of people around us and I told myself at that moment that there were still more than 17 000 people in the building to see Bon Jovi. It was great to think about that! Before heading down to our seats, I took a few pictures of the mega-banner inside the Bell Centre. I was not the only one, because several women were getting their picture taken beside the banner to be able to say that they got their picture taken with Jon! Hahaha

The first act was about to be over when we arrived at our seats which were not as far as I had imagined. It was as if we were in the 13th row like I had anticipated, because there were about 6 rows in the circle formed by the stage and we were in the seventh row on the floor. The people in the first row on the floor were already at the barricade which was against the catwalk forming the circle. I had the time to take two pictures of the first act to test my camera. It looked promising, but thank god I had spent a little time reading the instruction manual a few hours beforehand!

The lights turned back on to let the roadies do their job to get the stage ready for Bon Jovi. We tried to locate fan club members, but I only recognized a few. I missed a little the time when all fan club members were in the first rows on the floor and we were surrounded almost exclusively by fan club members! However, I must admit that the people around us seemed to want to behave correctly, that is not drink too much and make trouble afterwards! A quite conservative couple regarding their clothes and still a little older than the average was sitting down beside us... I found it cute nonetheless, because most of the people in the first rows on the floor are quite young and dressed fashionally usually... But well, it takes all kinds to make the world!

Sandra and I got ready for the show, by taking out our cameras, by putting our bottle of water underneath our chair and personally, I put my fan club laminate around my neck and one of my banners related to Bed Of Roses in my right back pocket of my jeans just in case.

Not long after sittting down, I saw a guy go by in the aisle (we were two seats away from the aisle) and Matt Bongiovi (Jon's youngest brother) follow him right after. When I recognized him, I had the time to wave at him and say: "Hi Matt!!" He was looking at me at that moment, so he nodded while passing by near us and Sandra turned around and said hello also and he also nodded. Sandra had already talked to Matt a few years ago, but personally, it was the first time he was looking at me. I had seen him in 2007, but I had not talked to him and I was still kicking myself for it since then! I had precisely talked about it during dinner with Sandra that I was still kicking myself for not talking to him! When Matt nodded at me, I told myself: "Heu... but what did I just do there? He doesn't know me at all!" hahahaha Sandra asked me if I wanted her to get him so I could finally talk to him. She told me: "Or rather we go see him over there?" We could see him, he was at the sound console further back on the floor. I told her: "Yes, let's go!" We got up, left the row and we walked in a very determined way towards Matt. When we got beside him, we told him: "Hi Matt!" in turn. Sandra asked him if he accepted having my picture taken with him. He immediately accepted. While Sandra was configuring my camera that I had given her for the occasion, I told Matt: "Matt, I would like to thank you for keeping the fan club alive a couple of years ago!" He smiled at me and immediately told me: "Ah, it's my pleasure..." I answered: "I've been a fan club member since 1995..." while showing him my fan club laminate that was around my neck. He looked at me and said: "Wa, that's a long time!" Sandra then took the picture and then, I took a picture of her and Matt. I was trembling so much (oh, emotion!), that I had a hard time smiling correctly and to take the picture of Sandra and Matt without trembling! We then thanked him, said bye and we went back to our seats. I was trembling so much, Sandra had to take my left hand in hers to try calming me down. I couldn't stop laughing insanely until about 5 minutes before the band came on stage. Sandra really thought I was losing it! I told her at that moment that I could feel I wasn't ready to meet Jon yet if his brother affected me that much! I couldn't stop on thanking Sandra, I was very happy! I even said as a joke that my evening was done already and we could leave! Hahahaha Here is my picture with Matt Bongiovi and my Crest smile!!

Marie-Hélène Cyr and Matt Bongiovi - Bon Jovi show at the Bell Centre, Quebec, Canada (March 19, 2010)

Around 8h40 pm, a song that looked strangely like Rock & Roll Part II (but it was finally This Is Our House) started playing in the Bell Centre and the sound was a little louder than previous songs. I told Sandra that I had the feeling that it was the last song before the lights go off. She didn't seem to believe it much, but well, after the song, the lights went off indeed and everyone started screaming. I got my camera ready which was around my neck and I checked that my coat was on my chair one last time, that my bottle of water was underneath my chair and that my purse was correctly hooked to the seat to be able to see only the strap when I was looking at the seat.

The show introduction was really cool. The giant screen went down slowly while showing different words such as "unity", "peace", "love", etc. written in circle (must I repeat that the tour is called The Circle?). Afterwards, the image on the The Circle album cover was shown, showing the band members walking slightly towards us, still on the giant screen. The screen was coming down again and again until it hid the stage completely. And when it lifted up, the band members were all on stage and people went crazy in the Bell Centre!

The band started with a quite popular song in the 1980's: Blood On Blood. I was singing at the top of my lungs, it was great! It had been a long time since I'd heard this song live!! I was also able to test every mode of my camera that I had checked out for action scenes. I was already very happy to be there, it had been so long since I had seen them!! However, I was further than usual and I didn't feel a big rush of adrenaline that usually makes me scream in a way to dislocate my jaw. I told myself at that moment that I had just gotten older since the last time and that I was no longer the 20-year-old girl who was screaming from the beginning of the show...

The list of songs that they played is the following:

Encores:

29 songs, 29 songs, 29 SONGS!!! Unbelievable! I think that it's the biggest list of songs that I've seen at a Bon Jovi show!!! Usually, it is limited to 26-27, I've already seen 28 in Montreal... The show started at 8h45 pm and the lights turned back on officially at 11h40 pm. This is 5 minutes away from being a 3-hour show! During the last tours, Bon Jovi accustomed us to shows that started at 8h45 pm and were over around 11h15 pm... I love them so much! It's quite a show during 3 hours! And time flew by so quickly; I looked at the time at some point and it was almost 11h pm already and it seemed to me that the show had just begun!!

After a few tries with the camera, I saw that the shutter mode without flash was giving impressive results! The thing is that this mode makes 3-Mpixels pictures tops and I can go up to 12 Mpixels with my camera... However, the modes that allow taking 12-Mpixels pictures were making blurry pictures or with a background a little too much white. I really liked the shutter mode, because I could take 50 pictures and more in a few seconds and they seemed almost all clear, except when I was starting to move the camera to follow Jon in his moves! After about the quarter of the show, I noticed that the remaining picture counter on my camera had gone down by 1000... Had I taken 1000 pictures already? Phew, it was promising! I also noticed that I was looking too much in my camera, because I made small videos as well... But let's say that the 18x zoom on my camera made Jon look bigger than he was!! The shutter mode allowed me to take awesome pictures in so little time that I had plenty of time to sing, dance, jump and clap my hands between 2 shutter periods... If not, I would have spent the evening behind the camera getting frustrated, because I would not have necessarily succeeded in capturing key moments on pictures... Sandra seemed happy with her pictures too, she wasn't complaining too much about her camera.

When Jon started fooling around by wandering casually on stage and talking a little to the crowd while finishing We Weren't Born To Follow, I told myself: "Well, that's it, he will go in the middle of the stage, he will put his microphone on the white stand, he will raise and lower an arm rapidly and he will start You Give Love A Bad Name!" And like I had predicted, that's exactly what he did!! I'm starting to know Jon!! As soon as he started: "Shot through the heart and you're to blame", even before he had the time to say: "You give love a bad name", the crowd had already gone wild! Anyway, I had! Hahahaha This song really made everyone get up on their feet and there was quite a lot of echo in the lyrics heard among the people there!

At the beginning of the show, I remember that Jon looked at Richie and told him something; he seemed flabbergasted by the crowd once more. He was doing his "I didn't remember that it was like that in Montreal" face, but in a good way. I also remember that Jon said something along those lines right after: "Montréal... It's been a while since we've been here. It's about time we came back and we have a great night for you tonight!" He seemed sincerely happy to be with us!

Born To Be My Baby triggered rapture in the crowd... Oh, what these 1980's classics can do to a 20 000-people crowd. (I learned the next day that we were 20 000!) I remember screaming a lot during this song.

I was amazed by the giant screen. It was simply a real technological jewel! It was composed of several screens which could get together or divide during a few songs to give a single or several giant screens for the people who were all around the stage! Oh yes, there were people behind the stage, but they didn't seem to have their view blocked too much nonetheless. Anyway, we could see them well! There was also a giant screen at the back of the stage which was 6 feet tall I would say and it was composed of panels that could separate and pivot completely to give the people behind the stage an idea of what was happening on stage. It was really well made! And I have never seen anything like it for other rock bands! Also, the small screens that compose the huge giant screen above the stage could separate slightly to show big images (they were forming a grid with space between each screen, but we could see the visual effect pretty well)... If I had been too close, I would probably have not been able to appreciate this technological jewel to its right value!

Right before Have A Nice Day, Jon started talking a little bit to the crowd and he immediately said: "You haven't paid to hear me talk, you have paid money to see me shake my ass and sing so that's exactly what you're gonna get!" Well... I must admit it, Jon knows how to talk to girls, because all the girls in the Bell Centre went wild when he said that!!! Have A Nice Day still triggered a good reaction from the crowd and Jon was quite on fire during the song!

And then started a slow descent of the show rhythm. They played 3 songs from their new album and after When We Were Beautiful which is clearly not a song that should be played in concert because of its lack of rhythm, Sandra made me realize that the crowd in the bleachers was sitting down and several people on the floor had already done the same! I told myself at that moment that the band had to change the rhythm a little, because they would lose a lot more people than that! It was the first time that I saw such a loss of strength!! I found it was really bad and I wondered at that moment if the torture of the new songs would still continue a long time for these people who were now sitting down!

Before When We Were Beautiful, Jon made a little speech about the fact that he and Richie compose songs which talk about the outside world in general, but they decided to write a song on a past time which was, in their opinion, much simpler. And before starting the song, Jon said that he was now in the "we decade" instead of the "me decade", meaning that he had realized that he was alone before and that it's not necessarily a good thing... I quite didn't understand what he meant in fact... :S

The band pulled themselves together well with We Got It Going On which is one of the best songs from their second-to-last album called Lost Highway. Jon walked a lot during this song, going to greet the crowd behind the stage and jumping a little everywhere. It was awesome; the real "monkey" (or rather stage beast) that I know was there, in front of me... And we had the opportunity to see a sensual almost provocative hip sway from Jon after the guitar solo; phew, something to feed a few sexual thoughts for a while!!! ;)

Then, they played Bad Medicine. The band got us used to seeing on the giant screen a scene showing a woman not really dressed (who still stays within good taste) during this song in the last tours and this one is no exception! With the help of the main giant screen, red and black images of a woman full of beautiful curves and leather lingerie/clothes started wriggling during the whole song. I'm sure that men, not really in large numbers, appreciated it very much!

The band did a mix with Rod Stewart's Hot Legs during Bad Medicine. I didn't know this song, but it was quite lively. I don't know if it were the first time that the band was playing that song, but when Bad Medicine ended, Jon took the microphone a little without the other instruments and he continued humming Hot Legs for a few moments before saying: "Oh, I like it!" like he had just discovered a mix that really pleased him! I don't know if it were the first time that they were doing this mix, but I had seen that a The Doors cover was played in the cities just before Montreal...

I don't remember at all during which song, but I remember seeing my hand and a part of my right arm at the giant screen up front when I was waving, so sorry for the person behind, but I wanted to be shown on the giant screen! Hahahaha I didn't think it was possible in fact, I was so far from the stage, so it's for that reason that I became a little crazy to wave my hand like that!

I also had the feeling that the only additional musician to the main five band members who was on stage with them was now more an accessory than anything else. In 2007, I had been under the impression to see a show of musicians whose band could have been called "Jon Bon Jovi and friends". It had disturbed me a little... Now, I was finally rediscovering the Bon Jovi band who needed one or two musicians to make a richer sound in concert!

It's My Life got the crowd to go wilder than during Have A Nice Day. Everyone was singing very loudly! And then, the surprise of the tour, the song Homebound Train sung by Richie, the guitar player! It's a really rock song from 1988. I would never have thought in my wildest dreams to hear this in concert! It is very good live when we know what it is; otherwise, it can be a little weird. Personally, I quite like it anyway!! Jon had told us through his official website that he had heard us when we said that we wanted to hear old songs that they never play! Thank you Jon for listening to your fans as much! ;)

Then, I told myself that Jon would probably come out of somewhere in the Bell Centre, because during the last tours, when Richie sang alone on stage, Jon took the opportunity to go change his clothes and get ready for a little surprise. I was also telling myself that Jon had not come once on the catwalk that forms the circle around the stage... I had the feeling that I would not be disappointed after Homebound Train...

When the lights went off on stage after Homebound Train, I saw, in the shadow, someone put a microphone on the catwalk just in front of me (I was in the seventh row center after the circle)... I then pointed at the microphone to Sandra and when she saw it, she understood that Jon would come near us. A spotlight turned on where the microphone was and Jon appeared from a little staircase. He was so close to us compared to when he was on the main stage, I opened my eyes wide! Hahahaha Sandra and I let out quite a scream when we saw Jon there! He was so handsome in his pale blue vest... He was there, near us like in the old times of the fan club tickets near the stage... Ahhhhhhh... I was finally rediscovering the excitement of being at a Bon Jovi show and seeing Jon up close!! And when I heard the first piano notes of Hallelujah that Jon does so magnificently, I was already conquered and fulfilled with happiness!! I had been so much thrilled by this same song in 2007 when they had done it for the first time!! I started taking pictures of Jon almost as if I had gone crazy, he was so close! My 18x zoom seemed too much now, I had a hard time taking a picture of anything else than just his face! After having listened to the song a little and taken a lot of pictures, I looked at Jon correctly, completely flabbergasted to see him so close again... I felt emotion or adrenaline (maybe both?) coming up in me that struck me to the heart. I told myself at that moment that 1) I was about to start crying or 2) I had to scream something to lower the pressure that I had in the heart... I then opted for option 2), that is scream with all my strength a big and sincere "I LOVE YOU!!!". I'm sure he heard me! I was relieved by doing that, the pressure went back to normal and a big feeling of inner peace took over me; I had just told myself: "OK, it's just that I'm further than usual, because as close as this, my god he is handsome and I love him!!!" hahaha

When he finished Hallelujah, Jon said a few words to mention to us that this song was written by a man from Montreal. His almost exact words were: "You have a great composer, Leonard Cohen, who comes from Montreal and you are very lucky to have him come from here. Me, I'm just a performer who doesn't give him justice." I have never heard the original version, but I adore Jon's version. It's so intense for him and us! It's a real jewel in concert!

Jon then invited Richie to join him on the catwalk. Sandra looked at me and told me: "I'll Be There For You!!" Actually, that's what they played afterwards. Richie and Jon were so close, I have never taken so many pictures using the shutter mode than that and I could never think of taking as many in my life! Speaking of pictures, I put my best pictures on this page to share them with all of you. You will notice which ones were taken while the band members were on the catwalk!

At the end of l'Il Be There For You, Jon and Richie made us sing the "oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh ooooohhhh oh" and I was singing at the top of my lungs, it was soothing to let myself be rocked by the music and by the crowd who was also singing...

When I heard the first notes of the following song, I looked at Sandra, completely flabbergasted. I had immediately recognized it, I wanted to know if Sandra would recognize it quickly as well. I saw her face change suddenly... DIAMOND RING!!! DIAMOND RING!!! Come on!! Wow, I had not heard that in a long time! But good news, I still remembered the lyrics! During this song, I looked at Jon and Richie sing together and I put both my hands together near my neck. I then had my head tilted to the right and I told myself: "My god I love these guys, mostly Jon..." as if I had just realized that I was really at a Bon Jovi show! I was truly captivated by them...

We were lucky... We had 2 consecutive songs from the These Days album, because the one that followed Diamond Ring was Something For The Pain. It had been a long time for this one too! In fact, I don't remember hearing them since 1995! What was special is that Jon invited Tico and David to come join them, him and Richie, on the catwalk. I was really satisfied! The 4 members at the same time so close, it was extraordinary! And Tico had a kind of a "birdhouse" to do the percussions. It was a wood box with a hole in front, from there the resemblance with the birdhouse. I must admit that I don't quite know how this instrument was working, but it was doing the job correctly!

I don't remember when exactly during the time when they were on the catwalk, but Jon teased David who was playing the accordion by saying that it was not with this instrument that he would pick up women! And Jon added that it was the first time in 27 years that we could see Tico on the same level as the other members, him who is always behind the others at the drums! We understand here that he was talking about the tour and not the show in Montreal as the first time Tico was at the front of the house with the others!! He's been doing that since the beginning of the tour.

After Something For The Pain, Jon said that he quite liked to perform on the catwalk, so the band stayed at the catwalk for Someday I'll Be Saturday Night!! I'm not sure that it was planned! But I won't be the one complaining anyway! And they returned to the main stage after this fifth song at the catwalk. Right before leaving the catwalk, I saw Jon lean forward to allow someone in the first rows on the floor to take a beautiful picture of him. I also saw him wave at someone he recognized in the first rows on the floor. I wondered at that moment if it would be my turn someday... ;)

When Jon went back to the main stage, he ran to arrive in time to sing Keep The Faith which was beginning and I saw him take out his shirt completely when he was still on stage before disappearing at the back to go change his clothes! Sandra became hysterical when she saw Jon shirtless! Hahahaha I must admit that it surprised me very much as well, because we rarely see him without any shirt on at all! Several other girls also freaked out when they saw that! When he started singing Keep The Faith, Jon didn't have his maracas and Bob Bandiera, the additional guitar player, threw his to him when he had to start playing guitar. It was the first time that I saw it wasn't Jon who went to get his maracas himself!

I noticed that Jon was still giving guitar picks quite regularly to the people in the rows of the circle and also, when he left the catwalk to head towards the main stage. It was the first time that I noticed him give so many! And moreover, he wasn't throwing them, he was bending over and was giving them directly in the hands of fans who had stretched their arms to get them.

It was so hot in the Bell Centre throughout the show!! I was sweating and Sandra too. My hair was really humid and we could have said that we were suffocating! I must say that security was bad; a lot of people were coming for whole songs up front. At the beginning of the show, the woman in front of me went to the barricade in the first row and she came back right before the encores if I remember correctly! A couple came to take her place for the whole show, because there was an empty seat in the row beside the woman. I didn't find it was fair, because usually at a Bon Jovi show, security is very strict and guards spend their whole time pushing back the people who try to make their way through to the front! But at least, nobody was smoking around us! And I must say that there weren't many drunk people near us either! Good for us!

After Keep The Faith, the song I could have very well lived without started: Work For The Working Man. When I listen to the last album, I completely stop singing; the song doesn't inspire me at all! And moreover, during this song, there were images of gears and things related to mechanical engineering and workers, in addition to the words "work" and "hurt" that appeared on the different giant screens. Nothing to make me love the song a lot more!!

I don't quite remember when exactly, but Jon said: "It's Friday night, you've worked all week..." to introduce a song in particular, but my mind cannot remember which one at all! It's weird, at this moment, I didn't feel as if I had worked all week; I had completely forgotten how hard I had worked in the last days! Ahhh, what Jon can do on my spirits and my mind! hahaha

Who Says You Can't Go Home had a very liberating effect. We all sang every "It's all right" and there was someone near us on our left who had a sign on which it was written: "It's all right" with the smirk (Joe V) from Have A Nice Day. It seems to me like I've already seen this sign during previous tours...

And then, the band started the song that I wanted to hear live since the moment I had heard it on the new album: Love's The Only Rule! It is really good in concert, I couldn't believe it! And Jon made me freak out at the end, because he went down to the people located in the circle to make the people on the end of the rows sing the "oh oh oh oooohhhh oh"!!! He even spontaneously kissed a woman in the first or second row in the aisle on the left who seemed to be a little surprised by Jon's gesture! All the women who saw the gesture went crazy nevertheless! I was freaking out, because I was telling myself that the next day, I would be in the circle probably near an aisle! Phew, I tried not to get too excited at this moment!

At the end of his walk in the circle, Jon did another round on the catwalk to go back to the stage while running on the right side if I remember correctly and he went down a few steps to disappear at the back of the stage. The lights went off and the crowd got loud to show their urgency to see the band back on stage!

The encores started with Runaway that Jon introduced by saying: "Uh oh, it's 1984 again!" while opening his eyes wide. Oh, I found this cool that he didn't drag on to do the countdown from 2010 to 1984, because during previous tours, it took a very long time and we knew where he was heading to with this! He said his new introduction sentence to Runaway so rapidly that it seemed like he still wanted to create a surprise effect in the crowd! hahaha

Right after Runaway, Jon asked how old a guy in the first row was. Jon then said: "Fourteen??!! Wow, I'm getting older and the fans are getting younger!! I LIKE IT!!" by laughing and he continued with: "Wow, you weren't even born when this song was a hit!" And then, he started doubting what he had just said (or he pretended like doubting?), so he asked Richie to confirm what he had just said. I found this really fun for the guy to interact with Jon like that!! And Jon didn't stop there either, he told him: "Man, you're doing a keyboard face just like David!" and he told David that the guy had a lot of talent, potential and that he already had the attitude of a rock star while mimicking the guy's "keyboard face" to David. It was really funny, David made a huge smile! Jon ended by telling the guy: "And you now have 17 500 women here and they all want your phone number!" and he started laughing. Some women screamed their approval! Hahahaha

I don't remember when during the encores anymore, but I realized how well I could see the stage in front with all the details surrounding the band members. It's stupid, I remembered at this moment that I had my contact lenses on and I didn't have dust in my glasses nor areas in my field of view which were not covered by my glasses! Everything was so clear, I could see everywhere equally!! My contact lenses were great and they didn't bother me yet! It's true that I had put drops in my eyes right before arriving at the Bell Centre...

I was disappointed to notice that Jon and Richie wouldn't let us sing the first verse of Wanted Dead Or Alive... It's so extraordinary when the crowd sings so loudly that we understand the lyrics! But well, I told myself that it would be for next time! We still sang quite loudly, because we echoed well what Jon was singing at the microphone!!

When Jon started Livin' On A Prayer a cappella, I decided to take out my cellular phone and call Martin who was home. It was later than 11h15 pm and I couldn't believe that the band was still there performing! I had also seen in previous shows elsewhere in the United States that Livin' On A Prayer was ending the show, so I told myself that Martin would listen to one of his favorite songs and he would know that I was still not out of there! I saw Sandra with her cellular phone in her hand as well and she showed me that she was calling her mother for the same song. After Jon made us sing a nice part at the end of the song, he said: "Are we in New Jersey or what??!!" I screamed so much when he said that, because it seemed like he said it really spontaneously and I had just figured out that the New Jersey crowd must be similar to the Montreal one! I found it really fun that Jon appreciated us as much and thought that we were loud!

The band took their final bow, Jon took off his ear plugs and the band left. I was quite sure that the show was over, like several people in the bleachers who were already leaving. However, the crowd was totally rapturous and people started singing the famous "ole ole ole ole"... Well, the band came back on stage and Jon put his ear plugs back in his ears!!! I couldn't believe it, he had a huge smile too, like he had just realized that he had been caught by a crowd who was too loud! Hahahaha Moreover, they came back for two songs!! First Twist And Shout which continued the party that had ignited since the beginning of the encores and then, oh surprise, Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars! I was freaking out when I heard the first notes! I looked at Sandra and we started swinging our arms in the air to the beat like we are used to do. And Jon saw us at some point, because he pointed with his guitar at us before starting swinging to the beat on the same side as the one we had chosen! Yeah! Towards the end of the song, Jon got the whole Bell Centre to follow the beat. It was awesome!! I looked up and I turned around and really, it was an incredible effect to see everybody swinging their arms like that! I even noticed that the people in the blue seats behind the stage were swinging their arms!!!

After Captain Crash, we could very well see that Jon was very tired, but it seemed like he didn't want to leave! He took a deep breath and he said: "OK, we'll see you tomorrow night!" and the band left afterwards. I had just realized that we had had a nice candy from the band!!

The lights turned back on a few moments afterwards and we gathered our things to leave. When we headed towards the back of the floor to go outside, I said to Sandra that I was not looking forward to seeing what I looked like with my makeup! I remember telling her: "Well, I must be beautiful!" An older guy was just in front of us and when he heard me say this, he turned around and said: "It doesn't matter, what matters, it's that we were there and we had fun!" Well, it's very true! Hahaha

We got back to the South Shore of Montreal by bus and we even ran into some of Sandra's neighbors who I gave a lift to at the same time I gave a lift home to Sandra. I was so tired, it was nearly one in the morning and I had just had a big day and huge emotions! I had to keep a little energy for the next day!

Day 2 – It is wrong to think that the number 13 always brings misfortune

Venue: Bell Centre
Ticket: Circle Pit 2, Row D, Seat 3
Pictures: Available
Videos: Available

The night was short, I didn't sleep well. I felt like a child who waits for Christmas morning before playing with her toys... I couldn't wait to see my pictures and my videos on the computer screen!! And I was not disappointed... More than 2500 pictures, some as good as the ones in magazines, others completely bad! Let's say that the shutter mode was a great help!

The day went by so quickly, because I had to go get the morning newspapers to get the articles about the show of the previous night and I also had to write my review as much as possible not to get confused with both shows. I had not the time to sort my pictures that I burned on a DVD in case my computer would decide to give up after having transferred my pictures from my camera. I also had to get mentally ready for my 13th Bon Jovi show!

Martin was coming with me that night and I had a very good ticket for him in the seventh row on the floor! I was in a funny mood while getting ready, I was very calm, even if my body were giving signs of giving up around the end of the afternoon. I had a little headache, nausea and my shoulders were hurting, but not much else. When I chose the clothes I would be wearing for the evening, I had the feeling that I was deciding what I would wear when I would touch Jon for the first time. Such gut feelings don't lie...

Martin and I joined Sandra and her boyfriend at the Bell Centre around 5h30 pm. I had to pick up my fan club tickets and also the one in the circle that I had purchased the day before. The fan club was once again very well organized, I got my tickets in 5 minutes! It was a little longer at the ticket office which is now in a less convivial place than before! Let's say that the space is limited... On that note, when we got in the Bell Centre to go to the ticket office (I thought it was still located in the basement...), we heard music and what sounded like Jon singing part of I'll Be There For You... My god, I think that the band was doing the sound checks!! Wow, it was the first time it was happening to me to hear live sound checks like this. Let's say that the adrenaline showed itself quickly when I heard Jon's voice; it must have been close to 5h45 pm at that moment...

After going to the ticket office to get my ticket, the four of us decided to go eat in a restaurant not too far but not too close either from the Bell Centre to avoid the chaos of the Bell Centre St-Hubert restaurant and the Cage aux sports. We then had dinner at Reuben's. After dinner, Sandra and I went to freshen up for the last time before going back to the Bell Centre. I then brushed my teeth, just in case I would be close enough to Jon to touch him...

We got in the Bell Centre a little after 7h30 pm; the first act had just begun. We hung around in the Bell Centre hallways until the first act's last song. The list of their songs was the same as the previous day, so it was easy for me and Sandra to tell our spouses that it was time to go. Martin and I left Sandra and her boyfriend quite quickly, I think that they didn't go down towards the floor by the same section as us... In short, I left Martin at his seat in row G and I headed completely towards the front, because I could see that people were going in the circle by the left side when looking at the stage. I went through so many security controls, it was ridiculous. When I arrived at the circle and the last security guy whom I showed my ticket to told me: "You are in pit #2, it's the one on the right, so fourth row but on the other side", I knew that I now had a good chance of touching Jon! The previous day, he had gone down in the circle during Love's The Only Rule and he had spent several seconds making people sing near the aisle between both pits. Since I had seat 3, I was 2 seats away from this aisle! I was really wondering who would be the people who could maybe allow me to squeeze myself against them so I would be able to touch Jon when he would pass by.

I saw Martin in the seventh row in the middle and he waved at me to let me know he wanted to talk to me. I then took my cellular phone and I saw that he had tried to call me. We tried to talk a little, but it was not easy with the noise from people and the music that was playing! But I finally understood that he was asking if I were satisfied with my seat. Heu... YES!

I put one of my Bed Of Roses banners in my right back pocket of my jeans like the previous day and I told myself: "Well, I'm quite sure that I do that for nothing, but well..." I almost forgot to put my fan club laminate around my neck, it was far at the bottom of my purse! It's someone with a real backstage pass who made me think about it!

Not long after, or maybe they were already there before I spoke to Martin, two women came to sit down on my right. I remember that they took out a little flag from Germany. Sandra had told me the previous day that she had seen on the fan club website message board two women write that they were coming from Germany to see Bon Jovi in Montreal. The opportunity was too good! I leaned forward towards them and I asked them: "Are you from Germany?" Regina nodded positively. I asked them again: "Are you fan club members?!" Sonja responded a big "YES!". So, I started talking to them a little, they were very nice. In fact, I recognized Sonja when she told me her name on the message board; I remembered her picture! So, I told her: "Oh, it's you!!!" She seemed shy that I had recognized her. She remembered me vaguely, because I no longer go on the message board very often! If I understood correctly, they were going to the next show in North America as well, they will come back in New Jersey for the New Meadowlands Stadium inauguration in May and they will go to a show in Paris later during the year. They also told me that they prefer general admission shows like in Europe, because they can decide if they want to be in the first row or at the end of the fan club members pit by arriving early in the morning or later at the stadium where the show is!

While I was talking to the Germans, I felt a hand tapping me on the shoulder. When I turned around, I saw Isabelle, one of the girls whom I had been with at the Bon Jovi show at Parc Jean-Drapeau in 2006! I was happy to see and talk to her a little. I had seen her the previous day, but she was not close to where I was! It's easy to recognize her; she has a beautiful and very curly blond hair! ;)

A couple arrived and sat down on my left at some point. I then knew who were going to be beside me for the evening. I was looking for a way to talk to either the woman (Mercedes) or the man (Sébastien) - I learned their names at the end of the show before I left - to apologize in advance if I pushed when Jon would come down in the circle! Hahaha I didn't have to look for long for an excuse to talk to them, because Sébastien asked me if I had a backstage pass which gave me access everywhere. I had my fan club laminate around my neck (a little like the one that Matt had on the previous day on the picture of me and him) and the fan club is called "Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi", so I immediately connected the dots with his question! I started explaining to him what the laminate was and I noticed at that moment that he was very nice and Mercedes seemed really nice too! I started explaining to them that I was a fan club member and Mercedes asked me if I had gone to the concert on the previous day. When I told her where I was, she told me: "Ah, you are a real fan!" As if we weren't all real fans... ;) I then seized the moment and I explained to them that Jon would pass in the aisle at some point and that I would really like to touch him if it were possible. Sébastien told me: "They precisely warned me earlier... If you want, I can trip him over... By the time security guards come to get him, you will all have your chance at touching and helping him!" Hahahaha Joking apart, I asked them if they were against me pressing against them enough for me to finally touch Jon. I told them that I had been waiting for this moment for 17 years. Sébastien seemed a little surprised by my request, but he immediately said that he would do anything for all of us to be able to touch him! He had the aisle seat. My heart was then very light and I knew that they were going to be allies in what could happen during the show! We continued talking a little. He asked me what I had done to get my ticket in the circle, because they had gotten theirs through friends. How nice of their friends! ;)

I remember looking up to see that the giant screen was right above me and it would be hard for me to see it! This is what makes me happy; not being able to look at the giant screen without giving me a stiff neck. It means that I'm close enough to the stage!

A short while after, the song This Is Our House started playing and I then knew that when it was going to be over, the lights would go off! It seemed to last forever!! The Germans and I were already up on our feet during the song and we were already clapping in our hands while dancing slowly. Sonja, who was just beside me, turned around and told me: "It's the last song!" She and Regina were there the previous night as well, so we knew quite well the sequence of events of the evening!

The lights finally went off... I saw people who had tickets behind the stage start running to go back to their seat and the crowd in the Bell Centre went wild once again. Exactly the same introduction with the screen that goes down and the band who gets closer to the screen was shown. I was then quite excited, because when the screen was completely down on the stage, we could see legs appear on stage; a guy in front of me even told his spouse: "Hey look, they are already there!" When the giant screen lifted up, I was under the impression that I would become deaf because of the screams in the Bell Centre; it was crazy!

On my side, I screamed a lot when I heard the first notes of the first song!! Since the beginning of the tour, they usually start their shows with Blood On Blood like the previous night and I had warned Martin that it was improbable for them to start with anything else. When I heard the first notes, I told myself: "No... say it isn't so... it's not Blood On Blood... But tell me, it seems to me like I wanted to hear that song... It's a new song from their last album... IT'S... HAPPY NOW!!!!!!!" I had gone on the fan club message board the day before in the afternoon to ask the band to play it at least one of both nights in Montreal. I adore this song! I was so happy; my whole body was trembling! I don't know how I managed to make a short video because I was too happy; my heart was now filling up with a huge joy! They were playing it only for the second time since the beginning of the tour and the first time they had played it, they hadn't started the show with it! I told myself at this moment that there was really a superhuman power watching over me when it comes to Bon Jovi or else, Jon was really looking at the special requests made on the message board! But I must admit that the coincidence was a little too big to just be a coincidence!

Here is the list of songs that they played on the second night:

Encores:

29 songs again! My god we are lucky in Montreal! In fact, it's not luck, the crowd was just crazy once again!!! Jon couldn't believe it at the end to still hear us all scream!! The show again lasted close to 3 hours, that is from about 8h45 pm to 11h40 pm... The band was on fire again that night! And I preferred the list of songs of the second night!!! Usually, the second show is a little less impressive, but it was not the case!

After I pulled myself together because of the emotions triggered by Happy Now, they continued with the first single of The Circle. I found We Weren't Born To Follow a lot better than the previous day, I don't know why. I enjoyed myself by taking pictures during this song, always with the shutter mode... It was incredible, with the full zoom, I had a hard time fitting Jon in the LCD screen, because as soon as he was moving, he was leaving my field of view! Hahaha At the end of the song, Jon started fooling around again by doing little circles on stage and by talking for nothing really and he came back to his white microphone stand... I knew exactly what he was about to do again... Hand in the air which lowered quickly and "Shot through the heart..." When he said "heart", I felt as if a bust of joy exploded in the Bell Centre, even sooner and stronger than the previous night; people had already recognized You Give Love A Bad Name. The noise was deafening, it was just incredible, as if everyone in the Bell Centre had gotten up at once!

When I heard the first notes of In These Arms, I simply couldn't believe it at all that they were playing it. I told myself at that moment that the show that night was better so far than the one from the previous night! I looked at Sonja and she shouted at me: "IN THESE ARMS!!!" hahahaha We were all very happy to hear it. The song has something magical in concert...

Born To Be My Baby made people go wild again in the Bell Centre. We could have said that the band had started the show strongly and Jon didn't want to let us breathe a lot to catch our breath. I was screaming so much, I was so close! I was trying to make eye contacts with Jon and also David, because I was on his side. I'm pretty sure that David saw me several times, the circle was not very big (about 100 people were in it). I know that Jon made people in the first row go wild several times, because he was taking the time to really look at people in the eyes for a few seconds. Let's say that he made several women in the first row happy and hysterical!

After Lost Highway (that I found a little ordinary), Jon asked us: "How many of you were here last night?" Let's say that people, me included, screamed quite a lot to answer... And he said: "I hear that Captain Crash was here last night..." And with this sentence, the band started Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars... I couldn't believe that they were playing it two nights in a row, and mostly so soon that night!! I immediately started swinging my arms to the beat and several people in the circle did it afterwards on the same side as me. However, Jon got us all confused when he started the gesture with his guitar on the opposite side... Grrrr... Hahahaha It's out of the question for me to take pictures or do a video during this song; I have way too much fun! ;)

Another beautiful surprise was waiting for us after Captain Crash, as if we were not warmed up enough already... When Jon told Tico (the drummer): "Tico, give me the beat!", I already knew that we would hear I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. Jon was on fire, I rarely saw him with as much energy!

Then came the two songs which had blown a cold wind in the room on the previous night. I don't know for the people in the bleachers, but in the circle, there wasn't really a down time during When We Were Beautiful and Superman Tonight... Also, I was a lot less hot than the previous night and I wondered if there were a more efficient ventilation system near the stage or if it were only because we were maybe a little less packed in one against the others in the circle...

During Superman Tonight, for an unknown reason, I got really emotional all of the sudden. I was probably thinking about the fact that Jon was my superman and I maybe listened to the lyrics which are very beautiful a little too much... I remember singing at the top of my lungs during the whole song... I also put my hands together near my neck; that was it, I was again overcome with admiration in front of my idols who were so close! We were almost receiving drops of sweat on us when Jon was turning around quickly!

I really don't remember when between which songs Jon said that anymore, but he asked us: "Are you still with me?" Everyone screamed, but not so much. So, he repeated: "No no, I asked you a question. Are you still with me?!" There came an answer a lot more convincing and stronger!! He however then challenged us by saying: "OK, one more time... Let's see if we can beat yesterday's crowd... And I must warn you; last night's crowd was pretty amazing..." When we all screamed, Jon seemed satisfied and he went on with the show.

I was so close to the stage, I didn't remember anymore what it was like being in the 5 first rows on the floor! I could see Jon's muscles contract and all the creases on his pants when he was moving. Moreover, I could see sweat on his face, in his neck, on his chest... The hair on his chest... Phew, it's not easy enduring that with my small woman heart! hahahaha

Moreover, Jon (and a few rare times Richie) came down often on the edge of the stage just before the space where the staircase that allowed him to go in the circle was located. He was so close, he gave us an eyeful! It's crazy how it made a difference between the microphone stand and the edge of the stage; he seemed so close on the edge of the stage!!

It seems to me like right before starting We Got It Going On, Jon told Tico that it was time to go into second gear... Jon was still on fire for this song, swaying his hips like nobody else knows how to do. He also went to sing for the people behind the stage like he had done the previous night. Unlike what I had thought the previous night, Jon didn't step on a catwalk to go see the people behind the stage; he stepped straight on the giant screen panels that were at the back of the stage! They pivoted to be flat at different heights and Jon was actually walking on them! Wow, what a technology that is able to bear the weight of a man! I even saw Jon stomp his feet on them and even spit at some point probably to let out something that bothered him in his throat! David and Jon made us scream very loudly twice during the song, when the lyrics say: "I want to hear you scream now!" and then, instead of saying the "Amen" right before the solo, Jon said: "SCREAM!!!!" When Jon speaks, we obey! hahahaha

At the end of We Got It Going On, Jon made us sing again the "huh huh huh... huh huh huh, yeah yeah... huh huh" like the previous day. And it's true that it almost sounded like gospel chant with the whole crowd singing that; it seemed very spiritual anyway! Jon then said: "It sounds like church music to me!"

And Jon said the famous: "Is there a doctor in the house?" More pure craziness in the Bell Centre while the first notes of Bad Medicine were being heard. I don't know why, I listened to the lyrics a little more that night and I thought about my surgeries again, mostly when the song talks about anesthesia and needles... ;) Even if we clearly know that the song is not really about the medical domain... I saw Richie do his famous "You got a little but it's never enough", but my camera was not ready and he didn't do it a second time, so I wasn't able to make a video out of it... Too bad!

During the solo of Bad Medicine, Jon said that it was time to put a quarter in the jukebox and he headed towards Bob Bandiera. Bob started playing Roadhouse Blues of The Doors, a song from the 1970's that I didn't know, but which was very lively. A man of a certain age in the first row of the circle seemed to recognize and love it very much, because his arms were in the air a lot! ;) And Jon, at the end of the mix, repeated the same thing as the previous night: "Oh, I like it, I like it!", so it wasn't as spontaneous as I thought when he had said the same thing the previous night!!

When the last notes of Bad Medicine were heard, Jon said (I don't remember how he said it exactly anymore!): "OK, now, let's blow the roof off of this place!" And they started It's My Life!!! The crowd was so loud, I thought I would become deaf! I jumped a lot while following Jon in his movements during this song!

I don't remember during which song anymore, but I could see people in the circle on the giant screen often when the screen was a little further back towards the back of the stage. I had an arm in the air and I saw an arm on the lower righthand side corner which was doing the same moves as mine! I then realized that it was my arm! Hahahaha I was so happy to see my arm on the giant screen! Joking apart, I saw myself quite often with my fuchsia tank top on the giant screen; it was showing us often!

I took an awful lot of pictures once again (near 2700), some of the best ones were put on this page to share them with you all.

After It's My Life, I told myself that it was almost time to hear Richie sing while Jon gets ready to go at the catwalk to sing a few songs... And like I had foreseen, Jon said that it was time for Richie to sing and he gave way to him. I was expecting Homebound Train like the previous night... When I heard the first notes of Lay Your Hands On Me, I simply couldn't believe it at all! I was about to hear Richie sing Lay Your Hands On Me!! I turned towards Sonja again and she was as surprised as me too. She just screamed: "LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME!!!!" I must say that Richie did a very good job singing it!

I also saw during Lay Your Hands On Me that security guards in the circle were very busy around us... They tightened a black rope along both sides of the aisle to prevent us from passing. I told myself that Jon would probably pass by in the aisle to go to the catwalk... As soon as the lights went off on stage after the song, I turned around and I saw that Jon was behind us at the back of the circle and I saw him climb up the stairs rapidly before the spotlight turned on at the catwalk. Sébastien then told Mercedes: "Oh, he's there!" I'm under the impression that Jon passed underneath the catwalk, because it seems to me like he appeared suddenly from nowhere! I also saw Matt, his brother, who was near the stairs. He probably escorted him; anyway, he was trying to contain the crowd after Jon walked by!

Everyone in the first row on the floor (where everybody was at the barricade right before the catwalk) was freaking out! And I was also freaking out, because I was the closest I had ever been to Jon in my life... It was just too bad that he wasn't facing me! ;) Unlike what I thought, the band didn't continue with Hallelujah like the previous night. When I heard the first notes of (You Want To) Make A Memory, I really thought that I was dreaming that show! I immediately thought about Sandra who was a little further on the floor. She had told me the previous night that she wanted to hear it a lot and I had said that the chances were slim to none, because they didn't play it on a regular basis! I was so happy for her! And I found it was not as bad in concert as in 2007. We could say that people were singing less off-key (or either I was singing less off-key??). A woman stuck in the corner formed by the catwalk and the stairs was trying to tell her friend a few seats away from me to take a picture of her at the catwalk while Jon was there.

Then, my heart stopped, I'm sure of it! I heard the piano beginning that I heard 3876 times in 1993... NO NO NO! Jon would not be singing Bed Of Roses with me in the circle for real??? I had mixed feelings about all this, because yes, I was close to finally catch his attention, but well, he had his back turned on me, I was not the first seat of the row and I was not at the catwalk either!!!! I still took out my banner from my pockets and I got it ready just in case. I really hesitated before unfolding the banner that read: "Is it my turn to be a Bed Of Roses girl yet?" instead of the other one I had also brought in my purse which read: "Bed Of Roses 3876 X in 1 year"... I must say again that a "Bed Of Roses girl" is a girl who dances with Jon during the solo of the song and who gets a nice big kiss on the mouth at the end!

Finally, I opted for the banner that was in my pockets. I was so happy to hear Bed Of Roses! My heart was racing!!! And Jon was so close! During the second verse, Jon started walking away towards the left part of the circle, so on the opposite side from me... I told myself that when he would turn around, I would do anything for him to see my banner. And he turned around right before the solo. I lifted both my arms in the air holding my banner and I know he saw it, but he had already decided to take the hand of the woman who was stuck in the corner between the catwalk and the stairs (the same who was making signs to her friend a few minutes earlier). A security guard lifted her on stage, because Jon was pulling her quite hard and she was really stuck there. Jon then took her by the waist, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he started turning with her who now had both her legs wrapped around Jon's waist! I couldn't believe the girl's position, she was not dancing with him, he was turning with her wrapped around him! Hahahaha At the end of the solo, he put her down on her feet, he gave her a kiss on the mouth and he gave her a big hug while she pressed herself against him one last time. She seemed so happy and I understand her! Jon and she stopped moving for a second or two to allow the woman's friend to take a picture of the two to immortalize this moment. And a security guard helped her go back down in the circle.

I refolded my banner and I put it back in my back pocket. I was very happy for the woman, it's such an adventure to be dragged around by Jon like that! ;) Towards the end of Bed Of Roses, Sébastien informed me that there was room in front of him if I wanted to go there. I pointed at Mercedes to invite her to go instead of me, but she insisted in me going. I then ended up in the aisle to the level of Sébastien's chair, pressed against the black rope. I noticed at that moment that the chairs behind me had taken a bit of a bashing, because they were all over the place. I quickly understood that they weren't tied up together like the ones on the floor and Sonja and Regina had gone over the chairs to go to the catwalk. There were things scattered everywhere on the ground around us! Fortunately, almost nobody had brought beer or another sticky substance that could have spilled and ruined the purses!! Being on the edge of the aisle was great, personally, I even had room in front of me as well, so I made a sign to Mercedes to invite her to join me. She decided to stay beside Sébastien...

After Bed Of Roses, Jon explained that he thought that the woman whom he had chosen as the "Bed Of Roses girl" was younger when he saw that she was barely reaching his half-chest. She was truly not very tall... It's for that reason that he took her in his arms like that! He turned this into a joke by saying that he noticed quite quickly that she was not only 12 years old! Hahaha Poor Jon, at least he has a good chiropractor who follows him on tour!

Jon then asked Richie, David and Tico to join him at the catwalk. David arrived by the catwalk by walking from the right side of the stage and Tico arrived from the other side. I turned around just in time to see Richie coming in the circle to go to the catwalk! A big security guard was making sure that there was room for Richie to pass by, because despite the black rope, several people had tried to get closer. Richie was so close and he was approaching even more! He had his double neck guitar around his neck and he was walking quite rapidly, but he was not running either. I just heard the strong guard say: "Wo wo wo wo wo..." while securing a perimeter around Richie by following him at the same pace beside him. The guard had both arms in a right angle with his body at the level of his shoulders. I don't know how, but I was able to stretch my left arm very much and put it above his arms. I almost strangled the guard, because my arm got as high as his neck quite quickly and I grabbed Richie's left shoulder just as he was passing by beside me. He was so unreal, so tall, so smiling, so close to me and I now had my hand on his shoulder!! I felt the texture of his leather coat very well before I let go, because the guard would probably have pulled my arm out! The moment lasted at least 2 seconds, but I felt like my evening was done! Sébastien seemed happy to see that I had been able to touch Richie! And I didn't remember anymore that Richie was walking by there to go to the catwalk, so it was quite spontaneous on my part and what a timing from Sébastien to tell me that there was room in front of him!

Flash item: I saw at some point that Jon spat on the catwalk... It must not be fun to wash all this after the shows, because the catwalk seems covered by a shiny plexiglass slab!

The band played together at the catwalk a song which I thought I would never hear live again in show!! LOVE FOR SALE! I was still next to the aisle and I was looking at the band members playing this and I was telling myself that it was impossible for me to be hearing Love For Sale! This whole show was so unreal, I had just heard Bed Of Roses, I was in the circle, I had touched Richie... Phew!!

And then, the band continued with Something For The Pain, the 4 members still at the catwalk. There was definitely a whole different energy in the room since the members were there. We could have said that people were really happy to see them so closely and I understand, because we were closer as well compared to when they were on the main stage! I remember that Jon said the same thing as the previous night again about Tico being at the front of the house with the other band members for the first time in 27 years!

I think that all the members used the catwalk to go back on stage. Sébastien was very disappointed, because he said that Jon was not nice for not having walked in the circle. I told him, while I was getting back to my seat in the row: "No no, Jon will come back later!!" He smiled and said: "Oh that's true, you know this, you saw it last night!"

Jon went to get his maracas at the back of the stage before starting Keep The Faith which was still quite full of energy. The thing is that Bob had already his and when he started playing guitar, he threw them at Jon who caught them and he then ended up with 4 maracas; a little extreme nevertheless!! He got rid of two of them quite quickly, because it seemed quite cumbersome! ;)

Work For The Working Man let me as cold as usual. Sorry, but it's not a song that I like! However, I told myself that there was a chance to see this song not survive the next tour, so I decided to take the opportunity to make a video of a little part of it...

During Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, I remember that Jon looked at me and he made me a big smile! I must say that I had quite a huge smile at that moment as well!! I was really satisfied to have him smile at me like that!! I had never had any confirmation before this moment that Jon had looked at me, although I'm sure that he did several times!

There was a funny moment during Who Says You Can't Go Home. Usually, Richie joins Jon at the main microphone to do the "It's all right", but Richie seemed a little distracted, because he was still at his microphone and he was doing the "It's all right" alone... Jon seemed surprised, he made a sign at some point and told him: "Hey Richie, wanna join me?!" Richie realized that he usually joins Jon and he ran to him! HA HA HA

When Love's The Only Rule began, I waited a few seconds to be sure it was really this song and I looked at Sébastien while shouting: "It's this one!" He immediately understood what I meant. He asked me if I wanted him to let me go in the aisle... I shouted: "YES PLEASE!!" and he let me go. Mercedes was then beside him near the aisle too. In fact, I was on their left and I didn't steal anybody's place, because I was beside Sébastien's chair. It really surprised me to see the security guards letting us gather en masse like that in the aisle without telling us to go away. I didn't really listened to the song much, I was too concentrated in what was going to happen. I took a few pictures of the stairs which were coming down from the stage to the circle to ensure I would remember that I had really been there! Morever, since we were pretty packed in, I couldn't see much; Jon was on the right of the stage and Sébastien was blocking my view pretty much. (It didn't matter, because I knew that a few minutes later, Jon would be very close!) When he started doing the "oh oh oh oooohhhh oh", my heart started racing. I wiped my lips with my arm (we never know!), I checked to see that my camera was turned off and I started taking deep breaths. Jon got in the middle of the stage, he looked down towards the end of the stairs and he started coming down the stairs one by one. We were so excited, we could feel it in the circle. The girls continued gathering en masse along the aisle and others headed towards the catwalk at the back, because they knew that he would go around the catwalk one last time while leaving the circle. Time seemed to pass so slowly, as if everything were happening in slow motion... Jon made people in the first and second rows sing the "oh oh oh oooohhhh oh". Jon was lifting a finger to the people he was approaching like he meant: "You sing with me, you don't scream." Nobody was screaming in the microphone or in Jon's ears, everything was very calm around us and peole were singing softly. I didn't even see security guards the whole time Jon was in the circle; they were very discreet!

And then, my ears stopped hearing anything (seriously, I don't even remember that Jon was still singing anymore) when Jon got close enough for me to touch him. He was still on the other side of the aisle and I stretched my right arm enough to touch his left arm right below his t-shirt sleeve. And I really took the time to touch his arm fully by laying the palm of my hand and all my fingers around his biceps. At the beginning, I was aiming for his forearm, but I told myself that I'd like to touch hairless skin better than plenty of wet hair! Hahaha As soon as my hand was on his arm, I felt that his skin was very humid and surprisingly cold; my hand was so hot, it made an incredible contrast. Time then stopped in my head... All I remember is that there were sentences flashing in my head: "My hand is on Jon's arm, I'm touching Jon after 17 years..., I'm touching Jon after 17 years..., I'm touching Jon after 17 years... after 17 years... I'm touching Jon, I'm touching Jon". When he saw that I was holding him by the arm (I was not grabbing him, but I was holding him firmly), he fully turned around. I made an extra step towards him; I was then in the middle of the aisle. I then noticed how big his teeth are in his mouth! I told myself that we had something in common him and I; when we smile, all we can see is plenty of teeth!! Nobody came to remove my hand which was still on Jon... He then looked at me in the eyes, very softly while getting even closer. I could have taken him by the neck or kissed him on the cheek if I had wanted, I was so close! It was like in my dreams! Jon was there looking at me and I was looking at him so intensely, it's as if we had been the only two people in the world! I have never looked someone's face with so much intensity! I probably had my mouth open (I was really gaping!) and I absolutely couldn't do anything apart from savoring the moment. I removed my hand from his arm when he made a move to free himself up from my hand... I wanted to shake his hand so bad... In my head, I was telling myself: "Hey, do I need to introduce myself or what? Does he expect that?" My brain wasn't functioning at all! Come on, introducing myself to Jon while he's singing and while he makes people sing!! I don't think I remembered my name at that moment anyway! I wasn't hearing anything on top of that, so I told myself that I had to introduce myself since somebody was in front of me and there was no sound! Hahaha I then stretched my hand once again towards him (at the same time as the questions to introduce myself were rushing in my head), but he had decided to back up a little and go make people sing in the row where my official seat was. He surely well saw and understood that I would never be able to sing with him... It's probably why he went in the row to sing with others... I was frozen like we say... I didn't see who sang in the microphone with Jon (is it Mercedes or Sonja?), but when I saw that Jon had stepped in the row just in front of Sébastien, I decided to put my left hand on the top of Jon's right shoulder. I was simply not able not to touch him, his body was like a magnet for my hands. I was absolutely not hearing anything, it was like a dream... Was I dead and gone to heaven or what? I was touching Jon again! Jon backed up one step, I let go of his shoulder and he still continued to walk slowly towards the back of the circle to go make other people sing. He passed in front of me again and I felt at this moment a very great inner peace. He is not very tall; I think that we were the same height with my shoe heels, but it's true that he was leaning forward a little as well... I also perceived a soft unknown smell in my nose. I realized in a fraction of a second later that it must have been his smell! He stopped for another person who wanted to sing with him. I was then with my back turned on the stage, facing Jon who had his back against me. I had a spotlight in the face, but I was able to put my left hand again on his back on the left and I then started caressing the upper part of his back very softly with my hand near the shoulder blade. I don't know how long I caressed him, but I had a hard time believing that I was literally caressing Jon! I told myself at that moment that he was so real, so human, so close and it had been so simple to touch him, after all these years of waiting and making haunting dreams! I was still not hearing anything and time now seemed stopped. And then, he walked a little faster to go up the stairs which were leading to the catwalk and he did a round of the circle to go back to the right of the stage. I then realized that I had restarted hearing sound around me. The time spent by Jon in the circle was about one minute at most, and in my head, this moment lasted 5 times longer...

I then turned around and Sébastien asked me with a big smile: "So, are you happy now?" I still had no words, it seems to me like I said yes and I started thanking him... I was also in the process of picking up my jaw that was now on the ground!!! hahahaha I then started trembling like crazy, my legs were also trembling!! My hands were trembling so much that I put my fingers together to make the trembling stop. It's then when Sébastien saw how much I was trembling and I think that he told Mercedes that he had rarely seen someone tremble as much while pointing at my hands with his finger! Mercedes made me a big smile and let me go back in the row where my seat was and I got back to my seat, very flabbergasted by what had just happened! I told myself: "Well ok, I touched him, it's not a mirage, he really exists!" I then put my hands on my face a little by reflex and I smelled the soft perfume again which had reached my nostrils a few minutes before. I then realized that it's really Jon who was smelling like that and that the odor was probably coming from his shirt. I then started putting my hands on my face several times to be certain to spread the smell well! Hahahaha Girls who have already danced with Jon during Bed Of Roses and who came to tell their story on the fan club message board have always said that Jon smells good, even after an hour or two of show. I had a hard time believing that, because he is sweating big time during the shows, but actually, he smells something I cannot quite put my finger on yet. It must be a mix of eau de toilette for men and some laundry soap... But it was very pleasing to smell!!

Love's The Only Rule ended once again with Jon going down the stairs at the back of the stage and the lights went off. The encores were then starting soon. I was still a little on a cloud when the band came back on stage. Jon then said: "Uh oh, it's 1984 again!" like the previous night. Runaway made the whole Bell Centre truly go wild and everyone around me really reacted a lot!

Then, as soon as the first notes of Just Older were heard, I told myself that it had been a long time since I had heard this song live! I then turned around towards Sonja and she looked at me while saying: "Just Older!!!" I really love this song in concert!

At the beginning of Wanted Dead Or Alive, I was hoping that Jon would let us sing the first verse, because the previous night, I had found it strange that he sang it!! It's so impressive to hear the crowd sing without the singer and be able to figure out the lyrics! Actually, Jon looked at Richie at the beginning of the verse and he told us to sing! It was great!

I noticed during the encores that a woman in the first row of the circle had a picture or a poster of Jon and a pen in her hands and she was trying to catch Jon's attention for him to come sign her poster... I told myself each time I saw the poster and the pen in the air: "Well, it would surprise me a lot! I have never seen Jon sign anything in show! Best luck when you'll meet him!"

At the beginning of Livin' On A Prayer, Jon made us sing a little part of the introduction like the previous night. And when he finished and the song began, Jon said: "It don't get better than this!" Not long after the beginning of the first verse, I saw a big sign come out of the right part of the circle near me. I could read "winners" and "Livin' On A Prayer" on it. Throughout the evening, I had seen a sign that read: "Montreal loves Bon Jovi" being shown from the same spot. I quickly understood what this sign was. During the song chorus, the giant screen was showing a range of people singing Livin' On A Prayer. Like I had seen the previous night, they were winners of a contest which everyone could participate to. I also noticed during the first chorus that there was a couple shown a little bigger on the giant screen and the same "Montreal loves Bon Jovi" banner was their background in the video! They were the ones in the circle!! Jon read the sign at the very beginning of the song, but he didn't seem to understand its meaning. During one of the choruses, I think that he looked at the giant screen (or he did it because of the banner?) and towards the end of the song, he went back near the people who had shown the big sign that I had seen at the beginning. Jon then pointed at them and I saw in the dim light which was giving light to Jon at that moment that he mouthed the words: "That's you on the screen?" without saying it in the microphone. They had their minute of glory! The guy looked like Slash from Guns & Roses and I saw him not long after Jon had interacted with him and his spouse; he seemed really happy anyway!! During Livin' On A Prayer, I remember seeing myself pretty well on the giant screen at some point; I was singing with my whole heart! ;)

After Livin' On A Prayer, the band took a nice bow and I saw that Jon hadn't pulled out his ear plugs yet. Jon thanked us for coming and he told us: "We'll see you soon. Until then, take care and good night!" When the band disappeared behind the stage, I had the feeling that it was not over. Mercedes then asked me: "Do you think they'll come back?" And I answered: "Oh, I'm sure of it!" with a huge smile on my face. The lights weren't turning back on and there were still small lights on the instruments... I could see plenty of people behind the stage leave the building rapidly and I told myself at that moment that they were making a big mistake! The crowd was in rapture, people were screaming so much, we could have said that the roof would blow off once again!

When the band members came back on stage, I almost felt the ground shake because everybody was screaming! Hahaha Jon then said: "Haven't you had enough yet???" The crowd responded as one: "NO!!" Jon made a huge smile and he said: "Man, I'm getting too old for this! Don't you have somewhere else to go now?!" And once again, we heard a big: "NO!!!" hahahaha As if Jon were expecting something else from the Montreal crowd! And then, Jon told us that they would play a song they hadn't played yet since the beginning of the tour. I was really wondering at that moment which song they would play! When I heard Tico start the song with the drums, I immediately recognized Always! Always! My god! And the real version on top of that, not the version from the This Left Feels Right album! I looked at Sonja again and she seemed flabbergasted too! Hahahaha Jon was able to hit the high notes of Always, even after nearly 3 hours of show. He is really a superman!

During Always, I was really overcome with admiration towards the band. I was looking at Jon and I was telling myself that the show was coming to an end and I got hit with a big emotion of intense joy. I was telling myself that I will truly always love this man. It's hard for me to cry with my contact lenses, but I now had my eyes filled up with tears and my inferior lip was trembling by the sobs that I wasn't even trying to keep inside anymore. No tear fell down my eyes, but I was crying inside and my mouth was tensed up as if I were crying my eyes out.

The band finished the show with Treat Her Right which made the women dance and jump. Jon seemed dead tired after the song, but he couldn't stop on showing his gratitude for the welcome by putting his hand on his heart. He looked at the crowd one last time and he went down the stairs at the back of the stage. The lights turned back on, I said bye to the Germans, Sébastien and Mercedes while asking them their name so I could quote them in this review. I then went to join Martin who was waiting for me at his seat. When I arrived beside him, he took me in his arms and he congratulated me for touching Jon. He told me that he could see me very well on the giant screen and he had even had the time to recognize my ring on the screen and he knew that I was the one who had a hand on Jon. I don't remember if he had recognized my wedding band or my engineer ring, because I touched Jon with both my hands! He seemed very proud of me and I started telling him my adventure while we headed towards the back to leave the Bell Centre.

When I got back home, I did something that made me smile... I WASHED BOTH MY HANDS!! I must admit that I felt weird while doing it, because everyone had told me that I would never wash my hands again after touching Jon! But I had been way too hot and my hands were very sticky... Beurk... However, I must say that the feeling of Jon's skin on my right hand will forever stay engraved in my mind! I also had my picture taken at home to remember what Jon had seen of me when he had gotten closer! hahaha

We are now the day after the shows, I'm a little sore, the adrenaline is draining slowly and I'm tired/burned out, but so satisfied. I often surprise myself shedding a tear or two when I think about what happened when I touched Jon... I'm over sensitive; I slept only 7 hours since Friday morning (and it is Sunday night). At least I had worked out, because I would have not survived to all this! My shoulders hurt and I am in pain when I talk as well. Surprisingly, I still have my voice, despite the fact that I screamed so much on the second night! My throat is however killing me... And unfortunately, I cannot really work out for that!!

And all of this was just a prelude to what is coming up. The The Circle tour is far from being over for me! Next stop at the end of May 2010: JERSEY BABY!!! (Bon Jovi fans will know what I'm talking about here!) And I'm in the circle again for this show; that sounds promising! ;)

Copyright © March 21, 2010 Marie-Hélène Cyr

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