Bon Jovi is not playing arenas anymore. He plays football stadiums - including Gillette Stadium Saturday Night.What, if all goes well, where you'll end up after 28 years and 3500 shows ..
"Or some crazy amount like that," guitarist Richie Sambora, 51, said before the show Bon Jovi at 55000 capacity Rogers Centre Toronto earlier this week. "I do not know if someone has a full tour as much as we have.
But a group led by singer Jon Bon Jovi, has not forgotten his roots New Jersey club. "After all these years, we know how to make the stadium an intimate place," said Sambora. "I do not think we ever bad show.
Bon Jovi - which also includes keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, and, since 1994, bassist Hugh McDonald - has sold 120 million albums. With a number one country hit in 2006, "Who Says You Can not Go Home", a duet with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Their 1911 studio album, "Circle", debuted at number 1 last year. And they are now very deeply in the 150-show tour.
"When I go on stage, I look down and see my shadow," Sambora said: "I say to myself:" Well, it's very good to be me. I look and there are 55000 people look at me, enjoying my songs. I do it all over the world. I have the best partner and leader in the business.
"In addition to being one of the biggest bands on the planet, John and I were just in the gym, and we looked at each other will," Man, we are still fun. It really is cool. "
Messenger: concert business is in dire straits and a big acts breaking tours of concerts arena, and not you.
Sambora: We're adding shows all over the world. We're on cloud 9. Method climate tourist business now, it's amazing. We are working as hard as we can every day, all the time. We still do not take little for granted.
What is your opinion about the future success?
This is a man. Moreover, it is our own challenge themselves. Honestly, you get to do what we do on this level - to do what you love to do and make money - this is extraordinary. There's an internal problem that we all bring to the party. It is about bringing your heart and soul, and left everything there on the stage every night. You are here. Let him. That was our attitude.
Did you stage the size of ambition from the get go?
When we were young, we had a plan that we will be able to play everywhere. Of course, you big ambitions, but no one could have dreamed this big, or so long. Honestly, though, when we did "Slippery When Wet", we knew that a couple hits. When John and I wrote "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "Livin 'On A Prayer" and "You Give Love Bad Name", we looked at each other and said: "Yes, we can do."
You sold millions of records, but has never been my dear critic.
Oh we have an American rock and roll band. We are just who we are. We were never a group of critics and "Circle" was amazing reviews, and live performances have become extraordinary people. Thus, all happening.
It seems that the "circle" there is little more than sand and reflection. Any thoughts?
It really is a lot of different things. It is growing. It's always hope for your influence and rediscovering what your roots. We are in constant desire to evolution. There's a populist, working-class ethics to him. John and I have probably written about 500 songs, and you draw a lot of what is happening in the culture and what is happening in the world. "Circle" could not be written at different times. These songs were written about how people feel about the economic crisis.
This is not a political album as such, but it's an album about how people react to what happens in the world. He was right during the elections, and many people had a lot of hope that Obama was elected to catch up. There's a line we hope that runs through these songs and there was no doubt prompt a lot of different emotions.
How are you writing process?
John and I write very simple. We begin by talking about what we feel. This spontaneous combustion. He is always in the moment and we are always in the same room with two guitars and piano. If you can sell it with a guitar and voice, this is how we build it.
