Bon Jovi – These Days Tour (Sheffield) – 1995

June 28th 1995 – Wembley Stadium, London

Supported by: Crown of Thorns, Thunder, Van Halen

Seemed like only a few days ago we were in London watching Bon Jovi, Van Halen, et al……ok, so it was!!

I’d decided long ago to take in two gigs on this tour, seeing as Van Halen were also a favourite band and after Wembley, this was going to be further fun. Slightly disappointing that Ugly Kid Joe weren’t on this leg of the tour, but it would still be a fantastic line up.

Today was a day off work with a different bunch of friends (and one of their Mums! which was brilliant). A steady trip up the M1 to yet another new venue, Don Valley athletics Stadium…….no, not your classic name in rock music venues, but none the less, they were staging great concerts during this era, local boys Def Leppard were known to play there too.

Just like Wembley last week, this was an absolute scorching day, so it was going to be a great picnic and rock and roll day out.

Crown of Thorns

We had no background knowledge on this band so weren’t planning on paying much attention, but Jean Beauvoir, the lead singer came on looking enigmatic, loud and brash and actually did a great job to a half full Wembly….well, it was on 3:30 in the afternoon and roasting!!

It was quite heavy and yet melodic rock music. Really nice opening performance, but nothing new to inspire us. Harmless, but I didn’t rush out to buy anything they had done. Anyway, we would see them again a few days later on the Sheffield leg of the Bon Jovi tour….the first time I had bought tickets for 2 gigs on a bands tour.

Set List

• Are You Ready
• Hike It Up
• No You Don’t
• Holding On
• Voice of America
• Lying in a Bed of Fire
• Salvation

Thunder

More Danny Bowes and again on best behaviour just playing the songs. I’m pretty sure it was the same set and both London and Sheffield

Set List

Dirty Love
River of Pain
Love Walked In
Gimme Some Lovin’
Low Life in High Places
Ball and Chain

Van Halen

Still a baking hot day and the crowd was getting really excited for Van Halen, although I didn’t notice quite the same rivalry between hard core Van Halen fans and Bon Jovi fans and we saw in London. I think the Northern crowd respected both equally and knew it was going to be great.

The set list was very similar to London, but with a tremendous Eddie Van Halen guitar solo in the middle.

Jump surprisingly got dropped from the set. It had been the last song at Wembley and was replaced with a Led Zeppelin cover of “Rock and Roll”….but there was a funny thing going on, which took a bit of time to filter through the crowd.

After a quick glance at the video screen (we were about half way back), it became clear that Bon Jovi had joined Van Halen on stage to play this song, this really finished the set off well. I don’t recall the main act ever coming on stage like that before and just showed how well the bands were getting on through this tour.

Set List

• The Seventh Seal
• Runaround
• There’s Only One Way to Rock (Sammy Hagar song)
• Why Can’t This Be Love
• Right Now
• Can’t Stop Lovin’ You
• When It’s Love
• Feelin’
• Take Me Back (Déjà vu)
• You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
• Guitar Solo
• Panama
• Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
• Encore: Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover) (with Bon Jovi)

Bon Jovi

By now, Bon Jovi had been receiving great reviews from all of their concerts (and so had Van Halen). This tour was the full band back together and looking like they were ready to have fun again.

• Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar
• Richie Sambora – guitar, backing vocals
• Alec John Such – bass
• Tico Torres – drums, percussion
• David Bryan– keyboards, piano, backing vocals

Just like in London a few days earlier, they hit the ground running with “Living On A Prayer”, brilliant. The set was fairly similar, but Dry County got dropped and Richie Sambora sang and played his superb solo hit “Stranger in This Town”.

Not from the concert we were at, but for those who haven’t heard it……..

Instead of “Bad Medicine” with “Shout”, this time we got “Gloria” in the middle, equally fun and well sung.

This would be the best two times I would hear Bon Jovi play, later gigs never felt quite the same, but we all do things differently as we go along and there will alway be a “greatest” time to see a band…..I never got to see Bon Jovi right at the start of the journey, so this is my favourite part of following their journey…..beautiful days!!!

I can’t find any Sheffield footage, so I’ll leave the London concert footage here from the night we went to (slightly different songs) 🙂 – (a few sound issues early on of this recording)

Set List

• Livin’ on a Prayer
• You Give Love a Bad Name
• Wild in the Streets
• Keep the Faith
• Blood on Blood
• Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley cover) (Acapella)
• Always
• I’d Die for You
• Blaze of Glory (Jon Bon Jovi song)
• Rockin’ All Over the World (John Fogerty cover)
• Runaway
• Stranger in This Town (Richie Sambora song) (Richie Sambora vocals)
• Lay Your Hands on Me
• I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (With “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”)
• Bad Medicine (With “Gloria”)
• Shout (The Isley Brothers cover)
• Encore: Wanted Dead or Alive
• With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover) (joined on stage by Steve Van Zandt)
• Encore 2: Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night (joined on stage by Little… more ), This Ain’t a Love Song