rouba abouzeid: October 2015

It would almost seem futile to write about this concert now, twenty something days after the concert, if it were not for the fact that I have not stopped thinking about it since it happened and I am still as pumped as I was when I first started writing this! I guess you never get over your first. I have had flings here and there but Bon Jovi has been the longest relationship and my first musical addiction.

And it finally happened. The one thing that kept me dreaming for nights throughout my teens: Bon Jovi, in the (sexiest) flesh!

When the band came for a concert in Abu Dhabi back in 2008, I could not make it for multiple reasons and I remember it stung hard. I won't lie, I had been bitter ever since. So when they announced they were passing by Abu Dhabi once more this year, Hubby did the noble and safest thing for his welfare and sanity: he got us tickets the minute they were out for sale. And then he went the extra romantic mile and revealed they were VIP tickets.

(Massive win for Hubby: the places turned out to be terrible - more about that later - but his intentions were so sweet, he keeps his win)

Oh my God! Oh my God!

I was expecting to be utterly ecstatic but the euphoria surpassed my wildest expectations! I was like a little kid jumping up and down, giggling and I swear I held out tears of glee on the way to the concert because, well, Hubby would have teased me for the rest of our lives and beyond (oh yes, yes, we are meeting in the afterlife, deal with it).

The concert was absolutely amazing!

Anyone who says otherwise was probably never a BJ fan to begin with. Those who complained about Bed of Roses and Always missing from the setlist are just big nagging babies.

There, I said it.

And to get it out of your system (but above all, because it makes me so very happy):

Happy now? Can we move on to more important issues and wonder together how it is possible for a human to look so damn hot in the 1990's and still be as charming and sexy today? I mean seriously, Jon Bon Jovi literally redefines the laws of nature. And if you do not believe me, have you seen him? Because I have (and I can't stop jumping for joy!) and Oh My God, would I want to be In These Arms, Always!

Bon Jovi at their 2015 concert in Abu Dhabi

And before you start hinting at how this was a concert and not a fashion show, he rocked that stage like a hero. They all did. The whole band was truly generous and they performed their hearts out in a weather that was less than inviting. It was hot, humid and a massive pain to be out in the heat and yet not only did they do what they came to do, they did it with passion and a whole lot of fun!

They are rock legends and they deserve to be remembered as such

They played some of their best hits:

You Give Love a Bad Name
Raise Your Hands
Born to Be My Baby
We Got It Goin' On
We Weren't Born to Follow
Whole Lot of Leavin'
We Don't Run
It's My Life
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
Wanted Dead or Alive
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Keep the Faith
Bad Medicine
In These Arms
Have a Nice Day
Livin' on a Prayer

Bon Jovi at their 2015 concert in Abu Dhabi

See what I mean?

I really tried to be selective here but I could only leave out about couple (which were brilliantly performed too by the way) and with good reason. I went to a rock concert and this is what I got.

So for those complaining about Jon's vocals, please. He might not be twenty anymore but he definitely has got nothing to complain about. To be able to nail those tracks is absolutely amazing!

And for those who complained about the choice of songs, you probably had too many beers before the concert and fell asleep half way through. Too bad for you. Because we got some of the best of Bon Jovi's thirty years of rocking!

Bonus: We genuinely felt we were in the presence of some of the nicest guys in the business. I mean truly kind, generous people. And I do not mean only with their music and the way they give their all on stage. Google some of their charity work and the Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and you will see for yourself.

They are rockers with a soul and it transpires on stage.

The only moaning will undeniably be about audience organization (obviously this has nothing to do with the actual concert or the talent of the band). The VIP tickets which cost way more than regular ones had no perks. We were on a higher platform yes, but we were way in the back, and the stage and screens were blocked by massive lighting structures that made the whole viewing a total nightmare. Following the concert, many people told me that this always happens with VIP tickets. The location of the platform is never favorable. I do not mean better. I mean at the very least, just good. What a disappointment. Next time, I will definitely stick to regular tickets and so should you.