Bon Jovi Rocks Etihad

Rock and roll legends Bon Jovi rocked out Etihad stadium Saturday night on the Aussie leg of their Circle Tour.

This was one of those rare mega-concerts that planted people from all walks of life in the one place - old couples; screaming young girls; men decked out like their hero in mullets and leather vests, still convinced it's the 1980's. It seemed like half of Bendigo flocked down to enjoy the staggering two and a half hour show, which included a bevy of Bon Jovi's greatest hits; 'Livin' on a Prayer,' 'Bad Medicine' and 'Keep the Faith.'

It was well worth the trip. The sweat was streaming off Bon Jovi's back by the end of the night, but he never slowed down, and when the crowd screamed for an encore he obliged with a grin, loving every minute of it.

Crowd pleasers included the encore performance of 'Always,' when the alcohol was well and truly flowing. Even the toughest looking members of the audience were overcome with joy and started clutching their neighbours around the shoulders and swaying along (actually, especially them).

Bon Jovi paid tribute to some of their biggest influences throughout the show. They covered 'Start Me Up' by The Rolling Stones, 'Shout,' and 'Roadhouse Blues' by The Doors, cleverly combining the latter two into a 12 minute rendition of 'Bad Medicine.'

Local support act The Scarletts made an effort to psych up the impatient members of the crowd who turned up for their performance, but their grungy lead vocals did little too impress. It was Bon Jovi we all came to see and Bon Jovi we got, with their sweeping 80's rock, cheesy anthems and relentless enthusiasm. The hysteria of the packed stadium was infectious, and I don't think there was a single person not screaming, jumping and fist-pumping by the end of the night.