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November 3, 2009
Bon Jovi Ticket Prices Cause Stir In The U.K.
Some Bon Jovi fans in the U.K. are not too pleased about the ticket prices for the group’s string of shows at London’s O2 arena next summer. The New Jersey rockers were scheduled to begin the series of performances on June 7th of next year and continue through June 13th, but that has been extended with another nine dates being added after the original five dates sold out. That will bring the group’s “residency” to an end on June 23rd.
It appears there will be an ample supply of fans to make the shows a success, but there is also a vocal group of fans who are sharing their disappointment regarding the ticket prices. Comments have been showing up on various sites, including the band’s own official site.
One fan wrote, “I have been a fan for the past 24 years since I first heard ‘Runaway’ in 6th form common room and today is the saddest day as for the first tour since then I am unable to get tickets due to the ridiculously over stated prices!!!”
Another had this to say: “I have been a MASSIVE Bon Jovi fan since I have been old enough to listen to Music. i seriously hope the Guys have had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with this BLATANT FLEECING of genuine fans for the O2 tickets.”How much the boys in the band have to do with setting ticket prices is not something I am privy to. It is interesting to see, however, a group (particularly frontman Jon Bon Jovi) that appears to be so dedicated to philanthropic endeavors planning to perform shows that are excluding fans who may not be able to afford the tickets.
General admission tickets are reported to be selling from £45 (about $73) for the least expensive seats and topping out at £200 (about $325). Not a cheap night out for a lot of folks in the U.K. or elsewhere.
I suppose it should come as no surprise that someone who has made, and will obviously continue to make, as much money as Jon Bon Jovi recently admit that he bought into ownership of a New York restaurant. Accidentally!
While sitting around the dinner table with billionaire Ronald Perelman and fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, Bon Jovi heard the men talking about the Blue Parrot restaurant. Bon Jovi, thinking they were discussing the Blue Note jazz club tried to join the conversation. The next thing he knew, he was part owner of the Blue Parrot, with actress Renee Zellweger along for the ride as well.
Bon Jovi describes the Blue Parrot as “50-seat hole-in-the-wall for gazillionaires who drink and do a little karaoke,” which, by the way, is located in New York’s exclusive Hamptons area. And to think Mr. Bon Jovi is now an accidental part-owner. What a knee-slapper!
While he’s not accidentally purchasing part-ownership of exclusive restaurants, Bon Jovi occupies some of his time complaining about toilet seats. At least according to the scuttlebutt from backstage at the The X Factor show – a British version of American Idol.
Bon Jovi was there to perform a few nights ago and was said to have been very particular about the seat on the toilet he was to be given access to. He reportedly demanded that a brand-new seat be installed, and insisted on inspecting it before it was actually put in place.
Perhaps he has a thing about toilet seats. After all, we all have our own little peculiarities about this or that. However, one would think that packing a container of those nifty little anti-bacterial wipes would be a more cost-effective solution. But I suppose when you’re Jon Bon Jovi, you don’t think all that much about that kind of thing.
August 5, 2009
Sports Mogul Ambitions Fade For Bon Jovi
When it comes to football, it’s a tough challenge taking on the NFL. Football fans seem satisfied with the big-name teams that have been packing stadiums for decades, and efforts to bring new leagues and new versions of the sport to the masses have been mostly unsuccessful.
Jon Bon Jovi, best known as frontman for the classic rock group that bears his name, was also very involved in the latest failed effort to keep fans interested in another football league. Arena football appears to be headed for extinction, much like the ill-fated USFL and XFL leagues of the past.
Bon Jovi was a majority owner of AFL team the Philadelphia Soul, but at least he can say he had a good run, since his team currently holds the distinction of being the league champions.
The AFL has already suspended its 2009 season and is almost certainly going out of business, but it did manage to last for about 20 years or so, which is not bad compared to the three seasons the USFL played and the one season that wrestling mogul Vince McMahon’s XFL team played.
Although Bon Jovi had a good run with the Philadelphia Soul, he’s probably pretty disappointed to see the whole thing come crashing down. I suppose he can always fall back on that rock star gig.
April 7, 2009
Bon Jovi to ‘Blonde Jovi’: Flattery Will Get You Nowhere
Although I was wondering if this was a late April Fool’s joke when I first read it, apparently this story isn’t one that someone made up to honor that tradition.
As reported by Australian music site Undercover, an all-female tribute band has found themselves in the crosshairs of Bon Jovi’s crack legal team. Never having been a rock star myself, I have know way to know if this is something that the group’s legal eagles do as part of their normal duties without making anyone in the group aware of it or not. That seems unlikely, but I’m no lawyer and have never even been friends with one!
One thing is for sure, however, if they were not aware of it before, they are now.
Who would want to pick on these ladies?
One would presume that it is well within the group’s power to put a stop to foolishness like this. You know, ring up the suits at “Blakely Sokoloff Taylor And Zafman” and tell them to back off.
As others around the net have pointed out, the tribute band calling itself “Blonde Jovi” (nice play on words, by the way) are obviously fans of the original group. Heck, they probably all had crushes on pretty boy Jon Bon Jovi at one time or another during their lives. And after viewing their site on MySpace, I’d have to say that having some of these ladies pining for you would not be a bad thing!
Speaking of their MySpace page, it appears that the ladies may have caved to the demands made of them by Bon Jovi’s lawyers. Although I reached their page at this URL: http://www.myspace.com/blondejovi, there are now signs that the group is calling itself “Blonde Jersey.” Reading further, I was able to confirm that they have indeed changed their name as a result of the legal action that was being threatened.
How pathetic is that?
I’m seated firmly on the bandwagon with Undercover on this one, and will echo their sentiment that this is indeed a new low for Bon Jovi if they allow something like this to remain final. This whole thing should be called off and they should tell the ladies that they can resume the use of their original name.
This whole thing would be understandable if these ladies were out there performing for big crowds at major venues and making records, but it’s a local tribute band who are probably working their butts off playing clubs and other small venues just trying to make a living, and honoring Bon Jovi at the same time!
You don’t see the guys from Led Zeppelin sending their legal attack dogs after Lez Zeppelin, do you? And that name even more closely matches the original. Heck, I’ve even seen Lez Zeppelin ringtones for sale on some of the major ringtone websites. Apparently, Plant, Page and Jones are sensible enough to appreciate the sentiment.
Gee, I hope the ladies don’t have to worry about the state of New Jersey coming after them now that they are calling themselves “Blonde Jersey” until they come up with something they like better. Perhaps they could borrow a page from Prince’s handbook and call themselves “The Artists Formerly Known As Blonde Jovi,” but I suppose that wouldn’t keep the lawyers off their backs since it still contains the sacred word “Jovi.”
At the risk of being redundant, which in this case I feel is warranted: How pathetic.
March 4, 2009
Aerosmith And Bon Jovi Books Due This Year
Two legendary classic rock acts will be featured in up-coming book releases during 2009, providing fans with the opportunity to indulge their desire for behind-the-scenes details and maybe even a little dirt sprinkled among the pages of the two new releases.
The new Aerosmith book is set to hit bookstore shelves in May and appears ready to deliver a treasure trove of information about the Boston-based rockers. Weighing in at nearly 300 pages, there should easily be enough content to keep fans immersed in its pages for a good number of sessions. Aerosmith fans who recall the early days of the group may want to be sure that the prescription for their reading glasses is up-to-date.
Speaking of the early days, the book encompasses 35 years of group’s history, beginning in 1973 with one of their first extensive interviews. Like so many other rockers who discover fame and fortune, their early years were marked by substance abuse problems and rock star sexcapades that one might expect from a group of guys who earned themselves the nickname “The bad boys from Boston.”
Aerosmith: Essential Interviews will be released through Rockreader Books/Lulu on May 17th.
Moving a few hundred miles south, we shift the focus to New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi, who also agreed to tell their story in book form while marking their 25th anniversary.
Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful is set for release sometime in October and is said to feature never-before-seen photographs and exclusive text from the band. A documentary featuring the group is also being released at the same time – a result of the unprecedented access granted to filmmaker and photographer Phil Griffin.
Published by Harper-Collins, the book will contain unprecedented insights into the members’ lives on stage, on the road, and at home, as well as intimate reflections on the highs and lows of their 25 years together.
"We are honored to be collaborating with one of the most successful bands in Rock history," said Marta Schooler, Publisher of Collins Design. "Bon Jovi’s continuing success has been no less than remarkable and we are thrilled to be publishing the must-have book for all their fans."
Over the past year or so we have seen new books coming out featuring other classic artists including Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Def Leppard and the Rolling Stones, which certainly provides classic rock fans with a varied selection of reading material. Can there be much doubt that there will be more to come?
February 21, 2009
Jon Bon Jovi Sings Rush
Dedicated Rush fans are likely the only ones who will recognize this memorable track from their 1975 album Caress of Steel. “I think I’m going bald” may have been an early effort on the group’s part to showcase their well-known sense of humor and have a little fun at the same time.
For rock star pretty boy Jon Bon Jovi, going bald is no laughing matter. In fact, the 46-year-old appears to be getting a bit freaked out about signs of baldness that are threatening his trademark mane. It appears that his hair has been gradually trimmed back to a shorter style over the years, presumably to minimize the effect of the creeping menace that so many of us middle-aged guys have to deal with.
Speaking publicly about the looming catastrophe, Bon Jovi says “Oh, let me tell you, I am so worried (about my hair). I look at guys like Sting and think, ‘Well, he’s cool about it,’ but I’m already losing it a bit and I’m so aware of it. Someone told me that you have to regularly massage your scalp, so I do that all the time. You look like a jerk, but it’s got to be worth a shot, right?”
I suppose it’s a matter of opinion regarding whether someone looks like a jerk while messaging their scalp. You know what they say, “if it feels good, do it.” And sometimes a good head scratch does feel pretty good. I’ve been known to do it myself, although I would not classify it as a massage and my actions certainly would not satisfy the time requirement to be considered as such. Ten or fifteen seconds does it for me, but I’m one of those guys who approaches the whole baldness thing by shaving pretty much all of my hair off and letting it grow back until I start to look like a guy that’s trying to grow his hair to cover his bald spot. The idea of a “comb over” or the unintentional appearance of one is enough to make me want to burn my hair off with a propane torch.
From what I hear, there are some effective hair transplant treatments available these days, as well as topical treatments like Rogiane and Propecia. These sound like viable options for Jon and his self-esteem, so I’m sure we won’t see him looking anything like Kojak in the future.
Don’t worry Jon, science will find a way to keep your boyish good looks from deteriorating to the point that would qualify you for a shot at a place on stage with the Rolling Stones.
