Review: Bon Jovi - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane...

Bon Jovi joins rock royalty in huge fortnight of international gigs for Brisbane

THERE'S nothing complicated about the Bon Jovi formula: fist-pumping anthems, loads of sha-la-la's, sing-with-mes, hand claps and simple positive messages. 
 
Add the magic ingredient of frontman Jon Bon Jovi - doesn't dance as well as Mick Jagger but makes women feel weak at the knees - plus the guitar heroics of Richie Sambora and it's music made for blasting from car radios in the suburbs.

It plays out pretty well in a place like Suncorp as well, which they played to a sold-out crowd on Tuesday night.

It is music that reaches out to people in the farthest rows and implores them to have a good time.

Their music has proved far more durable than most of their contemporaries from the '80s.

Like their haircuts, their songwriting has improved over the years and they can now deliver a set with sturdy newer tunes like Lost Highway and It's My Life.

This is mostly meat-and-potatoes rock-n-roll but for variety?

There is a U2-ish new song in When We Were Beautiful and they do a rollicking cover of The Rolling Stone's Start Me Up.

It's a big show with a vast video screen and semi-circular ramp in front of the stage to allow the frontman to get closer to the adoring masses.

Bon Jovi are touring on the back of a new greatest hits release and that's what they gave the crowd with songs from every part of their 26-year career.

The lyrics tell the story: "We weren't born to follow, I'll sleep when I'm dead, Anyone want to party?"

Compared with U2's shows last week there's not much nuance and no emotional clout, and no one but me in this crowd seemed to mind.

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