Bon Jovi at Soccer City

What an AMAZING concert!

May is a Birthday Month for Mr G and I. This year we have booked ourselves not one but two shows which is quite a record for us. Tonight it was the Bon Jovi concert at the Soccer City / FNB stadium
in Soweto where 68 000 fans were treated to 3 hours of some of the best anthems of our time.

The whole day was an adventure!

First Mr G and son K got up at 6am to participate in a Bikers against E-Tolls protest. Over two thousand bikers blocked the highway around Johannesburg to protest the implementation of a new toll road system. An additional tax that has been forced on to road users who already pay a road levy in our petrol price and pay municipal taxes that cover road maintenance. We suspect corruption in the tender process and there is no regulation of the revenues that will be produced. In fact the bulk of the money will leave SA as a foreign company owns the toll roads. None of it makes any sense! It was quite an exciting morning for them as they were in the company of all the bike clubs including the infamous Hell's Angels.

Mr G and I got ready for the concert around lunch time, which involved many layers of warm clothing as winter has arrived in full force. We had arranged park and ride tickets and were able to leave our car at a shopping centre and catch a bus to the stadium. A very civilised way to get to the concert. We arrived at the stadium early and were able to admire its beauty against the city skyline. This was the first time we have been there and it was an experience just to see it and marvel at the construction. It is a wonderful landmark and touches your emotions. It is fondly known as The Calabash, which is a symbol of sharing and togetherness.

While we were waiting we ate terrible take-away food outside the stadium but it didn't dampen our spirits because as the crowds started to arrive the energy built up. When the gates opened we entered the stadium and found our way to our seats. The stadium was still quite empty but it was spectacular to be inside and feel its size.

Our seats were really good and we spent a lot of time people watching while we waited. Its quite interesting watching people arrive and seeing their excitement and awe as they entered the stadium. As the sun went done it got colder and gloves came out and hoods went on. But soon the opening acts got onto stage and started warming up the crowd. Two local SA acts, Daniel Baron and Elvis Blue had the experience of singing to more than 60 000 people. They would not have been able to sell that many tickets on their names so it was a really big deal!

Finally Bon Jovi took to the stage and played their hearts out for three hours without stopping! They came back for three encores and just didn't want to leave the stage! It was wonderful to know that they enjoyed performing for us as much as we enjoyed them. They are truly consummate professionals. The show built up song after song and they had us off our seats and involved. By the end of the night nobody wanted it to end!

During one of the final encores they told us to hold up our cell phones and look around the stadium. The effect of 68 000 lights in a dark stadium under an open star lit sky is indescribable!

But all things must come to an end and like the Ball, at midnight we started to make our way up the stairs and over the bridge towards the searchlight and the buses that took us home.