Live Review: Bon Jovi, Jesse Teinaki

As far as prizes go, getting to open for one of the world's biggest rock stars is pretty damn good. It's not often we see musicians from Tasmania in WA, but Telstra Road To Discovery winner Jesse Teinaki's 15-minute set suggested there's potentially an untapped talent goldmine down under the other side of the country.

Perth missed out on Kid Rock and an outrageous 1959 Buick Electra-inspired stage, but the second Bon Jovi surfaced, none of that mattered. The band took their places on stage to a cheer, but when the man himself, Jon Bon Jovi, stepped into the spotlight, Perth Arena erupted into a cheer so loud it almost became distorted to the human ear.

That's What The Water Made Me sat nicely as the set's opener and eased in the distinctive harmonies that helped pioneer '80s rock. “Indoors and intimate”, a packed-out venue the size of Perth Arena was child's play for Jovi as he casually bopped around pointing at audience members, flashing his perfect white teeth and engaging the crowd to follow his moves like an instructor from an exercise video.

While the three-part harmonies and cliché guitar riffs were near-perfect, hits such as It's My Life came across a little lacklustre and were nowhere near as epic as they were on the vinyl they were first pressed. And even Bon Jovi didn't provide the jaw-dropping solos and heavenly harmonies - his job was to look good, smile and point at people, and he nailed it.

Keys player David Bryan was given his time in the spotlight when he took control of In These Arms and was temporarily relieved of harmony duty to sing a verse.  Despite the stage having a wealth of members, without long-time guitarist Richie Sambora it looked a little empty, and at times Jon Bon Jovi even seemed lost.

With Bon Jovi's latest record, What About Now, going to #1 on the Australian charts and every song off it receiving a warm welcome, it seems they're one of few band that can fill and arenas, stadium and ovals without relying primarily on the hits from heyday.

Set closers, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and Bad Medicine - inclusive of chunks of Rocking All Over The World, Start Me Up, Roadhouse Blues and Wipeout blended in - went for what seemed a lifetime and had many standing on their seats, but it was Livin' On A Prayer that really sealed the deal.