Chris had been waiting for Amanda to leave Jon’s room and now walked over to her.
“Hey Amanda!” His greeting was warm.
The look she turned on him was slightly unfocused and then she shook her head, clearing her thoughts.
“Hey Chris! Where am I tonight?”
“Front row center, where else?” He grinned at her. “Then later side stage, okay?”
She laughed. “You lead, I’ll follow.”
Richie came out of his room right then and caught her in his arms, startling her. Sweeping her around in ballroom fashion, he dipped her and laughed.
“You look gorgeous tonight by the way, in case somebody forgot to tell you!” He brought her back up from the dance dip and she kissed his cheek.
“Have fun tonight, Richie.” She grinned at him with a gleam in her eyes. “I intend to.” She squared her shoulders, one side of her sweater failing off, emphasizing her assets. She swayed as she started to turn away from him and he felt his throat go dry.
The look on his face at her smart ass remark was priceless. He was actually speechless and then she was out of hearing range. Damn! She got me! He laughed at himself, then moved off, ready to perform.
There was still a half hour until show time and Amanda asked Chris if she could get a drink. He directed her to a room where there were numerous alcoholic beverages and food. She made a rum and Coke, drank it rather quickly, and then made another a bit stronger to take to the floor with her. She was feeling a little reckless tonight and stuck her tongue out at Chris when he looked at her second drink.
Laughing, she told him, “I am way over 21 you know!” He grinned back at her and made her another drink that he would set on the floor beside him until she was ready. She beamed her gratitude at him and he found himself a little envious over what was waiting for Jon. He remained a true professional though, knowing that his boss would not allow anything to happen to his “girlfriend”.
He said, “Just let me know if you want any more later,” and winked at her. Like pretty much everyone she had met, Chris liked her and wanted her to enjoy herself. Amanda could still hear the opening band, and downing her second drink, she took the one he had made her and moved to the door. Shaking his head, Chris made her another for the floor, and then led her to her seat.
Amanda got several looks from the women and the few men that were in that prime section for a Bon Jovi concert. She just moved to her seat and Chris took up his position in front of her, but outside the barrier. As before at Giants, he spoke with several of the men in both directions and she knew he was making them aware of her and to watch out for her. When he returned to standing in front of her, drink on the floor, she mouthed ‘thank you’ to him and he smiled.
The crowd was now getting a bit restless as they knew Bon Jovi would soon be taking the stage. The opening act finished their last song and to much applause exited the stage. The roadies began setting up for the guys and Amanda felt the drinks she had downed quickly beginning to take effect. With such a full stomach from dinner though, she had a nice buzz going, not too much, but enough to make her feel warm and sexy. The drinks just increased her sexual buzz and she was thinking that Jon might just be in for a little bit of trouble tonight.
In his dressing room, Jon was thinking the same thing. He was working hard at getting into the mindset he needed to perform, but his thoughts kept returning to Amanda. Richie knocked at the door and entered.
“You got the set list, man?” He asked.
“Set list?” Jon’s tone sounded puzzled and Richie looked at him.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Jon, get your head outta your dick! We go on in 20 minutes man. What the hell are we playing tonight?”
“Oh shit! Fuck! Okay, okay, grab a piece of paper.” Richie did so as Jon dictated a rather erratic set list.
“You wanna open with ‘One Wild Night’, right?” Richie asked, looking at the list.
“Yeah, get ‘em rockin’, but not with Prayer.”
Richie opened the door and yelled for an assistant who quickly made copies of the list. Shaking his head a little, he asked Jon a rather pointed question.
“You DO know how many songs are on that list, right?”
“Huh? What? How many?” Jon was confused. He had his mind elsewhere.
“JON! Focus here. Look at the list…” Richie handed it to him.
“Okay, yeah, that’s a lot, we’ll wing it a little.” He looked at Richie. “Give me a break man, my mind…”
“Yeah, I know, but pull it together. She’s out there and I don’t want you forgetting the fuckin’ words again!” Richie laughed. “Show now, dick later, got it?”
Jon gaped at him, then laughed. “Yeah, got it. Jesus, I’m such an asshole sometimes!”
Richie cocked an eyebrow.
“Sometimes?”
“Okay, I got it and fuck you too!” Jon’s grin was back and his eyes were focused as he started pacing and finished stretching, ready to walk the hall to the stage.
Realizing that Jon was now ready, Richie clapped him on the back and left.
~~~
The lights dimmed and the crowd roared. Amanda felt as thrilled as the rest of them, although she did vow to herself that she would watch the other guys this time a bit too. She remembered the first show where she couldn’t take her eyes off Jon and wanted to actually be able to say something to the guys tonight that she remembered from this show. The big screens showed the guys walking to the stage and the crowd screamed even louder. They walked onto the back of the stage together, the screen showing them standing there lit from inside, but the stage still dark. The spotlight suddenly blazed on them and they shook hands and walked to their places.
Amanda felt things low in her body tighten as Jon strutted onto the stage. There was no other word for it. He swung his hips in a rolling walk and giving Richie a high five, the opening bars of “One Wild Night” started. As she had seen only once before, Jon was on fire. He had the audience on their feet, dancing and singing with him, and she moved as much as everyone else did. Jon was bouncing and raising his hands with the lyrics, flashing his smile so much you could feel every woman in the stadium getting hot. If it had been possible to measure estrogen levels, the meter would have been off the scale.
Jon was literally dancing his way from one end of the big stage to the other, the screams following him as he moved closer to the fans with each step. They then started “Born To Be My Baby”. The break following their last tour had allowed Jon’s voice to recover and he sounded amazing. Richie was having a blast tonight, his fingers flying over the strings. He was smiling at the crowd, causing his own share of wet panties from the women near him.
Watching the big screen for a few minutes, she saw Tico’s command of his drums and she realized that he was so good there wasn’t even a word for it. Amazing seemed too bland. David always looked like he was at a party and his blonde curls were swinging as he played multiple keyboards. Hugh seemed a little more laid back, but his fingers were flying as fast at Richie’s and it was easy to see he was a superb guitarist.
The drums then started for “Keep The Faith”, Jon shaking the maracas in perfect timing. She was amazing that he could do that, dance, and remember the words. They moved seamlessly into “We Got It Goin’ On”, with Jon shaking his ass and dancing with his arms over his head and the crowd going wild as they joined him. This was followed by “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, another crowd favorite.
Jon’s eyes repeatedly went to Amanda during all these songs and he felt he was grinning like an idiot seeing her dancing and having such a good time. He had already talked to Chris about moving her so he could dance with her during “Bed of Roses”. She didn’t know about that yet.
They played “Just Older” next and Jon ad libbed about still having his hair instead of cutting it and the crowd screamed at him. Amanda motioned to Chris for her drink and drank it while watching Jon and Richie cutting up during the song. Jon gave an amazingly sweet smile at the crowd before finishing the rocking chorus and she felt her heart melt. My god! He is just beautiful!
Chris came for her then and lifted her over the barrier. She felt the other women staring holes into her back, but he hustled her off to the side and within a few minutes she found herself on stage at one of the prime fan areas. She actually had to be pushed out by Chris as he almost shouted in her ear that “Jon wants you out there.” The stage had darkened briefly to allow a change of the fans who were on stage in those areas during three Bon Jovi songs. She was moved out and put where Jon wanted her.
The lights came back up and David started the song on his keyboard, with Richie joining in a few moments later making his guitar wail. Jon started off the song at the mic at the center of the stage. During the first chorus he pulled the microphone off the stand and walked down the ramp on Richie’s side of the stage, shaking the hands of the fans and then returning to the stage. He repeated this towards his side of the stage, but didn’t go on the ramp that time due to the timing of the song.
With a grin on his face, he started walking toward the fans on stage, towards Amanda. Her eyes got wide, she knew what he was going to do. She had seen him do it at Giants with another woman. When the moment came, he reached for her, pulling her into his arms for a dance. He nestled her in close to him, the contact of their bodies causing an electric jolt they both felt. The stadium, the crowd, the noise, and the band all seemed to cease to exist for her as he danced with her. She could feel him against her and felt his response. He pulled her in for a much more intimate kiss than the one she had seen him give before at the other concert and then he winked at her as he released her, slapping her on the ass, as he moved back to finish the song.
The audience of mostly women each deeply envied Amanda at that moment as Jon had seemed to hold her closer than he ever did with anyone else he danced with. Amanda moved back to the fan area in a daze, a secret smile on her face. She recovered quickly though and watched Jon work his magic with the crowd from this angle. The fact that it also gave her quite a nice view of his rear was just a bonus. She was then treated to his version of Twist and Shout and viewing him from the back and then the front as he shook his ass was leaving her breathless.
“Hey Amanda!” His greeting was warm.
The look she turned on him was slightly unfocused and then she shook her head, clearing her thoughts.
“Hey Chris! Where am I tonight?”
“Front row center, where else?” He grinned at her. “Then later side stage, okay?”
She laughed. “You lead, I’ll follow.”
Richie came out of his room right then and caught her in his arms, startling her. Sweeping her around in ballroom fashion, he dipped her and laughed.
“You look gorgeous tonight by the way, in case somebody forgot to tell you!” He brought her back up from the dance dip and she kissed his cheek.
“Have fun tonight, Richie.” She grinned at him with a gleam in her eyes. “I intend to.” She squared her shoulders, one side of her sweater failing off, emphasizing her assets. She swayed as she started to turn away from him and he felt his throat go dry.
The look on his face at her smart ass remark was priceless. He was actually speechless and then she was out of hearing range. Damn! She got me! He laughed at himself, then moved off, ready to perform.
There was still a half hour until show time and Amanda asked Chris if she could get a drink. He directed her to a room where there were numerous alcoholic beverages and food. She made a rum and Coke, drank it rather quickly, and then made another a bit stronger to take to the floor with her. She was feeling a little reckless tonight and stuck her tongue out at Chris when he looked at her second drink.
Laughing, she told him, “I am way over 21 you know!” He grinned back at her and made her another drink that he would set on the floor beside him until she was ready. She beamed her gratitude at him and he found himself a little envious over what was waiting for Jon. He remained a true professional though, knowing that his boss would not allow anything to happen to his “girlfriend”.
He said, “Just let me know if you want any more later,” and winked at her. Like pretty much everyone she had met, Chris liked her and wanted her to enjoy herself. Amanda could still hear the opening band, and downing her second drink, she took the one he had made her and moved to the door. Shaking his head, Chris made her another for the floor, and then led her to her seat.
Amanda got several looks from the women and the few men that were in that prime section for a Bon Jovi concert. She just moved to her seat and Chris took up his position in front of her, but outside the barrier. As before at Giants, he spoke with several of the men in both directions and she knew he was making them aware of her and to watch out for her. When he returned to standing in front of her, drink on the floor, she mouthed ‘thank you’ to him and he smiled.
The crowd was now getting a bit restless as they knew Bon Jovi would soon be taking the stage. The opening act finished their last song and to much applause exited the stage. The roadies began setting up for the guys and Amanda felt the drinks she had downed quickly beginning to take effect. With such a full stomach from dinner though, she had a nice buzz going, not too much, but enough to make her feel warm and sexy. The drinks just increased her sexual buzz and she was thinking that Jon might just be in for a little bit of trouble tonight.
In his dressing room, Jon was thinking the same thing. He was working hard at getting into the mindset he needed to perform, but his thoughts kept returning to Amanda. Richie knocked at the door and entered.
“You got the set list, man?” He asked.
“Set list?” Jon’s tone sounded puzzled and Richie looked at him.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Jon, get your head outta your dick! We go on in 20 minutes man. What the hell are we playing tonight?”
“Oh shit! Fuck! Okay, okay, grab a piece of paper.” Richie did so as Jon dictated a rather erratic set list.
“You wanna open with ‘One Wild Night’, right?” Richie asked, looking at the list.
“Yeah, get ‘em rockin’, but not with Prayer.”
Richie opened the door and yelled for an assistant who quickly made copies of the list. Shaking his head a little, he asked Jon a rather pointed question.
“You DO know how many songs are on that list, right?”
“Huh? What? How many?” Jon was confused. He had his mind elsewhere.
“JON! Focus here. Look at the list…” Richie handed it to him.
“Okay, yeah, that’s a lot, we’ll wing it a little.” He looked at Richie. “Give me a break man, my mind…”
“Yeah, I know, but pull it together. She’s out there and I don’t want you forgetting the fuckin’ words again!” Richie laughed. “Show now, dick later, got it?”
Jon gaped at him, then laughed. “Yeah, got it. Jesus, I’m such an asshole sometimes!”
Richie cocked an eyebrow.
“Sometimes?”
“Okay, I got it and fuck you too!” Jon’s grin was back and his eyes were focused as he started pacing and finished stretching, ready to walk the hall to the stage.
Realizing that Jon was now ready, Richie clapped him on the back and left.
~~~
The lights dimmed and the crowd roared. Amanda felt as thrilled as the rest of them, although she did vow to herself that she would watch the other guys this time a bit too. She remembered the first show where she couldn’t take her eyes off Jon and wanted to actually be able to say something to the guys tonight that she remembered from this show. The big screens showed the guys walking to the stage and the crowd screamed even louder. They walked onto the back of the stage together, the screen showing them standing there lit from inside, but the stage still dark. The spotlight suddenly blazed on them and they shook hands and walked to their places.
Amanda felt things low in her body tighten as Jon strutted onto the stage. There was no other word for it. He swung his hips in a rolling walk and giving Richie a high five, the opening bars of “One Wild Night” started. As she had seen only once before, Jon was on fire. He had the audience on their feet, dancing and singing with him, and she moved as much as everyone else did. Jon was bouncing and raising his hands with the lyrics, flashing his smile so much you could feel every woman in the stadium getting hot. If it had been possible to measure estrogen levels, the meter would have been off the scale.
Jon was literally dancing his way from one end of the big stage to the other, the screams following him as he moved closer to the fans with each step. They then started “Born To Be My Baby”. The break following their last tour had allowed Jon’s voice to recover and he sounded amazing. Richie was having a blast tonight, his fingers flying over the strings. He was smiling at the crowd, causing his own share of wet panties from the women near him.
Watching the big screen for a few minutes, she saw Tico’s command of his drums and she realized that he was so good there wasn’t even a word for it. Amazing seemed too bland. David always looked like he was at a party and his blonde curls were swinging as he played multiple keyboards. Hugh seemed a little more laid back, but his fingers were flying as fast at Richie’s and it was easy to see he was a superb guitarist.
The drums then started for “Keep The Faith”, Jon shaking the maracas in perfect timing. She was amazing that he could do that, dance, and remember the words. They moved seamlessly into “We Got It Goin’ On”, with Jon shaking his ass and dancing with his arms over his head and the crowd going wild as they joined him. This was followed by “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, another crowd favorite.
Jon’s eyes repeatedly went to Amanda during all these songs and he felt he was grinning like an idiot seeing her dancing and having such a good time. He had already talked to Chris about moving her so he could dance with her during “Bed of Roses”. She didn’t know about that yet.
They played “Just Older” next and Jon ad libbed about still having his hair instead of cutting it and the crowd screamed at him. Amanda motioned to Chris for her drink and drank it while watching Jon and Richie cutting up during the song. Jon gave an amazingly sweet smile at the crowd before finishing the rocking chorus and she felt her heart melt. My god! He is just beautiful!
Chris came for her then and lifted her over the barrier. She felt the other women staring holes into her back, but he hustled her off to the side and within a few minutes she found herself on stage at one of the prime fan areas. She actually had to be pushed out by Chris as he almost shouted in her ear that “Jon wants you out there.” The stage had darkened briefly to allow a change of the fans who were on stage in those areas during three Bon Jovi songs. She was moved out and put where Jon wanted her.
The lights came back up and David started the song on his keyboard, with Richie joining in a few moments later making his guitar wail. Jon started off the song at the mic at the center of the stage. During the first chorus he pulled the microphone off the stand and walked down the ramp on Richie’s side of the stage, shaking the hands of the fans and then returning to the stage. He repeated this towards his side of the stage, but didn’t go on the ramp that time due to the timing of the song.
With a grin on his face, he started walking toward the fans on stage, towards Amanda. Her eyes got wide, she knew what he was going to do. She had seen him do it at Giants with another woman. When the moment came, he reached for her, pulling her into his arms for a dance. He nestled her in close to him, the contact of their bodies causing an electric jolt they both felt. The stadium, the crowd, the noise, and the band all seemed to cease to exist for her as he danced with her. She could feel him against her and felt his response. He pulled her in for a much more intimate kiss than the one she had seen him give before at the other concert and then he winked at her as he released her, slapping her on the ass, as he moved back to finish the song.
The audience of mostly women each deeply envied Amanda at that moment as Jon had seemed to hold her closer than he ever did with anyone else he danced with. Amanda moved back to the fan area in a daze, a secret smile on her face. She recovered quickly though and watched Jon work his magic with the crowd from this angle. The fact that it also gave her quite a nice view of his rear was just a bonus. She was then treated to his version of Twist and Shout and viewing him from the back and then the front as he shook his ass was leaving her breathless.
When the fans changed again, she moved off with them and Chris was waiting. He asked her if she wanted to stay at the side and she nodded yes. She watched until the time for the first encore and Jon grabbed her, kissing her hard, pressing himself against her, wanting her as badly as she wanted him. He toweled off, changed his shirt and went back for a three song encore. They changed again and finished off the evening with Wanted Dead or Alive and then Living on a Prayer, a song that left the stadium shaking from the stomping, clapping, and screaming from the crowd.
I've always wondered what it would be like to watch a concert from an "insider's point of view" and with this chapter, I feel I've been given a glimpse of what it would be like. Thank you.
What an amazing "accounting" of a Bon Jovi show. Great chapter!
And you talk about my descriptions of concerts!!!LOL!
I loved this chapter !!!
I can only echo what other's have said-what a great description! I felt like I was right there!
The description of the show was dead on! Just reading about the show has me wishing they were doing a show right now close by. Instead the guys are in the studio gearing up for next year : )