Review by Ed Furniss

American rockers Bon Jovi proved a dose of good medicine for a sell-out Ashton Gate tonight.

Playing to just over 23,000 fans - the biggest crowd gathered for any event at Bristol City's home ground in 19 years - the New Jersey band lived up to their reputation as one of the world's best concert acts by delivering a 120-minute set crammed full of their greatest hits.

After brooding intro music - appropriately enough perhaps, Angel by Bristol band (and City fans) Massive Attack - the group were given an ecstatic welcome when they appeared shortly after 8pm to perform opener Lost Highway and soon got the audience bouncing to early hit Born To Be My Baby.

By the time the the band ploughed into their third song - 1980s smash You Give Love A Bad Name - the massive crowd were on their feet and had their arms in the air for some Richie Sambora guitar pyrotechnics on Raise Your Hands.

After galloping through early hit Runaway and the rock'n'roll I'll Sleep When I'm Dead a now beaming fontman Jon Bon Jovi strapped on his acoustic guitar for solo hit Blaze Of Glory, Beatles-esque love song Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars and the country-tinged Whole Lot Of Leavin'.

The hard rockers showed their romantic side with smoochers Lie To Me and In These Arms as the sun started to set behind the huge stage, which towered over the Atyeo Stand.

As darkness fell the band's state-of-the-art LED and light show kicked in to dazzling effect on crowd-pleasers We Got It Going On, It's My Life and Keep The Faith before guitarist Sambora took the mike for big ballad I'll Be There For You.

Bad-assed rocker Have A Nice Day and newie Who Says You Can't Go Home got fists pumping before mega-hit Bad Medicine and Lulu (and Lee Trundle) favourite Shout got a fever-pitch crowd singing along en masse.

After a short "Good Night", the band returned to the stage to huge cheers to play stonewall classics Wanted Dead Or Alive and Livin' On A Prayer ("that's why I keep coming back," said a visibly moved Bon Jovi as the whole crowd sang the intro acapella) before they left the building to a standing ovation.

Bristol was the 90th date on the group's Lost Highway world tour, but it proved to be a memorable night for the many thousands gathered at City's home ground.

Bon Jovi are the latest in a long line of rock legends to play an outdoor concert at Ashton Gate, following the likes of The Who, Elton John, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond.

Set list: Lost Highway, Born To Be My Baby, You Give Love A Bad Name, Summertime, Raise Your Hands, Runaway, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Blaze Of Glory, Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars, Whole Lot Of Leavin', Lie To Me, In These Arms, We Got It Going On, It's My Life, Keep the Faith, I'll Be There For You, Have A Nice Day, Who Says You Can't Go Home?, Bad Medicine, Shout. Encore: Wanted Dead Or Alive, Livin' On A Prayer

Earlier, support act Switchbladeuk - winners of the Evening Post's Rock The Gate competition for local unsigned acts - made the most of their 30 minutes of fame.

The four-piece - whose members hail from Chepstow and Bristol - showed their heavy rock influences as, dressed head to toe in black, they blasted their way through an eight-song set featuring original songs such as Midnight and Darme.

Frontman James Turner was clearly unfazed by the propsect of playing to thousands of expectant Bon Jovi fans, and a loud and varied set full of subtle tempo changes and Guitar Hero-style soloing won the up-and-coming act new fans in the Ashton Gate crowd.

For more on Switchbladeuk click here.