A brilliant celebration of Bon Jovi's music by one of Australia's leading artists
Presented by: Torre Entertainment, Premier Artists and Markus Hamence Presents
Reviewed: 6 September, 2024
Adelaide was certainly Livin’ On A Prayer when Rob Mills took to the Regal Theatre stage on Friday evening, celebrating the iconic music of Bon Jovi.
Rob Mills quickly became a household name back in 2003 on the first season of Australian Idol. Since then, he has continued to win the hearts of the masses with TV appearances, gig hosting and his leading roles in blockbuster musicals such as Ghost: The Musical and & Juliet.
Rob is currently touring Australia with a high energy show that celebrates the life and music of Bon Jovi. His Adelaide performance was nothing short of brilliant, raising the roof of the Regal Theatre. The show opened with Bon Jovi’s 1988 hit Lay Your Hands On Me, and the hits just kept rolling on. Bon Jovi has a catalogue of songs that span over forty years, so it would have not been an easy job to select a set list a mere two hours long. Rob and his band gave a snapshot across the huge catalogue that had the audience dancing in the aisles.
Rob’s voice is out of this world. With a soaring top end and a warm, tender lower register, his vocal ability is only getting better with age. His cheeky personality is infectious, and it wasn’t long before he had the packed Regal Theatre eating out of his palm. Bon Jovi is known for his high rock tenor voice, but these extreme vocal ranges seemed effortless for Rob as he belted out anthem after rock anthem.
Rob’s banter with the audiences between numbers was kept brief, allowing the focus of the night to be on Bon Jovi’s music. While Bon Jovi is celebrating forty years in the industry, Rob is also celebrating twenty years since Australian Idol. For the die-hard Millsy fans, he gave a teaser of his debut single, Ms. Vanity.
Whilst we all love seeing him as a headline name in a musical, rock music and working with a band is clearly where he is most at home. Featuring Daniel Agius on keys/backing vocals, Ryan Di Cecco on bass/backing vocals, Simon Gosford on guitars/backing vocals and Joe Torre on drums, this band simply rocked. Their tight musicianship provided the perfect foundation for this celebration of Bon Jovi. Between the band and Rob, their energy filled the venue.
A special shout out must go to the audio, lighting and visual team. It’s not easy to turn an art-deco movie theatre into a rock stadium! The audio mix, though loud (what more could you expect from a rock gig!) was well balanced.
The evening ended with Bad Medicine, Bed of Roses and of course Bon Jovi’s 1986 smash-hit Livin’ On A Prayer.
Rob Mills’s performance on Friday 6 September was his only Adelaide concert, but judging from the audience’s reaction, I don’t think it will be long before we see him perform here again.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Venue: The Regal Theatre
Season: ended
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