Bon Jovi waive Spain concert fee for cash-strapped fans

Bon Jovi will appear in Madrid this month after the band agreed to waive their performance fee

American rockers Bon Jovi have agreed to waive their appearance fee for a gig in Spain’s capital, Madrid, this month in a show of solidarity for their cash-strapped Spanish fans.

There had been fears that the gig would struggle to sell out, but Jon Bon Jovi, the band’s legendary frontman, told Spain’s El Mundo newspaper that they did not want to let their Spanish fans down, so agreed to perform for free…

Originally, Madrid was left off the band’s European tour plans when they were first drawn up over fears that Spain’s economic difficulties would mean that very few fans could attend.

However, with the band agreeing to appear for free, ticket prices have been slashed from their normal bracket of between €18-€99 to just €14-€39. Subsequently, the show on June 27 has now sold out.

“It’s a way to thank the Spanish fans for 30 years of support,” Jon Bon Jovi told El Mundo.

Such a move reflects wonderfully well on the 51-year-old rocker who, not only displayed admirable knowledge and awareness of the situation in Spain, but also compassion, understanding and not a little humility.

It is an attitude that can only help Spain in the long-run. An attitude borne of empathy, of doing everything in one’s power to lend a helping hand.

I’ve never been the biggest Bon Jovi fan, but after this episode of grace and class, I may have to revisit their, admittedly weighty (they’ve sold more than 100 million records after all), back catalogue.