James Seaward to open for Bon Jovi at Hyde Park, London 2027
The Issue
In 1986, a single cassette tape and a cheap guitar permanently rewired the course of my life.
My name is James Seaward. I am a rock musician, and if you have ever had a dream that refused to let you go, I am asking for your signature to help me close a 40-year circle and start something that could possibly be life changing.
Growing up in 1986, things weren’t easy at home. Money was tight, it was myself and my mum, we were a one parent family.
My mum, with health problems, was under immense pressure, and as a child, the world at times, could feel incredibly heavy. That was the year I had a tooth out at the dentist and my mum bought me a cassette tape from the local store: Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet.
I had heard the talk-box intro of "Livin' on a Prayer" on Top of the Pops and something inside of me changed forever. I would sit in my lounge and blast Slippery When Wet through my headphones, and suddenly the walls of my small home dissolved. It wasn't just music; it was a lifeline. Jon wasn’t singing about detached rock stars—he was singing about people like my mum, about Tommy and Gina, about surviving on sheer faith and hope.
Well, I begged my mum, my auntie and uncle for an electric guitar for Christmas.
I didn’t know how to tune it, but I spent many, many hours trying to copy Richie Sambora's intro to "You Give Love a Bad Name", or "Wanted Dead or Alive".
Bon Jovi's music taught me that a guitar wasn't just wood and steel; it was a voice I could use and an identity that felt like coming home.
For the next few decades, I became a dedicated disciple of songwriting, and of the guitar. Bon Jovi was the soundtrack to many, many milestones in my life. Every time I wanted to put the guitar down and give up on the grueling original music circuit, I remembered Jon being a gopher at the Power Station recording studio, writing "Runaway", recording when he could and refusing to accept a world where he didn't make it.
Today, I find myself still chasing that dream. I’ve paid my dues, playing everything from empty bars to festival slots. I am incredibly proud of my journey, and you can hear that lifelong passion in my latest single, "Ghosts", which is out right now on Spotify, YouTube and all other platforms. But as any independent artist knows, you are always working toward that one definitive, door-opening break.
Next summer, Bon Jovi is headlining Hyde Park in London.
To stand on that legendary stage, plug in my guitar, and open for the very band that gave me my life's purpose in 1986 isn’t just a gig. It’s proving to that little boy with a cheap guitar that the prayer worked.
I can’t get there alone. It takes a community, a fanbase, and the power of rock 'n' roll fans to make independent music heard.
PLEASE sign this petition, share it far and wide, and let's show AEG, BST Hyde Park, and Bon Jovi's management that James Seaward belongs on that stage next summer opening for Bon Jovi!
I aspire to open the show for Bon Jovi at Hyde Park in 2027, an opportunity that would be both a culmination and a new beginning in my career.
This isn’t just about me. It's about what all of us can achieve when we support each other. By joining forces to sign this petition, we can show the world that dreams do come true. Bon Jovi’s music inspired my journey into music, and by standing before you with my guitar, I hope my story can inspire someone else to pick up theirs and play.
For every musician with a garage band, for every person with a dream too bold to speak aloud, and for every soul who believes in the transformative power of music, I urge you to join this campaign. Together, we can present a compelling case to Bon Jovi’s team, showing them that their fans believe in new talent, and that James Seaward should be part of this historic event.
Your signature is not just a vote to support my dream; it's a testament that dreams matter. It's a chance for each of us to be part of a story that could inspire many more to believe in the magic of music and the limitless possibilities of chasing what truly matters.
Please, sign this petition and help bring one musician's lifelong dream to life at Hyde Park in 2027.
Thank you for believing in the power of music and dreams.
86
The Issue
In 1986, a single cassette tape and a cheap guitar permanently rewired the course of my life.
My name is James Seaward. I am a rock musician, and if you have ever had a dream that refused to let you go, I am asking for your signature to help me close a 40-year circle and start something that could possibly be life changing.
Growing up in 1986, things weren’t easy at home. Money was tight, it was myself and my mum, we were a one parent family.
My mum, with health problems, was under immense pressure, and as a child, the world at times, could feel incredibly heavy. That was the year I had a tooth out at the dentist and my mum bought me a cassette tape from the local store: Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet.
I had heard the talk-box intro of "Livin' on a Prayer" on Top of the Pops and something inside of me changed forever. I would sit in my lounge and blast Slippery When Wet through my headphones, and suddenly the walls of my small home dissolved. It wasn't just music; it was a lifeline. Jon wasn’t singing about detached rock stars—he was singing about people like my mum, about Tommy and Gina, about surviving on sheer faith and hope.
Well, I begged my mum, my auntie and uncle for an electric guitar for Christmas.
I didn’t know how to tune it, but I spent many, many hours trying to copy Richie Sambora's intro to "You Give Love a Bad Name", or "Wanted Dead or Alive".
Bon Jovi's music taught me that a guitar wasn't just wood and steel; it was a voice I could use and an identity that felt like coming home.
For the next few decades, I became a dedicated disciple of songwriting, and of the guitar. Bon Jovi was the soundtrack to many, many milestones in my life. Every time I wanted to put the guitar down and give up on the grueling original music circuit, I remembered Jon being a gopher at the Power Station recording studio, writing "Runaway", recording when he could and refusing to accept a world where he didn't make it.
Today, I find myself still chasing that dream. I’ve paid my dues, playing everything from empty bars to festival slots. I am incredibly proud of my journey, and you can hear that lifelong passion in my latest single, "Ghosts", which is out right now on Spotify, YouTube and all other platforms. But as any independent artist knows, you are always working toward that one definitive, door-opening break.
Next summer, Bon Jovi is headlining Hyde Park in London.
To stand on that legendary stage, plug in my guitar, and open for the very band that gave me my life's purpose in 1986 isn’t just a gig. It’s proving to that little boy with a cheap guitar that the prayer worked.
I can’t get there alone. It takes a community, a fanbase, and the power of rock 'n' roll fans to make independent music heard.
PLEASE sign this petition, share it far and wide, and let's show AEG, BST Hyde Park, and Bon Jovi's management that James Seaward belongs on that stage next summer opening for Bon Jovi!
I aspire to open the show for Bon Jovi at Hyde Park in 2027, an opportunity that would be both a culmination and a new beginning in my career.
This isn’t just about me. It's about what all of us can achieve when we support each other. By joining forces to sign this petition, we can show the world that dreams do come true. Bon Jovi’s music inspired my journey into music, and by standing before you with my guitar, I hope my story can inspire someone else to pick up theirs and play.
For every musician with a garage band, for every person with a dream too bold to speak aloud, and for every soul who believes in the transformative power of music, I urge you to join this campaign. Together, we can present a compelling case to Bon Jovi’s team, showing them that their fans believe in new talent, and that James Seaward should be part of this historic event.
Your signature is not just a vote to support my dream; it's a testament that dreams matter. It's a chance for each of us to be part of a story that could inspire many more to believe in the magic of music and the limitless possibilities of chasing what truly matters.
Please, sign this petition and help bring one musician's lifelong dream to life at Hyde Park in 2027.
Thank you for believing in the power of music and dreams.
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Petition created on 26 October 2026