Bon Jovi thrills crowd at Rio gig

The New Jersey rockers, who are on a "Because We Can" Latin American concert tour to promote their chart-topping new album "What About Now", were the star attraction on the fifth day of the week-long festival.

"Obrigado (Thank you in Portuguese), Rio De Janeiro," lead singer Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd.

The band launched into "You Give Love A Bad Name" and the entire crowd joined in as they belted out such classics as "Livin On A Prayer", "Dead or Alive" and "Always".

In the middle of a raucous "Who Says You Can't Go Home", Jon Bon Jovi dragged a female fan onto the stage and surprised her with a smooch on the mouth.

The band also paid tribute to the Rolling Stones with a rendition of "Start Me Up".

But Bon Jovi was without its famous drummer Tico Torres, who awaited bladder surgery and was replaced by Rich Scannella.

On September 11, 59-year-old Torres underwent emergency appendectomy surgery in Mexico City, forcing the band to postpone scheduled concerts in Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

Saturday night, Americans Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer were to get star billing at what is one of the world's largest music events.