More about: Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi has spoken out about his distaste for Donald Trump stating that he's a liar, and he implies his policies recall a darker more fascist time in Western history.

Speaking to Gigwise at a press conference earlier today following a playback of his incredible new album, the rock star who back Hillary Clinton in the election, said: "It's an unbelievable time in American politics and it scares the shit out of me. I pray he's not the next president of the United States. It's incredible that the man can lie to you. You tell him here's factually what you said that's incorrect and then he tells it the same [again]."   

We explain that Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine is genuinely worried that Trump will win. Bon Jovi is more optimistic: "Trump only has 10 million online followers," he said, playing down his influence and implying he's confident Clinton will win. He argued in a concerned, sincere manner that the media are playing a role in "blowing it out of proportion."

But he paused for a a second and indicated there may be no room for complacency. "If Hillary Clinton has a bad debate next week then we could be in for trouble," he said.

Before the political debate about the rise of fascism in the US, we heard five tracks from his new album, The House Is Not For Sale: 'Knockout', 'Labor of Love', 'God Bless This Mess', 'Scars On This Guitar', and the title track. All sounded incredible. They tracks came across anthemic, deeply cathartic, and there was enough diversity, and dynamic on there. More poignant introspective moments were contrasted with raw all guns blazing classic rock.

The band are set to play the album in its entirety at The London Palladium on 10 October. Explaining why they chose this way to do the tour - which will also stop in at Toronto, and New Jersey - he told Jo Wiley: "This was the first time it crossed my mind to perform an album in its entirety - we've never done it before. And when you have a new record, chances are you'll play three four, five of those songs during the course of a tour. I rarely, if ever, get through the entirety of an album in the course of a tour so when you make that record sometimes it's the last time you've ever done that song. I've worked very hard on this collection of songs, that's presented as whole, and it's a record that takes you to who we are."

The album is their first without guitarist Richie Sambora. Asked how that split went he said: "Being in rock band is not a life sentence, one day he chose to take a different path, no ill will, never fight, never money, none of that stuff. He just didn't show up to work."

Bon Jovi brushed off the idea that Sambora's exit caused any difficulties in terms of songwriting. "Do You like my album?" he asks. We nod. "Me too. I wrote or co-wrote every song we ever did. I wrote great songs with him and I wrote big hits without him. I love him to death but I've had number one songs by myself and with him."

The new album also deals a split from Mercury Records, with whom he had been for 32 years. The album deals with the pain that split caused but asked if it was directly related to Sambora's exit, he said: "It was just pile on you know. When it rains it pours. There wasn't any direct connection. It was just more of the same, it was wake up and get punched in the nose. The have band since re-signed to Universal, of which Mercury was a part.

He also paid tribute to his wife who helped "guide him through" this rocky patch in the band's history and Bon Jovi's come out the other end with a brilliant new album that will be played live very soon.

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More about: Bon Jovi