REVIEW: Meatloaf
- Posted on May 31, 2007 3:46 PM
- 24 comments
Meatloaf
Wembley Arena
25th May 2007
Review by Matt Killeen
I have been dragged kicking and screaming to some barn with bad acoustics in North London to watch an old man play rock and roll. I am not expecting to have a good time.
I am here because I am contractually obligated. I married a girl born on Long Island for whom Bat Out of Hell is the White Album. My wife almost walked down the aisle to ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ until I said I wouldn’t marry her if she did. She is now having her revenge for having to watch that 1st Round League Cup game at Leyton Orient in freezing temperatures in a business suit and no coat...
On the plus side, the World’s most famous Hartlepool United fan is, leaving the music to one side for the moment, one of the great entertainers. He’s funny, self deprecating, kooky and articulate. He does great TV, he made Avid Merion look like an idiot and he is a wonderful showman. He is also very unpredictable, as demonstrated by the moment in the show where he freaked out at the hecklers. Is he joking? Is he serious? In these days of PR and media training his candour, his honesty and his tendency for impenetrable bizarre ranting make him good value any day of the week.
I am surrounded by Americans. They are swaying and clapping in that way you see people dance to bands in Hollywood films. It looks fake but I’ve lived in New York long enough to know otherwise. I feel like Stephen Fry on Saturday Night Live saying “So Mr Loaf let me get this right, you want to kick my bottom?”
This is, however, a small enclave of self expression because this is an arena gig and they suck. Steadfastly still and silent British people are watching someone a hundred yards away perform, wishing they’d worn their glasses. They’re having fun but there is, culturally speaking, no other way for them to behave in this environment. When people do get to their feet, it’s for bad old person dancing, which is as execrable as it is inevitable.
You can’t blame The Meat for that though and I realise that if I just accept the gig for what it is, and don’t tell anyone about it, it’ll be OK. Indeed that’s how it plays out. There’s a whole bunch of songs that I’d forgotten existed and before long I was sucked into the cloud of nostalgia with everyone else. I was back in The Trees public house, just far enough away from school that it wasn’t patrolled but near enough that you could get a pint at lunchtime, where Bat Out of Hell gave you good value for your jukebox money. You didn’t have to like it, you just had to keep Kylie Minogue from playing.
On the negative side there’s new material which no-one wants to hear, although there’s actually a bit of a cracker in the form of ‘Land of the Pigs’. It’s also evident that the new stuff takes itself just way too seriously. That giggling streak of humour that was already ebbing away on Bat 2 seems to be gone altogether. Without it the melodrama is just laughable and when alls said and done, it’s just a fat guy yelling. Without the direct input of Jim Steinman, Meatloaf’s best days are clearly behind him.
He may look exactly the same now as he did in the early eighties, but time has taken its toll. The Meat can no longer hold the high notes and this is painfully obvious in the old material. However he doesn’t resort to harmonisers or ghost singers. He just doesn’t care. He’s running around sweating, having his manhood mocked by a backing singer dressed as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader and howling tunelessly to the gods. He’s Meatloaf, the same Meatloaf on the original Bat tour thirty years previously who, exasperated by a series of faulty microphones, threw the stand aside and proceeded to do the entire gig unamplified. He is still what he always was. To paraphrase Yoda “When 59 years old you become, sound as good you will not, hum?”
Comments (24)
First time at a Meatloaf concert . . . and the last.
I also attended this concert with my wife and two friends (combined ages of almost 200 years), and I thoroughly agree with the above comments. The staging, effects, accompanying muscians and backing singers were all very good but I'm afraid they all combined to overshadow the great man who at times struggled to hold a note or sing in time.
For my wife, the forced and unnecessary use of foul language spoilt the evening, particularly as there were children in the audience. Bearing in mind that Meat has been touring for thirty years one would have thought he'd have learned to deal with hecklers with a little more style. Shame on you! At the end of the evening we all left disappointed and around three hundred quid lighter - I somehow don't think we'll be going back in November.
Posted on June 2, 2007 10:18 AM
Em
I saw meatloaf on May 12th and it was an awesome show, youve got to remember that he has been ill, and a little bit of swearing isnt that bad, he is a great entertainer and great performer and one of the best singers.
Posted on June 9, 2007 5:12 PM
Sarah Lock
I totally agree with the message posted on june 9. I went to see the great man himself at bristol on june 29th. Fair enough, probably due to ilness,he didnt always hold his key, but he isnt just a singer, he is a fantastic entertainer and this makes up a large percentage of his performance. I enjoyed it so much that i'm going to try to see him again in november.
Posted on July 8, 2007 10:22 PM
tracey b
im his one and only fan. i love fallen angel and i cant find it nowhere
Posted on August 22, 2007 1:18 AM
nicola connell
im seeing meat loaf 2nd nov at birmingham for the seven time i have seen him but a lass im 45 got parkinsons would love to meet him back stage pklease it would be my dream come true
Posted on October 24, 2007 11:42 AM
nicola connell
im seeing meat loaf 2nd nov at birmingham for the seven time i have seen him but a lass im 45 got parkinsons would love to meet him back stage pklease it would be my dream come true
Posted on October 24, 2007 11:44 AM
Emma Renshaw
Hi
Im goin to see Meatloaf on Sunday 4th November 2007 at the MEN. I cant wait i have loved his music but never seen him before i take on board your comments hope its a great nite ill keep u informed. Would love to see him in person as we have bought a friend of ours a ticket for her 60th as she is also a massive fan that would just put the icing on the cake!!
Posted on November 1, 2007 3:30 PM
Mandy Thompson
Good Luck to those of you hoping to see Meatloaf in concert...I'm fresh from the fiasco in Newcastle on 31st of October and apparently he aint doing anymore shows! This announced moments before flouncing off stage half way through his set!...not good enough for those of us who paid a small fortune (£92.00 for 2 tickets)...so I still have not seen Bat out of Hell Live :0(
Posted on November 1, 2007 6:58 PM
Amanda
I was at the Newcastle concert too. What a disappointment!! I have seen Meatloaf twice before and thoroughly enjoyed myself. We had mixed reviews before we went so our expectations were realistic. However, I was still looking forward to the show and just the experience of the whole thing. I was devastated when it seemed like it was going to be a painful experience to watch. If he was ill, then fine but surely he had some idea of this before the concert. It has spoiled some great memories of the previous concerts.
Posted on November 3, 2007 10:53 AM
clair pullen
I went to see the great man himself at birmingham in may with my cousin. It was a fantastic show, meat was at the top of his game, the songs and the preformance were excellent. So maybe after this show he began to feel ill? As for the comments about meats language, come on this is meat loaf, surely you can't expect to go to a meatloaf concert and not hear a few choice words.I know for a fact that my cousin would let her son see his concert it's no worse than he would hear in his playground!(sad but true you have to admit)My cousin and i were at the Birmingham show, yes we were dissappointed that it got cancelled and it looks as if it will not go ahead on the re scheduled date. But at the end of the day meats health is way more important any concert.The decsion to cancel his shows would not be taken lightly, as meat would not let his fans down deliberately, as he has been on stage with a heart condititon and a broken foot. So as a true meatloaf fan may i take this oppurtunity to say, please listen to your doctor, rest and recouperate then come back in 2008 stronger and better than ever before, and prove all these doubters wrong. Don't ever change your great the way you are. xx
Posted on November 7, 2007 1:07 AM
Deb Bufton
Just to say I hope Meat Loaf recovers and comes back next year. We were meant to see him at B'ham on 2nd Nov and were absolutely gutted that he had to cancel due to ill health. Get well soon and please come back next year. We would really like to see a live performance.
Posted on November 7, 2007 2:10 PM
lisa hubbard
I can-not believe the comments i'm reading i like meat-loaf but not as much as my partner who's been a fan for many years.I decided to go for the first time in may 2007 in birmingham and i'm so glad i did can't believe i'd been missing out all this time what a performance. We were two rows from the front and well worth the money, it was fantastic nothing like a concert i'd been to before. I only hope he gets better soon as i can't wait to see you live again.x x
Posted on January 11, 2008 11:32 PM
Denise Robertson
From what i've heard Meatloaf is doing alot better than he has been, Seriously folks lay off the guy a bit. Ok you have paid alot of money but the great mans health at the end of the day is priceless, he has always been for entertaining his fans and would not have wanted to hurt them in anyway, Although hes 60 he still has the passion, power and heart of a 20yr old. After things hes been through time and time again he has come back and blown us all away, So coming from a fan who hasnt seen the legend live yet i say to him "Dont listen to the doubters, Put yourself first and by gods grace you will feel better than you have done for a long time" Give it time folks and you'll see "The monster is loose!!!!"
Rock like nobodys watching and sing it like you meant it
God bless
Denise Robertson
xxx
Posted on February 29, 2008 10:07 PM
Geoff
I was 5 rows from the front at the aborted Newcastle gig . If you weren't there you'll never understand how bad a performance it was and how badly the venue and promoter treated the fans !
I've been a fan for 30 years and my 13 yr old daughter was heartbroken.
I've seen the playlist for the 2008 tour and think I'll keep my money this time.
He is a shadow of the singer he used to be .
Posted on June 28, 2008 4:11 PM
Paul
Just watched Meatloaf at plymouth's home park walked out after six songs. He couldn't keep up with backing singers, couldn't hold a note and appeared to be high or drunk. At one point he just stood holding his head in his hands while a backing singer did a solo (not what I paid to watch).
Posted on June 30, 2008 9:30 AM
Paul
Just watched Meatloaf at plymouth's home park walked out after six songs. He couldn't keep up with backing singers, couldn't hold a note and appeared to be high or drunk. At one point he just stood holding his head in his hands while a backing singer did a solo (not what I paid to watch).
Posted on June 30, 2008 9:32 AM
Richard
Have just been to see meatloaf at Broadlands Romsey. We thought there was a problem with the sound system his vocals were so bad. The female singer however had no problems and showed what was possible. His singing was slow, out of sync with the songs, out of tune and incoherrent. I second the above comments in that I thought the man was drunk. Amazingly some of the crowd still cheered him. The best bits were when he wasn't singing which isn't really what you pay to go to a meatloaf concert for. I suggest he retires.
Posted on July 7, 2008 12:19 AM
Lorette
I too saw Meatloaf at brodlands and the above comments sum up last nights performance. It was seriously bad!! I took my sixteen year old daughter and she said "mum i'm really embrassed for the man"...so much for her first big concert experiance!!
Posted on July 7, 2008 1:27 PM
liz
I was at Broadlands too last night I totally agree with both of the above. It was truly awful - worst concert I've seen ever we should have recourse for a refund what a rip off.
Posted on July 7, 2008 1:51 PM
Nicki
I was at broadlands too - and I am glad that some other people thought meatloaf was awful. It was embarrassing to listen to. It was the worst concert I have ever seen. I did see him nearly 30 years ago and he was brilliant - perhaps he is too old, drunk or too drugged up and should give up now.
Posted on July 8, 2008 9:06 AM
Amanda
Both my husband and I went to see Meatloaf last night in Nottingham and totally agree with the above comments about his latest tour. It was truly awful!! My husband has been a fan for 30 years and was really looking forward to seeing Meatloaf in concert for the 1st time. But after only the first 6 songs, we could not believe what we were hearing. We were ready to leave but only stayed out of politeness. The sound was so bad, some of his words were incoherrent and at times it sounded like he was slurring.One of the worst concerts we have seen. Very disappointed to say the least. I also think perhaps it's time for him to retire...Sorry!!
Posted on July 10, 2008 4:19 PM
nicola
OMG im going to see him tomorrow and was really looking forward to it now im not so sure, does he have a support act and who is it.
Posted on July 12, 2008 8:22 AM
nicola
I went to see meatloaf at Blickling hall on 13th july, i was reallt worried after all the bad reports, but it was absolutley superb.. excellent performance from the man himself. one of the best concerts i have been to. 2 hours of non stop music, woild deffinatley see him again...
Posted on July 15, 2008 8:07 PM
Angela
I went to see Meat Loaf at ExCel on Saturday. Knowing that he will not be touring again we were expecting a 'grand fanale'. What we got was a great band and backing/support singers who propped up Meat Loaf admirably, but I have to say that the man himself was a sorry sight and sound. He seemed to be drunk/high and struggled with lyrics - at one point when he did the initial solo for 'I would do anything' I was put in mind of a stroke victim stuggling to get their words out! Despite this the evening was enjoyable as the atmosphere was great, the audience and support singers fillng in the gaps, but alas the 'great man' was a shadow of his former self.
Posted on August 6, 2008 9:47 AM
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