| re: NJC: Meat Loaf in Perth (my 2 cents) | |
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Posted by: |
Jacqueline 01:21 am UTC 10/25/11 |
| In reply to: | NJC: Meat Loaf in Perth (my 2 cents) - Jaycee 10:36 am UTC 10/24/11 |
| Nice post. I'll make sure Jim sees it. Meat might like it too! > So it’s an overcast, rainy Saturday night in Perth Western > Australia as I get myself ready to experience for the > first time, what I am told is one of the most awesome > performers in the history of Rock & Roll. > I refused to wear a Bat out of Hell 2 ‘Meat Loaf’ t-shirt > I was given and opted for my black with white writing ‘Jim > Steinman – The music, The man, A legend’ t-shirt instead. > > I wasn’t anticipating a great nights entertainment and > left the house with the attitude of ‘This better be worth > it.’ After reading all the comments and seeing the AFL > grand final performance, I wasn’t feeling too full of > confidence. > > Heading back to NIB stadium for the second time in as many > weeks, the atmosphere was different and the crowd more > intense then last weeks Heart and Def Leppard concert. Not > too many ‘young’ people around but plenty of old style > wannabe rockers dawning there tight faded jeans and > leather jackets that most probably haven’t seen the light > of day in 20 years. > > Aussie band ‘Thirst Merc’ were the support band and did a > great job of warming up the still seating crowd. I didn’t > realize I knew so many of there songs. My position for the > night wasn’t the ultimate but being dead centre of the > stage and central between the stage and the FOH sound desk > worked out to be a pretty good spot. > The mix sounded good and not too loud, which gave my > negativity a bit of a back seat, but then Meat hadn’t hit > the stage yet. > > As the stadium lights dimmed the crowd went in to an > uproar. Meat walked gently onto the stage in the well > rehearsed style that by now would have been well beyond > second nature. The band busted out with ‘Hot Patootie’ as > the large screen behind them showed pictures of ‘The Rocky > Horror picture show’. Meat tried to keep the lyrics in > sync with the picture but lost it a few times, before > ending it with ‘Time warp’. > > ‘Break it’ was straight up next with no break in between. > The audience had calmed down, obviously the majority not > knowing the song. I was ignorant to the song myself until > the chorus, when I realized what it was. My three > colleagues had also gone quite, followed by glances of > bewilderment in my direction. > > The Band had it all together, all the pieces were there > and in the right spot, they didn’t miss a beat. The only > thing that let it down at this point was the mix. Meat’s > vocals were already warn out and where being extremely > over shadowed and when you expected the piano to shine > through, it wasn’t there. > > On the intro of ‘Bat’ it all came back to normal and once > again the crowd erupted. The large inflatable bat rose > from the right hand side of the stage in the half light > like the ‘Bat out of Hell’ it was intended to be, before > blinding all and sundry with a brilliant pair of blood red > eyes. People jumped to there feet, they dancing, they > stamping on the ground, raised there half drunken plastic > cups of there personal poison, sang along, yelled along, > screamed along with every note. It was hard to hear if > Meat was singing at all with all the voices around me but > it was exhilarating. Everybody was with him all the way, > even to the last note, the ‘Hell’ on the very end. > > Meat finally spoke to the audience at this stage, and it > seemed like his voice had already left the building before > him. He thanked us all for being there and reflected on > the band thinking him as having lost his marbles for > putting ‘Bat’ up as the third song in the set. > He took his time and introduced the song in turn ‘Peace on > Earth’, before leading into ‘Living On The Outside’ and > ‘Los Angeloser’. Unfamiliar songs to the majority of the > crowd which saw quiet a few people start to move from > there seats and head to the bar. > > Not having heard much of TMiL, HCTB or HIHB I wanted to > hear these songs. I was a bit disappointed in the mix > again, as I really couldn’t hear Meat all that well but > from what I could he seemed more relaxed, as if at ease > vocally with what he was doing. > I quite liked ‘Stand in the Storm’ it was like it was > written in tune with his current range and vocal ability. > It was a joy to listen to. Maybe he should have done > something like that two albums ago instead of TMiL. > > Just before ‘Paradise’, Meat walked across stage with a > small fold out stool and sat himself in the middle of the > stage and just sat and spoke to the audience. > It was like granddad telling a story to his grand kids. He > made the audience feel appreciated for all the years they > have supported him and how because of that he always puts > 120% into his shows for us. The cameras around the stage > all focused in on him as he spoke. You could see him > breaking as he said it was his last show here in > Australia, and how tired he felt having toured for the > last 3 years. As he again thanked us for being there for > him, his eyes started welling up and the words seemed too > hard to find. The audience thundered once again with > applause and screams of ‘We Love you Meat’. > > ‘Paradise’ was brilliant. Patti and Meat just have a > chemistry that works with that song. > It was totally entertaining. The antics at the end had me > laughing till I cried. The blow up doll on the left of > stage was a bit of a surprise, but none the less extremely > well done. > > You most definitely can’t take away from Meat the fact > that he is a performer and entertainer. At 64 he still > gave it everything he could muster and he didn’t stop for > a whole 2 hours and 20 minutes. As the lights on the stage > faded the remaining crowd roared for more. Meat walked > back slowly to the centre of the stage and thanked the > crowed once again before welcoming ‘Thirst Merc’ back on > stage with him for a final bowe. The applause was > deafening before the lights faded out for the last time. > > It is no understatement that the majority of the crowd > seemed to come along to hear the old familiar Bat 1 & 2 > tracks. But I’m glad Meat had the opportunity to do some > of the new ones and I think he chose them well. I hope he > continues to pursue this new style. > > All in all, there was a few aspects that weren’t what you > would call great especially the sound. In a lot of places > you couldn’t hear Meat at all. In other places you > couldn’t hear the instruments. During the violin solo for > example you couldn’t hear the poor girl at all amongst > everything else as she walked across the front of the > stage playing. In other places where there should have > been a thunderous Jimmy piano bit, the piano was just too > low, despite Justin’s attempts to pummel the crap out of > it with his fists. It was great to see him actually get up > and sing with Meat and Patti during the last song of the > night. Not a bad set of pipes. > The drums were perfect, the guitars magnificent, the > guitar solo’s …awesome. > > Despite all the pro’s and cons, on leaving the stadium I > felt full. I had witnessed one of Rock and Rolls legendary > performers, I had heard the music played live of my > favourite composer and it was something I will never > forget, it was like the only thing missing was Jim. I was > hoarse from singing/screaming along with every note I > could remember and I also had a full belly… of humble > pie. > > Meat Loaf - Perth, Westen Australia, Saturday 22nd October > 2011 NIB Stadium East Perth. > | |
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