| re: NJC: Meat Loaf in Perth (my 2 cents) | |
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Posted by: |
MichaelMP 11:03 am UTC 10/25/11 |
| In reply to: | re: NJC: Meat Loaf in Perth (my 2 cents) - Jacqueline 01:21 am UTC 10/25/11 |
| JD, please include these infos: Meat mentioned Jim multiple times each night during his Australian concerts. Each time full of friendship, love and admiration!! Pros (soldout gigs in Australias largest venues) and cons (bad reviews) aside, Meat is still the one keeping Steinmusic alive! Despite badmouthing and youtube-crap, his new album hell in a handbasket gives evidence that Meat is still up to it and makes me pray both of them give it one more shot. mm > 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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