meat fans why & when

[greg]

hi all i would really like to know how you all got into meat loaf , why & when, well im 35 & first heard meat & saw the video dead ringer when i was about 9 liked it then and love it now but from about the last 8 years the music has just took over my life, and why because there is no such music with power & meaning , it sends shivers down my spine when ever i walk in to the pub, and some one puts meats music on the jukebox . & meat gives it to you 110% to all of his fans don't matter how many are in the crowd 20 or 20,000 so please let me know how you got into meat loaf & when kind regards greg

[mariella]

It was 2000/2001. I was at my brothers house going through some old records. I picked up his copy of Bat I, and from that exact moment I started to tell everyone, I wanted to see Meat.
So the same evening I also started to listen to Bat, ofcourse. Now my brother didn't like this at all. He likes Tina turner and I was supposed to be a Lionel Richie/Kool and the Gang-fan.

After this I bought everything I could find. Went to Night of the proms, the Hyde Park show (you were there too, right Greg?) and last april the Amsterdam concert.
Now I still enjoy 'other' music very much (faithful person..) but nothing even comes close to Meat Loaf. To me this is 'as real as it gets'.
I am 35 years old, took me a while 'to see the light'.
But I am here now

Great day to you,

Mariella

[greg]

loved reading your story mariella yea i was at hyde park sorry about the video , that bloke never got back to me , i got a email from meat himself & he told me there was no video made at hyde park mariella . and that came from the horses mouth when meat was on bbc2 chat room , so that guy was lying to us mariella take care ,greg

[MBrevard]

Great question, Greg! But not always an easy one to answer.

I listened to him in the late 70s, then sort of lost him for a while, when life got hectic and crazy. Picked him back up in the mid 80s, when he appeared on TV with another actor I liked, then, lost him again for a while. The early 90s brought "Anything for Love," which I was crazy about the first time I heard it (kind of like Testify--right, Mariella?! ).

And he really came full force back into my life about 2 1/2 to 3 years ago, during some REALLY bad times, and his music, and the man and his life, touched and moved me deeply. These feelings have only continued to grow stronger ever since. I have to say that the songs, appearances and films have gotten me through some pretty rough moments through the years, for which I am extremely grateful.

But more than that, he has enriched my life, and brought so much happiness and joy to my soul. I admire his strength and his courage. I admire the kind of person he is!

I couldn't agree more with you, Greg, that he gives SO much to all of us, in everything he does.

I can't believe I was fortunate enough to see two of this shows last year and am SO looking forward to this year's concerts.

And even more joy has certainly been coming to this forum and connecting with everyone here. Meat has some of the best fans in the world!!

I feel really blessed all the way around!

Thanks for the great topic, Greg!

Love to everyone,
MB
xxx

[sherrie87]

I have been a ML fan since 1987, my senior year in high school. The guy that I was dating introduced me to Bat 1, and I was hooked! (The guy turned out to be deeply evil, but at least I got my love of ML out the relationship!) Bat 1 was the second CD I ever bought, after absolutely wearing out the vinyl. I wrote "it was long ago and far away and so much better than it is today" in everyone's yearbooks, and got the DJ to play Paradise at my senior prom. It was an ML-filled senior year for me! I saw Meat in concert for the first time a few years after that, and it was the best concert I had ever seen. He was a bit heavier then, and I remember thinking "he's gonna have a heart attack" because he was running around and absoluting giving it everything he had. Once I got married and had a baby I didn't spend as much time listening to ML music, though I always loved playing Bat 1 at every chance. Then last December my best friend from high school and I decided to go to one of the "Just Havin' Fun for the Holidays" concerts and I was absolutely hooked again, even more than when I was in high school. ML's voice and ...well I guess the word would be presence...just touched me and made me happy. Since then I've been buying up all the CD's that I missed during my "off" years and really enjoying spending time here on MLUKFC with you lot! Thank goodness for ML- because of him I have some great music to listen to and a number of good "online friends" to chat with!

Sherrie

[greg]

m brevard & sherrie thanks for taking so much time for replying to this topic, i have really enjoyed reading how you got into meat loaf .

[besty01]

1980 my friend got booh1 and lent me it
then in 1981 we went to see the bat tour
i was 12 we mitched off school
and got the train to the antrim forum
we sneaked in and played football with the roadies
then got thrown out
when i saw him i was in awe
it is still the best ever concert ive been to
to see karla and meat was awesome
and to listen to him in his prime
i cant explain it
i got into so much trouble after when my dad picked us up
but it was worth it
and ever since then my fav singer of all time is meat
the shows ,his voice,the whole experince has been with me ever since
the only thing i would like to do now is to meet him for a few mins
when hes over here and i would be very very happy
:P

[Jen]

Around '93, I was about 9 at the time my mum bought me a cassette (can't remember who it was) but 'cos I was getting one my sister wanted one (younger sisters... you know what they're like ), so she grabbed the first one she saw and it happened to be Heaven & Hell, Meat and Bonnie Tyler. So anyway I listened to it quite a bit and I remember hearing and liking some of his other songs but I didn't actualy get any of his albums until earlier this year. I don't remember how it happened but I was just looking around the internet and I heard a clip of Meat and Patti Russo, so it was actually looking around for more of Patti singing that got me hooked on Meat

Jen

[Kat]

I sas Kasim Sulton play with Richie Sambora in '98 and at the end of the tour he said that he also played for the Loaf man.
So come '99 off to Meat shows it was.
Glad of it too.

[Asha]

I had listened to paradise when I was very young, 8 or so, and i really liked it, but my mum didn't, so I wasn't allowed to watch the video. And as an 8 year old, I set it aside, cause my mum knows best right...

But I didn't forget, and in 93 when I'd do anything came out, I got hooked. I think you can say I was just a fan..for about 6 years..
Then I got really into Meat Loaf, this was 1999 when some major changes were going on in my life..some good, some bad. I got back to playing BOOH 1 and 2 again over and over. My boyfriend bought Live around the world for me and dead ringer...the rest is history as they say, or is it?...

Then one morning I heard Meat was playing NOTP and I said to my boyfriend, I'm going to the Ahoy, and I don't care how I get there..

So we got tickets, for a thursday, and it was great. That show Meat and the band walked of stage at one point because the audiance wasn't singing loud enough or something like that. I loved it, I was actually screaming my lungs out.
The day after that show, a radio station aired the show, live, on the radio. I was sitting in front of my radio, filled with anticipation. They had an Interview with Meat on. And you know what happened? Meat walked out in the 'middle' of the interview. I thought it a bit rude, but was laughing so hard....The interviewer was really annoying, so I don't blame Meat, I do blame the interviewer though
I wonder if Meat remembers that interview, because I think he got really pi***ed.

Anyway, I also went to the concert in the Heineken Music Hall, last april, and I was thrilled...Eventhough Meat gave the show a 5 1/2, i loved it.
So there were a few hickups, but I don't think anybody cared. Meat sang very good. I can't wait for new concert dates, here on mainland europe (Holland/Belgium).....

[heat]

How did i get into Meat??? Long story.....

I was about 11 or 12, and staying the weekend at my brothers house. He had been to the video shop and rented The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and when i saw it i thought it was the most amazing thing i had ever seen . When i went home i got my parents to go and buy me a copy of it, which they did and i watched it constantly. I especially loved the character of Eddie - he seemed like everything i wanted in a bloke - Motorbike, Sax, that kinda thing :P .

About a month or so later, i was doing some housework for my sister, and it was getting boring, so i decided to put a tape on - it turned out to be BOOH When it had finished i took it out to rewind it, and noticed that it said Meat Loaf on it, and i thought to myself, nah it can't be the bloke who played Eddie in TRHPS, so i asked me brother about it and he said that it was . I was so chuffed, so i pocketed the tape and went home with it and played it non stop for ages - so much so that i actually wore it out and it broke - i convinced me parents to buy me a new one :P

That was all about 14 years ago, and Meat has been with me ever since, although i only went to my first concert last year - that day would have to rate as one of te best of my life, second only to my sons being born, and even they were born listening to Meat

Heat
xxx

[TeamNZfan]

Meat Loaf music has been in the background of my life for a number of years now. But until recently he was 'just another artist' who was not what I would term one of my favorites. I did not even own a CD of his ....

But one day I picked up a copy of BOOH (1) in the store and bought it (along with 2 other CDs of artist who I can't remember). I only bought BOOH because it was on special and I knew the songs.

Anyway this was THE CD that I played non stop for I can't remember how long. Each listen bought up new pieces to hear. The depth of the music was quite amazing to me. So ... then I bought more BOOH2, WTTN, Midnight etc. Loved them all. What stands out to me is the writing and lyrics on most of his CDs. Just great. The more I listen to it, the more I seem to need to (if that makes sense).

While surfing the net one day I came across this great site and came to know I am not the only one to have such a passion for the music of Meat.

My mother (who always had BOOH) has now become almost as obsessed as me. Now, if Meat could come to NZ for the CHSIB tour live would (almost) be complete ........

[cerysmeatloaf]

i was about 9 when i got in to meatloaf i heared him on the radio and when i went down to my friends house her dad had a copy of bat out of hell we played it all the time. meatloaf has played a big part in my life hes so grate life is good when ur playing meatloaf and his music will never die not with me and all of us fans about

[Barmad]

1989 or so. My Dad had Hits Out Of Hell on vinyl, and he used to play it full blast whenever he was decorating or anything. At fourteen I was into poppy crap and chart stuff, and I always used to go, 'Aw, turn this noise off!'

Then one day he asked me to tape the album so he could listen to it in the car. Begrudgingly I agreed. I set it to record and then went to do something. When I got back 2 out of 3 was on. I started listening and thought, 'Hey, this is really good'. I listened to the end of the album, surprised at how emotionally-intense and intellligent the songs were, and how brilliant that voice was. And at 14 I LOVED Paradise ...

Since then I've been one of Meat's biggest fans. His music has inspired me in so many ways. I used to write teenage fiction, and quite often a 'Meaty quote' would just beg to be dropped in. And it was Meat who inspired me to take up singing three years ago.

I dread to think how much I've spent over the years in pursuit of my Meaty obsession. Six concert tickets and three CDs in the last couple of months alone.

Sorry to be so long-winded :)


Barmad

[White of High]

I love a singer who was appearing on TV in the end of '80. I was 7-8 years old and I was wondering who was he! I've heard a song in the TV what I didn't know. (I think it was For Crying Out Loud live)
After I've forgotten him and late he was appearing again in TV with Anything For Love! I said it great but I've forgotten his name again. With my first money I went to a store and look around. Searched that cassette! I was there for a long time and I looked all albums. My eyes got caught on a casette where was a motorbike and a bat on blue background. Meat Loaf? Maybe he was that! From my first money I've bought it.
And after all...

[Greavzyboy]

1995. The release of "I'd Lie For You". I was only 9 at the time and I asked my dad to buy me "Welcome To The Neighbourhood" for christmas. Instead, he bought the "I'd Lie For You" single and the "Bat Out Of Hell" album, telling me that his old stuff was even better.

The rest is history. I'm a Meat Loaf lover for life. Even though it makes me an outsider at 16 and into music performed by a guy in his fifties instead of the crap that tops the charts nowadays, I just don't care what other people think.

Which brings me to another point. I know it would be a fantastic feeling for Meat to get another No1 in his career, but why are us Meat fans so hooked upon what the rest of the world thinks about Meat?! I find myself getting angry at critics who slate Meat's records and then I stop and think, "Why do I care what this knobhead thinks?!!" We should just love Meat for who he is and for his music he makes and not worry about the rest of the world appreciating him the way we do.

Went a little bit off topic there didn't I?!! Anyway, hope you agree with what I had to say!

Yours, Greavzyboy

[evil nickname]

[the better cut-paste-and-adjust work from JimSteinman.com:]

It was way back in 1992 (I was 12 then) when I was watching the Dutch Grand Gala Du Disque, because my neighbor was there for some other tv-show, and we were looking to see if we could spot her.
The all of a sudden this big guy, is coming on stage, and he start to sing this song (I'd Do Anything For Love, I think it was called) and I was all like, well, man... this rocks. I *wasn't* into music at all at that time, but I had something like -- man, this is what I've been waiting for. So a couple of months later I bought Bat II, which was the first album I bought, ever.
After that, someone gave me a tape with Bat on it (there was this Paradise song, which was actually a lot like a song by the Dutch singer Paul de Leeuw on there - of which I didn't knewit was a cover) and I was hooked. No wait, that was after I bought WTTN, and then it went wrong: I started to collect all 12", 7", CD's, singles, tourbooks, etc. I could get my hands on...
Went to see him live for the first time on the WTTN tour (which was actually my first concert ever) with my mother... and she still complains about how loud the volume was, the second time on the TVBOML-tour in '99 (only went to the 1st Dutch show, why I didn't go to the 2nd still wonders me), saw him on the NotP for the 3rd time (my mother always wanted to go there, at least that's what she said, but since I was going anyway, I dragged her along for her 2nd time - as a birthday present) and this year in Amsterdam for the 4th.

Hope that settles your interest...

[Wild_Honey]

Hmmmm... well I think it was two years ago when I was 18, I visited a friend of mine who played Meat's "Best Of" double album to me and I loved "Life Is A Lemon" and "Modern Girl" the most and surely enough I had known songs like "I Would Do Anything For Love" for a long time already.
Well, I got another Best Of album and the one my friend had a few weeks later. From then on I was into Meat's music.
But when I got to know my "better half" he was the one to "really" introduce me to Meat Loaf's songs. (*Thank you for "Objects", Honey!!!*)


***************************************************
"You got to cry without weeping,
Talk without speaking,
Scream without raising your voice..." (U2)
***************************************************

[Guppie]

I'm a Meat fan since "Paradise by the dashboard light" conquered the world. Been a fan ever since that day (I'm 42 now)
There's Meat music for every mood I'm in. It's special and powerful.
I'll be a Meat fan till the day I die.
Guppie

[The Flying Mouse]

OK,it's approx 1989.I'm about 13 years old.I'm sitting on my mum's living room floor.I'm bored.The TV is on but i'm not taking much interest.
Then an advert for Woolworths comes on.They're advertising their music department.It cuts to a scene of a buisness man in a pin strip suit at home,using an umberella to play air guitar and I hear a voice scream.....
LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL I'LL BE GONE WHEN THE MORNING COMES
I was never much into music before this,but that couple of seconds hit me like a sledge hammer.I just thought man,I gotta hear more of that sound
I knew that the song was by some guy called Meat Loaf,because I remember that my brother had an album by him called Bat Out Of Hell,but i'd never botherd to listen too it .Unfortunatly he'd lost the tape .So I did what every teenager does in a time of crisis,I went and bugged mummy and daddy about it .
Next time I was in town with my mum,we looked for a tape with the song Bat Out Of Hell on it.My mum bought me a compilation tape called Rock 'N' Roll Hero (from Woolworths )with Bat on it.The version that's on that tape is Live at Wembley 1987.
That was the hook.I've been a fan ever since .

Thanks Woolies for the introduction.
Thanks mum for buying the tape.
John (my brother)You ....,why didn't you tell me that Bat is this good .
And of course,thanks Meat for the many hours of pleasure your music has brought.

[Renegade Angel]

I remember watching TOTP with my sister when the Deadringer video came on and my sister loved it and went out and bought Bat and Deadringer so she did me a copy on tape and it was the only tape I had and played it non-stop.
My dad went to see him in 1985 and bought me a programme which I treasured until I pestered my dad to take me to the next Meat Loaf gig but he kept saying I was too young, but in 1988 he suprised me with tickets to see the Lost Boys and Golden girls tour in Sheffield and I was 'Hooked'
Although it was a great gig it seemed to be the last I had seen of Meat cos he never seemed to tour or be on tv much so I thought that he might have stopped touring ect.
In the meantime I used to save all my pocket money and buy an album every couple of weeks.

In 1993 I got my exam results and I had failed most of them through lack of revision so I was feeling really down at the time but that night I watched TOTP and saw a Live performance of Meat doing IDAFL and right then my exam results didn't seem to matter cos he was Back and they were Jim songs aswell!!!!!

I then got tickets for me and my dad to see the Everything Louder tour 1993 in Manchester and we got so close to the front which was amazing (even got Pat Thralls guitar pick!)

I've always tried to go to a gig on every tour apart from 1996 when I was in Hospital but every gig has been brillinat and he has never let me down in terms of having a great night.

I think Meats music is the only thing that has been constant in my life and it has helped me through some bad times and some good times, so I think I'll be a fan until I die!

[tukayaway]

I got hooked when I heard Anything For Love. I spent a lot of time off school at the time and it was on MTV and the others a lot. I got Bat 2 for Christmas and then the story started...

[Bren]

When i was at school (going back a wee bit here)all my friends were David Cassidy or Donny Osmond fans! i never was ,i hasten to add..my hero was Justin Hayward and The Moody Blues.I've been a life long Moodies fan.(and always will be).When my son was about 12,he asked for a Meat Loaf cd,i got him Bat 2.It was a done job ,iwas so amazed by Meats beautiful voice,i kept listening to it again and again,my son never got a look in!!! In the end i got another copy.Then i thought ,i must hear more of this man's singing so i got a couple more cd's then more..etc

Icould never grow tired of hearing him sing,it doesn't matter how many times you hear one of Meat's songs,each time you hear it ,it is just as fresh and new and wonderful as the first time you heard it. I once said i could listen to him sing for all eternity i could as well!! He has the most beautiful singing voice i've ever heard and his music has brought so much happiness to my life i could not imagine being without it.

[Testify]

i have been a fan for a while. i was little when i first heard it in the car, my mum would play n i loved it!! when i got older not much cos im only young i got more money nd bought more albums, and i now try to get everything i can!! hehe

[dottie]

I just remember listening to Stoney and Meat Loaf way, way back (some of you weren't even born then ) and I thought yes this boys got talent and fell in love with his voice, little did I know what was coming Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisaged the future Meat and his music has been a huge part of my life now for nearly 33 years, roll on the next 33 - Um I'll be 86 by then