Meat Loaf: The Middle Finger (Vegas show idea)

[Wario]

What if Meat calls his show "the middle Finger"

He does fan favorite songs and nothing the public would know? Basically giving the middle finger to the mass public by not doing paradise, two out of three or anything for love :)) (Hed have to do Bat tho)

Just an idea, but I think that could draw an even bigger crowd.

[melon]

I don't think it would, particularly seeing as most fans out in the world still only think he did the bat 1 and 2 albums and they would expect songs like paradise, took the words afl etc....

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[The Flying Mouse]

:twisted: If it's going to follow a more Storytellers vibe, the set list will depend on where the night takes him.

But to intentionally just play obscure songs rather than have some well known hits in the mix would be a massive mistake.
It would be great for the dedicated fans, but the average person who is in Vegas and wants to see a show will want something they are familiar with.

If the show bombs, it's pretty safe to say Meat won't be asked back, and that would be a shame.

I've spoken to the evil squirrel who whispers in Wario's ear, and he's here to explain how things work in Vegas :bleh:


PXmaiy74GxM

[Evil Ernie]

As much as you, myself and many other hard core fans would love that, it's not a good idea.

Most of the people that go to his shows are not like that. Not just ML, but most artists. They want to hear the hits. It would be giving the middle finger to his fans, big and casual.

If he really wanted to do 'the middle finger' he wouldn't do ANY of his songs. Nothing but Garth Brooks covers, with extended 10 minute solos for every one of the band members.... all in a 90 minute show. :D

[Mr. Happy]

For a normal concert, Meat could get away with doing only Bat, Paradise, Anything for Love and one of either Took The Words / Two out of Three in a show to cover his hits, to keep the casual fan happy. He hasn't really had anything outside of that that people will miss. Providing he does those, he could fill the rest with the most obscure cuts from BBIS or Midnight if he was so inclined. If he hasn't dug into his back catalogue by now for a proper Meat Loaf concert, he's not going to for a show like that this that's going to depend on the hits, as mind-blowingly amazing as it would be :shrug:

[AndrewG]

It would be like a Penguin movie without actually seeing Mr Penguin or like ordering a Big Mac and you don't get the slices of meat. Or like ordering a BMW M series and getting a Lada Engine inside. Bad idea. Of course any artist in my opinion should try to keep things a bit interesting like the cool new intro in Frying Pan we heard. Just ignoring the songs that made you famous would most likely prevent people from ordering multiple helpings of Meat Loaf.

[Cherry.Loaf]

Personally I would have loved to see a tour where Meat performed one song from each album with Bat and IDAFL tagged on at the end and talked about why he picked each one

[tonyloaf]

Ha good idea tho :)

[wolfy35]

like ordering a Big Mac and you don't get the slices of meat.


Off topic but are you saying that grey substance that looks & tastes like cardboard in a big mac is supposed to be meat?

Interesting.....

[AndrewG]

Off topic but are you saying that grey substance that looks & tastes like cardboard in a big mac is supposed to be meat?

Interesting.....

Slices of cat I meant. Cat meat.

[LucyK!]

I'm sure we're all well aware that that would never, ever happen (Wario included!) but how fantastic would that be for a private fanclub show ;) That would be immense, a couple of hours of album tracks and finish on Bat...I'd love that!

[melon]

Oh yeah, a private fan club type of show would be awesome like that I think. I'd miss the hits, but I'd enjoy that type of a show too

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[Evil One]

This is a terrible idea. A Meat Loaf show without Paradise and AFL just wouldn't be a Meat Loaf show. Besides, why on earth would Meat want to give the mass public (who contribute the majority of his income) the middle finger? :rly:

[AndrewG]

This is a terrible idea. A Meat Loaf show without Paradise and AFL just wouldn't be a Meat Loaf show. Besides, why on earth would Meat want to give the mass public (who contribute the majority of his income) the middle finger? :rly:

You are trying to find logic in some of Wario's random crazy ideas. :twisted:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoH0QM1yqtk/UUezY1qVSPI/AAAAAAAAAaw/4bSVBcqXVLc/s1600/illogical.jpg

[CarylB]

What if Meat calls his show "the middle Finger"
........ Just an idea, but I think that could draw an even bigger crowd.

Highlights the wtf moment right there!!

One of the things that has made Meat the continuing success he's been for 35 years is that he plays to his entire audience, rather than a relative handful. He thanks ALL his fans.

[loaferman61]

There are not enough die hard fans willing to travel to Vegas and pack the place out for weeks. This idea would be an epic disaster. Vegas crowds are going to want the hits. He could do a 90 minute version of "Masculine", LOL.

[Evil One]

In which case I suspect there would be an audience of one. :twisted:

[AndrewG]

In which case no one would ever believe that setlist actually happened.

[CarylB]

I've often been accused of worshipping Meat, so guess I'm in the group referred to as a die-hard fan ;) .. and the songs Meat could be sensibly expected to select for the Vegas show ARE my "fan favourites" ;) I love them, every one.

And given Warrio, that you want so badly to see Last at Bat, why would you want to exclude any of BOOH or the great songs from Bat2 that we heard on the recent tour ?????

But as someone has said .. logic doesn't come into it .. :lol: Perhaps a poll?

Should Meat do what he does best .. entertain an entire audience, night after night, with songs they can relate to and love?
Should he flush any future at Vegas down the toilet and sing Masculine 8 times?

Meat always says when asked that he never tires of singing the classic songs, to him they never jade. I am the same :-)

[Meat Loaf_fan]

This is a terrible idea. A Meat Loaf show without Paradise and AFL just wouldn't be a Meat Loaf show. ...

Without "Paradise"? NO! Without "AFL"? Yes.

There are not enough die hard fans willing to travel to Vegas and pack the place out for weeks. This idea would be an epic disaster. Vegas crowds are going to want the hits. He could do a 90 minute version of "Masculine", LOL.

Why not? :twisted:;):lmao:

I've often been accused of worshipping Meat, so guess I'm in the group referred to as a die-hard fan ;) .. and the songs Meat could be sensibly expected to select for the Vegas show ARE my "fan favourites" ;) I love them, every one.

And given Warrio, that you want so badly to see Last at Bat, why would you want to exclude any of BOOH or the great songs from Bat2 that we heard on the recent tour ?????

But as someone has said .. logic doesn't come into it .. :lol: Perhaps a poll?

Should Meat do what he does best .. entertain an entire audience, night after night, with songs they can relate to and love?
Should he flush any future at Vegas down the toilet and sing Masculine 8 times?

Meat always says when asked that he never tires of singing the classic songs, to him they never jade. I am the same :-)

In my case it would be : "Did I Say That". :cool:

But if you think about larger crowd ;) (in United States) : songs from Bat 1, Bat 2 and (perhaps) from WTTN. :sherlock:

[AndrewG]

AFL was Meat's biggest number 1. I think it has only been not performed at one full show since it was released?

[Tina.K.]

but how fantastic would that be for a private fanclub show ;) That would be immense, a couple of hours of album tracks and finish on Bat...I'd love that!

I'm afraid that Meat has to do a 143-days non-stop show when we were the ones deciding what to play :lol:

But WOW! that would be the biggest dream of all of us, wouldn't it? A special private show for us :eyebrows:

Well in that case we could just vote for some songs, but eh, as long as I'm allowed to be there, I don't mind whatever he sings. :cheers:

[tonyloaf]

We could fill the Albert hall 😃

[Cherry.Loaf]

We could fill the Albert hall 😃

:twisted: Loving that idea! I was wondering the other day if he could get a west end theatre for a week or two that'd be amazing; Very unlikely but a girl can dream!

[Evil Ernie]

Off topic but are you saying that grey substance that looks & tastes like cardboard in a big mac is supposed to be meat?

Interesting.....

hDQYSi5giM8

This is how it is in Canada anyway. Alberta Meat, just like ML apparently prefers. ;)

[Wario]

You.guys take stuff wayyyyy too seriously sometimes lol

[Evil Ernie]

You.guys take stuff wayyyyy too seriously sometimes lol

True, but I find that the predictability somewhat entertaining. :D

Lol... love you guys.

:keke:

[Vickip]

You.guys take stuff wayyyyy too seriously sometimes lol

My thoughts exactly :))

[wolfy35]

Without "Paradise"? NO! Without "AFL"? Yes.
:sherlock:

I think you are underestimating just how important a song AFL was for Meat

Between Bat & Bat 2 Meat was almost forgotten in the US apart from some diehard fans, initially because of the voice / health issues Meat had after recording Bat, but then simply because the record companies did not want to take a risk with an artist who had fallen away from the limelight for so long.

It was only the UK & a handful of other countries, mainly other European, that continued to provide an audience and fan base for Meat.

Sad fact is that many people in the US did not hear anything from or about Meat between Bat & Bat 2 with AFL being the song that grabbed them by the arms, shook them awake and made them fall for Meat again. There is also the large number of people for whom Bat2 & AFL was the first thing they had ever heard of from Meat & got them hooked.

In short Bat is the song that made Meat but AFL is the one that has allowed him to be where he is today so to suggest it not be in a setlist is foolhardy & shortsighted.

[CarylB]

You.guys take stuff wayyyyy too seriously sometimes lol

I'm not sure anyone takes many of your thread grabbing titles/polls/ideas seriously at all, let alone wayyyyyy too much ;) However, sometimes the grown-ups get talking about other things that get posted in befuddled reply :lol:

Really, with an opener like this one, do you expect us to say "Fantastic idea Warrio! Sing unknown songs, give the finger to the potential ticket buyers, and even call it The Finger .. Bound to grab interest and sell tickets by the shed-load .. love it!" ? ..

Here's another poll :

Should we:
* Say it's fantastic, suggest Masculine, and post no more
*Ignore it and not post at all
* Say it's bollocks and why
*Ignore it and not post at all
* Pretend you posted "So if Meat were to not do any well known songs in a show, what rarely delivered songs would you like to hear" (A route we've covered a few times anyway of course) and start listing all the songs he could sing that most of the audience wouldn't have heard of
*Ignore it and not post at all

[misterfive]

:twisted:
I've spoken to the evil squirrel who whispers in Wario's ear, and he's here to explain how things work in Vegas :bleh:


PXmaiy74GxM

That was creepy...never do it again.

[lorenzoduke]

I love Meat, but I couldn't care less about hearing most of Blind Before I Stop, Midnight At The Lost & Found or Bad Attitude live.

Besides personal preference, to me Meat's entire career is about how hard he will work to send an audience home happy and exhilarated. Giving a paying audience the figurative middle-finger is the antithesis of everything he stands for, and Vegas is the place to give people what you're best known for.

That said, there are certain songs that have rarely or almost never played live that I'd give my eye teeth to see (It Just Won't Quit, Martha, I'll Kill You If You Don't Come Back, Elvis in Vegas etc.) and I'm sure everyone else has their own wish list. The thing is the NLE play the sets to such a high standard it would seem like a huge task for them to learn a whole new dozen or so songs just for the sake of a fan club gig, and to then discard most of them and never play them again. Maybe it'd be worth it if the gig were recorded for release, but then what's the commercial potential of a live DVD/CD comprised entirely of obscure tracks that most of the public have never heard?

The only practical way I could see it happening was if there was another extensive tour (which I don't see happening) and there was a 3 song section of the show devoted to rarities that rotates from a list of 10.

[Meat Loaf_fan]

I think you are underestimating just how important a song AFL was for Meat

Between Bat & Bat 2 Meat was almost forgotten in the US apart from some diehard fans, initially because of the voice / health issues Meat had after recording Bat, but then simply because the record companies did not want to take a risk with an artist who had fallen away from the limelight for so long.

It was only the UK & a handful of other countries, mainly other European, that continued to provide an audience and fan base for Meat.

Sad fact is that many people in the US did not hear anything from or about Meat between Bat & Bat 2 with AFL being the song that grabbed them by the arms, shook them awake and made them fall for Meat again. There is also the large number of people for whom Bat2 & AFL was the first thing they had ever heard of from Meat & got them hooked.

In short Bat is the song that made Meat but AFL is the one that has allowed him to be where he is today so to suggest it not be in a setlist is foolhardy & shortsighted.

I know that "AFL" is very important to Meat - thanks to this song (and Bat 2 album) he gain a new (music) life.
To me - "AFL" is also important - thanks to it I first heard Meat :-) ... (but I'm fan since "Did I Say That" :cool: ) ...
Anyway - I want to say that despite the fact that "AFL" is so important, in the same time I have enough of it (*). Why? Partially thanks to radio stations which play this song over and over again (in the same time they don't play anything from (for example) HIAH :( ).




(*) When it comes to DVD ("Storytellers", "MSO" and "Guilty Pleasure"), I'm very happy evey time when I hear "I'd Do Anything For Love" :cool: . I love both arrangement and (Meat's and Patti's) vocals.


To sum up - although I have spillover of "AFL", I would like to hear it on a new DVD again :-) (but perhaps in slightly different arrangement ;) ).

[CarylB]

Anyway - I want to say that despite the fact that "AFL" is so important, in the same time I have enough of it (*). Why? Partially thanks to radio stations which play this song over and over again (in the same time they don't play anything from (for example) HIAH :( ).

Have to say I'd be happy if they still played AFL on the radio here ;)

I love Did I Say That? .. one of Meat's best songs imo, and should have been a huge hit single; mature, poignant, clever and beautifully sung, but wasn't released here as the single. Have heard it live I think once, and would love to hear it again!

But AFL went platignum around the world, and is arguably one the strongest duet with Patti (certainly the most popular) .. for that reason alone imo it's one that brings a roar from any audience as soon as they hear the opening chords, and would I think make it a must for a show aimed at a broader audience :-) Different arrangements may have appeal to regular concert goers .. others are likely to be happy with the huge hit they recognise immediately ;)

[wolfy35]

The new opening arrangement to AFL used in Guilty pleasures & Last at bat is, I think, the best it has ever been.

There again Meat & the NLE seemed to have gained so much more energy through both those tours that everything they played was improved.

As an example my all time favourite Meat track Heaven Can Wait I always believed that the pinacle of that song would be the version on LATW with just Meat & Jim on the piano it was just beautifully simple. That said the version played on LAB blew that one right out of the water.

[lorenzoduke]

Have to say I'd be happy if they still played AFL on the radio here ;)

I love Did I Say That? .. one of Meat's best songs imo, and should have been a huge hit single; mature, poignant, clever and beautifully sung, but wasn't released here as the single. Have heard it live I think once, and would love to hear it again!

As a side note, I happened to be in Germany for the week that Did I Say That? came out as a single there. I've never seen so much promotion for a Meat Loaf album or single in my life - TV ads, billboards/posters at practically every train station, in store displays, the works. Shame he's rarely had similar record company treatment elsewhere (at least in recent years).

[CarylB]

Yes, it is .. shame too that they couldn't even get stocks of the UK single CHSIB comprehensively on the shelves in retailers the day and week of its release here! It's like saying "Well we won't do much advertising, and just to cement things we'll make it difficult to buy anyway!" Meanwhile Meat tirelessly does the rounds himself!

I guess CHSIB was judged to be more up tempo, and it was the duet .. but I still think DIST was, and is a stellar track.

[AndrewG]

I guess CHSIB was judged to be more up tempo, and it was the duet .. but I still think DIST was, and is a stellar track.

ABSOLUTELY I agree. Think it should have had the million dollar video treatment. I regard AFL - ILFY(ATTT) and DIST as a trilogy in some ways although the latter is not a duet.

[CarylB]

Actually I loved the video they did do .. but sadly videos don't get much airtime unless you're the performer or group the record companies are pushing. I can see what you mean about the trilogy :-) I adore the entire album .. there's a maturity about it, these are songs sung by someone who's been around the block. But DIST remains for me one of Meat's most powerful songs.

[lorenzoduke]

The DDIST? video is definitely one of the most interesting of Meat's videos - or certainly the most interesting not to be associated with a Bat album.

[Evil Ernie]

I love DIST, but the only thing throws me off is when it gets heavy. The soft "So this is what it feels like..." parts are great, but then it seems like a different song.

I think that they could have up'd the tempo without going all hard rock. But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

[RSG]

I think that they could have up'd the tempo without going all hard rock. But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

:up: A prime cut from the Meat Loaf discography. Did I Say That has to be a song that's near perfect.. an acoustic jam with the tempo being up'd ?
Perhaps something like YTTWROOMM treatment from Storytellers DvD. :-)

[ShelbyLee]

DIST is a great song, but CHSIB is one of the best live performances I ever saw. As for the Vegas show, I always look forward to AFL and Paradise. The chemistry on the last couple of tours has been stronger than ever. I would enjoy seeing ILFY again.

If this show is a Storytellers format, we have already heard the stories about why the songs were written, so I would enjoy hearing stories about life on the road. Not just Meat, but band members like Patti & John have been with Meat for 2 decades so I bet they have some interesting stories too.

[CarylB]

If this show is a Storytellers format, we have already heard the stories about why the songs were written, so I would enjoy hearing stories about life on the road.

I think with a title that includes "Rocktales" the chances are high ;)

[Tina.K.]

I love DIST, but the only thing throws me off is when it gets heavy. The soft "So this is what it feels like..." parts are great, but then it seems like a different song.

I think that they could have up'd the tempo without going all hard rock. But that's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

How funny... DIST is one of my all time favorite songs, and I like the heavy parts most. Haha the exact opposite... The combination of the softer and heavier parts makes it a typical Meat song I think. It is musically so well done, you can hear it when you try to listen to the instruments individually.