Bat Out of Hell The Concert

[anotherday]

https://batoutofhellconcert.com/home

Soooo....This is a thing.

[nightinr]

Very strange....basically a high profile tribute act.

Peat Loaf must be getting worried.

[nightinr]

Is he touring the US and UK?

[anotherday]

No idea, we only have the site to go by so far.
Time will tell.

[ajf33]

I know we don't have a lot to go on, but I wonder if this is going the same way as Queen did, by creating The Queen Experience to be an officially sanctioned tribute act.

[GDW]

What's the password?

[letsgotoofar]

The password is a new thing, from what I understand. There used to be a fuller site yesterday with official links to Meat merch (fuller only in the sense that it wasn't password-protected and actually had something on it, namely a banner ad for Meat merch). The gist of things is that Caleb Johnson, the bloke from American Idol a few years back that everybody thought looked like Meat, is apparently going on the road with the Neverland Express performing Bat I. Per the text in the preview when one shares the link on Facebook, apparently they were purporting it had official sanction from Meat. But after the site started getting some attention, what little was there got pulled, except for a sample track of "Bat" that loads beneath the password prompt which one can play without needing to enter anything.

(My opinion? Caleb sounds terrific, but the band is a little pants. I'm willing to bet the promo track isn't the NLE, but I could be wrong.)

In short: even those who know what was up have as much clue as you do.

[nightinr]

There was about 6 US dates booked.

Meat is going to be the master of ceremonies by the sound of things and may tell a few stories.

Paul Crook is confirmed as part of the NLE. Not sure about the other old members of the NLE?

[letsgotoofar]

I wonder how the producers of the Bat musical feel about this.

[ajf33]

https://mpitalentagency.com/artist/bat-out-of-hell-the-concert-w-meat-loafs-official-band-feat-caleb-johnson/ (https://mpitalentagency.com/artist/bat-out-of-hell-the-concert-w-meat-loafs-official-band-feat-caleb-johnson/)

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CvhJhirb2hMJ:https://twitter.com/BatTheConcert+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Tweet above was deleted, but found cached version!

[letsgotoofar]

...the whole Twitter account gone? Holy hell. The plot thickens!

[AndrewG]

As fan of Meat Loaf and his music beyond Bat, the funny thing I always thought was the most interesting aspect of seeing "good" tributes in the past was when they did songs Meat hardly performed himself or were long out of his setlists. Such as hearing Couldn't have said it better again and unperformed gems such as What About Love?

I did hear the Bat out of hell track (whilst it was up on the above mentioned site and appears now pulled?) with what I presume is this Caleb malarky guy. It sounded pretty good and the voice better than most tributes and probably the musical stuff I've heard going around recently.

Guess we will see if anything comes of this. It's probably more up my street rather than the musical but it still ain't going to be Meat, really.

Throw in the full 12 minute Going all the way in the live set first and then we can talk about dates I'd say....

Just buying or even listening to another Bat recording with another singer? I really don't see the point at all. I'd rather stick on one of my dozen Meat Loaf copies on CD, vinyl or live recordings etc.

[BostonAngel]

There was about 6 US dates booked.

Meat is going to be the master of ceremonies by the sound of things and may tell a few stories.

Paul Crook is confirmed as part of the NLE. Not sure about the other old members of the NLE?

Going from memory, it had listed as part of the band; Paul Crook, John Miceli, Randy Flowers, Dave Luther, Justin Avery, Cian Coey, Danny Miranda, Steve Buslowe, Pat Thrall and Lyssa Lynne. Certain members would be rotated in and out. Not all members would be performing all shows is what it said before everything mysteriously disappeared.

[nightinr]

Presumably they will want to bring this to the UK where the real money is to be had. Can't see it selling out arenas, so be interesting what sort of venues they target.

It will surely be marketed as Meat Loaf and Caleb Johnson to sell tickets.

[AndrewG]

Presumably they will want to bring this to the UK where the real money is to be had. Can't see it selling out arenas, so be interesting what sort of venues they target.

It will surely be marketed as Meat Loaf and Caleb Johnson to sell tickets.

I reckon under that banner they could sell a whole tour of 1000-2000 seat theatre venues or a shorter tour with 2000-4000 capacity O2 Academy venues across the UK. I'd prefer the latter so you can stand but it probably wouldn't suit the now somewhat ageing Meat Loaf audience. :twisted:

Theatre venues wouldn't be so bad but they would have to do a whole whack of them to make it worth while. 6 shows sounds pathetic. Make it 60 over here in the UK at least.

But indeed as has been pointed out, perhaps this needs to wait till the musical is gone?

[Evil One]

This concept appeals to me much more than the Bat musical does. I imagine it would be strange for Meat Loaf to just compere though. Somewhat akin to watching my wife have sex with a younger man, while telling stories of how we first met. :shock:

[2jaxx]

This concept appeals to me much more than the Bat musical does. I imagine it would be strange for Meat Loaf to just compere though. Somewhat akin to watching my wife have sex with a younger man, while telling stories of how we first met. :shock:

I think you've got a true point there. On the other hand, if Meat can arrange with it, it could be a real opportunity to pass on the torch and ensure the legacy. Caleb really has the guts, although he sounds nothing like Meat.

[ThatWriterGuy]

This concept appeals to me much more than the Bat musical does. I imagine it would be strange for Meat Loaf to just compere though. Somewhat akin to watching my wife have sex with a younger man, while telling stories of how we first met. :shock:

For the record she said that it was quick, and at the back of a portaloo.

[loaferman61]

Amazing news. I can totally see this working if the real NLE isn't too expensive. They could always add more songs. If Meat is in favor of this go for it. Continue the legacy. Caleb is from NC not too far from several nice venues, I hope they start there instead of the usual NY, NJ, PA. Play to the hometown crowd and get some video and publicity going.

[AndrewG]

It'd be nice if old wounds and mistakes had healed and forgiven and they could get Patti Russo back in the band and perhaps even give her some solo parts. But I guess that's not going to happen.

[letsgotoofar]

And now the entire site is gone. Well, that was short-lived. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say the producers of the Bat musical said, "...excuse me?"

[loaferman61]

And now the entire site is gone. Well, that was short-lived. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say the producers of the Bat musical said, "...excuse me?"

Possibly since Meat has a small stake in the musical. However having an officially sanctioned "Meat Loaf presents" show with members of Meat's band and another lead singer should not be an issue unless there is some "non-compete" which I can not see anyone saying this would be a "musical" as opposed to a "concert". There are so many poor unsanctioned "tributes" out there it would be nice to have a top quality show overseen by Meat himself.

[nightinr]

Are we facing another Steinman vs Meat Loaf lawsuit?

[Dick]

Site is back as backoutofhell.com

[CarylB]

But content password protected

[letsgotoofar]

Well, all I have to say (admittedly with sour grapes) is this: given the choice between a musical that incidentally includes Meat Loaf songs, and a Meat Loaf show sanctioned by and starring Meat Loaf, I know what I would buy tickets to. The fans of the showmanship get the showmanship, the nitpickers about vocal quality (hopefully) get a singer they deem worthy of their impossibly high standards, the use of the original Neverland Express -- even on a rotating basis -- preserves the integrity of the live show... I'm just sayin'... at least until Meat gets well enough to fully carry the show, this is the next best thing.

[2jaxx]

Teaser is still here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnotYurWvik)

[2jaxx]

Well, all I have to say (admittedly with sour grapes) is this: given the choice between a musical that incidentally includes Meat Loaf songs, and a Meat Loaf show sanctioned by and starring Meat Loaf, I know what I would buy tickets to. The fans of the showmanship get the showmanship, the nitpickers about vocal quality (hopefully) get a singer they deem worthy of their impossibly high standards, the use of the original Neverland Express -- even on a rotating basis -- preserves the integrity of the live show... I'm just sayin'... at least until Meat gets well enough to fully carry the show, this is the next best thing.

I would actually love to see both, because a musical is a totally different beast. I always imagined a Bat musical should look like this, with the Mad Max meets Peter Pan look. On the other hand, a real rock show with a guy like Caleb is the other thing I always wished for. It is like two dreams came true at once.

[ThatWriterGuy]

Are we facing another Steinman vs Meat Loaf lawsuit?

Categorically 'no'.

[ThatWriterGuy]

Further: I have NO idea about this show. All I can say is that -- I would LOVE to see it.

[Adje]

To me it's too much like watching Picasso, watching some painter, using Picasso's tools to paint one of Picasso's paintings...

You can use the master's tools, you can copy the master's paintings, but it will never be a real Picasso

In other words, a waste of time and money.

[ajf33]

https://mpitalentagency.com/artist/bat-out-of-hell-the-concert-w-meat-loafs-official-band-feat-caleb-johnson/

Posted this on page one, but now has info added.

[AndrewG]

To me it's too much like watching Picasso, watching some painter, using Picasso's tools to paint one of Picasso's paintings...

You can use the master's tools, you can copy the master's paintings, but it will never be a real Picasso

In other words, a waste of time and money.

It's a tricky one. I can see this from both points of view.

It's a bit like Queen, well just Brian May and Roger Taylor now, who continued on with the name with different singers.
I had a ticket to go to one of the Wembley shows some years back but actually didn't go in the end as towards the concert date I was quite "meh" about it.

A large part of me wishes Brian May had continued on his own. I saw him live 20 years ago and he was excellent on his own with his own songs, own band and some Queen stuff thrown in. He disappeared for a while and then pretty much only has done stuff for the continued Queen saga and some badger culling awareness malarky from what I've seen. Pretty much never consistently trying to be his own artist which I think he was and could have been/stayed. Even some of Roger Taylor post 1991 solo stuff was decent I thought. Terrible singer but still decent music. I also always think the singing doesn't necessarily matter too much as long as you bring something original and from your own soul. Like Dire Straits or Bob Dylan, again terrible singers mostly but they draw/drew crowds of worshippers because they consistently churned out great music and songs.

But I get there is a demand to continue in the same spirit with Queen or Meat Loaf for that matter, even if that spirit is never going to be the real genuine thing.

No idea if this is a good idea or whether they should just let sleeping dogs lie or what.

:shrug:

[jmfreeman]

Some people will enjoy this, and some won't. Personally, it's not something I'd go for, but I wouldn't take away from the folk who'll enjoy it by saying it shouldn't happen. Nothing is to everybody's taste.

[ajf33]

New twitter accounts set up, but nowt tweeted yet -


https://twitter.com/paulcrookmecom1

https://twitter.com/BackOutOfHell

[letsgotoofar]

To me it's too much like watching Picasso, watching some painter, using Picasso's tools to paint one of Picasso's paintings...

You can use the master's tools, you can copy the master's paintings, but it will never be a real Picasso

In other words, a waste of time and money.

In the words of -- among others -- Monty Python's Life of Brian, there's just no pleasing some people. :roll:

[jmfreeman]

I often hear talk of 'passing on the torch', and I don't see any need. There's only one Meat Loaf, and only ever going to be. There was only one Elvis, Sinatra, Nat King Cole. Does that mean that nobody else can ever cover their tunes? of course not. And does it mean that people who enjoyed their music will never enjoy anyone else's? Of course not, thank God. If the day comes when Meat stops recording and performing, there's no need for anyone to continue doing so for him, a la a new James Bond. Somebody one day may capture some of his spirit and his fire, but it can't be forced. Meat was (is) an original, as all the great talents are. Anything else would just be a tribute act, or a piece of theatre - however enjoyable.

[anotherday]

Innnnteresting.
It seems that they changed the naming to 'Back out of Hell'.

Well then, I guess we'll have to keep watch.

[ThatWriterGuy]

After reading some of the replies and analogies above, all I can say is that thank F.C.U.K. the same isn't true for Wagner, Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Handel.

[letsgotoofar]

Supposition, admittedly, from the MPI Talent Agency website, but their (as-yet-not-password-locked, though they claim to be) riders and equipment rental list suggest, unless of course the paperwork is just a sample or (of course) subject to change, the NLE on the first go-round will consist of Paul Crook, Steve Buslowe, Randy Flowers, Justin Avery, John Miceli, and Cian Coey.

(My guess, which again is only a guess and based on a document that is no doubt subject to change, is that Pat Thrall, Danny Miranda, Tom Brislin, and Lyssa Lynne are on call as "subs," and that David Luther's involvement is either still being worked out, or he's "in" on an as-needed basis.)

Aside from people who are mainly based in other countries not being involved in the revolving line-up for that obvious reason, it's odd, and perhaps telling, that some of the artists from Meat's two best-known eras (names like Alexander, Jacobs, Kulick -- either of them, Russo, or Sulton) are decidedly not present. (Possibly not on the table or even up for discussion? I'd hate to think things ended so badly that even a tour not directly involving Meat is out of reach, especially when said tour is touting itself on the "original" band and "original" sound, and these people worked with him for so long you'd think they have some clue what it is...)

[loaferman61]

I am keeping my mind open. I don't know how this will sell ticket-wise. But if it is going to be done I'd rather see something Meat has quality control over and top notch musicians who have played in the NLE than to see some fat guy with a bar band doing a "tribute" act. If Meat is involved I feel certain he will make sure it is worth a try, his role is why I am open to this.

[letsgotoofar]

Supposition, admittedly, from the MPI Talent Agency website, but their (as-yet-not-password-locked, though they claim to be) ...

Well, we know they're reading this forum. The files are now properly password-locked. :-P Glad I learned what I could when I did!

While I still remember, some other things I learned: the name of Paul Crook's company was all over the legal disclaimers in the riders, so at least per the paperwork, Paul is definitely involved (maybe this was even his brainchild?).

[2jaxx]

Well, thinking of tribute acts like ~~~~~~~~~~, a fat, ignorant dork who actually hated Meat and went to the yellow press when Meat was not amused by bis behavior, this could be real fun.

[MarkS]

Teaser is still here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnotYurWvik)

His voice isn't bad, lacks feeling but that could also be because the backing track sounds like something you would here at karaoke

[stretch37]

Well, we know they're reading this forum. The files are now properly password-locked. :-P Glad I learned what I could when I did!

While I still remember, some other things I learned: the name of Paul Crook's company was all over the legal disclaimers in the riders, so at least per the paperwork, Paul is definitely involved (maybe this was even his brainchild?).

Well I mean, Paul's on the Forum...And others, so that's not surprising. PS. MetalLoaf, if you're listening: Thank you for putting this together. An awesome way to keep the NLE performing long term, keep your and Meat's vision and art alive as a living beast, and giving something meaningful to us fans. I can't wait to see your show.

[JennaG]

I think this is a nice way to continue the Meat Loaf legacy outside of the musical which may not be some people's cup of tea but from a personal point of view I'm not sure if it's something I'd be in a rush to see. I imagine I'd always be thinking that there was something missing when compared to the original experience of hearing those songs, performed by Meat Loaf himself.

[ThatWriterGuy]

I was surprised to see a mention of the show in the press today (UK). It wasn't the best story, but it does at least spin some publicity I would hope (shame they took the announcement and reveal out of Meat's hands though).

[wizardofodd]

I felt the Guardian article was better than The Sun- but thats not surprising. I have no idea if this is the best or worst idea, I'd admire him for doing something different, but there is an underlining sadness to it all.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2018/jul/02/meat-loaf-wont-sing-new-tour-caleb-johnson

[AndrewG]

I personally rather have a "Meat Loaf presents The NOT Bat out of Hell Tour". Have Caleb sing everything from Meat's repertoire that wasn't on the Bat out of Hell albums and Meat tell stories about all those songs and recording sessions so I can learn and hear something new :devil:. and YES that then could include live renditions from the unheard good songs from Braver and the Dead Ringer album that were hardly performed ("I'll Kill you.." / "More than you deserve") and so much other stuff ("Surf's Up" / "Did I say That" etc...)

[duke knooby]

Back out of hell tour?

I absolutely love that title!!

Very apt and very witty

[loaferman61]

This is going to be very interesting. Especially the set-lists which presumably not limited to Bat 1 will have some variety. I don't recall this format being done before so it is groundbreaking for certain. They could throw in a meet and greet with a comfortably seated Meat to help draw more fans who may not know Caleb or what they are going to. I just hope this thing won't be limited to the Northeast and casinos and maybe Florida like so many have been. Meat and the NLE were excellent at DPAC in Durham NC a few years back which was his first NC appearance since the WTTN tour.

[ajf33]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/6671381/meat-loaf-on-tour-without-singing-any-songs/

[anotherday]

I wonder if Meat will sing _at all_ during the tour. A song or two here and there. I have a feeling that he won't be able to stay away from the mic for a song or two per night VS an entire show. Its just not in him, I reckon.

We'll see. I'm VERY excited to see where this goes.

[nightinr]

Great news. Just when you think it's over Meat comes back again.

Wonder if it will be like a Storytellers tour set in theatres or will Meat try to target arenas in the UK?

[ThatWriterGuy]

I'm looking forward to this show. It's something that I know nothing about, which makes a refreshing change. I'm kinda hoping that it's an intimate theatre tour (but I'll take anything!!).

[anotherday]

I'm looking forward to this show. It's something that I know nothing about, which makes a refreshing change. I'm kinda hoping that it's an intimate theatre tour (but I'll take anything!!).

More Meat is always a good thing.
I also can't imagine him staying off mic for the entire thing. He'll probably surprise a few audiences when he feels up to it.

[eltmatt]

I hope he can manage part of a song acoustically or something in between the story telling. Shame Patti isnt involved.

[CarylB]

I understand from someone promoting this in the UK we can expect a "teaser" to be released on the 20th July, then all the dates will be announced on the 25th July. I asked about venues and was told they'd prefer for people to wait for the full announcement on the format and venues. (I'm expecting the NLE and Caleb only on this tour).

[loaferman61]

They just need to very, very clear on Meat's role - if any at all beyond being a producer. Some of the public and most critics are rather dense. On dates Meat appears at (if any) his role as far as singing or not should be clear. At most I see him appearing during an encore as part of the whole ensemble if his health allows.

I also agree with those who say Patti Russo is really going to be missed. She has the experience with Meat's songs as well as her work with Queen.

[CarylB]

They just need to very, very clear on Meat's role - if any at all beyond being a producer.

For sure. It's my understanding that for the UK tour they will make it clear.

I don't think he was ever planning to sing on the US shows, but rather to tell stories between songs, rather like at Vegas and in Storytellers' style. Whether he will carry that through will imo depend on how well he has recovered from his surgery .. but I wouldn't honestly see him trailing around the US on a tour at which he just appeared at the end.

[jmfreeman]

I never got the impression that he planned to sing, nor even appear at all - if any - of the shows. Though I know that people (and the media) will just assume so.

[loaferman61]

I never got the impression that he planned to sing, nor even appear at all - if any - of the shows. Though I know that people (and the media) will just assume so.

A couple of the articles I saw implied he would be there to talk about things like working with Jim Steinman. He may be at some and not others. The goal seems to be a Vegas residency, if that should happen he may sometimes appear if he is feeling well. I really don't think he will sing anything maybe a line or so in a story if that.

[CarylB]

I'd think that when he and Paul were conceiving this Meat was thinking in terms of being a part of the show, not singing but telling stories about working with Jim, touring etc (remember he also had in his mind to write a book of stories "One Hundred Moments") .. like Durante, he has a million of 'em ;) .. and he loves to interact with a live audience. The jumping-the-gun website referred to him being part of the show in that way, as do the recent press teasers.

What's thrown a spanner in the works is the extent of his back surgery, and lengthier and harder rehabilitation than I think he'd hoped for :( I can see the appeal of a residency ... he could take an apartment, travel a short distance to and from the venue on show days, and cut out all the stress and strain of hauling ass from place to place. But I think if he was part of the show it would need to be a constant throughout the residency (or indeed any tour in the US). People need to know what they're buying tickets for after all.

He's doing this Comic Con thing in London at the end of this month because he made the commitment a long time ago, but that's an uncomfortable pond crossing and three days sitting and meeting fans. I really don't expect him to be touring in the UK this year .. they're announcing details around the time he's here, and at this stage in his recovery it would be really chancing things imo. Whether or not he'll be able at some point down the line to be an active part of the show is in the lap of the gods .. and so very disappointing and frustrating for him :(

[jmfreeman]

I've long thought that Meat could do a stage show just of telling his stories (kind of 'an evening with' format), but I guess there wouldn't be anywhere near as much commercial sense in such a venture as there would in concerts. So I guess this is - in a very small way - a cross between the two. At least, in the shows that he appears at. For the rest, maybe it'll be pre-recorded - like the interview footage for the 2013 tour.

[nightinr]

Hang on a minute.....Meat won't even be at the shows? What exactly is the point of these shows then?

Nobody in Britain has heard of Caleb Johnson. He doesn't sound anything like Meat. With all due respect to Paul Crook, Randy Flowers, Jon Miceli et al nobody apart from the hardcore Meat fans have heard of them. Its basically a dodgy tribute act with somebody who doesn't sound like Meat Loaf.

Although Caleb Johnson may be seen as a Z lister in US I doubt there is much appetite for this to sell out US theatres without Meat's involvement.

Ticket sales will be terrible if Meat isn't attending.

[AndrewG]

Hang on a minute.....Meat won't even be at the shows? What exactly is the point of these shows then?

Nobody in Britain has heard of Caleb Johnson. He doesn't sound anything like Meat. ....

I don't think anyone ever has or does or will do, no matter how good tribute artists are or a replacement singer would be.

But Axl Rose doesn't sound anything like Brian Johnson. Adam Lambert doesn't sound anything like Freddie Mercury.

You can still have a good time I suspect but you'd have to set your expectations accordingly I reckon and that could be a sticking point of how to sell this / market the show.

With Queen and ACDC continuing I understand perhaps some of the rationale behind what is being attempted here.
I'd be interested to give this a go but I think it should be a high speed show in the spirit of what Meat used to do himself rather than a stop start thing with stories in between. I just can't see that suiting this type of music. I was never swayed with coming out to see the Vegas shows. I also hated when I saw some of the British tribute artists who did a great job with doing Meat's music doing all sorts of comedic breaks and talking crap between songs.

[CarylB]

Hang on a minute.....Meat won't even be at the shows? What exactly is the point of these shows then?

I think the original concept was that he would be, but I understand that for the tour in the UK this will not be the case. I think the point in the UK would be that it's a rock show, featuring Steinman songs, and featuring the NLE, factors that tick a lot of boxes and would engage many, but probably not to fill arenas like the O2 at this stage.

I like to see the menu before I order a meal, even before I enter the restaurant. By the end of this month that will be in the window :-)


I'd be interested to give this a go but I think it should be a high speed show in the spirit of what Meat used to do himself rather than a stop start thing with stories in between. I just can't see that suiting this type of music. I was never swayed with coming out to see the Vegas shows.

I did go to see the Vegas residencies, and it worked very well indeed, just as did Storytellers (which I always considered up with the best of Meat's tours in that it showcased his full range of talents), but those were definitely theatre rather than arena shows, with the intimacy that a theatre brings. And despite the breaks, the songs were delivered with all the usual intensity, speed and over-the-top showmanship that made them as exciting as any of his UK arena shows.

In the US Meat has tended to perform in theatres anyway. If he were able to tell the stories in the US while Caleb sang the songs .. would I miss Meat delivering them? Of course. But I'd still love to see a show where he was on stage as raconteur and comedian :-) And I'd still love to see Paul and the NLE delivering their exceptional take on Steinman's music.

But here you will get your wish for a high speed show in the spirit of what Meat used to do .. it will however be the vegetarian option ;)

[Vickip]

I don't watch American Idol and haven't listened to Caleb. But if there's a show in my area (and the timing is ok), I would probably go just out of curiosity :-)

I mean absolutely no disrespect against Meat, and would honestly love to see him again and listen to his stories. However, at this point I would much rather have him not do the shows if doing so would cause him problems with his recovery ... as frustrating as it must be for him, his health comes first. He needs to think about the future and take the time he needs to make sure he's 100% again.

[CarylB]

The promoter for the UK has now posted in more than one FB group. (I think he's picked on groups with large numbers registered as members .. not realising that numbers don't always equal live interaction in Meat's on-line community ;) ) Essentially the message is that they want to make clear that Meat will not be appearing personally at any of the shows in the UK.

All the news stories reference the Sun article which was the first publication to run the story, and that article didn't really have any solid facts in it, just hearsay from a 'source close to the band'.

There will be an announcement on 25 July with dates and venues for the tour which will feature the brilliant NLE , playing Steinman songs, delivered by Caleb Johnson.

[nightinr]

How many venues are we likely to see Caryl? And what sort of venues...theatres, arenas?

[Adje]

I really can't imagine many people care for this. Unlike Andrew's beliefs, I don't think you can compare the NLE to Queen, or AC/DC as those are real bands. The NLE is Meat's backing band with passing-through members. Some we liked more than others. But still.

So basically now you get a backing band with some contest winner doing a Bat tribute. It's nothing like experiencing the real deal. In fact, I am a real Patti fan. In Stuttgart 2013 Patti did Dead Ringer on her own after Meat left the stage. The vibe was even then, inmediately, less entertaining.

Compared to my earlier comment about Picasso watching etc... Well Picasso is out of the picture. Enjoy!

[AndrewG]

I really can't imagine many people care for this. Unlike Andrew's beliefs, I don't think you can compare the NLE to Queen, or AC/DC as those are real bands. The NLE is Meat's backing band with passing-through members. Some we liked more than others. But still.


But these aren't REAL bands you are pointing out if you look deeper at what has gone on and how often things have changed. ACDC is only really Angus Young. Queen are only Brian May and Roger Taylor. Both bands have gone through multiple iterations of replacing bandmembers beyond the very few that have stayed put and stayed alive.
Sure Meat Loaf is a singer and is always different but I still understand what they are trying. If Angus Young steps in front of a bus tomorrow I still suspect you'd see ACDC somewhere, sometime. If Brian May gets abducted by aliens there still will be Queen at some point I bet. If Roger Taylor falls down the stairs carrying his drumkit I bet May would continue with the Queen name too. If both disappear, Adam Lambert I bet still will continue with the Queen name somehow at some point.

That doesn't mean to say you need to like it or agree with it as the circumstances are of course a bit different. The Queen comparison makes sense since Adam Lambert was also an American Idol contestant. That doesn't make him Freddie as much as Caleb is not a Meat Loaf.

It was actually interesting when I was growing up in The Netherlands in the 90s many youngsters in those days often thought Meat Loaf in fact WAS a band. A cousin I have at the time thought Meat was married to Dana Patrick. The misinformation was fun to hear but I think does highlight that sometimes artists can use and I'm sure have used that type of ignorance to continue with stuff. I'm sure many don't know who the original ACDC bandmembers were and many probably don't care when they hear the hits performed well.

Jim Steinman's recycling of stuff I'm sure also doesn't matter to a large part of the audience who have enjoyed Meat Loaf's Rock N Roll Dreams and Celine Dion's It's all coming back and thus not giving a damn about the original renditions which often was superior.


So basically now you get a backing band with some contest winner doing a Bat tribute. It's nothing like experiencing the real deal. In fact, I am a real Patti fan. In Stuttgart 2013 Patti did Dead Ringer on her own after Meat left the stage. The vibe was even then, inmediately, less entertaining.

I thought Patti was good with Spike Edney's band. Without them, not so much it appeared. Even with Spike's band she couldn't really draw a crowd beyond London. I guess that's what Brian May and Roger Taylor also had to endure and hence they decided to just continue with Queen. They were playing very small venues after their mid 1990s solo successes mostly.

I will be interested to see how it will pan out. I can't imagine it being that successful without Meat but who knows. It might just be one 10 date tour or so and you might never have to hear about it ever again. Or it could grow into something that lasts longer and gets its own legs beyond just the nostalgia factor.

It definitely won't be as good as the glory days of the 90s and early 2000s and flashes of brilliance since then we had from Meat. Impossible.

Compared to my earlier comment about Picasso watching etc... Well Picasso is out of the picture. Enjoy!

True. And the last time Meat performed in the UK and the Netherlands was 5 (!) years ago. He's been out of the picture quite a long time now. Time goes fast. ;)

[loaferman61]

No harm in trying is my reaction. I would like a chance to see the results but it probably isn't likely. I can see them doing small theaters and drawing a couple hundred but I doubt it will pay the bills. This is a long shot. I can not think of another singer who authorized his own "tribute" (I hate that term) band. But as I said before at least it isn't some bar band with a fat guy pretending to be Meat Loaf. At least there is "quality control" for lack of a better term and maybe now we can get better sound mixes than in recent years. They definitely need to record this.

[CarylB]

How many venues are we likely to see Caryl? And what sort of venues...theatres, arenas?

I honestly don't know. My guess would be theatres rather than arenas, if only because whilst booking the Meat tours must have been a quantifiable to estimate, this is new, without Meat, and Caleb a largely unknown quantity in the UK. But that is really just my guess, not a hint. The promoters (I believe VMS Live) have some track record in organising outdoor events, but given they're not announcing dates until the end of July, I woudn't have thought outdoor would be a good choice here ;) So, I'd guess theatres, or smaller arenas if that was the way they went. We'll know in a couple of weeks :-)

[CarylB]

I agree with Andrew that it won't to us be as the glory days we had with Meat, and I'm sure they'll be depending fairly heavily on the nostalgia feeling to begin with. But the NLE are a really great band imo, and Caleb a very able singer of Steinman. Given the appeal of Steinman's music I think there's every possibility that it can grow legs and build an appeal with a new audience, carry the legacy into the future.

The Bat musical has been enormously successful, and is building its own new cult audience. No reason why this new venture should not be able to do the same, particularly here, where so many fans identify with and follow the band as well as Meat. Not likely to fill the O2 as yet .. but no reason why it should not build a solid following.

[ajf33]

I may be being blind as a bat, but can anyone provide a link to the posts from the promoter, as I can not find anything on fb or twitter, other than posts saying about the posts!

[ThatWriterGuy]

Maybe it's just me, but I really LIKE the idea of having Meat as the 'story teller' (for any of you old to remember the John Hurt/Jim Henson series of the same name), introducing anecdotal snapshots of his past that are dramatised before us. I think it's a really bold, exciting NEW idea.

[PanicLord]

Maybe it's just me, but I really LIKE the idea of having Meat as the 'story teller' (for any of you old to remember the John Hurt/Jim Henson series of the same name), introducing anecdotal snapshots of his past that are dramatised before us. I think it's a really bold, exciting NEW idea.

I agree. I don't imagine for one minute they are trying to make a Meat Loaf tribute or replicate the great man himself. They are putting together a great band, a (presumably) great singer, and a great storyteller. What's not to like?

Yes it would be even more awesome if Meat was still able to belt them out and I wish he could. But I also wish I'd won the lottery, remain won the referendum, and that I had never seen Spectre. Point is, there's no point wishing things weren't as they are, just got to deal positively with reality.

[CarylB]

I may be being blind as a bat, but can anyone provide a link to the posts from the promoter, as I can not find anything on fb or twitter, other than posts saying about the posts!

You won't on FB unless you are a member of one of the fan groups the guy posted in, and find it tucked in a thread. (I think he may have just joined the two with numbers of members in the thousands, perhaps thinking membership numbers = active participation and thus importance/significance in the fan community. He may know rock 'n roll but have a helluva lot to learn about us ;) ). I picked up on it more by luck than judgement, checked it out with him, and passed it on here, because I don't like to see anyone thinking Meat will be appearing in the UK tour when this time he's not. I think support is built better on informed interest than disappointment.

Yes it would be even more awesome if Meat was still able to belt them out and I wish he could. But I also wish I'd won the lottery, remain won the referendum, and that I had never seen Spectre. Point is, there's no point wishing things weren't as they are, just got to deal positively with reality.

Exactly .. and if in the future Meat is able to join the line-up as storyteller, we know he can kick that one out of the park :-)

... Meat as the 'story teller' introducing anecdotal snapshots of his past that are dramatised before us. I think it's a really bold, exciting NEW idea.

Yes, and given Meat has always been someone bold, exciting, and inventive in visioning those rock and roll shows we have embraced for decades, if down the line he can do that? That one would get me reaching for my touring shoes and planning my tour itinerary!

In the meantime with, as Panic Lord says, a great band and singer ... who'll be delivering the music we all love .. What's not to like? :-)

[ajf33]

Found it in the Mad about Meatloaf group, for those not members the post reads -

(Convo between Jeff Hall (UK Promoter) & Sandra Allender,

Jeff - There's been some misreporting of what the show is. Meat isn't going to be on the tour, it will be Meat's band The Neverland Express + Caleb Johnson, performing a straight up concert of Meat Loafs back catalogue. Of course there is no official announcement yet, just the rumours and mis-reported news stories. The 'teaser' UK announcement is pencilled for 20th July, with the dates announced on the 25th July.


Sandra - think you are completely wrong Meat told me a while back he would like to do something along these lines and I am sure he will tour with it I am not sure it will be a massive World Tour though. The whole ethos of the show is Meat Loaf presenting Paul Crook directing NLE playing and Caleb doing the singing. That is the impression Meat gave me he said he wanted to do something along the lines of storytellers/Rocktales. It seems to have been backed up on promoters website as well.

Jeff - Hi Sandra. I'm promoting the UK tour that announces later this month. There is no mention of Meat appearing at any of the shows, intact i was made clear of quite the opposite.

Sandra - When you say you are promoting the uk show who are you promoting on behalf of ....I am confused as no involvement from Meat is a way off what he said he was wanting to do.

Jeff - i am essentially the one hiring the band and then booking the venues and selling the tickets. Obviously it would be great if Meat was to be present and involved in the shows in person, however my understanding he will not be.

Sandra - So you are hiring NLE....lucky you they are a great bunch. I think if there is no involvement from Meat its appeal will diminish

[AndrewG]

Found it in the Mad about Meatloaf group, for those not members the post reads -

(Convo between Jeff Hall (UK Promoter) & Sandra Allender,

Jeff - There's been some misreporting of what the show is. Meat isn't going to be on the tour, it will be Meat's band The Neverland Express + Caleb Johnson, performing a straight up concert of Meat Loafs back catalogue. Of course there is no official announcement yet, just the rumours and mis-reported news stories. The 'teaser' UK announcement is pencilled for 20th July, with the dates announced on the 25th July.


Sandra - think you are completely wrong Meat told me a while back he would like to do something along these lines and I am sure he will tour with it I am not sure it will be a massive World Tour though. The whole ethos of the show is Meat Loaf presenting Paul Crook directing NLE playing and Caleb doing the singing. That is the impression Meat gave me he said he wanted to do something along the lines of storytellers/Rocktales. It seems to have been backed up on promoters website as well.

Jeff - Hi Sandra. I'm promoting the UK tour that announces later this month. There is no mention of Meat appearing at any of the shows, intact i was made clear of quite the opposite.

Sandra - When you say you are promoting the uk show who are you promoting on behalf of ....I am confused as no involvement from Meat is a way off what he said he was wanting to do.

Jeff - i am essentially the one hiring the band and then booking the venues and selling the tickets. Obviously it would be great if Meat was to be present and involved in the shows in person, however my understanding he will not be.

Sandra - So you are hiring NLE....lucky you they are a great bunch. I think if there is no involvement from Meat its appeal will diminish

Nah... the truth is I am hiring the band, representing Meat and telling Meat what he is having for dessert tomorrow whether he likes Salmon baked on top of a cheesecake mixed with a Happy Meal smoothie or not. I have decided to post in a random Facebook group what is going to happen, when and why.

:roll: :-P :twisted: :lol:

[FrancineCyclesTheUS]

I personally think this is great news.
Of course, it is not the biggest thing (as it would be Meat really singing on stage)... But it is definitely SOMETHING! Definitely better than no upcoming events at all.

And don't forget. We probably got the NLE & the enchanting melodies & Caleb's voice is rocking!

It's not 100 % Meat. But it keeps his spirit alive.

I'm looking forward to it..

[letsgotoofar]

Well, as of this morning (East Coast American time), seems like backoutofhell.com is down and that the bio has been scrubbed yet again from the MPI agency's site, which now confusingly dubs the event "BAT Meat Loaf’s Neverland Express Featuring Caleb Johnson." (Possibly missing a : in there somewhere?)

Questions, questions...

[loaferman61]

I suspect plans have evolved. I can access the site but no information. I think they are still working on it, although I thought some information was due to be released fairly soon. I hope they do a real promo video and make it first class instead of rehearsal clips. Maybe even all or most of a song. People are going to have to want to hear and see what Caleb Johnson will do with the Meat Loaf material before shelling out much cash to take a chance on it. 90% of the public does not know who Caleb is.

[letsgotoofar]

Well, there was a full recording of "Bat" that could be heard on the page before the billing switched from Bat Out of Hell The Concert to Back Out of Hell. It sounded pretty solid.

[anotherday]

Today is supposed to be an announcement, no?

[nightinr]

Carly's contacts said an announcement would be made today????

[loaferman61]

Well, there was a full recording of "Bat" that could be heard on the page before the billing switched from Bat Out of Hell The Concert to Back Out of Hell. It sounded pretty solid.

Hopefully they put that back up. I'm interested in how they will sell this. Using Meat's name may get attention but people also may then expect he is to be there. Caleb Johnson's name will be largely unknown outside of American Idol fans. The NLE is an amazing world-class band but that name is best known to Meat Loaf fans. Getting this worded just right will help, but until I hear Caleb Johnson sing Meat Loaf songs would I pay $40-$50 to find out if it is good or not? Well I personally would, but speaking of people in general.

[stretch37]

Carly's contacts said an announcement would be made today????

Today is supposed to be an announcement, no?

Things can change in show biz ;)

Hopefully we get to hear something soon

[anotherday]

Yeah, hopefully we hear something soon, indeed!

[CarylB]

The guy I spoke to said there would be an announcement of "all the dates" on 25th July .. we're not there yet ;)

Meat's due to be at the ComicCon 27-28 July, and is coming in some days ahead this week. My guess is they would have wanted to time their announcement to coincide with his being here in the UK?

Of course the guy also said some 'teaser' info would be out on the 20th ... so we must all have blinked and missed that one ;)

[duke knooby]

Of course the guy also said some 'teaser' info would be out on the 20th ... so we must all have blinked and missed that one ;)

that might be this then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK7qPhkW4Xc

[letsgotoofar]

Well, I notice "Meat Loaf Presents" is gone now...

[CarylB]

that might be this then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK7qPhkW4Xc

Teased 11 people ;)

[anotherday]

Good lord, could they change the name of this thing any more?

[letsgotoofar]

All that billing about the "Neverland Band" is interesting as well. Funny that it seems to get further and further removed from the initial announcement as time goes on...

[CarylB]

Funny that it seems to get further and further removed from the initial announcement as time goes on...

I have a feeling that perhaps when the idea was conceived Meat may have seen this as a way for him to continue to be on stage with the band he has built and loves so much .. but since then his back is proving more of an obstacle than he had hoped? If that were the case, I can understand the apparently constantly shifting information, where someone is trying to promote something that is also changing during the process.

Given it goes ahead, it seems clear that those we have come to love as the NLE would be working together on stage with Caleb Johnson, whatever they are called .. so, the same peerless playing of Steinman's brilliant songs, with a singer who has a good voice to deliver them imo, but without Meat's presence on stage in the foreseeable future. Still an interesting venture, and in my view streets ahead of the usual tribute bands, because you'll have the real deal band we've rocked to over the years, and a singer who isn't trying to BE Meat, but who has the range to do the songs justice.

[FrancineCyclesTheUS]

Given it goes ahead, it seems clear that those we have come to love as the NLE would be working together on stage with Caleb Johnson, whatever they are called .. so, the same peerless playing of Steinman's brilliant songs, with a singer who has a good voice to deliver them imo, but without Meat's presence on stage in the foreseeable future. Still an interesting venture, and in my view streets ahead of the usual tribute bands, because you'll have the real deal band we've rocked to over the years, and a singer who isn't trying to BE Meat, but who has the range to do the songs justice.

I so agree with you.

[letsgotoofar]

Minor update: backoutofhell.com is now well and truly gone. Apparently the Bandzoogle account is dead.

[AndrewG]

Minor update: backoutofhell.com is now well and truly gone. Apparently the Bandzoogle account is dead.

Weird HOW this project is getting off the ground, IF it is getting off the ground at all, that is.

[jmfreeman]

I wonder if this has anything to do with all the bad press - the dumb "Meat Loaf is going on tour but won't sing a single note" articles that sprang up all over the press a couple of weeks back. Or perhaps the logistics of getting all the various NLE members together?

[ajf33]

Minor update: backoutofhell.com is now well and truly gone. Apparently the Bandzoogle account is dead.

Now there'sthis! -
https://themeatloafexperience.com/

edit - And the playable BOOH is back!

[anotherday]

For a second, I got it confused with Adjes site! XD

[jmfreeman]

For a second, I got it confused with Adjes site! XD

That's it! I didn't twig at first why it sounded so familiar!

[Evil One]

Dreadful new name. Now it screams tribute act. :shrug:

[letsgotoofar]

At this point, they'd almost be better off using the NLE's name. Meat Loaf Presents "THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS: A Tribute to Bat" or whatever would sound a little more authentic.

In other news, the YouTube channel is now missing the promos to which we've linked, the Facebook page doesn't exist as yet, and there's a whole new Instagram account. For experienced bookers and talent, this has to be one of the most half-assed launches I've ever seen.

[AndrewG]

For a second, I got it confused with Adjes site! XD

Either Adje will get increased traffic or he will get a lawsuit. :lol:

I guess the name keeps changing because of legal reasons.

[Adje]

Either Adje will get increased traffic or he will get a lawsuit. :lol:


In case of a lawsuit, I will keep the site and make it about all variations of meatloaf recipes :twisted:

I just hope the name doesn't decrease my traffic because people figure it's no longer about Meat Loaf :evil:

Oh well, for me the websitename is the only interesting part of this entire 'tribute' circus.

But Meat is in London, so have fun you ComicCon visitors!!! :cool:

[loaferman61]

At this point I am not even sure they can make enough to pay for the band. That was the one hope I held out was that it wasn't just some bar band or some karaoke type singer, but the real NLE members with an Idol winner.

[loaferman61]

Dreadful new name. Now it screams tribute act. :shrug:

I have been waiting for Caleb to be referred to as "Hamburger Helper".

[byo1975]

In case of a lawsuit, I will keep the site and make it about all variations of meatloaf recipes :twisted:

I just hope the name doesn't decrease my traffic because people figure it's no longer about Meat Loaf :evil:

Oh well, for me the websitename is the only interesting part of this entire 'tribute' circus.

But Meat is in London, so have fun you ComicCon visitors!!! :cool:

Your webpage is incredible....dont give up....and upload more videos :P

[stretch37]

Dreadful new name. Now it screams tribute act. :shrug:

I agree. Not happy with the name from an objective point of view. At the same time, maybe some marketing people suggested it because Meat Loaf is in the name. Meat's name will sell tickets, after all.

And I can appreciate the difficulty naming the new show because "Meat Loaf" is as much associated with an individual person as it is with a stage show entity.

I'm sure they thought of other things, like Meat Loaf's Neverland Express With Caleb Johnston. But that sounds a bit too long winded to me. Then again, so does Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events :cool:

[AndrewG]

I have been waiting for Caleb to be referred to as "Hamburger Helper".

The Hamburger Experience featuring music from Meat Loaf. Hamburger not included. :lol:

I agree with what people said it sounds more like a tribute band now.
Maybe something like Meat Loaf's Escape From Hell would be better.

Either way I think this is going to be relatively small demand. Hope I'm wrong. The Meat Loaf or Bat brand is definitely needed whatever they call it. Look how poorly Patti Russo's shows sold without that and she did really well on her first tour I thought and also considering she was originally part of some of Meat's top songs etc. :-(
The Neverland Express name I think sadly means nothing to the majority of potential ticket buyers.

[loaferman61]

The Neverland Express name I think sadly means nothing to the majority of potential ticket buyers.

Only Meat Loaf fans are going to really know it. Then without Meat himself you can probably only count on a relative small percentage of what Meat was drawing on his last few tours. I don't know how much the NLE or Caleb would be paid but by the time you have that plus other expenses, I'm not sure you can draw well enough to turn a profit. I'd love to get to run the numbers.

[nightinr]

Any new info on this? When are dates being announced?

[AndrewG]

Weird nobody from this board (of which I'm sure several must have gone to the comic con in London) has posted their experiences yet.

Going by what I saw and heard people got great professional photos (MUCH better than the quick snaps at normal Meet N Greets) and his talk was very good.

:up:

[CarylB]

I was there Sunday, home today, and have just posted :)

The event was the most badly organised thing I've ever been to, no-one could give a straight answer to any simple question like "Where will Meat be doing his photo shoots?" or "Where is he signing?" .. and the A listers didn't even get a booth (which I think he'd expected) but were just plonked behind a long line of tables in front of a painted brick wall, with no spaces between. The first day for the photo shoots, they expected Meat to sit on a high chair .. even had him use a cardboard frigging BOX to try and clamber on to the chair! By Saturday they had finally found him a motorised chair to whizz between signing and photo shoots .. but all in all the organisation was appalling.

The photos were fine .. but not better than at any M&G I have been to. Early M&Gs had a photographer, later ones they used whatever camera one brought, and all mine were fine.

And yes, his talk was great :D

Whatever happens with the NLE/Caleb venture, if it goes ahead in the near future Meat will not be actively involved, but Deborah said she expected they would put out an announcement soon saying this, but that Meat fully endorsed it.

[proctorloaf]

I was sat behind you at the talk Caryl - wish I'd have said hi!

[CarylB]

Oh ... so do I :-) Wasn't he great? :D

[AndrewG]

The photos were fine .. but not better than at any M&G I have been to. Early M&Gs had a photographer, later ones they used whatever camera one brought, and all mine were fine.


Thanks for your reviews Caryl.

To me the photos with Meat look a lot better framed from this event, close ups of the faces rather than just the body shots. Like they seemed to take more time. Using people's own cameras in the 2010 M&G events was a poor decision I reckon in hindsight. Mine was unusable. I probably was just unlucky that day.

I saw the diamond pass holders got a Meat Loaf cup with a quote from the Rock N' Roll Hero lyrics. To me this is noteworthy since that song hardly ever gets mentioned.
Probably the most unique bit of official Meat merch I've seen in a while. Looks like a great collector's item.

Hope Meat enjoyed his time here. I'm not so sure we will see him back.

[CarylB]

I saw the diamond pass holders got a Meat Loaf cup with a quote from the Rock N' Roll Hero lyrics. To me this is noteworthy since that song hardly ever gets mentioned.
Probably the most unique bit of official Meat merch I've seen in a while. Looks like a great collector's item.


You'd think .. but they'll be rare indeed as unlike Meat's gifts at M&Gs these were not given to Diamond pass holders when they checked in, but hidden away somewhere in boxes in the vast space of Olympia. No-one could tell us where they were, and only the lucky few managed to track down, more by luck than anything else, the one stall that apparently was selling frames for photos from the various shoots, and had them tucked under the table out of sight.

If they had enough for all Diamond pass holders some employed on a permanent or temporary basis by the event organisers will be the collectors, but not us!

[proctorloaf]

Oh ... so do I :-) Wasn't he great? :D

Absolutely amazing! It was great to see Meat on stage again. He was on top form!

[loaferman61]

Sounds like a typical "convention" or glorified and usually over-priced meet and greet (Meat excepted of course since that is priceless). I have never been to a single one where organization appeared to be more than an afterthought and staff members are told nothing and often give conflicting information. I'm glad they at least found Meat one of those motorized carts at some point.

[CarylB]

It was the worst and most piss-poorly organised thing I have ever been to! Meat expected a booth as he gets in the USA .. the A listers were all against one long painted brick wall, their tables lined up with no space between them. He told me on the first day they were so close to the wall behind, you could barely get by the chairs.

There was no clear signage .. no-one knew which photo "booths" would be used by which artist, we were directed to non-existent information booths. Hordes of staff wearing CREW jumpers were scattered around .. apparently for no reason as none could answer any simple question. The question I heard over and over "Could you tell me where ...." was met in almost every case with a shrug and "I don't know .. over there somewhere?" pointing across the vast hall.

They couldn't tell you where the lifts were .. we found just two small ones, one on either side, and not until 5pm finally discovered two sets of two large lifts.

It was a bloody shambles ..

[jcmoorehead]

It was the worst and most piss-poorly organised thing I have ever been to! Meat expected a booth as he gets in the USA .. the A listers were all against one long painted brick wall, their tables lined up with no space between them. He told me on the first day they were so close to the wall behind, you could barely get by the chairs.

There was no clear signage .. no-one knew which photo "booths" would be used by which artist, we were directed to non-existent information booths. Hordes of staff wearing CREW jumpers were scattered around .. apparently for no reason as none could answer any simple question. The question I heard over and over "Could you tell me where ...." was met in almost every case with a shrug and "I don't know .. over there somewhere?" pointing across the vast hall.

They couldn't tell you where the lifts were .. we found just two small ones, one on either side, and not until 5pm finally discovered two sets of two large lifts.

It was a bloody shambles ..

Was it ran by Showmasters? If so their stuff is generally quite poor. Very overpriced for what they are the poor in terms of dealers. Just generally a lot of the same figures over and over and loads of bootleg merchandise.

I've helped run a convention in the past, nowhere near on that level and it isn't an easy task at all. A lot to do, but we were all fans of the stuff we ran the convention for and did it out of love and passion, and it ran a lot better than I hear these larger events run.

[CarylB]

Was it ran by Showmasters? If so their stuff is generally quite poor. Very overpriced for what they are the poor in terms of dealers. Just generally a lot of the same figures over and over and loads of bootleg merchandise.

Yes, Showmasters. I'm sure these things aren't easy to run .. but the failure to make it clear to visitors where talks would be given, where photo booths would be and which would be used by which artist, and where each artist would be set up for autographs, particularly in such a large exhibition hall, was appalling. Some people in that organisation knew this information .. the booths were not suddenly dropped from the sky each morning in a different place, and some information sheets should have been available and communicated/given to the staff they had brought in .. in effect they brought in a mass of temporary staff whose only role was to stand around and say they didn't know. Yet as the artists were running to a schedule the information was known by someone, somewhere.

The "gifts" promised were not issued with the passes one had to queue for, were not anywhere visible, and those who did by luck track them down found they were hidden in boxes out of public view.

Someone at managerial level came in at the end of the talk to ask how we were enjoyng the event. We said "You want some feedback?" and made the point there was no signage, no-one could tell us where things were, not even for eg a list on each photo booth saying which artists would be using each one .. predictably his eyes glazed over .. not interested ;)

It's a shame when an artist like Meat puts such effort into fulfilling his part of the deal that the company making the big money can't make some small effort into providing the paying customers with some very basic and essential information.

It occurred to us that had they needed to evacuate the building any who couldn't manage stairs would have been up the creek sans paddle, given few staff could even tell you where the lifts were .. pretty essential information for those in wheelchairs or on crutches!

[letsgotoofar]

Steering things slightly back on topic, we have a new bio with the promised statement from Meat, which I'm quoting here in the event it disappears:

BAT
The Meat Loaf Experience
With Meat's Official Neverland Band featuring American Idol Winner, Caleb Johnson

Experience the iconic songs from Bat Out of Hell performed brilliantly by Meat Loaf’s official Neverland Band featuring American Idol winner, Caleb Johnson.

Decades of touring and recording with Meat Loaf helped shape these musicians into a world-class backing band. Its configuration may change with each touring segment but it is always made up of alumni spanning the entire history of the Meat Loaf legacy.

Caleb Johnson is the winner of American Idol season 13. His first album debuted at number 1 on the iTunes Rock chart. Since his win he has toured with some of the biggest names in Rock cementing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Caleb delivers his own unique and fresh stamp to such classics as “Bat Out of Hell”, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, and “I Would Do Anything For Love” while staying true to the essence of Meat Loaf’s delivery.

Meat Loaf says, “It’s great to see Caleb tearing it up with the best band in the world. Until I return from my 3 major back surgeries, I felt there was no better way to take care of my band while respecting my music and, most importantly, my fans. You will love this show!”

This show is created and produced by Meat Loaf’s Music Director, Guitarist and Record Producer, Paul Crook.

[Vickip]

And it looks like may be a date for the show (tour) already posted on TicketMaster :

https://www.ticketmaster.com/The-Meatloaf-Experience-tickets/artist/2532417

[PanicLord]

Steering things slightly back on topic, we have a new bio with the promised statement from Meat, which I'm quoting here in the event it disappears:

Sounds awesome... I especially love the bit where Meat says "until I return" 😁

[anotherday]

"until I return..."

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Meat Loaf_fan]

"Until I return ..." - I'm very happy that Meat feels a little better. It's very great info. :-)

[ajf33]

And it looks like may be a date for the show (tour) already posted on TicketMaster :

https://www.ticketmaster.com/The-Meatloaf-Experience-tickets/artist/2532417

I have a feeling that, that show is a unofficial tribute act, of the same name, but this one seems to be the official Caleb & the NE show -

https://www.ticketmaster.ca/The-Meat-Loaf-Experience-wMeats-Official-tickets/artist/2534057

[Vickip]

I have a feeling that, that show is a unofficial tribute act, of the same name, but this one seems to be the official Caleb & the NE show -

https://www.ticketmaster.ca/The-Meat-Loaf-Experience-wMeats-Official-tickets/artist/2534057

I just checked the venue's website, and it is the official show :

http://www.pennspeak.com/events/2018-10-19-meat-loaf-experience

[ajf33]

I just checked the venue's website, and it is the official show :

http://www.pennspeak.com/events/2018-10-19-meat-loaf-experience

I apologise and stand corrected!

[CarylB]

Weird HOW this project is getting off the ground, IF it is getting off the ground at all, that is.

They have every intention of getting it off the ground. What has I think hurt them and sent out such confusing messages are the leaks .. mainly caused by one press article, based on someone described as "someone close to the band" and with a slack mouth, which was then taken up and embellished by other media. All has been further confounded by an understandable curiosity on the part of fans and their ferreting about, and a website that has perhaps less understandably so frequently added information but not kept it locked down in the development stage. Nor has the UK promoter helped imo by hopping into a couple of FB groups to comment, and making promises of dates for information to be released for a UK tour leg, and then nothing happens as he said. Nor is it helpful for odd listings to pop up on TM which conflict with what was suggested for the UK by this guy.

Add to this the perhaps predictable issues over deciding on a name that dealt with any legal/copyright points, and that Meat is to some extent still hors de combat as he recovers from massive surgery, and is still in considerable pain much of the time, while Paul is haring around managing what he's doing as an artist plus setting up and planning this new venture and trying to hold it all together .. I don't envy him one bit!

The recent announcement posted above shouldn't have been unlocked and available to public view (I think it's down now), nor should the changes in name, nor the information posted on the management agency. Paul is still working on fine tuning the wording of the announcement with Meat .. and I think Meat has needed some recovery time after his foray to London last week, and a pretty uncomfortable journey back to Austin.

But it IS happening .. it's just a shame that they haven't been able to get everything nailed down tight and then launched it with less confusion and a confident fanfare.

[Vickip]

I apologise and stand corrected!

No apology necessary :up:

[letsgotoofar]

And now the MPI Talent Agency has abruptly dropped the act from the roster. The old profile page on the agency's site doesn't work (the web address referred to an outdated name for the group anyway), and there is no new listing to replace them, though MPI is still listed on one of the two pages open to the public on the band's official website.

Speaking of said website, the Instagram button on that page linking one to the band's social media presence on that platform is now gone as well, with no particular explanation.

Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice once said...

[AndrewG]

And now the MPI Talent Agency has abruptly dropped the act from the roster. The old profile page on the agency's site doesn't work (the web address referred to an outdated name for the group anyway), and there is no new listing to replace them, though MPI is still listed on one of the two pages open to the public on the band's official website.

Speaking of said website, the Instagram button on that page linking one to the band's social media presence on that platform is now gone as well, with no particular explanation.

Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice once said...

It’s a mystery box wrapped in a riddle inside of an enigma!

[CarylB]

I think it's just a case of enthusiasm and curiosity, always a heady mixture, compounded by changing circumstances, particularly in terms of Meat's on-going back problems, whilst as I said, Paul is haring around managing what he's doing as an artist plus setting up and planning a new venture and trying to hold it all together in the light of all this, while leaks keep springing from what should be a dam ..

[letsgotoofar]

Well, while I respect Paul's desire to keep the brand running out of love and respect for Meat, I think everyone involved might be better off sticking to lining up other gigs as musicians/artists, their primary talent, especially if they aren't the most experienced at planning and setting up a venture like this. One is not limited strictly to Meat's material just because they've worked with the man for over a decade. For my own reasons, I'm particularly keen to see this succeed, but the way it's going, I'd just as soon wait with the rest of the world until Meat is as recovered from his on-going back issues as will allow him to do things himself.

[CarylB]

OK .. Paul has just posted the official press release for BAT Meat Loaf's Neverland Band, and you can sign up for emailed updates .. The Bat is getting ready to fly again !!! (although it confirms Meat will not be appearing). He's sent me the link, so says .. Let's rock!!!!!

:D:cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer:

https://batexperience.com/home

[AndrewG]

Hope there’s an opportunity to see this in the U.K.
The constant name changing seems a bit clumsy but it does seem they have probably listened to constructive criticism. End of the day the naming doesn’t matter too much.
Listened to that Bat recording again. It’s pretty good and probably one of the best non meat loaf versions I’ve ever heard. Only thing I could whine about is lack of dynamic and depth in drums and probably should have turned up the piano a bit more. Other than that it’s a great recording.

[anotherday]

https://www.aliantegaming.com/whats-new/events/2018-meat-loaf-experience

Tickets for the Vegas Show, September 29th, if anyone is interested!

[CarylB]

This is Paul's press release:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BAT - Meat Loaf's Neverland Band + Caleb Johnson
Experience the iconic Bat Out Of Hell album and other hit songs performed brilliantly by The Neverland Band featuring American Idol winner, Caleb Johnson.

The Neverland Band includes world-class alumni spanning the history of the Meat Loaf legacy.

In addition to a #1 album and touring with some of the biggest names in rock, Caleb Johnson is the winner of American Idol season 13. He delivers his own unique stamp to such classics as “Bat Out of Hell”, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, and “I Would Do Anything For Love” while staying true to the essence of Meat Loaf’s delivery.

The show is created & produced by Meat Loaf’s musical director/ guitarist/ record producer, Paul Crook.

Join us for an incredible Meat Loaf Experience in Las Vegas on September, 29th at ALIANTE Casino + Hotel + Spa. Their Access Showroom is a state of the art, intimate 600 seat theater. Get your tickets now thru Ticketmaster or by calling the Aliante Box Office: 1 (800) 745-3000

More concerts will be announced soon.

Visit www.batexperience.com for more info.

* Meat Loaf will not be making a personal appearance at any of these performances.

On a personal note…

This show, in no way, shape, or form is intended to replace the incomparable, Meat Loaf. That is an impossibility. Any insinuation would be absurd.

Seriously… Look at this man. His accomplishments are mind-blowing:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGMCSCFoKA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMRl55U0eDw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VthiKY5GdFs

The Boss is in recovery from back surgery. We want to play. Caleb Johnson is a massive fan.

Please come join us until Meat Loaf returns to the stage!!!"

And in answer to a question about UK dates he said "Joff worked really hard for us on that venture. That's all I can say at this time." So perhaps if they get some shows under their belt and good reviews we may get some good news :D

They also have a FB page
https://www.facebook.com/BAT-225562978268214/?hc_location=ufi

[letsgotoofar]

Further update: the store now has product! A cover of the entire Bat I album (vocals by Caleb, backing -- vocal and instrumental -- by the band, including Steve "Machine Gun" Buslowe himself) is available for purchase for 9 dollars American.

From the previews on display, in my opinion (this phrase added not to sound too "harsh" or "rude"; I'm certainly not "looking for a reaction"), Caleb has a stronger voice than Tyce Green or anyone in the Bat musical, so I know what show I'll be seeing!

[Adje]

Further update: the store now has product! A cover of the entire Bat I album (vocals by Caleb, backing -- vocal and instrumental -- by the band, including Steve "Machine Gun" Buslowe himself) is available for purchase for 9 dollars American.

I can understand that you, being more of a Steinman fan, might like it, But I, being just a Meat Loaf fan, feel like I have to watch the Gus van Sant version of Psycho. And then 9USD for a copy of something that I have and is already perfect, in my eyes, is a rip-off ;)

[letsgotoofar]

Well, it's a better deal than the other thread is offering, and for that price, you get the album in both high-res MP3 and WAV formats... just sayin'...

[AndrewG]

Don't see a point in buying the recordings at all but a live show I would see and these previews do indicate it will at least sound quite good.
And yes I agree with Letsgotoofar. FAR better than Tyce and the stuff I heard from the Bat musical cast. Never understood the fuss about all those singers. Nothing like the epicness that Meat had. At least Caleb seems to have something that heads in that direction.

[CarylB]

No-one will ever do it better than Meat, nor be as epic .. no-one will ever do it as well for me :-) Meat flew onto the stage 4 decades ago with BOOH, passionate, charismatic, and unique.

But as Paul has said
"This show, in no way, shape, or form is intended to replace the incomparable, Meat Loaf. That is an impossibility. Any insinuation would be absurd .." He went on to say that Meat's accomplishments are mind-blowing, but he's in recovery from back surgery and they, the amazing band Meat has worked so hard to build, want to keep playing. They're family, love what they do, but need a singer, in Paul's words "until Meat Loaf returns to the stage!!!".

Two weeks ago Meat said to me how strong his voice is at the moment, but he knows he'll need another 12-18 months to recover and get strong after his surgery .. still he loves that band to death! After his first upper back surgery in 2014 one of his biggest fears was losing the band family he had built and loved so much. I believe that's why he struggled through that last N Americn tour in crippling pain and a back brace. Now he's facing an even longer recovery programme, but he wants to see the band together, delivering the songs in the way he worked to do for so many years.

The way I see it, this is the incomparable NLE who we all love. Meat has said for some time he has a huge respect for Caleb. And whilst the latter could never equal Meat, who is unique and incomparable, no-one .. not the band nor Caleb himself, nor Meat's fans .. expects him to do more than to do the songs justice and keep the Bat flying. And I love that band, and having listened to the whole album all the way through now, I think Caleb does a damn good job .. and hits some pretty amazing notes too :-)

[letsgotoofar]

One drawback I should note is that the full version of "Bat" you hear on the home page couldn't be included on the album. It's a zipped file with hi-res MP3's and WAV's, and the combo of the two, plus album art, leads to an already rather prohibitive file size, and also means if they'd included the almost eleven-minute "Bat," it would defeat the purpose of a "compressed" file, so a "single" edit (a still-impressive 8 minutes and 12 seconds) is what you get when you buy the album.

But... I've left a comment on Facebook suggesting that it would be a nice "good faith" gesture if fans who can provide proof of purchase could get the full track, so we'll see where that leads.

[letsgotoofar]

UPDATE: I am mistaken. The WAV file is the full version of the song, the MP3 is the "single version." So, uh, score one for higher-quality audio fans! Consider the hi-res "single edit" MP3 of "Bat" a bonus track.

[ajf33]

Quick listen through the samples, and have to say is certainly different! Better than Tyce Greens take on the songs, as Caleb does have a much stronger voice.and having the NLE playing on the songs helps a lot as well. Think I'l wait till I've had a chance to see the show, If and When it comes to the UK before paying for this, but would say, for what it is, it's better than I expected!

[mickp]

I like this a lot, it's been on repeat all morning. I'm not comparing it with the musical (epic and different), nor with Tyce (something very different which I thought was a decent job in many cases) nor Meat himself (legend) but this is a perfect 'studio' version of what the NLE has provided for years in support of Meat with an extremely competent vocalist in his own right. There are some lovely arrangements, consistent with the stage shows and the playing is excellent (I do like that all songs 'finish' rather than fade. It's particularly nice to see Steve Buslowe back playing bass. Tom Brislin also contributes so it has a nod to the longevity of the NLE. Will definitely go and see if it comes to the UK

[CarylB]

UPDATE: I am mistaken. The WAV file is the full version of the song, the MP3 is the "single version." So, uh, score one for higher-quality audio fans! Consider the hi-res "single edit" MP3 of "Bat" a bonus track.

Yes, Paul has pointed out that words used on the page about editing BOOH are specific to the mp3 ONLY.

The album download includes:

- All the songs in Hi Rez WAV format.
- Artwork
- The buyer also receives all the songs in Hi quality MP3 format. This is where BAT has needed to be edited. ONLY THE MP3 is edited.


The Hi Rez wave contains the full version of BAT

[roomster]

I have now bought the new Bat-album to support Paul Crook and his project, but the download are sadly more than painfully slow... :(

[letsgotoofar]

You're getting two versions of the album for the price of one in the highest possible quality. (I believe the whole zipped file is 550 MB, somewhere in that range.) The good news is, two for the price of one! The bad news is, if your Internet connection's not the best, it's gonna be a bit of a slog.

[roomster]

You're getting two versions of the album for the price of one in the highest possible quality. (I believe the whole zipped file is 550 MB, somewhere in that range.) The good news is, two for the price of one! The bad news is, if your Internet connection's not the best, it's gonna be a bit of a slog.

I have a very fast Internet-connection, so the problem is certainly not at my end.

The download speed is between 50 and 90 kbit/sec. That's extremely slow.

Paul and his team should definitely do something about this.

[letsgotoofar]

What kind of connection do you have? I've got fiber-optic, and it took -- at most -- five minutes yesterday.

[roomster]

What kind of connection do you have? I've got fiber-optic, and it took -- at most -- five minutes yesterday.

Fiberoptic 100 Mbps.

The download should take a minute or two. Instead it takes 2-3 hours.

[greg]

No news on UK dates yet. Last I herd dates for UK was coming out 25 July

[CarylB]

No news on UK dates yet. Last I herd dates for UK was coming out 25 July

That was the info given by the promoter .. but sadly that fell through. Paul says they will not be touring the UK this year, but in the USA this autumn .. and I think perhaps the early months of 2019. But they still hope to tour in the UK .. so perhaps later next year? But currently no dates planned.

[greg]

Thanks carly for info.i did get a text from Paul crook saying promoter. Took it as far as he could for UK.

[PanicLord]

Yes, Paul has pointed out that words used on the page about editing BOOH are specific to the mp3 ONLY.

The album download includes:

- All the songs in Hi Rez WAV format.
- Artwork
- The buyer also receives all the songs in Hi quality MP3 format. This is where BAT has needed to be edited. ONLY THE MP3 is edited.


The Hi Rez wave contains the full version of BAT

Seems very odd though unless they plan on trying to release it to radio or as a single edit or something. Still you can always convert the wav to mp3.

[letsgotoofar]

Seems very odd though unless they plan on trying to release it to radio or as a single edit or something. Still you can always convert the wav to mp3.

That's what I ultimately did; thankfully, the newest version of Audacity makes it possible to get a similarly hi-res result.

[evil nickname]

"format requirements" could also suggest technical limitations for MP3 files imposed by the website. The full length Bat would have been over 25MB as an MP3, and perhaps the music player on the website does not support that.

[letsgotoofar]

True. Nice work on the discography page, by the way! Got that up in a hurry.

[PanicLord]

Well I have only had a chance to listen to it on my phone speaker so far... So not what you'd call HiFi... but my initial impression is that they have done a superb job. The backing tracks sound great and have better clarity and oomph than Bat itself (someone please do a full remaster on it please? Failing that put Meats vocals on these tracks). Anyway where was I?

Oh yes Caleb has a superb rock slightly bluesy slightly metal voice. While he doesn't put the level of drama and emotion into it that Meat does (let's be honest, who does?) He brings a fresh and energetic take to the songs that I think is welcome.

Can't wait to listen to it in the car.

And before anyone casts me aside as a sinner, the stereo in my new Fiesta is a factory fit 675 watt 10 speaker Bang and Olufsen unit with 360° sound and sub woofer.

It kicks ass and I know this cd will too.

[letsgotoofar]

Well I have only had a chance to listen to it on my phone speaker so far... So not what you'd call HiFi... but my initial impression is that they have done a superb job. The backing tracks sound great and have better clarity and oomph than Bat itself (someone please do a full remaster on it please? Failing that put Meats vocals on these tracks).

I mean, in theory, one could... we do have the isolated vocal tracks from the SACD floating around, and Caleb's vocals do seem to be mostly panned to center channels... this could be an easy job in Audacity. Test mix, anyone?

[evil nickname]

True. Nice work on the discography page, by the way! Got that up in a hurry.

Thanks. That's the beauty of being a web developer, you can sneak in some side-projects during work hours. Code is code. ;-)

[chairboys]

Thanks. That's the beauty of being a web developer, you can sneak in some side-projects during work hours. Code is code. ;-)

This is really disappointing.
Not only are you betraying the trust of your employer so now my admiration for you has rocketed

[evil nickname]

This is really disappointing.
Not only are you betraying the trust of your employer so now my admiration for you has rocketed

Oh, lighten up. It's an illusion to think you can be focused on only your job for eight hours straight in *any* creative business anyway. If doing something else for a small amount of time helps you recharge/focus/whatever, go for it.

[AndrewG]

This is really disappointing.
Not only are you betraying the trust of your employer so now my admiration for you has rocketed

As long as he gets his work done who cares. :roll:

[PanicLord]

I mean, in theory, one could... we do have the isolated vocal tracks from the SACD floating around, and Caleb's vocals do seem to be mostly panned to center channels... this could be an easy job in Audacity. Test mix, anyone?

Lol to be clear though my preference is for a remaster of Bat haha.

I can confirm it rocks on a good stereo though.

[loaferman61]

Just had a listen through a proper stereo instead of my laptop and this album is really well arranged. Love the piano and background vocals. Caleb is very good if you go in not expecting Meat Loaf. His voice is fine, but Meat always had that song interpretation that was always conveying the feeling, emotion and little nuances he uses. I could do without the baseball part of Paradise honestly, but I guess many consider that integral to the song. Lacks in Jim's "lascivious effects" though. This is a quite good remake or reimagining or whatever you want to call it.

[2jaxx]

I bought the album, too and I like it very much. There is one thing that bothers me though. The drum sound is very clinical. It's missing some warmth, density and reverb. i am no studio engineer and I really have no idea how to achieve that. But there is something missing.

Having said that - I would love to hear more music in that style from Caleb in the future. He brings a little more soul to the songs (Meaning the musical style, not the soul itself. Meat has a lot of that). The band is great here, too. I love all the little deviations from the original album. Those really make the album worth buying.

Chops to everyone involved!

[letsgotoofar]

I bought the album, too and I like it very much. There is one thing that bothers me though. The drum sound is very clinical. It's missing some warmth, density and reverb. i am no studio engineer and I really have no idea how to achieve that. But there is something missing.

I've said the same thing about the last couple of albums as well. No knock on Paul at all; it may be the mark of a very common technique where the live drummer in the studio uses triggers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_(drums)) (link is to a definition). Whoever made the choice should be introduced to Sound Radix Drum Leveller (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MraTGWBLvSA) and Drumatom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jze-e3imqhM) (links are to videos).

[jmfreeman]

What a shame. The drumming on 'Hang Cool' was remarkable.

[2jaxx]

Hang Cool was an outstanding album. The Cavallo production was monumental.
On the other hand, I like Handbasket for what it is - A modern sounding album with a lot of great tunes. I found the production fitting. I can't say the same thing about Braver. I must say, I love the songs, but I really don't dig the production on that one.

[proctorloaf]

I have to say that I do dig the band, the tracks are similar to what Meat has been singing to for the past few tours and the return of Steve really makes a difference. But I can't get into Caleb at all - he's a brilliant singer, but he doesn't mean a word he's singing (like a sinner before the gates of heaven I'll come crawling on back to you) and I'm not really a fan of the effect used on the BVs - quite similar to the effects on Braver.

Andrew Polec outshines Caleb on performance by a million miles, and neither of them get anywhere near Meat (obvs). This BAT recording actually highlights just how amazing Andrew is at interpreting the songs.

[anotherday]

All of the BV's are done by Justin Avery.

[proctorloaf]

Yes - Justin's an awesome singer but the effect makes him sounds like some sort of robot out of 2001 A space odyssey.

All of the BV's are done by Justin Avery.

[loaferman61]

I have to say that I do dig the band, the tracks are similar to what Meat has been singing to for the past few tours and the return of Steve really makes a difference. But I can't get into Caleb at all - he's a brilliant singer, but he doesn't mean a word he's singing (like a sinner before the gates of heaven I'll come crawling on back to you) and I'm not really a fan of the effect used on the BVs - quite similar to the effects on Braver.

Andrew Polec outshines Caleb on performance by a million miles, and neither of them get anywhere near Meat (obvs). This BAT recording actually highlights just how amazing Andrew is at interpreting the songs.

Nobody else will ever be another Meat Loaf. I don't think the album was made thinking that. Meat is a method singer, his abilities to be an interpreter of the song is unmatched. The way he "feels" the song and conveys the feeling to the listener is a once in a lifetime performer. You are right in that Caleb doesn't convey any real emotion. I would however say he is on par with Polec IMO. Both are fine singers in their own way, it is just impossible to fill the shoes of "Bat Out of Hell".

[letsgotoofar]

Yes - Justin's an awesome singer but the effect makes him sounds like some sort of robot out of 2001 A space odyssey.

I admit, nitpicking being my nature, that it is a little strange. A body of different voices harmonizing just sounds better to me than one multi-tracked and/or run through some phaser to create a chorus.

[2jaxx]

I admit, nitpicking being my nature, that it is a little strange. A body of different voices harmonizing just sounds better to me than one multi-tracked and/or run through some phaser to create a chorus.

Still a lot better than this strange aberration of a background vocal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdHWGXMZeJQ

What were they even thinking?

[letsgotoofar]

Now, now... if we can't say his name, we probably shouldn't be sharing his music either. :P

[2jaxx]

Is putting someone in the pillory "sharing"? If it is, I swear I'll behave from now on.

[anotherday]

Holy....

That was god awful.

I have no words...

[letsgotoofar]

Well, I guess that does serve an illustrative point: proof positive we needed a good Meat tribute.

[ThatWriterGuy]

I actually thought that he was an outright parody for a period of five years. It never once occurred to me that he was serious...:shock:

[ajf33]

Still a lot better than this strange aberration of a background vocal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdHWGXMZeJQ

What were they even thinking?

Is this the guy that Meat sued for being to similar?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9408554/Meatloaf-tribute-act-sued-for-being-a-dead-ringer.html

Now an Elton John Tribute act apparently - http://www.eltonjohntribute.co.uk/

[anotherday]

Is this the guy that Meat sued for being to similar?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9408554/Meatloaf-tribute-act-sued-for-being-a-dead-ringer.html

Now an Elton John Tribute act apparently - http://www.eltonjohntribute.co.uk/

Oh good, so he can butcher Eltons songs now, too? :roll:

[CarylB]

He started out doing Elton .. got too heavy and switched to Meat .. lost weight after his wife threw him out, and after failing miserably to extort money from Meat for his website domain (where if people assumed he was Meat he encouraged them) he went back to poor Elton ;) He wasn't sued for being a "dead ringer" even though the journalist probably thought it very clever to say so ;) .. he was sued for cyber squattiing! (Given it wasn't really on to try and sue him for being an AWFUL "tribute act", breaching copyright by putting the Bat 2 artwork on his chip van aka "tour bus", and total pain in the ass .. :lmao: )

[proctorloaf]

Also Meat got the website - as meatloaf . org is linked to meatloaf.net!

[ajf33]

He started out doing Elton .. got too heavy and switched to Meat .. lost weight after his wife threw him out, and after failing miserably to extort money from Meat for his website domain (where if people assumed he was Meat he encouraged them) he went back to poor Elton ;) He wasn't sued for being a "dead ringer" even though the journalist probably thought it very clever to say so ;) .. he was sued for cyber squattiing! (Given it wasn't really on to try and sue him for being an AWFUL "tribute act", breaching copyright by putting the Bat 2 artwork on his chip van aka "tour bus", and total pain in the ass .. :lmao: )

That'll teach me not to read the article I linked to ::lol:

[ajf33]

Not sure if this has been answered, but, getting back on topic, why is the band being billed as the Neverland band, and not the Neverland Express?

[letsgotoofar]

Caryl has alluded to it being some sort of legal thing (though I can't imagine exactly why).

[AndrewG]

Also Meat got the website - as meatloaf . org is linked to meatloaf.net!

Such a shame .net never became a sort of historical hub that could have included all tour dates, photos from these concerts and setlists etc.

There is such a wealth of info that could have been collected into one place. Song lyrics. Info on each album: release dates, chart positions etc.

Instead all that information is spread across fan sites and they mostly will be gone in 10-15 years time I'm guessing.
It will only be Wikipedia and some YouTube videos from then on.

:(

[CarylB]

Not sure if this has been answered, but, getting back on topic, why is the band being billed as the Neverland band, and not the Neverland Express?

There are various copyright issues as well as interests I think surrounding everything, and some probably go back years. It's one reason why they didn't want information leaking out, and various media setting hares running, before they had everything agreed with all parties connected and finalised. It made them look disorganised when in reality they were working through all the complexities to get everything right, all Ts crossed, before the press announcement.

Paul's posted a taster of the Bat Experience. And as well as the 4 dates we have so far they're booking in the US into 2019 after Caleb has finished his Nov/Dec tour with the TSO.

https://www.facebook.com/TheBatExperience/videos/293235187933802/

[Dick]

So if Meat returns down the line will the band be back to being the Neverland Express?

Ie. is it only allowed to be Neverland Express with Meat fronting?

[CarylB]

I don't know Dick .. I guess if Meat were to tour again he'd probably use Neverland Express. If at some point he joined them to tell stories and with Caleb still singing (as was rumoured in the leaks earlier), who knows?

At this stage they have a name that reflects who they are, and doesn't imply Meat will be appearing as part of the show, which seems to me important as people can be gullible and make assumptions which would only lead to disappointment .. and no doubt some angry complaints on Meat's page, possibly even from trolls who haven't been to a show but just want to sound off. The Neverland Band identifies them I think as the band Meat has put together over many years, but as not being the Neverland Express backing Meat Loaf .. an important distinction, and one which gives them a discrete identity which they now need to promote and prove to promoters :)

[ajf33]

I did yesterday stumble across a comment from Paul on Facebook, that suggests the reason is the band has really only been known as the Neverland Express in Europe, and in the states it's always been the Neverland Band. Not sure if this is true or just to get round copyright issues, without saying there are copyright issues!

[JennaG]

Such a shame .net never became a sort of historical hub that could have included all tour dates, photos from these concerts and setlists etc.

There is such a wealth of info that could have been collected into one place. Song lyrics. Info on each album: release dates, chart positions etc.

Instead all that information is spread across fan sites and they mostly will be gone in 10-15 years time I'm guessing.
It will only be Wikipedia and some YouTube videos from then on.

:(

It's a shame because I think there is a need for that kind of information but I notice a lot less fan sites being around these days than there were when I started tinkering with website design. I think social media has, to a degree, taken over but they're just not as set up for being a go-to reference point for the historical stuff.

[CarylB]

It's a shame because I think there is a need for that kind of information but I notice a lot less fan sites being around these days than there were when I started tinkering with website design. I think social media has, to a degree, taken over but they're just not as set up for being a go-to reference point for the historical stuff.

Yes .. and websites cost to set up and need maintaining, while FB is free to anyone who wants to set up a fan group .. but these are woefully lacking in any way of providing access to any but immediate information.

Something else too imo is that sites run by "professional" companies like the ones Meat has used ever since the old ML OIFC just don't have the interest and commitment to provide any kind of historical and comprehensive resource .. they certainly haven't shown it in the case of those he's paid anyway :(

[ajf33]

I did yesterday stumble across a comment from Paul on Facebook, that suggests the reason is the band has really only been known as the Neverland Express in Europe, and in the states it's always been the Neverland Band. Not sure if this is true or just to get round copyright issues, without saying there are copyright issues!

Knew I wasn't imagining it, on the fb Paul Crook page, under a video promoting
one of the dates is the following exchange -

Robert Coop - Neverland band? What happened to the neverland express?
Paul Crook

Paul Crook Great question... People outside of the UK/ EU don't know the NEVERLAND EXPRESS so we use the NEVERLAND BAND for marketing here in the USA.

[loaferman61]

I did yesterday stumble across a comment from Paul on Facebook, that suggests the reason is the band has really only been known as the Neverland Express in Europe, and in the states it's always been the Neverland Band. Not sure if this is true or just to get round copyright issues, without saying there are copyright issues!

I'm in the US and I have heard Meat refer to the band as Neverland Express quite a few times at shows but he rarely plays in my part of the US. I suppose being a superfan makes it more recognizable to me. I doubt the average US person recognizes Neverland Band any more than Express.

[proctorloaf]

I don't buy Paul's answer tbh. The band is referred to as the Neverland Express on DVDs, CDs and tour programmes in the US and well as the UK/EU...

[letsgotoofar]

And in spite of all that advertisement, there are still some out there who think Meat Loaf is the name of the band and not just the lead singer, or who just refer to them as "Meat Loaf and his backup musicians"...

[anotherday]

Kicks off in just under a week! Is anyone going to any of the shows?

[nightinr]

Just watched some clips from YouTube. The band look completely disinterested and Calebs voice is suprisingly weak. And as for the woman singer.....

Please stop this awful experiment immediately.

[anotherday]

Just watched some clips from YouTube. The band look completely disinterested and Calebs voice is suprisingly weak. And as for the woman singer.....

Please stop this awful experiment immediately.

Can't seem to find any myself. You sure you were watching the correct show?

[anotherday]

Cian is also the same one who toured with Meat the past two tours. To call her "the woman singer" is an insult to her.

[MarkS]

Can't seem to find any myself. You sure you were watching the correct show?

I've only seen one, it was paradise, but caleb seemed to be very much going through the motions. It makes you realize how much meat puts in a performance.

[letsgotoofar]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pdPvloFITZs" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

^ Clip of "Paradise" from one of the first shows.

We give Meat a lot -- a lot -- of leeway when he's having an off night. Let's cut them at least as much slack for this being one of the first shows. The kid's gotta hit his stride in the acting department, to which he is (let's not forget) new. When you've never acted this scene before, it's hard to determine how far you can go (no pun intended) without making the other person uncomfortable. It needs a little more rehearsal, that's all.

Pluses? The vocals are fantastic (in spite of the sound mix being poorly reflected in the video), the band is cooking, and the music is exactly as I remember it.

Would I fix things? Yeah; I'd rehearse Caleb and Cian from an acting standpoint a little more, and I frankly think it needs Dave on sax and at least one other female vocalist in the background for a fuller sound from the band. Also, I really miss the classic Phil Rizzuto play-by-play. But for the most part, I think they're nailing it.

[AndrewG]

Don't think that YT link is embedded right, but I found it anyway.

It actually sounds quite decent.

Other than Cian's tiny skirt it all looks a bit meh at the moment, but that is based on the video. Perhaps for Paradise they need to just add a different jacket for Caleb and some nicer brighter clothing for Cian to make it more fun. Some props can do wonders for the show I always think. Some type of tearaway dress that Patti had at some point was fun too.
Not a terrible start, surely?

But sure I understand the sentiment about it not being so easy to fill Meat's shoes. Regardless of voice the stage presence was usually just out of this world with Meat.

[letsgotoofar]

Don't think that YT link is embedded right, but I found it anyway.

I tried to fix it, hope it works now, but I gotta say, the embedded YouTube videos haven't been working for me for a while. (Latest version of Chrome, Windows 10, if any of that matters.)

[ThatWriterGuy]

Other than Cian's tiny skirt it all looks a bit meh at the moment. Some type of tearaway dress that Patti had at some point was fun too.


I can see that going down real well in the #metoo era ...

[NightAngel]

Have to disagree with some of the comments.. watching some of the footage.. they've all done it proud. No one will ever be Meat.. however as a fan of ML and the band.. I am proud of them and what they are doing.

Can't wait to catch a show.

[duke knooby]

I've just watched the paradise video

I enjoyed it, good job to all involved

who was on bass guitar?

[proctorloaf]

It was ok.
Which is the worst way you could ever describe a Jim Steinman song.

[ajf33]

Bat Out Of Hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsIEZVtoI2Q

[ajf33]

Paradise, I see they're keeping in the make out scene during the play by play section!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdPvloFITZs

[Meat Loaf_fan]

Caleb Johnson is not Meat, but he is very good singer. His ability to sing Meat's songs is amazing. Good job! :up:

PS. Plus - we have band (Neverland Express) together once again. Great! :cool:

[anotherday]

I don't think anyone was expecting Caleb to be Meat, TBH.
I think people are just going through a bit of shock as this is the first time we've seen anyone other than Meat with the NLE in concert.
Caleb is not Meat, he doesn't have the acting chops that Meat does. We aren't expecting him to be everything Meat is. But what he IS doing, is keeping this music alive until Meat can return for one final bow.

Thats all anyone can ask for at this point, and we're damn lucky we have this.

[letsgotoofar]

who was on bass guitar?

Per the website, they are joined on this leg of the tour by special guest musician Nick Dimichino, who also plays bass for the multi-platinum selling band Nine Days.

(In the website's promotional artwork showcasing head shots of the members of the band, he seems to have replaced Steve Buslowe, along with the notation that the alumni lineup is subject to change with each tour leg and that special guest musicians may appear as well.)

[duke knooby]

cheers for the info

Steve Buslowe was among my very favourites of the NLE, such a joy to watch and listen to performing.

[stretch37]

I don't think anyone was expecting Caleb to be Meat, TBH.
I think people are just going through a bit of shock as this is the first time we've seen anyone other than Meat with the NLE in concert.
Caleb is not Meat, he doesn't have the acting chops that Meat does. We aren't expecting him to be everything Meat is. But what he IS doing, is keeping this music alive until Meat can return for one final bow.

Thats all anyone can ask for at this point, and we're damn lucky we have this.

Meat got better with age, as so many have said here. I also think Meat's acting is bar none, but I agree with how lucky we are to have this. I hope everyone can find it in them to Give Caleb a chance :cool: He has a great voice and youthful attitude, and I'm hoping he will grow and change with the show, or they all would not have picked him.

[loaferman61]

For once nobody is blaming the "crappy cell phone video" for the sound. Caleb is doing the right thing by not even trying to imitate Meat at all. Caleb is not an actor which was always Meat's strength in conveying and interpreting the lyrics. Instead Caleb is just delivering quite good vocals and keeping the band together along with Paul. Not sure how the kiss and groping scene in "Paradise" plays to audiences of today (or if I'm just jealous of Caleb, LOL). I often found "Paradise to run a bit too long for various reasons and I'm not sure the play-by-play is really needed except to back up the make out scene. I had a cassette tape where "Paradise" took up most of one side when Meat (probably) improved a scene about his girl's mom had to have an 8 slice toaster and rode in the back of the pickup truck. I also wonder if Caleb will still try that audience sing-along in "Took the Words" because I would not miss that either. Overall this is good and not just some "tribute" act with some overweight guy and his garage band buddies.

[2jaxx]

Here's another one. For what it is, I think it's a great effort.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA74d5BnuW4

[loaferman61]

Considering that "Bat" essentially runs straight into "Took the Words" does this mean they are doing the album sequentially? I always liked saving "Bat" for the finale and have a big loud ending while Meat went around the stage soaking in the applause and saying thank you to the fans. I know one of Meat's shows at the Bottom Line refereed to being a "short show since there is only one album". Are they doing additional songs as well? Maybe at least IDAFL.

[letsgotoofar]

I refer you to this thread (http://mlukfc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20418) for a link to the set list.

[Wario]

Caleb sounds fantastic. He is doing this better than anyone could dream.

Im tired of a charade, these songs havent sounded this good since 2010.

[AndrewG]

Watched For Crying Out Loud.
It sounds pretty good. Better than most tributes.

But I do agree with some of the criticisms in the comments. There is some lack of feeling in key points.
Towards the end of the song with the summary lyrics I always envisage this as something far more heartfelt. It almost looks as if Caleb is reading some lyrics from a cheat sheet or so. I could be wrong.

One would almost need to drop to their knees LITERALLY whilst sining these last lines. Meat didn't necessarily do that but it definitely made you feel that. This IS the moment that the truth comes out. The words are about appreciating every great thing that a loved one has done and is doing for the protagonist.

Jim once said that the Bat album HAD to finish with the words "I love you", that was already set in stone. And I always took that as a message to the fans as well or whoever would end up buying the album. Even if there would just be a few thousand rather than dozens of millions.

I think with some more work Caleb could possibly make everyone in the audience feel that particular passion a bit more. This particular climax needs the singer AND PERFORMER to throw everything at it I think rather than just be an audio demo.

It's mostly heading in the right direction I think but some more visual drama is probably necessary to elevate this a bit more.

Sorry to pick on things a bit more but I really think Caleb needs to wear a smart shirt rather than a T shirt hanging over jeans too. Randy is dressed better here. Really think the presentation needs to be spot on like it was with Meat if one wants to perform in the same spirit. Many tributes do that well btw. He shouldn't just be that guy in the random black t shirt in my opinion.

[ajf33]

Does anyone know if the full bat is being streamed anywhere, as have a few friends who are interested, but want to hear it before paying for it, and the snippets are not enough for them! I have looked but can't see it on anywhere like spotify, but thought id ask anyway!

[anotherday]

It is not streamed anywhere. Its $9 and it goes to support the band. Bite the bullet! Its a great CD.

[loaferman61]

It is not streamed anywhere. Its $9 and it goes to support the band. Bite the bullet! Its a great CD.

If you know Bat Out of Hell and are willing to hear a slightly updated version with another singer who does a good job, it is worth the $9.

[loaferman61]

Watched For Crying Out Loud.
It sounds pretty good. Better than most tributes.

But I do agree with some of the criticisms in the comments. There is some lack of feeling in key points.
Towards the end of the song with the summary lyrics I always envisage this as something far more heartfelt. It almost looks as if Caleb is reading some lyrics from a cheat sheet or so. I could be wrong.

One would almost need to drop to their knees LITERALLY whilst sining these last lines. Meat didn't necessarily do that but it definitely made you feel that. This IS the moment that the truth comes out. The words are about appreciating every great thing that a loved one has done and is doing for the protagonist.

Jim once said that the Bat album HAD to finish with the words "I love you", that was already set in stone. And I always took that as a message to the fans as well or whoever would end up buying the album. Even if there would just be a few thousand rather than dozens of millions.

I think with some more work Caleb could possibly make everyone in the audience feel that particular passion a bit more. This particular climax needs the singer AND PERFORMER to throw everything at it I think rather than just be an audio demo.

It's mostly heading in the right direction I think but some more visual drama is probably necessary to elevate this a bit more.

Sorry to pick on things a bit more but I really think Caleb needs to wear a smart shirt rather than a T shirt hanging over jeans too. Randy is dressed better here. Really think the presentation needs to be spot on like it was with Meat if one wants to perform in the same spirit. Many tributes do that well btw. He shouldn't just be that guy in the random black t shirt in my opinion.

He does need some work but they haven't done many shows. I think he's have to be aware that he is not trying to pretend that he is Meat like so many "tributes" do. That would look ridiculous in a serious performance. Very few singers can do both a good voice and convey so much emotion. That put Meat in rare company. Caleb is still young and learning. I guess it is all about expectations to some degree.

[ajf33]

It is not streamed anywhere. Its $9 and it goes to support the band. Bite the bullet! Its a great CD.

I do not doubt it's a great cd, and I am willing to "bite the bullet" as you put it, as I'm happy with what i've heard from the samples! However my friends are a little more conservative, and would like to hear a little more than the snippets, or just the full length Bat!

Doesn't surprise me it's not being streamed, but thought i'd ask anyway, guess they'll have to wait till I have the album to be able to hear it in full lol!

[evil nickname]

The full length Bat still seems to be available for streaming at the bottom of the official website https://batexperience.com/

[Wario]

where is this 9$ CD?

[anotherday]

On the website. https://batexperience.com

[evil nickname]

Well, as a download. There is no actual CD (at the moment).

[anotherday]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej6HUTUKbsg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0tf3RwPJ_5DpSr9YugkFd9wdlc4mdUz_fWsduwTyvjHJ_u3m3f8T_3qVY

Seems giving him some time to get into things has helped, for those who had criticisms.

[AndrewG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej6HUTUKbsg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0tf3RwPJ_5DpSr9YugkFd9wdlc4mdUz_fWsduwTyvjHJ_u3m3f8T_3qVY

Seems giving him some time to get into things has helped, for those who had criticisms.

Does sound and look pretty good. :-)

Seriously how long has it been since the band performed the entire version of Anything for Love before this Caleb tour? I don't even believe Paul Crook was on board before Meat had already cut it.

Glad to see it being completely restored! :up: It is ultimately what the majority of fans want I reckon.

[Wario]

Does sound and look pretty good. :-)

Seriously how long has it been since the band performed the entire version of Anything for Love before this Caleb tour? I don't even believe Paul Crook was on board before Meat had already cut it.

Glad to see it being completely restored! :up: It is ultimately what the majority of fans want I reckon.

the last tour AFL was done in its entirety was the first leg of the Born to ROck tour in 1996.

[Evil One]

I'd pay to see this. :up:

[JaysScout]

We saw the show on October 19th in Jim Thorpe, PA. Caleb was fantastic! I can't imagine another performer doing those difficult songs as well as he did. As always....the band was world class!!!

If anyone sees some video from the show, the reason that Randy's shirt looks so good is that my wife ironed it for him before the show. Randy is great on guitar.....not so good with an iron. LOL

[Wario]

We saw the show on October 19th in Jim Thorpe, PA. Caleb was fantastic! I can't imagine another performer doing those difficult songs as well as he did. As always....the band was world class!!!

If anyone sees some video from the show, the reason that Randy's shirt looks so good is that my wife ironed it for him before the show. Randy is great on guitar.....not so good with an iron. LOL

setlist just Bat in order then Lemon, frying pan, AFL and queen? any changes?

[2jaxx]

I still think he is mostly standing around and not really responding to Cian. It lacks some real emotion and energy. I still dig it because I like Caleb and his singing is technically very, very good. On the other hand, he should deviate more from the recording. He replicates the original vocal more or less. And he leaves out words when Cian starts singing, he should really complete the lines. It sounds way better.
And I missed the "hell".

Reads like a lot of criticism. I still like it a lot.

[JaysScout]

Yes. The same set list.