Liverpool Daily Post Article

24K · 20 Jun 2008, 19:12

INTERVIEWING Meat Loaf is an intimidating prospect. The scary image of him as an overweight force of nature with long, sweat- drenched hair stuck to his forehead, singing one of his overblown ballads, looms large in my mind.

He’s also got a reputation for being something of a motormouth, so the fear of not being able to get a question in while being subjected to a 30- minute-long rant about anything and everything is also hanging over me.

Before we’re allowed to talk to the man, however, we’re briefed by his press officer: Don’t ask what he wouldn’t do for love – a reference to his chart-topping single, I’d Do Anything For Love . . . But I Won’t Do That – and don’t talk about Fight Club.

Oh, the irony, considering not mentioning Fight Club is the first and second rule of the fictional organisation, but it’s true; Meat Loaf apparently doesn’t want to bring up the 1999 film in which he played Robert "Bob" Paulson.

I’m then introduced to the man himself – "Call me Meat," he says in a friendly tone.

Within seconds, the aforementioned image of him is gone. Today, Meat, real name Michael Lee Aday – he changed his name from Michael to Marvin in 2001 – is dressed smartly in jeans, shirt and leather jacket, his short, cropped hair slightly greying. And there isn’t a bead of sweat in sight.

He’s also a lot slimmer than anyone might expect, very healthy-looking, in fact. You could be forgiven for walking past him in the street without a backward glance.

The 57-year-old does look tired, though. He says his flight from America was tough and he’s also undertaking a gruelling schedule of promotion and interviews. "I’ve never done this many interviews and TV appearances before. It’s non- stop."

Meat Loaf’s here to promote his forthcoming tour which starts in Plymouth on June 27, before moving on to Cork, in Ireland, then Liverpool, Bath, Romsey, Nottingham, York and Norwich, before heading off to mainland Europe.

"This time around, I don’t know exactly where I’m playing," he explains, "but I know I’m playing Lisbon in Portugal for the first time, and a town in Germany with a great name, Gelsenkirchen.

"I’ve played so much in the UK, so I change the show all the time because people have seen it. I have to constantly make sure the show is different.

"Because I’m playing Lisbon for the first time, I don’t know what to do there. Which show should I do for them? It’s a quandary."

In the late 60s, after the death of his mother, Meat Loaf moved to California where he fronted various bands, including Meat Loaf Soul, and performed in a number of stage musicals, such as Hair, More Than You Deserve and The Rocky Horror Show (he was also cast in the 1975 film adaptation).

It was during auditions for More Than You Deserve that Meat met future collaborator and friend Jim Steinman.

As he was working in The Rocky Horror Show, they began writing what would become Bat Out of Hell, but didn’t start taking it seriously until around 1974, when Meat quit theatre and concentrated solely on making music.

The album, eventually released in 1977, made an international star of Meat Loaf and went on to sell an estimated 37m copies around the world.

It still shifts around 200,000 copies a year.

"You know, that album connected pretty much everywhere," says Meat, proudly. "Although it did nothing in Japan. I think we sold about 12 of the 37m copies over there. You’d think I’d have done well there, I was the size of a Sumo wrestler back then."

He continues: "I think my music connects with people because it’s about life. Some reviewers say my music is about overblown lyrics and theatrics, but I heartily disagree. I don’t think it’s any more overblown or outlandish than, say, Bruce Springsteen’s.

"If you think of Springsteen in black and white, then think of me in colour.

"Both music deals with the same things, and both writers, (Meat Loaf’s main songwriter) Jim Steinman and Springsteen are both very poetic. Jim is just more flowery."

He says the millions of people who buy his records or concert tickets do so because they need a bit of escapism.

"People get enough politics and news in their lives.

"They don’t want to think about it when they go out to a concert, they want to be entertained.

"The same goes for movies. Why do you think Star Wars or Lord of the Rings are the biggest films of all time?

"The world wants to see them because they are about escape, and it’s the same for the audience when they come to my show."

Seeing Meat Loaf on stage, you could easily believe he’s one of the most confident people going, but believe it or not, he’s extremely shy in person and dislikes being in a crowd.

"I even get nervous going on an elevator in a big group of people. I just love being on stage in front of people, it’s like being a court jester."

Such a statement is at odds with what happened during Meat’s last UK tour.

Last November, while on stage in Newcastle, he announced he was quitting performing live, and walked off the stage prematurely.

"I was totally freaked out and didn’t know what was wrong with me," he says. "I wasn’t sick, I didn’t have flu, no sinus infection or anything like that. I thought that was it, so I thought I’d go out on stage. I said ‘I quit’ and walked off.

"It turned out I had a cyst on my vocal cord. Thankfully, it burst, as I didn’t want to have the surgery the doctors were planning.

"Now, I take care of my voice by not talking from the time I go off the stage one night to the time just before I go on again the next day.

"I care more about the people coming to see me than myself and whether I can chat to people," he adds.

He may have scared his fans with one retirement announcement already, but don’t expect to hear another one from Meat any time soon.

"I’m not going to retire. To quote Jon Bon Jovi, I’ll sleep when I’m dead."

* MEAT Loaf plays the Summer Pops at the Echo Arena Liverpool, on July 2.

djfierce · 20 Jun 2008, 19:21

Quote:

The 57-year-old does look tired, though. He says his flight from America was tough and he’s also undertaking a gruelling schedule of promotion and interviews. "I’ve never done this many interviews and TV appearances before. It’s non- stop."

He's already over here?? Or is this an interview he did last time he was here and it just got printed

Thanks for posting Chelle

meatloaf-unofficial · 20 Jun 2008, 19:26

Quote:

"I'm not going to retire"

It sure looks like Meat will be around for quite a few more years yet playing live.... Now thats great to hear!

meatloaf-unofficial · 20 Jun 2008, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by djfierce

He's already over here?? Or is this an interview he did last time he was here and it just got printed

Thanks for posting Chelle

Wouldn't suprise me if he's over here in a rehearsal studio like he was last time before he started the tour, but according to his journal I think he's back in the US still... but I could be wrong!

24K · 20 Jun 2008, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by djfierce

He's already over here?? Or is this an interview he did last time he was here and it just got printed

Thanks for posting Chelle

Dinnah

LOL...

Battybarb · 20 Jun 2008, 19:28

yea,he is already here and 57 ?....thanks for posting

24K · 20 Jun 2008, 19:29

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/...4375-21125858/

Thats the link.

duke knooby · 20 Jun 2008, 20:08

i would probably wrongly assume this was done a few weeks ago when he was over doing the promo work, tv and f word guest spot etc... bet he didn't know he changed his name to marvin lol... nice read though, ta for posting

djfierce · 20 Jun 2008, 20:13

thats what i thought Jonty, the mention of loads of promo work kinda made me suspect, plus i thought they did their rehearsing in L.A like they did on the paradise dvd, also i wouldnt hav thought he was doing loads of promo while rehearsing but then again who knows lol

djfierce · 20 Jun 2008, 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24K

Dinnah

LOL...

Eh?

**allrevvedup** · 20 Jun 2008, 20:15

who knows the mysteries and the whereabouts of the Loaf?

**Monstro** · 20 Jun 2008, 22:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24K

Dinnah

LOL...

PMSL

24K · 20 Jun 2008, 22:23

djfierce · 20 Jun 2008, 22:36

lol had a feeling it was a geordie thing, and my translator was absent at the time lol thought you were offering me lunch

24K · 20 Jun 2008, 23:00

Yep Geordie slang, lunch do you mean dinner?

LOL...

On topic, yea i know i am bad for going off topic, sorry.
I thought it was a good read, nice to see a lot of publicity for Meat

MeatGrl1 · 25 Jun 2008, 20:41

Just found this;

Click the image to read.

Siobhan · 25 Jun 2008, 21:01

you'd think the interviewer would get his age right! lol
great interview though

Battybarb · 25 Jun 2008, 21:39

Also as well as the age,the name thing "Michael to Marvin"

**RadioMaster** · 25 Jun 2008, 21:40

I think this is the third time now that this article is posted

MeatGrl1 · 25 Jun 2008, 21:42

That's nothing to the number of beeping M&G threads

!!!!!!

R. · 25 Jun 2008, 21:43

Threads merged.

20 Jun 2008, 19:12	#1
24K Mega Loafer Join Date: 20.10.2003 Location: WAY UP NORTH Posts: 1,923	Liverpool Daily Post Article INTERVIEWING Meat Loaf is an intimidating prospect. The scary image of him as an overweight force of nature with long, sweat- drenched hair stuck to his forehead, singing one of his overblown ballads, looms large in my mind. He’s also got a reputation for being something of a motormouth, so the fear of not being able to get a question in while being subjected to a 30- minute-long rant about anything and everything is also hanging over me. Before we’re allowed to talk to the man, however, we’re briefed by his press officer: Don’t ask what he wouldn’t do for love – a reference to his chart-topping single, I’d Do Anything For Love . . . But I Won’t Do That – and don’t talk about Fight Club. Oh, the irony, considering not mentioning Fight Club is the first and second rule of the fictional organisation, but it’s true; Meat Loaf apparently doesn’t want to bring up the 1999 film in which he played Robert "Bob" Paulson. I’m then introduced to the man himself – "Call me Meat," he says in a friendly tone. Within seconds, the aforementioned image of him is gone. Today, Meat, real name Michael Lee Aday – he changed his name from Michael to Marvin in 2001 – is dressed smartly in jeans, shirt and leather jacket, his short, cropped hair slightly greying. And there isn’t a bead of sweat in sight. He’s also a lot slimmer than anyone might expect, very healthy-looking, in fact. You could be forgiven for walking past him in the street without a backward glance. The 57-year-old does look tired, though. He says his flight from America was tough and he’s also undertaking a gruelling schedule of promotion and interviews. "I’ve never done this many interviews and TV appearances before. It’s non- stop." Meat Loaf’s here to promote his forthcoming tour which starts in Plymouth on June 27, before moving on to Cork, in Ireland, then Liverpool, Bath, Romsey, Nottingham, York and Norwich, before heading off to mainland Europe. "This time around, I don’t know exactly where I’m playing," he explains, "but I know I’m playing Lisbon in Portugal for the first time, and a town in Germany with a great name, Gelsenkirchen. "I’ve played so much in the UK, so I change the show all the time because people have seen it. I have to constantly make sure the show is different. "Because I’m playing Lisbon for the first time, I don’t know what to do there. Which show should I do for them? It’s a quandary." In the late 60s, after the death of his mother, Meat Loaf moved to California where he fronted various bands, including Meat Loaf Soul, and performed in a number of stage musicals, such as Hair, More Than You Deserve and The Rocky Horror Show (he was also cast in the 1975 film adaptation). It was during auditions for More Than You Deserve that Meat met future collaborator and friend Jim Steinman. As he was working in The Rocky Horror Show, they began writing what would become Bat Out of Hell, but didn’t start taking it seriously until around 1974, when Meat quit theatre and concentrated solely on making music. The album, eventually released in 1977, made an international star of Meat Loaf and went on to sell an estimated 37m copies around the world. It still shifts around 200,000 copies a year. "You know, that album connected pretty much everywhere," says Meat, proudly. "Although it did nothing in Japan. I think we sold about 12 of the 37m copies over there. You’d think I’d have done well there, I was the size of a Sumo wrestler back then." He continues: "I think my music connects with people because it’s about life. Some reviewers say my music is about overblown lyrics and theatrics, but I heartily disagree. I don’t think it’s any more overblown or outlandish than, say, Bruce Springsteen’s. "If you think of Springsteen in black and white, then think of me in colour. "Both music deals with the same things, and both writers, (Meat Loaf’s main songwriter) Jim Steinman and Springsteen are both very poetic. Jim is just more flowery." He says the millions of people who buy his records or concert tickets do so because they need a bit of escapism. "People get enough politics and news in their lives. "They don’t want to think about it when they go out to a concert, they want to be entertained. "The same goes for movies. Why do you think Star Wars or Lord of the Rings are the biggest films of all time? "The world wants to see them because they are about escape, and it’s the same for the audience when they come to my show." Seeing Meat Loaf on stage, you could easily believe he’s one of the most confident people going, but believe it or not, he’s extremely shy in person and dislikes being in a crowd. "I even get nervous going on an elevator in a big group of people. I just love being on stage in front of people, it’s like being a court jester." Such a statement is at odds with what happened during Meat’s last UK tour. Last November, while on stage in Newcastle, he announced he was quitting performing live, and walked off the stage prematurely. "I was totally freaked out and didn’t know what was wrong with me," he says. "I wasn’t sick, I didn’t have flu, no sinus infection or anything like that. I thought that was it, so I thought I’d go out on stage. I said ‘I quit’ and walked off. "It turned out I had a cyst on my vocal cord. Thankfully, it burst, as I didn’t want to have the surgery the doctors were planning. "Now, I take care of my voice by not talking from the time I go off the stage one night to the time just before I go on again the next day. "I care more about the people coming to see me than myself and whether I can chat to people," he adds. He may have scared his fans with one retirement announcement already, but don’t expect to hear another one from Meat any time soon. "I’m not going to retire. To quote Jon Bon Jovi, I’ll sleep when I’m dead." * MEAT Loaf plays the Summer Pops at the Echo Arena Liverpool, on July 2.

20 Jun 2008, 23:00	#15
24K Mega Loafer Join Date: 20.10.2003 Location: WAY UP NORTH Posts: 1,923	Yep Geordie slang, lunch do you mean dinner?LOL... On topic, yea i know i am bad for going off topic, sorry. I thought it was a good read, nice to see a lot of publicity for Meat

25 Jun 2008, 20:41	#16
MeatGrl1 No Day But Today Join Date: 29.05.2006 Location: Sitting on the steps outside looking so restless and reckless and lost! Posts: 9,089	Meat Loaf: I’m not going to retire. I’ll sleep when I’m dead Just found this; Click the image to read.

20 Jun 2008, 19:28	#6
Battybarb Nutty Tart From Hell Join Date: 25.05.2007 Location: liverpool Posts: 8,390	yea,he is already here and 57 ?....thanks for posting

20 Jun 2008, 19:29	#7
24K Mega Loafer Join Date: 20.10.2003 Location: WAY UP NORTH Posts: 1,923	http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/...4375-21125858/ Thats the link.

20 Jun 2008, 20:08	#8
duke knooby Mega Loafer Join Date: 24.06.2005 Location: belfast Posts: 17,890	i would probably wrongly assume this was done a few weeks ago when he was over doing the promo work, tv and f word guest spot etc... bet he didn't know he changed his name to marvin lol... nice read though, ta for posting

20 Jun 2008, 20:13	#9
djfierce Mega Loafer Join Date: 15.06.2005 Location: Posts: 3,596	thats what i thought Jonty, the mention of loads of promo work kinda made me suspect, plus i thought they did their rehearsing in L.A like they did on the paradise dvd, also i wouldnt hav thought he was doing loads of promo while rehearsing but then again who knows lol

20 Jun 2008, 20:15	#11
allrevvedup "Most things that i worry about, never happen anyway" Join Date: 29.11.2003 Location: Liverpool Posts: 5,356	who knows the mysteries and the whereabouts of the Loaf?

20 Jun 2008, 22:23	#13
24K Mega Loafer Join Date: 20.10.2003 Location: WAY UP NORTH Posts: 1,923

20 Jun 2008, 22:36	#14
djfierce Mega Loafer Join Date: 15.06.2005 Location: Posts: 3,596	lol had a feeling it was a geordie thing, and my translator was absent at the time lol thought you were offering me lunch

25 Jun 2008, 21:01	#17
Siobhan Mega Loafer Join Date: 25.11.2007 Location: Southampton/London Posts: 1,171	you'd think the interviewer would get his age right! lol great interview though

25 Jun 2008, 21:39	#18
Battybarb Nutty Tart From Hell Join Date: 25.05.2007 Location: liverpool Posts: 8,390	Also as well as the age,the name thing "Michael to Marvin"

25 Jun 2008, 21:40	#19
RadioMaster The German Join Date: 11.03.2006 Location: some kind of hunting lodge for rich weirdos... Posts: 15,778	I think this is the third time now that this article is posted

25 Jun 2008, 21:42	#20
MeatGrl1 No Day But Today Join Date: 29.05.2006 Location: Sitting on the steps outside looking so restless and reckless and lost! Posts: 9,089	That's nothing to the number of beeping M&G threads !!!!!!

25 Jun 2008, 21:43	#21
R. You dig. Join Date: 02.04.2002 Location: On the fothermucker Posts: 7,179	Threads merged.