The studio itself was quite large (it seated about 200 in a semi-circle format) and it was decorated as a locker room. Meat had Darryl Strawberry's number 39 was taped to the grand piano in honor of his recent struggle with cancer. We stood on a ramp so we were looking down at them which meant we could see really clearly. We heard A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste and Bat Out of Hell (which they taped on audio). During A Kiss, Meat Loaf spent quite a while off the stage area listening to the sound (and correcting the volume and tone) so Kasim sang his part which was brilliant!

After the soundcheck everybody was chucked out of the studio as they had to put the chairs in place and everything so we waited in a corridor by some snacks near the dressing rooms. Meat Loaf and eventually all of The Neverland Express came by as it was between their dressing rooms and where the proper food spread was (we were asked if we wanted anything but were too excited to eat!). Meat Loaf isn't as tall as I expected - he always looks so imposing on stage but he walked by me a few times (with his dog) and is probably only about 5'10". John was friendly as usual and said that he didn't mind taping a television show as if they mucked up, Meat Loaf would stop it and start again. Tom looked really nervous and his hands were visibly shaking!

As usual, the recording started late and when we went into the studio they asked the guests to sit near the back and the fans towards the front so we didn't have a great view as most of the band were sitting down. In fact where I sat I could only occasionally see Meat Loaf but luckily I could clearly see Kasim all the time! The actual filming took from 8.10 until 11.20!

It's hard to remember exactly what they played but they started halfway through All Revved Up. They also sang (in no particular order) A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, Two Outta Three Ain't Bad, You Took the Words Right Outta my Mouth, Rock and Roll Dreams, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Anything for Love, Heaven Can Wait, No Matter What, More Than You Deserve and Bat Out of Hell.

It was a "Question and Answer" interactive type of recording with audience members asking Meat Loaf questions between tracks. During it, he said that Jim Steinman was supposed to have been there but he was sick, he swore that he was born in 1951 and mentioned that Pearl had recently got married and that his other daughter, Amanda, was at college.

Meat Loaf also told a long story about how him and Jim finally got the record company to listen to Bat Out of Hell by re-enacting Paradise by the Dashboard Light in their offices. He then persuaded a guy and girl from the audience to make out on a desk while they sang it which was hilarious! They also brought in a blackboard for Meat Loaf to trot out again what "that" in I'll do Anything for Love but I Won't do That means. He re-played the "Rabbit" sketch to introduce More Than you Deserve.

The highlight of the taping for me was during You Took the Words Right Outta my Mouth as several people were invited on stage to sing the chorus. Meat Loaf got Kasim to sing them in so Kasim sang a few bars solo which was brilliant!

The last song was Bat out of Hell but after it they announced that they had to re-record it. However, after a few bars the band stopped playing and started shaking hands with the audience so it was obvious that what we were hearing was the version that they'd recorded on audio earlier in the evening.

After the taping, we waited for a few minutes and then went into the corridor outside where we saw Kasim further down the corridor chatting to a few people and having his photo taken with some of them. He was the only one of The Neverland Express who was around then. Later I found out that he'd gone dashing along the corridor to meet Ray's parents who'd come to the taping.

Roll on the StoryTellers tour …..!