Kirby Center
The concert started with the usual introductions and then the instructions that nobody was to request a song but they had to ask a question or tell a story about the song. As always, Meat Loaf found an empty seat near the front and told the audience that when "he" arrived, Meat was going to entrap the person to request a song so all the audience could shout "F**K You!" as a punishment for being late! However, I knew tonight that the seat in the fourth row was going to remain empty as I had the ticket in my handbag!! When all the tickets went on sale, two friends and I had booked them and we'd accidentally booked two for me for that concert and I hadn't been able to sell it! Later in the concert, Meat told a lady who's birthday it was that was at the back of the hall to sit in the empty seat in the fourth row - do you think I should ask her for the money?!!
After the usual opening trio of songs, the first audience chosen song was Read 'em and Weep which was wonderful! Meat reckoned that it was the first time that he'd ever sung it on stage and the first time since he'd recorded it. He chatted for quite a while to give the band a chance to hear it through their earpieces and then they played it from their songbooks and they certainly did well!! Meat messed up one line but other than that, sang it really well! Maybe they should play some Meat Loaf albums on the tour bus as they're pretty good!
Afterwards, Meat explained that Barry Manilow had released the song as a single and did his impression of him singing the ending on one knee!
The next song was Two Outta Three so the band was back on safer ground but then someone asked about Where Angels Sing and I saw at least one band member put his head in his hands!! Unfortunately Meat didn't do so well in this song as a few times Kasim had to help him out but at least it meant we got to hear Kasim's voice - a definite highlight of the concert for me! He sounded so good!
Later, someone asked about Good Girls go to Heaven so Meat started singing the words by himself and the band just joined in for a few bars. The band (especially the Musical Director) really earnt their money tonight!
We again had (the getting to be usual) Hot Pattotie, the "that" explanation before Anything for Love and the Meat Loaf You Took the Words choir while a girl is lying on the piano. Tonight during Paradise the fiancee of the guy on the table sat on John's lap (and then on a stool beside him) during the sketch!
Meat was in good form interacting with the audience again tonight. He twice made one lady go outside to get a beer and told her husband that that was how he should treat her! Another couple were going out to get a drink so Meat made them sit on stage for about three songs! Someone who spoke into a boom mike just wanted to say "hello" to Kasim and yet again, Ray was introduced as having lived in Wilkes-Barre so someone asked him which school he attended! During the introductions, Meat introduced Kasim as having played bass on the album Bat out of Hell and having produced the StoryTellers album!
As we'd already had All Revved Up during the concert itself, the encore was Midnight at the Lost and Found which started with John drumming and then the band coming on (together this time) clapping. Meat virtually started singing before he'd got back on stage. We didn't have Damon's fast lead into the song tonight but instead it just gradually got faster. Also missing were the two solo "Midnight"s from the drum part. The ending was good as Meat kept singing so the band played past the normal ending until Meat had left the stage.