Cleveland 18th December 1999

Music Hall

It was billed as an interactive concert where the audience chooses the set list but it seemed to me that Meat chose what he sang, he sure wasn't singing Objects in the Mirror as it was asked for two times and ignored.

Nice to see Kas in charge of a band for a change (his voice is still clear despite all those cigs), drummer and pianist were worth mentioning and female background singers sang well.

They played several tracks from the Todd produced Bat out of Hell album, wonder how Meat feels about being predominetly asked about songs that are over twenty years old. Most of the audience seemed to think he wrote them too.

Good concert Kas but pls get back on the road with Todd again soon.

The curtain was back tonight and we had the inevitable instructions, three opening songs and entrapment of some late comers (which was lightly unfair as Meat came on stage only five minutes late tonight and the queue for the car park was so horrendous that I was nearly late too - often if it's that situation, they'll delay the start of the concert). As usual, the DJs introduced it as a show when the audience chooses the set list but unfortunately that was hardly the case tonight.

It started with someone mentioning Objects in the Rear View Mirror may Appear Closer Than They Are so the band got ready to play that but instead Meat went to talk to someone else. This guy told Meat that his seven year old son was coming to the Dallas concert on 16th January and knew all the words to I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) so then the band got ready for that song (or at least Tom moved between the keyboards and piano and Ray switched from keyboards to guitar). Instead Meat says that he won't be playing the Dallas concert, cruely laughs as he says it and again moves to someone else! This person then mentions Objects in the Rear View Mirror again so Meat decides to sing I'd Lie For You!!

Meat then had a heckler in the balcony so he brought him down on stage to sit quietly in the corner but as he kept talking there, Meat bound him to his chair and then gagged him with some duck tape which was really funny! We then had some more questions and actually some stories before Meat got a girl up on stage to lie on the piano and went into You Took the Words without anybody mentioning it.

Next someone asked about the DeadRinger album and mentioned the songs he liked such as Peel Out and I'll Kill You if You Don't Come Back but instead they sang DeadRinger itself! Someone then asked about the Welcome to the Neighbourhood album and mentioned Original Sin but Meat went into the "that" algebra explanation and sang Anything For Love!

After a few more questions and Meat plugging his films again, someone asked if he was likely to be recording anymore Steinman / Lloyd Webber songs so Meat sang A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste. They have obviously been rehearsing this as it sounded brilliant! The band were perfect, Meat got all the words right tonight and the background vocals were wonderful! Unfortunately most of the Cleveland crowd obviously didn't know or appreciate this song as it only got a smattering of applause!

Meat then sang For Crying Out Loud (it had been mentioned earlier in the concert but not in this segment) and he got a standing ovation but personally I was very disappointed in tonight's rendition of it as Meat's voice was very husky and twice he didn't hit the high notes. Once again, they kept the background vocals at bay so that Meat didn't have to sing above that depth of sound. For Crying Out Loud (when it's sang properly) is one of my favourite Meat / Steinman tracks but out of all the performances tonight, for me A Kiss won hands down.

For Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Meat got a famous Cleveland American football star to play the "record executive"! Unfortunately I don't remember his name (and the girl next to me was insulted that I didn't know him when I asked until I explained that I was English!) but he was a laugh on stage! The Paradise couple were good tonight and didn't need any encouragement to kiss or grope!

Bat Out of Hell was brilliant as always! Meat had that look as always but I STILL miss the inflatable bat! We had a two song encore as "nobody mentioned" Two Outta Three during the concert proper.