Beacon Theatre
As soon as we walked into the building we were all given a commerative Meat Loaf envelope containing a Millennium laminated pass and a keyring. The concert started at 8.30 instead of the advertised 8.00 start but there was a great atmosphere in the hall. I was sitting in the third row in the middle so I had a great view and knew several people around me, plus lots of strangers started chatting tonight! As it hadn't sold too well (Meat reckoned only 1,500 seats were sold) they allowed some people down from the balconies too!
We had the usual instructions of "no requests" but Meat omitted the picking on latecomers tonight but he explained about the "Meat Loaf let's cheat a song if we can" book before he sang No Matter What. He also decided that he was going to change his shirt for the Millennium because, as he remarked he always wears all black. He brought on three coloured shirts and all the audience chose his blue shirt but in the event he didn't get changed at all!
After the rocking Life is a Lemon and Lawyers, Guns and Money (Meat sang an extended performance of both tonight!) they sang Hot Patootie and Meat first got Pearl and then Patti up to dance with him! He then invited two girls up on stage too! He was obviously in a great mood tonight!
Someone asked about Meat's first album Stoney and Meat Loaf so he decided to sing something from that and chose What You See Is What You Get which sounded really good! Patti got so into that song!
After Two Outta Three Ain't Bad (Meat only allowed the audience to sing the one line of the refrain), they sang All Revved Up with Meat saying "Let's play the long intro" which I much prefer! It was interesting that after Meat came back on stage with his guitar, he had to ask Kasim which key it was in ("F and then G")!
The first piano girl tonight knew all the "Hot Summer's Night" speech
(for about the first time on the tour!). Meat only called out about six
names (including Anne and Susan for the third time!) for the choir but
several other people got up too!
I can't remember where this fitted in tonight but after Meat had
introduced the band he said that this was the best band that he'd ever
played with! Meat got Kasim up to the front of the stage at one point
too (someone in the audience remarked to Meat that Kasim was the best
bass player he'd seen!) and said that along with all his movies, he and
Kasim were in the process of arranging recording a Christmas album for
next Christmas, another album called Funhouse and Bat III!
The Paradise couple were amazing tonight, especially the girl! She was wearing a tight long dress (with visibly no bra) and they kissed and groped right from the start! Just before the "Stop right there!" line the guy put his hand up her dress - fortunately his girlfriend couldn't see that as she was sitting up with John! Later when Meat was trying to decide between Patti and the girl, she jiggled her boobs in perfect time to the music!
As usual Paradise was followed by the brilliant Bat Out of Hell and thankfully tonight most people stood!
This then took us to about twenty minutes to twelve so all the band went off stage and Meat raffled (from our ticket stubs) twelve bottles of champagne, two bags of Meat merchandise and then a Bat out of Hell guitar!
Meat then brought the band back on stage and the party began! He actually asked for requests from the audience and then decided that the band should sing 1999 as they did on the European Greatest Hits tour! It was a great performance as thankfully both Tom and Ray's microphones were turned up loud! Next Pearl sang the Joan Jett song I Love Rock and Roll (most people were still standing at this point!) and it was great to see how much more confident she's become!
Next they sang the Rolling Stones song Honky Tonk Woman which sounded great but unfortunately Kasim didn't sing any solo vocals although he used to in Europe. As it was getting nearer midnight they just kept singing the chorus and gradually more and more people got on the stage to dance!
Meat then did the countdown to the year 2000 from 11 seconds and the place erupted! Loads of balloons fell from the ceiling and there were two absolutely massive confetti cannons on either side of the stage that showered us with foil confetti - I was still finding pieces on me the next day!
Meat (with Leslie beside him) started singing Modern Girl but when he
got to the line "Give me the future" they broke into Auld Lang Syne
before resorting back to Modern Girl!
After Meat had left the stage and the band were playing the ending, Kasim came to the front of the stage and just shouted "Happy New Year"!
It really was a brilliant memorable night and concert! Thanks guys......!
