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....and if anybody says, the Aerosmith gig two days before - same place, was crowded, he has not been at the show of Meat Loaf. Because when first one was well filled, this one here is crowded.
Meat Loaf the evergreen and success guarantee, at least what's up to Germany. Because to get it straight, the biggest echo he probably still gets over here. Thank you Mr.Gottschalk and his couch-potato TV programm "Wetten dass..." where Meat Loaf had been in the past already several times. And like the audiance at this TV-Show, the crowd here, are also good and decent family people, more or less of the conservative kind of, giving the star of tonight a big applause for his performance.

But before that, Marion Raven plays a support intro for Meat Loaf. Marion is norwegian born, and just 23 years young. She belongs to the most talented new singers of the preset, according to one of her co writer Nikkie Sixx of Mötley Crüe. June 4. saw the release of her debutalbum 'Set Me Free' here in Germany. In Japan it has reached already the no.1 position in the charts. Within these songs on the Cd, she has worked out her past. And the only guy who is probaby not happy with this piece, is her ex-boyfriend. - And last but not least we remember her, because of her duet 'It's all Coming Back To Me Now' with Meat Loaf, which can be found on his latest release 'Bat Out Of Hell III" from 2006.

Marion's music sounds what she looks like - soft, smooth a bit melancholic, but though there is a huge potential of expression in it. At this pure acoustic set here, she is accompanied by Meat Loaf's guitarist Randy Flowers, who shows a great talent too and even a bit more.:-) Beeing only the two of them on stage has got the advantage, that our focus can concentrate  on only two persons. And you can realize things like good singing and great playing even better.
Unfortunately there is also one disadvantage about this set, which is the early start at 7.30 p.m. when the venue is only fairly filled. Some people have complained later on, because of having missed out on that girl. -
Sometime during the set, Marion jokes around and talks about her german language knowledge and that she knows only a few words and sentences like: "du hast wohl in die Hose gesch...." Honestly I almost dropped my camera. 
However, Marion is definately good for surprises anytime. I hope, we will hear from her again in the future. She is definately doing a good job. 

  http://www.marion-raven.com/ 

The early start of the whole event has got it's reasons. At 8.30 p.m. 'Bat Out Of Hell' shoots off, starting with the sax, played by Dave Luther. By the way, 'Neverland Express' is the name of Meat Loaf's band, which goes back to a Peter Pan obsession of long term partner Jim Steinman. This group consists of the just mentioned Sax Player, Paul Crook, who has also played for Anthrax in the past on lead guitar, the second guitar is Randy Flowers.  On Bass – Kasim Sulton, Mark Alexander is handling the Keyboard and John Miceli the drums. 
The two young ladies joining the lads on stage are named Aspen Miller and CC Coletti Jablonski. they suit very well to the stage outfit, and their voices are great. Not so much the voice of Meat Loaf. It seems he does a bit hard tonight, at least within the first part of the show. He storms the stage dressed up in a fancy suit and a wig and starts a battle with CC, not only in the musical sense. Unfortunately we are only allowed to take pics for two songs. And exactly after the second one, he starts taking off his wig and everything. So we do not get a photo of what he really looks like, which is bothering us. But probably it has got it's purpose by acting like that. Later on, I've tried to catch some stage moods with a little pocketcamera from up there (view below) and I hope I can give you a little further idea, what the show has been like.


However, a Meat Loaf concert is not a concert in the normal sense, but rather a continuing concept spectacle with a theatralic acting of this - almost legend, who ain't far as big in his bodyshape as he used to be in the past. Almost three hours and 18 pieces of music is the fazit. And I have to say, - respect, this man has still got some condition, you gotta give him that. This here is not only a concert but a rock theater with a classical touch, underlined  by some special effects, pyro and video sequels. Meat Loaf is the absolute focus of course, but you can also see, that he's got an extraordinary band as well. 

Oh yes, and there is his typical dry humour, Meat Loaf always owned. This one is so dry, that, if I didn't know he is american, I'd rather say, he was british. He seems to love our town and praises Munich as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but he also complains: " I like Germany, and I like Munich, and what do I not get?! Fuckin' irish water. - this is Gerolsteiner" - and looks extranged at his water bottle. It seems so real, you might believe this.
But I for my part know Meat Loaf quite well from several interviews, I've done with him in the past, so I also know about his humour. Meanwhile the show goes on. Solos come and go, and he sometimes can take a little break inbetween, either to change a costume or to take an oxygen shower. Because all this is more than just hard work. My respect goes also the the other guys on stage, who have to work harder than some other bands ever do.By the way,during the show, Meat Loaf's voice gets stabled and better with the time,- thanks god for that. 


The last song, - yes of course - one more time 'Bat Out Of Hell'. Did you actually know, that the original selftitled album from 1977 belongs to the seven best sold albums ever with 42 million units. It's also in the Guiness book of record  as the Longest Charting Record. He's been on the top then, dropped down inbetween in the eighties, but since 1993 and 'Bat Out Of Hell II' and the hitsingle 'I'll Do anything for you' he went back up again on top, most of all in Germany and Europe. 

Within the encore you find a cover of the Rolling Stones classic tune 'Gimme Shelter'. Over all one thing is for sure, - the monster has been loose again within this 3 hours show - voluminous, bombastically, a bit  weak voice, but otherwise it's just been Meat Loaf pure. And it has been definately the must successful event  with the biggest resonance of all those concerts of last week, including Bryan Adams, The Who and Aerosmith. Believe it or not. 
Why??? Go and ask Mr. Gottschalk. (Wetten dass ) I bet Meat Loaf will be invited again.....
http://www.meatloaf.de/

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