Did anyone else go to the Arena last night to see Meatloaf?

If so, were you as disappointed as I was? He was out of tune, his timing was wrong and I felt he was carried all the way through by the fabulous Patti Russo.

As it was billed as his 'last world tour', I would have thought that eh would have played all the greatest hits and I don't think I was the only one. Numerous people round me were whistling and cat-calling for him to 'get off', and I saw a number of people walk out well before the end.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big Meatloaf fan and thought his concert when he came a few years ago was one of the best I have ever seen but last night left me feeling bored and disappointed.

I totally agree with you (and welcome to the Forum!). I went and found that he became boring very quickly. He was always singing to his feet, he forgot words, went off key and only Patti managed to hold it together.

People near me were whistling and shouting for him to 'get on with it'.

The bit where he came into the audience was good as it was near me so I had a good view!

Other than that...dull...dull...dull. The long instrumental at the beginning should have been a warning.

When the lights dimmed for the end of the show (before the encores began) we left. Beat the traffic and ended the torture.

A great gig for the nostalgia but I didn't go to see the Meatloaf character, but to hear the Jim Steinman songs sung by Meatloaf. He lost the plot.

Did you get Kasim Sulton doing a song before Meat himself came on? We did at the show in Manchester on Tuesday night.

Don't get me wrong the bloke was good, probably better than Meat himself in this particular instance, but in the past Meatloaf hasn't needed supporting acts, he's been good enough in his own right, although to be fair he was knocking on "him upstairs"'s door just before Christmas.

Overall the Manchester show was good, but I've seen Meatloaf perform a LOT better than he did that night, in this instance even the Meatloaf impersonator whose concert I attended at the City Hall last November was better.

The year before that I went to a dfferent Meatloaf wannabe, who was brilliant, a bloke called Steve from Barnsley was doing him, with backup from a woman who'd won Stars in their Eyes doing Cher, who IMO was as good as, if not better than the REAL Cher.

How can u all say that?

Meat put on a fantastic show on the 15th, any true Meat Loaf fan would class all of his songs as his greatest hits, not just his most popular singles.

It seemed only to be the people in the tiers that were bored every1 around me seemed to be having a great time. I didnt stop dancing all night.
It was 3 hours of pure Meat talent and its a shame its going to be his last!!!

I agree with you, Meat Loaf was great.
One of the best concerts I have been too, and i have been to a few.
We should also remember that the first show was cancelled due to Meat Loafs ill health and him being in hospital and I think he did a great job considering this fact.
I hope everyone who is going on the 29th has as good a time as we did when we went.

Sorry guys and gals, but just my opinion. Many people around me were complaining and there was boo-ing coming from behind me.

I saw Meatloaf a few years ago and he was better than he is now.

I went to the concert to hear Meatloaf sing some good Jim Steinman songs and not necessarily watch Meatloaf the personality stop and start the songs to make animal noises or to hear long instrumental. He has a good strong voice, but didn't use it. He hit wrong notes, forgot words, etc. Disappointing.

Nevertheless, I'm glad others enjoyed it. I think there's a mixed opinion about this. There's another thread somewhere discussing this.

I've had a few customers in the pub who saw him the other week and commented that he wasn't at his best.

I have been a Meatloaf fan since i was 12 but lived in a small little town in the midde of nowhere and have vever been able to see him. Now he is in sheffield i have tickets for the 29th which is going to be apparently the last show ever.

I really hope he is good, as i have waited for this moment for 12 years!

Do us proud Meat!

Patti, the singer who sings with him, was absolutely brilliant. Animated, she held the show together.

I saw Meat back in the early 80's at the Birmingham Nec - Showing my age now, I have also seen him at the Arena a couple of years ago.

The 80's concert was awesome, he was twice the size then, but the energy he put in was amazing. Forgot to mention Ellen Foley was original girl singer.

We had seats in the stands, but rushed the security and finished up down the front. I guess you'd call it the moshpit nowadays.

Probably ranks 2nd behind Freddie Mercury as the greatest performer and front man.

Ok guys found you all some tickets here (http://www.wayahead.com/livegigpopex/location.asp?locReq=35996074&code=79501&userid=81906272&pricetype=1&filler1=livegigpopex)

Wayahead.com aren't reliable though, I remember the year before last I ordered some tickets for Russell Watson at the Hallam FM Arena from their site, ages before the concert was due, but the tickets never came for ages, so I rang up and hassled them about where the tickets were, they said they hadn't been dispatched yet, luckily they came 2 days prior to the concert.

All I'm saying is beware, their customer service is a mess.

did anyone see meatloaf at the arena tonite? goood or wot?????

amazing as usual

waited lonog time before oncour [1] tho
that was funnny :D

hands were aching after tho,

was in block 105. where were you??

sound wasnt too good at start but got better as went on.

was best gig i have seen yet, and one of best prezzies (yet) THNX MUM!!!:D

[1] [Mod Edit: That's 'encore' in case you wondered.]

Originally posted by Fletch
amazing as usual

waited lonog time before oncour [1] tho
that was funnny :D

hands were aching after tho,

was in block 105. where were you??

sound wasnt too good at start but got better as went on.

was best gig i have seen yet, and one of best prezzies (yet) THNX MUM!!!:D

[1] [Mod Edit: That's 'encore' in case you wondered.]

we was in block 213 way up in the gods. the big screens helped tho. wish they had them up wen i went to see def leppard. that was another good gig

With regards to the big screen. Who decisions is it to have one? I've been to a few gigs and when located at the back in some of these big venues viewing is poor. A big screen should be permanant fixture at these gigs IMO.

saw Meatloaf last night at the Hallam and it was excellent! His show ran smoothly. They were all at there best!

Nice bit of acting at the start with meatloaf faking his death and coming in on a strecher... he he!

The only thing i would say that was a tad lame, was the encore! he only did bat out of hell, missing, 'i would do anything for love', 'rock and roll dreams', 'not a dry eye in the house' and 'i'd lie for you and thats the truth' right out the show all together!

Still it was a fantastic night and will never forget it!

I went last night and i have to say a tad disappointed.
The sound was terrible, you couldn't hear him for the first 2 songs, then they got it right. He did sing bent over quite a lot don't know if he normally does, or if that has come from pain from his surgery. Also seemed very breathless at times.
Didn't do many of his very well know songs for a farewell tour thought there would be more. Lots of instumentals too. And yep he did take a long time coming back on for oncore but give him a break 5 mins when you've been on stage one and a half hours two months after heart surgery, but wud have liked 2 songs though.
I would have preferred he waited a bit longer to recover and did a show that we all expected.

Patti, excellent. Think she was in Pandoras Box, a female band that did Jim Steinway songs and were amazing.

I went to see the big guy in December, Manchester, he was awesome then considering he had just come out of hospital .We all have bad days and I dont think he is fully recovered . Maybe he wants to get this tour over with and not let his fans down a second time.No matter what he was like last night you cant deny he has given us ,true Meat Loaf fans ,over 20 years of pleasure.So give the big guy a break and thank him for the big voice he has put into Jim Steinmens songs . No one else will ever bring songs to life like him ,he makes me feel good when im feeling down.I just bang on his tunes and i feel happy once more and i am sure glad that i got to see him at long last .
I cannot deny im a true fan through and through and will stay that way forever regardless .
pretty woman !

Did he sing "Bat out of hell" or "I would do anything for love" ?

Really good songs.. Hmm, might go hunting for my old CD's. I'll hang my head in shame if I'm tempted to put on my Neil Diamond Greatest Hits CD.

heh, pretty woman... i agree. As they said themseleves... 'keep on rocking'

He did some of the old ones at the show I went to in Manchester a couple of weeks back.

Encore was Bat out of Hell, but he did I'd do anything for love and I'd lie for you as well as Paradise by the Dashboard lights and some more of the older ones like 2 out of 3 ain't bad and Dead Ringer (the one he originally did with Cher).

It's just a shame most of the songs on his new album suck in comparison to his last album offerings....

I must admit, I'm with you Fuzzy. I love the man, he rocks, but his performance, in my opinion, was not up to his usual standard. I was petrified that he was going to collapse at any minute. And, I noticed that there were more instrumentals than usual, just thought it was me. I went to see him at the Arena 4 years ago (think it was) and it was awesome, I feel sad that he is too ill to perform the way he used to and glad that I was able to see him years ago when he was well.

I was very disappointed with all of the people in block 202, not one person got up throughout the concert - how can you go to a rock concert and sit down? It's the first gig I have ever been to where I was actually told to sit down by some old duffer next to me, I was going to point out that may be she was a little confused, because she had bought tickets to a rock concert, not to see Andy Williams, but thought that might be a little rude, so if you were that lady, thanks for making me sit down all night! Luckily though, for the encore, the whole of the row in front stood up followed by the rest of the block, which I wish you would've done earlier fellow rockers.

I wish old Meaty well and am glad to have been there for the final, final tour, despite his ill health.