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Meat Loaf band Neverland Express soars on tour like a Bat Out of Hell

4 minute read.

There’s no stopping the Neverland Express.

The longtime band of theatrical rock icon Meat Loaf, the Neverland Express is returning to the road in celebration of their late frontman, who died in 2022 at the age of 74 .

“We’re keeping it going because Meat told us to,” said Paul Crook, a Green Brook native and Meat Loaf’s longtime guitarist, producer and musical director.

Crook's the creator and producer of the “Celebrating Meat Loaf” tour kicking off Friday, Jan. 27, at the Borgata in Atlantic City .

This iteration of the Neverland Express was born out of necessity. After a number of public health scare s , Meat Loaf canceled the tour in support of his 2016 LP “Braver Than We Are” following an on-stage collapse in Edmonton, Canada. A year after the incident, the singer still wasn’t in any condition to tour, and Crook needed to take action.

“Now I’m getting nervous because ... I’m losing the band,” he recounted. "We have to work, that’s what we do.”

Crook approached Meat Loaf and his management team with the idea of returning to touring with an alternate singer, and the band was off and running four years ago.

“I said (to Meat Loaf), ‘Look, I’m doing this because I want to keep the machine oiled. I want to keep the train moving, so that when you are better and ready to do it you can just hop on a plane and join us at any time,’ ” Crook explained.

Three and a half years later, the Grammy-winning star was gone.

“For lack of a better word, I’m grateful that we started doing this years ago because it doesn’t look like we're trying to take advantage of our boss’ passing,” Crook said. “We had his full support, his full endorsement on this.”

With “American Idol” Season13 winner Caleb Johnson on lead vocals, the Neverland Express is ready to unleash “Paradise Found: Bat Out of Hell Reignited,” a new recording of songwriter Jim Steinman’s seven grand rock ’n’ roll sagas that comprised Meat Loaf’s 1977 debut LP, “Bat Out of Hell.”

“The original intent for the recording was simply to show an example of what ticket buyers would see,” Crook explained. “It’s kind of like a (cast recording) to a musical on Broadway. You go to the giftshop and you buy the musical soundtrack. That’s all this really was. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re not trying to replace anybody. Obviously we can’t. It would be ridiculous to even contemplate that.”

Given Meat Loaf’s theatrical background — prior to his success with “Bat,” he turned heads during the Broadway run of “Hair” as well as in “The Rocky Horror Show” and its cult classic 1975 film adaptation — the fact that this body of songs is finding new life on stage via a different performer feels appropriate. After all, how many actors have played lobotomized biker and delivery boy Eddie in the years since Meat Loaf first belted out “Hot Patootie” in "Rocky Horror"?

That being said, the Neverland Express is not a tribute act.

“Caleb Johnson is not coming out holding a red scarf and wearing a puffy white shirt and trying to be Meat Loaf, not in the least,” said Crook. “Caleb Johnson is Caleb Johnson, and we are simply celebrating Meat Loaf.”

‘This music is so special to so many people’

The Neverland Express is utilizing the same arrangements they played on Meat Loaf’s 2013 “Last at Bat” tour of the United Kingdom, playing a setlist that their former boss himself designed, featuring all seven “Bat Out of Hell” songs alongside his litany of classics.

“Paradise Found” will be released on Friday, Jan. 27, via Deko Entertainment and Crooked Media. Crook has been friends with Deko partner Charlie Calv, who grew up in North Plainfield, since high school, and enlisted Dunellen native Tom Brislin, Meat Loaf’s longtime pianist, to handle orchestrations for the album.

Abundant New Jersey connections were a constant throughout Meat Loaf’s career. He enlisted Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan of the E Street Band to perform on “Bat,” for example, and recorded a song co-written by Jon Bon Jovi, “Elvis in Vegas,” for his 2010 LP “Hang Cool Teddy Bear.”

He also collaborated with Jersey talents including Glen Burtnik, C.C. Coletti and Ray Andersen on stage and in the studio over the years.

Brislin, now a member of Kansas, whose resume also includes the Central Jersey pop-rock combo Spiraling and time as a member of Yes, explained his work on “Paradise Found.”

“With classic rock, there is a certain goal to bring people a certain feeling that they had when they first heard the record,” he said. “It was never my job to reinvent the music. I would maybe update some of the sounds here and there along the way, but I tried to put myself in the shoes of the audience. ... I know that this music is so special to so many people and it gave them a feeling at a certain time in their lives, and I want to activate that feeling.”

Brilsin spent years collaborating with Meat Loaf. He reflected on what he learned from his former boss about the business of pleasing crowds.

“Meat Loaf really helped me perform on the big stages, for the big audiences,” Brislin said. “He really knew how to capture and include an entire theater, an entire arena, of people. He was very into playing to the last row of the venue, not just trying to communicate with the people in the front row but to include everyone.

" … That has stuck with me on pretty much every performance I’ve done, whether that’s with Spiraling in a club or Yes in an arena or Kansas in a theater.” Go: "Celebrating Meat Loaf" with the Neverland Express and Caleb Johnson, 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, the Music Box at the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, $35.68 to $39.45; borgata.mgmresorts.com .

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Meat Loaf (born Marvin Lee Aday) is a hard rock icon from Dallas, Texas, US. He is widely acknowledged as the king of the power ballad.

His spirit-surging hit, “I’d Do Anything for Love” defining the genre and getting him the Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. The tune, which works the refrain title into, “I would do anything for love/ I’d run right into hell and back/ I would do anything for love/ I’d never lie to you and that’s a fact…But I won’t do that”, could be the most ambiguous in modern music.

There’s endless conjecture about what “that” could be, from the earnest to the whimsical to the downright disgustingly demoralising. “I’d Do Anything for Love” and other classic Loaf hit, “Bat Out of Hell”, earned their place in the heavy rock canon of 80s hits and are now mandatory mainstays in any public house video duke box, over-30’s birthday party, reception, or office karaoke night.

His famed Bat Out of Hell album trilogy, which comprises “Bat Out of Hell” (1977), “Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell” (1993), Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose” (2006) has sustained a long, successful career.

He shot to fame with the release of “Bat Out of Hell”, which was five years in the making with friend and songwriter, Jim Steinman. It followed on from a period of moderate success of the debut album, “Stoney & Meatloaf” (1971), which he had recorded with Sean ‘Stoney’ Murphy on Motown records.

His early career was marked with acting appearances in Broadway productions, Hair and More Than You Deserve, and as Eddie in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and supporting slots for the likes of The Who, The Stooges, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and Richie Havens.

Bat Out of Hell has sold more than 43 million copies globally. Even 35 years after its release it sells an estimated 200,000 copies every year, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

He’s been known lately for his eccentric public appearances, as erratic therapy patient Robert “Bob” Paulsen in David Fincher’s “Fight Club”, and unctuously serenading Mitt Romney in Ohio on his 2012 presidential campaign.

He’s set to work with Jim Steinman once again on an album scheduled for release in 2015 to be called “Braver Than We Are”.

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Expecting measured and restrained behaviour from a man who’s referred to himself as ‘Meat Loaf’ in a professional context for over forty years now is probably a tad optimistic, but the sheer drama of his departure from an arena show in Newcastle back in 2007 remains amusing. After abruptly announcing that the performance would be his final ever, he thought about continuing, before simply telling the crowd “goodbye forever” and walking off stage. He was having a bad night, presumably, because he’s continued to hit the road since, and not without good reason. He’s probably not quite as fit as he was back in his heyday, but Meat Loaf’s formidable vocal cords are holding up pretty well - and besides, if you’ve got the means to play arena shows, then why not afford yourself all the typical trappings to fall back on? Meat Loaf does precisely that, with a full live band that are by no means shy of a solo or two, and an elaborate stage show that plays up to the keen sense of theatricality in his songs. Musically speaking, expect to hear all the classics - ‘Bat Out of Hell’, ‘I Would Do Anything for Love’ - alongside a slew of fan favourites; with a cult fanbase continuing to pack the biggest rooms in the land, don’t expect him to go anywhere just yet.

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American artist Meatloaf has achieved iconic status in the UK, with his famous ‘Bat Out of Hell’ trilogy. The king of the power ballad, Meatloaf was a delight to watch on stage and had many of the audience members in awe when the chords were struck for his hit ballad ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’, which was met with rapturous cheers and allowed the entire arena to belt along to the lyrics, their eyes shut in content and their fists raised to the sky. ‘Bat out of Hell’ was also met with a great crowd reaction, setting the arena alight. The stage lit up when Meatloaf performed his greatest hits and the light show was phenomenal, really adding to the show. The atmosphere all night was fantastic, with a whole range of ages turned up to witness the legend in action. After all these years Meatloaf still has it, with his raw and powerful, distinctly unique voice. There was a sense of theatricality to the show that was just awe inspiring to watch.

I was super excited to see Meatloaf last night.I had grown up listening to his music due to my older sister introducing me to it.He was as powerful as his lyrics.He performed just as expected and really put on a great show by giving it his all and really taking his audience back through his hits.Watching him was incredible because he seemed to really enjoy to be there and was pleasantly pleased as the audience sang his lyrics with him or to him.His concert was special to me because my sister had passed away years ago,but his deliverance of his songs with his heart and dedication made me feel like she was there with me,bringing me back to the days we jammed and sang together.He took me to an awesome place of great memories and I am grateful for that. So,"you took the words right out of my mouth",as Meatloaf ROCKED it out!!!

Saw Meatloaf in Toms River NJ at the Intermediate Complex around 2004? It was Fantastc! Lightening, Thunder, Pouring Down Rain! Nothing stopped Meatloaf! It was outside, they tried to get us to take cover, no one wanted to go, Meatloaf said the show must go on! He was unbelievable!

Absolutely magical. And the way they played with Paradise by the Dashboard Light was epic. "Honey, I'm 68 years old, my days of going all night are loooooong over."

My mind was blown over, and over and over. He's lost none of his voice, and puts on an awesome show.

OMG! Meatloaf! He still sings straight from his heart straight to yours! Dream come true! Best time ever! Primo Seats!

Security on the other hand was ridiculous!

A men and women's line to go through security??? Really???? No caps on the water bottles??? Really??

Show has been postponed.

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Meat Loaf Was Planning World Tour, New EP, Game Show Before Death: ‘My Voice Is in Incredible Shape’

In one of his final interviews last fall, the singer who died on Thursday (Jan. 20) had a long list of projects in the works.

By Gary Graff

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Meat Loaf was energized and optimistic about the future and spoke about a number of planned projects — including concerts, recordings and a TV game show — during a wide-ranging interview last fall that proved to be one of the singer/actor’s last.

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“My voice is in incredible shape,” he told Billboard shortly before an October appearance at the Motor City Comic Con in suburban Detroit. He had recently let his pipes loose, performing three songs on Mike Huckabee’s TBN program. “Vocally I was really strong, so I don’t sound like my age at all. I can sing ‘Bat Out of Hell,’ no problem — all the same key, all the high notes.”

Meat Loaf's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks

Meat Loaf — who died Thursday (Jan. 20) at the age of 74 — said the biggest problem was “the moving parts” after four back surgeries in recent years. He was planning to play shows this year and noted that, “I’m figuring out how to do shows without moving, with (props) being brought out and doing weird stuff, creative stuff… I keep calling my agent. I left him a message, ‘Let’s do five weeks, 16 shows in America, take a little break, do 16 shows in Europe, take a break, do another 16, then see how we like it. I’m ready to get out there.”

What he wasn’t planning to do, however, was a Bat Out of Hell show to commemorate the landmark album’s 45th anniversary this year. “I would never do that,” Meat Loaf said. “I mean, I’ll do the album, but not in order. That’s a terrible show order. It’s awful. It doesn’t work for a show. We did it live like that at the beginning with [longtime collaborator Jim] (Steinman), and it didn’t work, so I moved (the songs) around.”

With his health keeping him off the road, however, Meat Loaf was happy to keep doing the occasional comic con appearances, which he said kept him in touch with fans. “I have a responsibility to my fans, and the responsibility is to continue to communicate with them, so I can communicate with them this way, which is a different way,” he explained. “My lines move a little slow, ’cause I talk with them. I get up and periodically walk down the line say, ‘Listen, my lines move faster than a line at Disneyland, so there…’ They talk about everything — Rocky Horror, Bat Out of Hell, Fight Club , the music. Some of them come up and they want to talk about the movie called Roadie . I had somebody come up and talk about A Hole in One , a (2004) movie I did with Michelle Williams. They’ll talk about Dead Ringer , the album Bad Attitude, sometimes Hang Cool Teddy Bear . It’s all over the place.”

In addition to the concerts, Meat Loaf also planned to release a four-song EP that would include a “ rock ‘n’ roll version” of the song “What Part of My Body Hurts the Most?,” which his late longtime collaborator Steinman wrote for the Bat Out of Hell: The Musical . He was hoping to be joined on the EP by Shaun “Stoney” Murphy, the veteran of Little Feat and Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band with whom he recorded the Stoney and Meatloaf (sic) album for Motown’s Rare Earth Records label while both were appearing in a Detroit production of Hair .

“I had dinner with Stoney about two months ago and I was telling her all this stuff, and she said, ‘You remember more than I do!'” Meat Loaf said. Their album included a version of “Who is the Leader of the People?,” which was later recorded by Edwin Starr, while Stevie Wonder played piano on the track “She Waits By the Window.” “I was doing Hair at the Vest Pocket Theater and got a message Motown wanted to meet me,” Meat Loaf recalled. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do a duet record?’ and they said, ‘That’s exactly what we were thinking.’ I said, ‘With Stoney’ and they said, ‘That’s exactly what we were thinking.’ So I went with Stoney and said, ‘They want to do a record with us’ and she said ‘OK’ and we did it. It was very cool, all those great people we worked with.”

Outside of music, Meat Loaf said he was working with producers on a TV game show titled after his 1993 hit “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” which was signed by ABC in the U.S. and ITV in Great Britain and Australia. “It’s really spectacular and really expensive,” he said. “There’s ‘I would do anything for love’ and then there’s ‘I won’t do that’ — things like put a bowl of spiders on your head. It’ll be a bunch of stuff going on at the same time, so it’s like a Barnum and Bailey three-ring circus.” Meat Loaf himself would not be hosting but would serve as “like the color guy on the football games. They want me to be up on some throne on top of the whole thing. I’ll talk and interview people before they go into the game.”

Amidst all the activity, Meat Loaf was also still mourning Jim Steinman’s death last April, at the age of 73 following a series of health issues. The two had repaired any schisms in their relationship and had grown close again, with Meat Loaf last visiting Steinman shortly before pandemic lockdowns began during the spring of 2020 and then staying in touch via phone.

“I would talk to him on the phone and get him to laugh,” Meat Loaf said. “He was incredible, intelligent, one of the smartest people I’ve known. He was a little lazy (laughs), but I told him that. Jimmy and I were brothers, and any time you hear anything negative about us it’s not even close to being true. He got mad but he didn’t get mad at me. He got mad ’cause he wasn’t recognized for ‘Bat’ as much as he wanted. He is (credited) more now than he was then, so that’s good.”

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Meat loaf's streams up 2,583% following rock legend's death, forever no. 1: meat loaf's 'i'd do anything for love (but i won't do that)', edward norton remembers 'fight club' costar meat loaf: 'to us he will always be 'bob''.

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Bat The Official Meat Loaf Celebration 2023 tour

Bat – The Official Meat Loaf Celebration featuring The Neverland Express plus American Idol winner, Caleb Johnson, have announced live dates for 2023.  The tour starts on Sat 20 th  May at Oxford’s New Theatre and culminates in London at Indigo at The O2 on Sat 27 th  May. 

  The show celebrates the legendary Meat Loaf and includes his hit songs performed brilliantly by world-class alumni of his official band. Performing the iconic “BAT OUT OF HELL” album in its entirety, the show also includes hits from “Bat Out of Hell II”, “Bat Out of Hell III”, “Dead Ringer” and even “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Led by Meat Loaf’s longtime record producer/music director/guitarist Paul Crook alongside John Miceli (drums), Randy Flowers (guitar) and Lyssa Lynne (female lead/backing vocals), the band stays true to the original recordings while delivering the excitement of a live Meat Loaf show. 

In addition to a #1 album and touring with some of the biggest names in rock, Caleb delivers his own unique stamp to such classics as “Bat Out of Hell”, “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and “I Would Do Anything For Love” while staying true to the essence of Meat Loaf’s delivery.   

Created & produced by Paul Crook, this is the only band that was officially endorsed by Meat Loaf.

“ To be perfectly honest, it ’ s going to be emotional as it’s our first time overseas without Meat Loaf.  I know I can speak for the band in saying we have always considered our UK fanbase as family, a second home. They are loud, fun, passionate and, together with them, we are going to make this tour the ultimate celebration of our beloved Boss.  Meat Loaf loved touring the UK and to say that he appreciated his fans would be an understatement. Very much like Meat Loaf, Caleb is a charming, true southern gentleman with a huge voice. This will be his very first time in the UK. We believe that our fanbase is going to welcome him into the  “ family” the second he steps on stage”.                PAUL CROOK

“I’m super excited and honored to be celebrating this legendary and iconic music. My life forever changed after hearing the blockbuster album “Bat Out of Hell ”  for the first time when I was 15 years old. Meat Loaf is a massive hero of mine and I ’ m looking forward to rocking with the UK family!”     CALEB JOHNSON:  American Idol Winner

The dates are as follows:

Sat 20 th              OXFORD  – New Theatre

Sun 21 st              BIRMINGHAM  – Symphony Hall

Tues 23 rd           GLASGOW  – Royal Concert Hall

Thurs 25 th           GATESHEAD  – Sage

Fri 26 th                MANCHESTER  – Bridgewater Hall

Sat 27 th               LONDON  – Indigo At The O2  

TICKET LINK:  https://myticket.co.uk/ artists/BAT

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Meat Loaf, a flying wheelchair, and the greatest story ever told

In 1989 Meat Loaf's career was floundering, and he was booked on a tour of small Irish halls. It did not go according to plan

In the late 1980s, a good pal of mine worked for a well known music pro­moter and for­mer Euro­vi­sion star. One of his spe­cial­i­ties was to bring in stars either past their prime, or on the skids, for Irish tours. The Irish would never give up on a star was this pro­mot­er's mantra: The hits will keep them com­ing to shows .

One such act was Mar­vin Lee Aday, a.k.a.  Meat­ Loaf . As well as being wheel­chair-bound for a spell in the 1980s after breaking his leg jumping off a stage in Ottawa, Meat­ was to all intents and pur­poses immo­bile in every pos­si­ble musi­cal sense. A few years ear­lier he had “embraced” the 1980s' power-pop-rock sound with the abysmal, Blind Before I Stop album, a disc produced by German Boney M mastermind Frank Farian. The album's mas­tur­ba­tory title did lit­tle to hide the mess within, and even a crowdpleaser like David Has­sel­hoff would have strug­gled with songs such as Rock ‘N’ Roll Mer­ce­nar­ies , Spe­cial Girl and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hero . 

One possible sal­va­tion appeared in the shape of a new musi­cal foil, John Parr – the pair duetted on Rock 'N' Roll Mercenaries – but Meat made a balls of that one, allegedly falling out with Parr on stage in Lon­don. With his record deal about to go too, old Meat was a goner. He was reduced to touring ‘inti­mate’ venues — the types he would have ignored long before Bat Out of Hell broke. But he still had pock­ets of fans in Ire­land and the UK he could depend on. 

The rural rock­ers of Ire­land, in par­tic­u­lar, are the type of loyal fan every star craves. So long as there’s a fella throw­ing shapes with a loud gui­tar and an act who’ll play the hits, they’ll go for it. And so, in 1989, Meat­ Loaf was booked on a ram­shackle tour of some of Ireland’s worst com­mu­nity cen­tres, ball­rooms, hotel func­tion rooms and other assorted sheds sud­denly deemed good enough to host rock roy­alty. He even turned up in a few fields. 

The pro­mot­ers were so con­fi­dent that this tour would be a hit that they booked Status Quo for the same one the fol­low­ing year. Nei­ther act refused the itin­er­ary (or the money).

With such an iconic star as Meat­ Loaf in town, the peo­ple of rural Ire­land came out in their droves. Prac­ti­cally every show was a sell-out with the door­men more than happy to ram a few more heads into each gig if the price was right. 

Bar sales rocketed as every­one in town got pissed in advance of hear­ing Bat Out Of Hell on their doorstep. The shows were rowdy and rock­ing, the band were just fan­tas­tic, and the tour per­son­nel were enjoy­ing their brush their star­dom. But, a cou­ple of over­stuffed gigs in, Meat­ Loaf was begin­ning to crack. 

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There were too many peo­ple at each ‘inti­mate’ show, and for a man who had been play­ing sta­di­ums a few years back, this wasn’t what the dream had mapped out. The tour reached its nadir when it pulled into Moate, a town in Co. West­meath famous not only for being the birthplace­ of one half of folk duo Fos­ter and Allen, but also for hav­ing the widest main street in Ire­land at the time.

Two or three songs into the gig, and the pres­sure was build­ing up at the front.

“Please guys, can you move back a cou­ple of steps?” pleaded Meat as he fin­ished You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, to an audi­ence on the move, hor­i­zon­tally and ver­ti­cally. "Someone’s gonna get hurt."

About six peo­ple heard him. The rest of them were either scream­ing for the hits or try­ing to fin­ish their cans of Fos­ters which, along­side Harp, Hoff­mans and Furstenberg, was the sta­ble tinned lager at Irish gigs of the time. I was being crushed down the back, my pre­vi­ous gig­ging expe­ri­ence lim­ited to see­ing Mamas Boys, Christy Moore and, of course, local entertainer Joe Dolan.

The gig car­ried on, and more and more peo­ple swelled the already packed Community Cen­tre. As this was a local gig for the tour pro­moter, there was no way he was refus­ing any­one from his neck of the woods, par­tic­u­larly if they arrived at the door bran­dish­ing cash.

Ear­lier in the tour Meat had assigned a new role to my tour man­ag­ing pal Marty – to pro­tect him, to be his body­guard. Marty told us he’s “take a bul­let” for Meat­, such was his love of the big man’s music. 

As the Moate gig stepped into gear, Meat Loaf’s new body­guard sensed that the man him­self was about to explode. He had erupted a few times over the past few nights. Marty moved into posi­tion on the side of the stage to reas­sure Meat that every­thing was O.K. He liked reas­sur­ances, did Mar­vin, and my friend Marty was just the man to give them to him. But the crowd was far from reas­sur­ing.  Empty beer cans began to be hurled around the venue. Some clanged off the side of the stage.

With the gig still building momentum, a lone Dr. Marten boot broke the imag­i­nary wall between per­former and audi­ence and landed on stage.

Now, in his pre­vi­ous arena-filling life, Meat­ Loaf was more accus­tomed to fren­zied females fever­ishly whip­ping off their panties before launch­ing them towards the stage. He was no stud, but as his sweaty arena show reached its peak there seemed to be no stop­ping more excitable female audi­ence mem­bers. But there was none of those in rural Ire­land tonight. 

A few moments later another item of men’s footwear landed on stage, fol­lowed inter­mit­tently by sev­eral other items of cloth­ing, none of which resem­bled silk panties. Meat­ Loaf was hav­ing none of it.

“Stop fuck­ing throw­ing things!” he roared, the glare in his eyes adding the nec­es­sary ‘or else’. The crowd didn’t care. Beer cans, glasses, bot­tles and what­ever else was get­ting in the way of the increas­ingly crushed audi­ence began to arrive on stage at var­i­ous inter­vals before, dur­ing and after songs. The odd unfin­ished cigarette also came up. As a junior smoker at the time who was well accus­tomed to shar­ing cigs with my pals (in fact it was the norm) I thought this was an affec­tion­ate ges­ture for Meat­ Loaf to take a drag. Not so.

“I’m fuck­ing leav­ing here man,” Meat­ Loaf roared, to Marty by the side of the stage.

“No way! You can’t,” Marty told Meat­. “They’ll fuck­ing kill you.”

A white run­ner boot, its path to the stage illu­mi­nated by the arc of a spot­light, then hit the star turn.

“Fuck you!” Meat­ Loaf roared back, and he promptly stormed off stage, micro­phone drop­ping to the floor in a screech of feed­back. The band – a bunch of hired hands most likely on wages as poor as the food through­out the tour – were not yet fully com­pe­tent in read­ing Meat Loaf’s sig­nals, and they played on. Was this a cos­tume change? “I dunno, I’m only the drummer.”

Back­stage in the nar­row hall­way which tre­bled as dress­ing room, load-in point and back­stage area, Meat­ Loaf was fum­ing. Like the band, the crowd hadn’t yet realised he’d stormed off stage so not only did his grand exit not achieve the desired effect, but most peo­ple there thought it was part of the show.

Supremely pissed off, he reluc­tantly went back on to about a thou­sand roars for Bat Out Of Hell .

As more debris rained on stage, Meat­ Loaf warned the crowd that he would “walk out the fuck­ing door” if they con­tin­ued this sort of carry on.

“I’m fuck­ing warn­ing you,” he roared as the band broke into Dead Ringer For Love , one of Meat’s biggest Irish hits and one guar­an­teed to send the crowd doolally, “one more thing lands on this stage and I’m leav­ing.” 

A cou­ple of cans flew around the venue, but none landed on stage. They were joined in their flight by a cou­ple of shoes and sneak­ers, only one of which landed on stage. But, fair play to him, Meat Loaf held firm, though the threat of storm­ing off stage was still very real.

Attempt­ing the unen­vi­able task of pro­tect­ing Meat­ Loaf from debris and hold­ing the crowd back was my pal Marty. He was stand­ing in the pit directly on front of the stage, swat­ting beer cans when sud­denly, every­thing in the com­mu­nity cen­tre went into slow motion.

Marty recalls: “The lights caught some­thing shiny and a sec­ond or two later I saw it. I thought ‘oh no… this is it… show’s over’…”

Fly­ing through the air was… a wheelchair.

The chair flew directly over Marty’s head. He turned just in time to see Meat Loaf’s eyes swell with an unusual mix­ture of both fear and won­der. The burly singer put out an arm and attempted to step back. The stage was so small he stum­bled into the drum riser just as the wheel­chair crashed onto the boards in front of him. In slow motion the big man appeared to fall, the empty wheel­chair bounc­ing to his left, one wheel com­i­cally spinning.

Marty remem­bers the crowd cheer­ing. He was sure he could make out some­one scream­ing, but by the time he could react Meat­ had got­ten to his feet, grabbed the mic, roared at the audi­ence and hurled it at them as he stormed off. 

How­ever, the lead of the mic was too short and it hit the advanc­ing Marty, whose own incredulity at what had been launched onto the stage had pre­vented him from get­ting up there sooner. As he climbed onto the stage the band were already leav­ing it. The show was not even a half an hour old.

As he arrived back­stage to find Meat­ Loaf ablaze with swear­words, anger and American hand-gestures, Marty decided to let the con­cert pro­moter do the talk­ing. There was no way Meat­ Loaf would return to the stage. “No fuck­ing way!” said the big man. “Not after what they did to that poor kid in the wheelchair.”

“Christ!” thought Marty. “Who was actu­ally in the wheel­chair?” There was no way of know­ing if there was a poor kid, such was the vol­ume of peo­ple within the Com­mu­nity Cen­tre, and there was no way Meat­ Loaf was going back in front of them to find out.

They lairy audi­ence began to get even more rest­less. A riot – unheard of in rural rock­ing cir­cles, though another pal of mine swore blind his emi­grant brother was at a Dio-era Black Sab­bath gig in the states when one broke out – was almost cer­tainly on the cards.

Despite pleas that return­ing to the stage would calm the rest­less natives, Meat­ Loaf stormed out of the venue towards his bus, his band and entourage close behind in a show of sol­i­dar­ity and strength. The pro­moter, his entourage and my pal Marty tried to rea­son with him, but to no avail. Out of the blue, an angry man in a denim jacket appeared.

Could he be linked to the wheel­chair? Er, no.

“Get back on that stage ya bol­locks,” he roared at Meat­ Loaf, as he stormed over to him, arm coil­ing up to his side. “We paid good fuck­ing money to see you!”

The man went for Meat­ Loaf. Would Meat­ Loaf go for him? The man’s fist looked deadly. He raised it back and pushed it out. Act­ing on instinct, my pal Marty dived in to pro­tect Meat­ Loaf. He was, after all, on secu­rity detail. 

Again, every­thing sud­denly went into slow motion. Marty’s feet left the ground as he launched him­self into the air. As his face flew into view and blocked Meat Loaf’s head, the irate audi­ence member’s fist stuck, con­nect­ing with his nose. Blood spurted loose as Marty com­pleted his dive and landed on the tar­mac. 

Meat Loaf’s own peo­ple man­aged to get their man out of the way and within sec­onds he was on a bus, bound for the hotel. My pal Marty lay on the ground, his nose bro­ken, but no injury could dent his pride at ‘tak­ing a bul­let’ for Meat Loaf.

“It was like a Pres­i­den­tial movie,” he recalls.

The tour resumed in Car­low the fol­low­ing night, where Meat­ Loaf per­son­ally thanked Marty for inter­ven­ing the night before. Secu­rity was tight­ened up con­sid­er­ably, with a load of army and hardy FCA (local defence force) boys drafted in on the promise of free tick­ets, a cou­ple of cans and a few bob, and for the first time on the sold-out tour, ‘house full’ signs were erected and the door­men said no.

Secu­rity was even tighter when the Quo did the same tour (minus a few of the sheds) a year later. 20 years later and my pal Marty’s nose is a crooked bro­ken mess, a side­ways Manilow, but he’s a proud man and to this day he calls the nose ‘Meat Loaf’ in hon­our of the man for whom he took a bullet.

A lit­tle over a year later and Meat­ Loaf was back in the are­nas. He rekin­dled his part­ner­ship and friend­ship with Jim Stein­man and together they penned Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell , an album which spawned I’d Do Any­thing for Love (But I Won’t Do That) , a song that got to num­ber one in 28 coun­tries. 

My pal Marty likes to think that the unspo­ken ‘that’ in the hit song refers to steal­ing someone’s wheel­chair, and throw­ing it up on stage.

This feature was originally published by Ronan Casey in 2017. Ronan is the author of Joe Dolan: The Official Biography , and owns three cats: Ronnie, James and Dio .

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Reviving Rock's Legacy, One Heart at a Time.

THE LEGENDARY SOUNDS OF MEAT LOAF

MEAT LOAF 2.0

"Band Out Of Hell" is more than just a tribute band; it's a homage to the electrifying energy and timeless spirit of Meat Loaf, brought to life by a group of passionate musicians. Led by Ed, embodying the iconic presence of Meat Loaf himself, the band features Steve on drums, Dave with the bass guitar rhythms, Ben on the enchanting keyboard, and Phil shredding on the guitar. The harmonious blend of voices from our female singers, Maddie, Nur, and Thea, adds a layer of depth and soul to the band's sound, reminiscent of Meat Loaf's dynamic performances.

Formed from a shared admiration for Meat Loaf's work and the desire to keep his legendary music alive, "Band Out Of Hell" sets itself apart with meticulous attention to musical detail, energetic stage presence, and a deep, genuine connection to the songs they perform. Each member brings their own flair and expertise, creating a sound that's both authentic to Meat Loaf's original recordings and fresh for today's audiences. Our mission goes beyond playing music; it's about creating an experience that transports fans back to the height of Meat Loaf's career, while welcoming new listeners into the fold. "Band Out Of Hell" is not just a band; it's a celebration of Meat Loaf's legacy, inviting everyone to join in the passion, the drama, and the rock and roll.

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Join us in Marrickville, Sydney on 6 April 2024

ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE

As a purpose built, dedicated live entertainment venue, the Factory hosts an array of live music and performances – from international rock concerts to intimate cabaret shows, film and dance. The Factory brings a breath of fresh air to Sydney’s entertainment scene and a commitment to nurturing emerging performers and acts.

Bring the Power of Meat loaf to Your Event

Ready to electrify your event with the unforgettable anthems of Meat Loaf? "Band Out Of Hell" offers a spectacular live music experience, capturing the heart and soul of Meat Loaf's legendary performances. Whether it's a festival, corporate event, private party, or a concert venue, our band brings a high-energy show that's guaranteed to engage and entertain your audience. With a setlist spanning Meat Loaf's greatest hits, we promise a performance that's both nostalgic and thrilling. Click below to book "Band Out Of Hell" now and let us make your event truly legendary.

Testimonials

Once of the best local bands I've seen for a long time...

It was awesome, very well done...

The show was great, the musicians were awesome...

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I purchase tickets for "Band Out Of Hell" concerts?

Tickets for our concerts can be purchased directly from the venues shown on our Tour Dates page or via authorised ticketing partners. Be sure to follow our social media channels for the latest ticket release announcements.

Is merchandise available for purchase at concerts?

Yes, we have a range of "Band Out Of Hell" merchandise available at our concerts, including T-shirts, caps, and other memorabilia. You can also purchase our merchandise online through our website.

How long is a typical "Band Out Of Hell" concert?

Our concerts typically last between 90 minutes to 2 hours, including an intermission. We aim to provide a full Meat Loaf experience, covering a wide range of his hits and fan favourites.

Does "Band Out Of Hell" perform songs from all Meatloaf albums?

Yes, our setlist spans the breadth of Meat Loaf's career, including hits from all his major albums. We aim to celebrate his entire musical legacy, bringing to life both the classics and some hidden gems.

Can I book "Band Out Of Hell" for a private event?

Absolutely! "Band Out Of Hell" is available for private bookings, including corporate events, private parties, and special occasions. Please visit our Contact/Booking page for more information and to submit an inquiry.

How can I stay updated on "Band Out Of Hell" news and tour dates?

The best way to stay updated is by subscribing to our newsletter through our website and following us on our social media channels. We regularly post news, tour dates, and exclusive content for our fans.

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0405 822 184

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Bat Out of Hell: The Musical Tickets

The spectacular musical, featuring the legendary anthems of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, arrives in NYC.

This show is closed.

Performances ended on Sep. 8, 2019.

News & Features

About bat out of hell: the musical on broadway, video & photos.

Experience the thrill of London’s most spectacular musical as Bat Out of Hell brings to life the legendary anthems of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, in a critically-acclaimed, award-winning production that combines the magic of a musical, with the immense energy of rock 'n' roll. Join Strat, the forever young leader of rebellious gang "The Lost," as he falls in love with Raven, the beautiful daughter of the tyrannical ruler of post-apocalyptic Obsidian. Featuring Meat Loaf’s iconic hits including "I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)," "It’s All Coming Back To Me Now" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light," “this is a musical production like no other” ( The Upcoming ). 

Cast & Creative

Andrew Polec has starred as Strat in Bat Out of Hell in London, Toronto, New York City and more. He's been seen off-Broadway as Matt in The Fantasticks and his regional theater appearances include the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Trinity Repertory Theatre and the College Light Opera Co. 

Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee currently starring on the hit TNT television series Snowpiercer  as Miss Audrey (4 Seasons). Broadway:  Hedwig and the Angry Inch  (Tony Award winner for Featured Actress in a Musical);  Kinky Boots  ( Nicola, original cast),  42nd St, Dracula, Tarzan, CATS . Off Broadway:  How to Transcend A Happy Marriage  (Lincoln Center),  Toxic Avenger  (New World Stages) among others. TV and Film: Girls  ( HBO), Good Girls Revolt  (Amazon) and the starring role in the critically acclaimed feature film, Becks  (LA Film Festival winner). Lena toured the US and Canada alongside Josh Groban (Stages Tour), played her sold out one woman show(s) from The Carlyle to San Francisco and has multiple solo albums on all streaming platforms.

Christina Bennington's theatre credits include Raven in  Bat Out Of Hell , (Manchester Opera House, London Coliseum, Mirvish, Toronto and New York City Center); Johanna Barker in  Sweeney Todd  (Derby/Mercury Theatre Colchester); Kim/cover Magnolia in  Show Boat  (New London Theatre); Marlene Hardcastle in  The Smallest Show on Earth  (UK Tour); cover Laurey in  Oklahoma!  (UK Tour); Sharon in Finian’s Rainbow (Charing Cross Theatre); Marilyn/Sovereign in  A Christmas Carol  (Birmingham Repertory Theatre).

Bradley Dean recently starred in  Bat Out of Hell  at NYC’s City Center. New York audiences have seen him as Carl-Magnus in  A Little Night Music , Sir Galahad in  Spamalot  and Larry Murphy in  Dear Evan Hansen  and at City Center Encores! as Dr. Jafar in  A New Brain  and Giuseppe in  The Most Happy Fella . Other Broadway credits include  The Last Ship ,  Company ,  Doctor Zhivago ,  Evita  and  Man of La Mancha . Mr. Dean has appeared regionally in the world premieres of  A Comedy of Tenors  (McCarter Theater),  Fly  (Dallas Theater Center) and  Life After  (The Old Globe). Thank you, Hal. 

• Broadway Shows
• Bat Out of Hell: The Musical on Broadway

Meat Loaf: 10 Essential Songs

Meat Loaf was a rock & roller like no other: a 300-pound sex symbol with a throat of gold. The singer, who died Thursday , started out in musical theater, and he boasted a clean, commanding voice that spanned both the baritone and tenor ranges. His delivery was a natural fit for both his star-making cameo in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the gorgeously outlandish, Oscar-worthy Jim Steinman –penned melodramas that defined his career: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” and more. Whatever the song, Meat Loaf didn’t just belt out the words, he fully became the character. Here are 10 of his best performances.

“What You See Is What You Get” (1971)

Long before Bat Out of Hell or even Meat Loaf playing Eddie in Rocky Horror , he was the second-billed singer in the duo Stoney and Meatloaf (the group was so embryonic for Meat, he hadn’t even split up his name yet.) Stoney, a.k.a. singer Shaun Murphy, knew Meat from the Detroit music scene, and the pair had appeared together in a production of Hair before teaming up. They signed to the Motown subsidiary Rare Earth for one self-titled album, which contained their debut single, “What You See Is What You Get.” The oversize psychedelic-soul record sounds at once like an outtake from Hair , Seventies Motown (“Papa Was a Rolling Stone”–era Temptations, the band Rare Earth), and the Jackson 5 — all in two minutes — with vocals that trade off, rock organ, and lots of tambourine. It’s catchy, too. The track made it up to Number 71 on the Hot 100. It even features an uncredited cameo by Stevie Wonder. “One day Stevie was hanging out and they played this really corny song [of ours], and Stevie Wonder heard it and said, ‘Can I play piano on that?’ ” Meat recalled in 2010, according to Songfacts . “So Stevie played piano on this corny song of mine.” — K.G.

“Hot Patootie — Bless My Soul” (1975)

Everything about Richard O’Brien’s 1973 musical The Rocky Horror Show was a farce, from the way it sent up Fifties sci-fi movies to how it revealed love triangles between nearly all of the characters. At its center was Eddie, a corpulent Elvis wannabe who rides a motorcycle and “blows” a sax. He gets only about four minutes of stage time — belting the Dion-esque ode to rock & roll “Hot Patootie”— but his disappearance shortly thereafter sets off the chain of events that leads to the story’s many climaxes. In the original production, Meat Loaf played both Eddie and Dr. Scott (the scientist searching for Eddie, his nephew), which made the whole thing campier. When it was made into a movie, 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show , Meat played only Eddie — but his cameo was a scene stealer (Tim Curry in drag notwithstanding), and the film’s cult appeal set up the success for Bat Out of Hell . Years later, the song was a staple of Meat’s set lists from the Nineties until just a few years ago. — K.G.

“You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)” (1977)

The mini-est of Bat Out of Hell’s mini rock operas, “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth,” released in advance of the album in 1977, finds Meat crooning about romantic fumbling on a hot summer night with all the urgency of first love — “There’s not another moment to waste,” he sings. Jim Steinman’s music quotes the drumbeat from “Be My Baby,” the crushing guitar riffs of “Baba O’Riley,” and the whiny background vocals of the Four Seasons, but with Meat singing — especially when the backdrop falls away for the punchline of the chorus: “You took the words right out of my mouth/It must have been while you were kissing me” — the song feels fresh. Steinman and Meat wrote the song while Meat was understudying for John Belushi in the National Lampoon road show. “My input was more arrangement, methods, a word or two here and there,” Meat Loaf told Rolling Stone after Steinman’s death last year. “My job was to make the songs focused, the same way you’d get a character focused. Every song was a character.” — K.G.

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The 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history, every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, “paradise by the dashboard light” (1978).

When Meat Loaf was a teenager, he would drive his girlfriend out to the edge of town in his 1963 red Galaxie convertible and try to make his move. “We’d park somewhere,” he told Rolling Stone in 2021, “and she’d, in so many words, say, ‘Stop right there.’ ” He relayed that story to Jim Steinman in the early days of their partnership, and the songwriter transformed it into a three-part, eight-minute epic about a relationship gone very, very bad after the couple “goes all the way” in the car one night, complete with a play-by-play by New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto. Meat’s real-life girlfriend Ellen Foley sings the female parts on Bat Out of Hell , though Karla DeVito handled them on the road, where the song became the highlight of every show. A single cut down to five-and-a-half minutes reached Number 39 on the Hot 100, helped along by a music video that ran before showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show . — A.G.

“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” (1978)

There might not be a Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, but hidden inside “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” is Elvis. Jim Steinman heard “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and immediately thought of Meat, applying the song’s bare-bones melancholy to the singer’s booming heartbreak. It became his highest-charting hit to date, only topped by “I’d Do Anything for Love” in 1993. And Meat was fully aware of how iconic “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” was, pouring it on and pouring it out years later in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Your magazine started this thing where we stole everything for Bat Out of Hell from Springsteen and it was nothing but a rehash of Born to Run ,” he said. “I’m saying to myself, ‘Where does Springsteen have a ‘Two Out of Three’?” — A.M.

“Heaven Can Wait” (1978)

“Heaven Can Wait” is the respite nuzzled between “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” and “All Revved Up With No Place to Go” on Bat Out of Hell . Jim Steinman originally wrote it for Neverland — his Peter Pan rock musical that Bat Out of Hell stems from — wanting the melody to sound like a music box. “That was a song that Wendy sang after she married Peter,” Steinman said . Prior to Bat Out of Hell , the song was recorded by Alaina Reed Hall and even Bette Midler (check out her bonkers country-rock take here ), but the definitive version is Meat’s. His most stunning performance of the track was with Luciano Pavarotti in 1995 , where Meat clutches a red scarf while he belts his heart out, his powerhouse vocals gently cradling the ballad like a baby. — A.M.

“Dead Ringer for Love” (1981)

Not even a guest appearance by Cher could rescue “Dead Ringer for Love” or the album Dead Ringer, Meat Loaf’s bedraggled 1981 follow-up to Bat Out of Hell, from flopping. But that doesn’t mean that the song — which sounds a bit like “Summertime Blues” meeting “Mony Mony” in a dark alley, with a Meat Loaf twist — is bad. Prior to making the album, Meat had lost his voice from a cocktail of drugs and exhaustion on the road, so what stands out instead is the intensity of his performance. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re a real dead ringer for love,” he sings to Cher, who sounds just as into Meat as he is into her. “‘Dead Ringer for Love’ is about a teenage boy, and he’s got a fake ID,” Meat said in 1981 . “And he goes to this bar every night … and he sees this older woman. She must be at least 19 and he must be at least 16. Finally he gets the nerve up to make his move, and she scares him half to death and backs him into a corner, and winds up taking him home anyway. But it’s very animalistic. … It’s a very basic emotion. It’s like, ‘Your place or mine.’ ” — K.G.

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The idea of a Bat Out of Hell sequel album floated around for a good decade before it finally became a reality in 1993. This was the height of the grunge movement, and a Meat Loaf comeback seemed about as likely as a KC and the Sunshine Band revival. But nobody expected Meat and Jim Steinman to return with a song as memorable as “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” The 12-minute tune (cut down to 6:36 for radio) was peak Steinman, complete with motorcycle sound effects, a long piano intro by Roy Bittan of the E Street Band, and perhaps the most passionate vocals Meat Loaf ever recorded. It became the unlikeliest hit of the year, topping the charts all over the world and restoring Meat to his rightful place in the pop universe after years in exile. — A.G.

“I’d Lie for You (And That’s the Truth)” (1995)

Meat’s 1995 album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood, was a curious one, with the vocalist putting his stamp on songs by Tom Waits and Sammy Hagar (along with two Jim Steinman compositions, of course). This monster Diane Warren ballad was the standout. “I’d Lie for You (And That’s the Truth)” hit all the Meat Loaf marks: an oxymoron parenthetical title, exponentially increasing drama, a bait-and-switch false ending at the five-minute mark, and an over-the-top music video. Meat’s impassioned voice tied it all together, with help from his duet partner Patti Russo. As in “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” he promises his lover the world — if she’d only grant him one ounce of faith. “I’d walk on the wild for you,” he bellows, “if you’d just believe in me.” Meat Loaf made that easy to do. — J.H.

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” (2006)

Jim Steinman originally wrote “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” for his all-female group Pandora’s Box in 1989, but most people didn’t hear it until Celine Dion tackled it seven years later on her hit album Falling Into You . And when Meat decided to record a third Bat Out of Hell record in 2006, without the active cooperation of Steinman, he decided it was time to put his own spin on the song, cutting it as a duet with Norwegian singer Marion Raven. “To me it wasn’t a song about romance,” Meat said. “It was about me and Jim Steinman.” Living up to the Celine Dion version was tough, and Bat III was such a bomb that even Meat himself later disowned the album. (“To me, that record is nonexistent,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016.) But it does exist, and it’s worth hearing just for Meat’s take on “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” — A.G.

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Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical

Based on the most influential album of the late Jim Steinman's storied collaboration with singer Meat Loaf, Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical is a more...

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Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito Collide Vocals For First Time on Ellen’s ‘Fighting Words’

by Paul Cashmere on July 26, 2021

For over 40 years Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito have had parallel careers which after all this time have come together on Ellen’s new album ‘Fighting Words’.

Ellen Foley was the female lead vocal on Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out of Hell’ classic ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ but was replaced by Karla in the video who mimed Ellen’s vocals for the cameras.

Ellen Foley told Noise11.com why she wasn’t in the Meat Loaf video. “Because I declined from being in the tour and Karla was going to be in the tour,” Ellen says. “She was the face of the tour, the face of the female element of Meat Loaf. I just went with it. Whatever! And 40 million records later … it bothered me for a while but it certainly doesn’t anymore. Anybody who knows anything about the record, or me or Karla knows I sang the vocal on the record”.

‘Bat Out of Hell’ was recorded across 1975 and 1976. The album was released in 1977 and became one of the biggest selling albums in the world. It is the biggest selling album ever in Australia now outranking John Farnham, Abba and Shania Twain.

Despite the parallel career, Ellen and Karla only became friends in recent years. “We have come together in the last five years or so,” Ellen says. “We didn’t really know each other but we did a tribute one night here in New York called 54 Below to Jim Steinman. I sang ‘Heaven Can Wait’, Karla sang ‘Lost Boys and Golden Girls’. It was all these young types and it was she and I so we huddled together and we struck up a friendship. I just find her to be so wonderful. Then we both did this trio with Meat Loaf on ‘Braver Than We Are’, a cut from his last album. Our friendship took off from there to the point where I said to Paul ‘I want you to write us a song we can sing together. It was not all that unselfish. I figured it would get some attention if she was on the record with me”.

Ellen Foley will release her album ‘Fighting Words’ on 6 August 2021.

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Tagged as: 70s , Ellen Foley , Fighting Words , Karla DeVito , Meat Loaf , rock , USA

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Music and concerts | todd rundgren on his career, longevity and why his latest tour will resonate with fans.

In the annals of popular music, you’d be hard-pressed to find an artist as eclectic and prolific as Todd Rundgren. To call him creatively restless is like calling The Beatles a quaint pop band.

As a solo artist, he’s notched 27 releases under his belt (with the most recent being 2022’s “Space Force.”) And that doesn’t include projects he’s recorded as a member of The Nazz, Utopia and the New Cars.

As if that’s not enough, the Pennsylvania native has an equally impressive résumé as a producer, having worked on albums for a number of seminal artists ranging from Badfinger (“Straight Up”), the New York Dolls (self-titled, “Cause I Sez So”) and Meat Loaf (“Bat Out of Hell”) to Grand Funk Railroad (“We’re An American Band,” “Shinin’ On”), XTC (“Skylarking”) and the Psychedelic Furs (“Forever Now”).

But for the man who once released an album called “The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect,” performing live does just as much to satiate his creative urges with the most recent road jaunt being the Me/We Tour. And while recent live outings have found him going from performing 25 virtual shows from Chicago in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic to opening for fellow Keystone stater Daryl Hall, this current string of dates — which includes two nights at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Saturday and Sunday — finds Rundgren wanting to do something specifically for his devotees.

“I figured when it was time for me to get to doing my tour, I want to give the fans something special and figure out some sort of sustainable production that can travel but it’s still a show that’s worth coming out for,” he said in an early April interview. “I figure one of the things that I may not have done recently is a real deep dive of a lot of the stuff that rarely gets played or has never been played. A lot of it is fan favorites, but sometimes I can’t figure out how it will fit into what I’m doing. I think it’s going to be a very enjoyable evening for the fans despite the fact that for at least some segment of them, a lot of the material might be unfamiliar.”

While a quick peek at Rundgren’s set list from some recent overseas gigs reveals that he’s been trotting out well-known gems like “Hello It’s Me,” “I Saw the Light” and “Can We Still Be Friends,” the former hermit of Mink Hollow promises to dust off a number of more obscure nuggets.

“I had never played the song ‘Afterlife’ before. It’s from the album called ‘Liars,’ but it didn’t work in the context of the show now, so we never performed it during the ‘Liars’ show,” he explained. “I just did a brief [swing through] Australia and we worked it up for that tour and it really sounded great. It sounded really good and the audience liked it. ‘Liars’ was a pretty popular album among my fans. To find a song that hadn’t been played off of that was a little special.”

So where does Rundgren’s insatiable need to embrace the various aspects of the recording studio and any sort of emerging technology as a means of helping realize his artistic visions come from?

Part of it starts with a childhood growing up in Upper Darby Township, where early on, the budding creative genius started out being enraptured by his parents’ singles collection.

“The earliest musical memories I have are of a little RCA 45 player that my parents got. I remember it to this day,” he recalled. “It was a brown Bakelite with a little round grill on the front and a spindle with the red top on it. And you would stack singles on the spindle and they would automatically play one after another. My parents had collected a lot of Boston Pops light classical performances like ‘Chicken Reel’ and ‘Skaters Waltz’ and that sort of thing. They were pressed on colored vinyl — red, green, blue and yellow. For me, listening to the music on that little player and staring through the red, blue and green record or putting one on top of the other — it was [my first] multi-media experience.”

While the young Rundgren spent time dabbling with various instruments including flute, clarinet and his grandmother’s stand-up piano (…“it’s where I learned how to pick out melodies, which I actually turned out to be pretty good at…”), it was a specific instrumental that led to his parents purchasing their budding musician son an instrument when he was seven years old.

“Once I heard ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ by The Ventures, it was all about the guitar,” Rundgren explained. “That was the future and I knew I had to learn how to play. My parents realized that I wanted to do it badly enough and that I was serious that they bought a guitar, but they had to buy lessons along with it, which I hated.”

Within a year of graduating high school, Rundgren went from his first band Money to playing with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band-influenced Woody’s Truck Stop and eventually landing with rock band Nazz. Looking to record material more along the lines of The Who and The Beatles, Rundgren and his crew were signed by Atlantic Records subsidiary Screen Gems Columbia (SGC). Assigned jazz musician Bill Traut as a producer for the 1968 self-titled debut album (“…he [Traut] essentially spent most of his time reading the trades in the [recording] booth.”), Rundgren soon took it upon himself to remix the album himself because “…we didn’t get what we wanted out of this guy even though we paid for him.”

Rundgren’s first turn at a console was the beginning of a storied production career that while he was technically proficient at, wasn’t level with his interactions with some of the artists whose projects he oversaw, most notably XTC.

“I knew how to make records and how to make them sound a certain way, but as time went on, there were a lot of painful moments between me and whoever I was working with because I was either incognizant or didn’t care about the personality part,” he admitted.

With so much life experience under his belt, the 75-year-old Rundgren shows no signs of slowing down. And much of it has to do with his willingness to follow his own muse.

“I think what I’ve learned is, and it seems especially applicable these days is that you don’t measure your success by others’ estimation and you have to be patient,” he said.

“Sometimes what you do doesn’t fit with the zeitgeist of what’s going on. They say art is brief and history is long. The point is that you don’t do your art for this time. Do it in a way that it doesn’t matter when somebody discovers it. That way, maybe you’ll have a longer life as an artist. A lot of artists feel like if they don’t make it now, they’re never going to make it. It’s still an interesting experience for me. I don’t feel like I would run out of musical ideas. At least not in a reasonable human lifetime.”

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