I bet Angry Anderson is feeling smug about now...

[Sean]

[The Hen]

When will they learn?

It doesn't matter how big the name, the lead act at the AFL grand final will be a complete fizzier and waste of money.

Sorry Mr Loaf, your time was some time ago.

Next year can we PLEASE just get someone local?

[Sean]

My first thought on watching that was that he couldn't hear himself but apparently there were no foldback issues... or any other technical issues for that matter. They paid him over $500k for that 'performance'. I'd be demanding my money back if I were the AFL. I'm not sure whether he was pissed, stoned or just couldn't have cared less about his performance. Whatever the reason, it was a travesty and he should be ashamed to cash their cheque!

[Sean]

Next year can we PLEASE just get someone local?

I'm sure that someone must have Barnesy's number...

[The Hen]

Barnsey is always value for money. and he doesn't need the 4 Bottles of giddy before his performances anymore I hear.

[Gob]

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.....

I'm glad Jarl hasn't seen this one.

That was absolute shite, again. He's traded off his "Bat out of Hell" days for so long now, and has never really had the lungs to pull off a live act.

I remember seeing him live at Powderham Castle back in the mid 80's, most of the audience walked out, this was just as bad.

(has he got a thing for hefty women btw?)

[Gob]

Meat Loaf deserves credit for just showing his face at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre last night.

You wouldn't have blamed him for retreating back to the US after the week he has had.

During the last seven days the artist responsible for the second highest selling album in Australian history has plummeted towards national joke status after a horrendous vocal performance at the AFL Grand Final.



But where his performance last Saturday appeared as if the Texas-born artist might have been taking the mickey out of the crowd with a deliberately lacklustre effort, there was no doubting his commitment last night.

Unfortunately that didn't translate into any improvement in the sound coming out of his mouth. Quite simply the ageing rocker's voice hovered between very ordinary and outright abysmal for two hours at Boondall.

Despite having a tremendously tight young band behind him, the star's vocal performance rendered classics such as Two out of Three Ain't Bad and Rock and Roll Dreams almost unrecognisable, with Loaf unable to wrap his voice around the familiar melodies and drifting in and out of key throughout the night.

Where as once Meat Loaf hit soaring high notes, here he resorted to screaming - over-emoting in response to his weakened voice. Without the juxtaposition of his high end bellowing, Loaf's signature whispered touches were reduced from delicately emotive moments to painfully raspy gasps for air.

Only when the star let his backing vocalists carry the melody did his signature operatic rock take full flight. But it was a very uneasy feeling taking off without the pilot.

The way he was moving around the stage you had to wonder whether you wanted him behind the wheel anyway.

Hunched over the microphone stand as if it was a walking cane, Loaf slowly ambled around the stage, looking every bit the 64-year-old man he is.

Seemingly exhausted, he even began a weakened take on Two out of Three Ain't Bad by sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage, talking about his grandchild. On one level this was endearing - as a host Meat was warm and welcoming. But it was anything but sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Worst of all was smash hit power ballad I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That).

During his performance Loaf quickly mumbled through several lines of the song as if he was one of the countless karaoke singers to tackle the hit struggling to remember the words.

As if to pre-empt any further criticism of his voice Meatloaf informed the crowd that, unlike like other ageing acts, the band were still playing songs such as Bat of Hell in the same key as when they were recorded in 1977.

It didn't hold much weight. Loaf's voice was still being lost within the powerful sound of his band on his most recent songs as well.

Despite his failings, the faithful fans lapped up all the classics, thunderous applause and cheering greeting many of writer Jim Steinman's hits. There was no repeat of a Whitney Houston walkout. And the band themselves were sensational, delivering Steinman's signature operatic rock with powerful precision.



There was also no shortage of on stage oddities to entertain the packed house – a giant inflatable bat shooting lasers from its eyes made way for another large inflatable prop - a busty woman being groped from behind. Rapper Lil Jon made an appearance mid-song via the video screen.

And during Paradise by the Dashboard Light the stage was invaded by people dressed as Teletubbies and characters from Lewis Carroll's Wonderland as Loaf's character visited a fictional rave.

But apart from spirited renditions of Paradise by the Dashboard Light and All Revved Up with No Place to Go this was a show let down by the main attraction – Meat Loaf's voice.

Unlike many nostalgia acts who just go through the motions it might be the case Meat was trying too hard. He certainly seemed to be straining to give it his all. But he produced the kind of out-of-tune warbling, screaming and over-emoting that had the AFL red-faced last weekend.

Maybe a key change is on the cards for Meat.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/enterta ... z1a3HqnbS2

[Gob]

US rocker Meat Loaf says the AFL are jerks, and he's vowed to convince other artists not to perform at the grand final.

The 64-year-old's grand final pre-match performance, as well as his high price tag, were widely criticised in the media.

He was reportedly paid in excess of $500,000, a figure he disputes.

But Meat Loaf has blamed the AFL, saying they did not provide a live piano or enough time for a sound check and he could not hear the music in his earpiece.

"I'm sorry, they're jerks. I do not like them," he said of the AFL, News Ltd reports.

"And I'll tell you what, anybody that I hear announces that they're going to play for them I'm going to write to that particular artist a letter and tell them not to.

"And I hope the AFL hears this and I want this everywhere. Because I will go out of my way to tell any artist do not play for them."

The rocker said it was impossible to put on a good show in the allocated area.

The AFL declined to comment.





Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/mus ... z1bgLjM8eD