Meat Loaf - vocals; Bob Kulick - guitars; John Golden - bass, backing vocals; Paul Jacobs - guitar, piano, backing vocals; Brian Chatten - keyboards, backing vocals; Andy Wells - drums; Kati Mac - vocals; Doreen Chanter - vocals
Eight years after he burst onto the international music scene like a supernova, Meatloaf returned to the stage after a long pause in the early '80s. Meatloaf had seen platinum level success with his debut LP,Bat Out Of Hell and had seen some marginal success with his follow up, Dead Ringer, but personal health problems and lawsuits with his former music partner, Jim Steinman and former manager, almost drove him out of the music industry.
He returned in 1985 with an all new band, a new musical direction, and a new label (Arista/BMG). On the tour for which this show was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour, Meatloaf was promoting Bad Attitude. The record would ultimately have only modest commercial success, but it was responsible for getting Meat Loaf back into singing and back on the road with another strong band. In addition to album tracks from most of his studio albums, the show featured material from Bad Attitude and two of his classics, "All Revved Up With No Place To Go" and "Bat Out Of Hell," which combined last nearly 20 minutes. Other highlights include "Dead Ringer For Love," and "Nowhere Fast."
Teaming up with pianist/composer Jim Steinman in the mid-1970s, Meat Loaf had developed an album of rock epics that cleverly combined pop, metal, and opera, while at the same time sounded incredibly fresh and cutting edge for its time. Out in the showcase clubs of America, Meat Loaf had assembled a band to bring the album to life, and then to the masses, in a bigger-than-life stage presentation. Considering his big band assembled and played on several club stages, Meat Loaf would soon be a massive superstar and far too big to play a trendy and important, but small clubs like the Bottom Line are where his career broke wide open.
After the success of Bat Out Of Hell Meatloaf remained a working partner of Jim Steinman, until after the third album when the problems between the men and their business manager forced a shut down. Meatloaf then would fall into semi-retirement, before reuniting with settling their lawsuits and Jim Steinman for a few more albums, as well as a sequel to Bat Out Of Hell.
He had a renaissance in his career after losing over 100 pounds and cleaning up from chemical dependants. He is currently seen on several TV appearances and in a number of films. Every couple of weeks, VH1 classics shows a self-produced bio-pic about Meatloaf. In it, they go into his troubled youth, impassioned love of celebrity, his remarkable voice, and his triumph over what seemed to be every possible adversity.