'Bombastic, over the top' show to bring Meat Loaf's music to Glasgow

Created and produced by Paul Crook, the show honours the late singer and will see his hit songs performed by his official band the Neverland Express, with Caleb singing, when it comes to Glasgow Royal Concert Hall next month.

Performing the 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.

Caleb and Meat Loaf (Image: Celebrating Meat Loaf)

Led by Meat Loaf’s long-time record producer, music director and 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. 

Caleb, who describes himself as a “rabid Meat Loaf fan”, says he’s “ecstatic” to be bringing the music alive on their upcoming UK tour.

“It’s a huge honour to be a part of this project and perform with Paul and the Neverland Express and it’s just going to be a massive celebration of this man’s music and legacy and really really looking forward to this, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he says.

“Meatloaf and Bat Out of Hell really changed my life in terms of my musical DNA and upbringing and the type of music I loved, and I really loved classic rock and the rock opera format.

“It resonated with me on a certain level because Meat Loaf was a bigger guy and I was a bigger kid growing up in school, and I absolutely loved his voice and loved his songs, I loved the whole drama of the songs and the heightened fantasy within those songs and the stories in the songs.”

Meat Loaf on Jay Leno (Image: Celebrating Meat Loaf)

After Meat Loaf passed out on stage in Edmonton in 2016, in what would be his last live show, and underwent back surgery, Paul says he called him after months of not working and said he had some up with an idea to keep the band together, with someone else singing.

He says Meat Loaf was “cool” with the idea and they came across Caleb who recorded a version Bat Out of Hell.

After Meat Loaf’s death in January last year, they decided to release the album so fans could hear Caleb’s voice.

He explained: “When we lost the boss last year and then we thought ‘these recordings are spectacular, Caleb sounds incredible on them, let’s put this out officially, let’s get a label’.

“So we went back and remixed everything and we touched up some things and spent a lot of time on album artwork and things like that and that’s the product that’s been released today and we’re really excited about it.

“There are certain things that Caleb does that flips me out and he’s not even trying to be Meat Loaf, that’s the thing about this show.

“This is not a tribute show, and I’m really happy there are tribute shows, there should be 10,000 of them, Meat Loaf deserves that, I love them.

“But we are the real deal.

“You are hearing the DNA of Meat Loaf, he is in this, the setlist for this was put together by Meat Loaf, the band has been touring with Meat Loaf for decades so you’re going to hear these songs performed brilliantly and sung incredibly well.”

Meat Loaf and Paul (Image: Celebrating Meat Loaf)

While the group are looking forward to getting back in front of UK audiences, especially in Glasgow, Paul says it is “emotional” travelling across the pond for the first time without Meat Loaf.

“It’s going to be emotional,” he says.

“It’s our first time back there without the boss.

“That being said, we are extremely excited, the UK, we always feel like it’s home base for us.

“The UK is so warm when it comes to Meat Loaf and the shows are always incredible, especially Glasgow.

“I love the Glasgow crowd because you guys are f****** crazy, awesome, loud, rowdy.”

So, what can the audience expect from Celebrating Meat Loaf?

According to Caleb: “They can expect a bombastic, in your face, over the top, theatrical, hard rocking heavy metal experience.”

He added: “These songs, I don’t think Meat Loaf ever really got the credit he deserved.

“Other than the massive, ridiculous amount of sales of his records, but from critics, what an amazing singer he was, he truly to me is one of the greatest rock singers of all time and these songs are so incredibly difficult to pull off live.

“So I give it every ounce of energy and gusto that I can and try to match as good as I can the level of intensity of what Meat Loaf did when he sang these songs live.”

Celebrating Meat Loaf will be at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday, May 23.