He was the rock icon and Bat Out of Hell legend whose powerful voice blew the cobwebs out of rock music – and the fuses of many studios along the way.
Meat Loaf, who has died at the age of 74, was also a familiar visitor to Scotland during the 1980s and 1990s .
His first appearance in Aberdeen was at the Capitol in 1983 with the Midnight At The Lost And Found Tour, featuring favourites such as Bat Out of Hell, All Revved Up With No Place To Go, I’m Going To Love Her For Both Of Us and Midnight At The Lost And Found.
The following year 1984 he was booked twice at the Capitol the following year with his Bad Attitude tour.
The tour got off to a bad start with the sudden death of drummer Wells Kelly, found dead in North London during rehearsals.
The Aberdeen date was in March, early in the tour and was cancelled.
But eventually the show went on and Meat Loaf played two gigs at the Capitol in November and December.
The full line-up included Bad Attitude, Dead Ringer for Love, Jumpin’ the Gun, Midnight at the Lost and Found, I’m Gonna Love Her for Both of Us, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Nowhere Fast, Piece of the Action, All Revved Up With No Place to Go, Modern Girl, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.
And of course, Bat Out of Hell.
Meat Loaf’s massive weight loss was also the talk of that tour, given his status as a man mountain, known as ‘Meat’ since he was two weeks old.
In March 1988, Meat Loaf returned for two gigs at the Capitol with his Lost Boys and Golden Girls World Tour.
He returned to the studio following the success of his touring in the 1980s.
Fans were dismayed in 1994 when his Everything Louder tour date in March at the AECC was cancelled so that Meat Loaf could rest after a video shoot over-ran.
The gig was eventually took place in December.
He played songs from the sequel to Bat Out of Hell including I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) which became a worldwide hit.
The Dallas-born singer didn’t return to Aberdeen until 1999 with his The Very Best Of tour at the AECC wowing fans.
He mixed things up again at the AECC, performing the Boyzone cover No Matter What, ending with the now legendary Bat Out of Hell.
He had vocalist Patti Rosso to complement him on Dead Ringer for Love and Paradise.
For the second half, he played more intimate acoustic set including requests from the crowd along with familiar favourites.
He might be gone but he will never be forgotten by his north-east fans who were treated to his larger than life personality and music in Aberdeen.
He told one interviewer: “Believe me, there will not be a night I ever walk through a show.
“I’ll die for ya. I literally will die for an audience.
“The best thing that could ever happen to me is that I die onstage. Because then I’m dying doing what I love.”
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