Meat Loaf Back For Another Grand Tour

He’s going to be at the AFL Grand Final, he’s going to be doing A Day On The Green shows and he’s going to be doing stadiums. He’s Meat Loaf and he’s the creator of some of the most timeless theatrical rock music of the last 50 years.

Meat Loaf’s career is nothing short of extraordinary, when you think about it. The massive Bat Out Of Hell, was bold, brash, completely over-the-top and it remains an album that speaks to each successive generation. It’s absurd, in some respects, but it’s also timeless and it’s themes of teen angst, fantasy machines and lust have hardly gone out of fashion.  They never will. And let’s face it the music of Jim Steinman and Todd Rundgren’s bombastic rock opera has aged very well – you hear any of those songs on the radio now and they still sound undeniably appealing. It was a masterpiece of rock production and stylization.

Bat Out Of Hell, transformed Meat Loaf from a stage actor into a rock ‘n’ roll icon. This album has sold more than 43 million copies worldwide and is the third biggest selling record of all time, selling in excess of 200,000 copies a year! Significantly, it is still the number one selling international album in Australia with 1,610,000 copies sold and has been awarded 23 x Platinum status.

Following Bat Out Of Hell came such works as 1981′s Dead Ringer, 1984′s Bad Attitude, and the Bat Out Of Hell sequels, 1993′s Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell and 2006′s Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose, not to mention 2010′s Hang Cool Teddy Bear. Ahead of his 2011 Australian & New Zealand tour dates, Meat Loaf is preparing for the release of his brand new album, Hell In A Handbasket, due in October.

Remarkably throughout this remarkable ride Meat Loaf has remained a ‘good bloke’. I had the opportunity to spend some social time with him a few years ago now, and he was a top fella.

Prior to the commencement of his Guilty Pleasure national tour, the AFL and Carlton Draught are pleased to announce Meat Loaf will be the headline special guest performer at the 2011 AFL Grand Final on Saturday October 1st at the MCG.

 

DATES

Oct 4, 2011 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

Oct 6, 2011 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Oct 8, 2011 – A Day On The Green – Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley

Oct 12, 2011 – Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney

Oct 14, 2011 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Oct 15, 2011 – A Day On The Green – Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley

Oct 19, 2011 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Oct 22, 2011 – nib Stadium, Perth

 

Todd Rundgren Australian Visit

The title of Todd Rundgren’s 1973 solo album A Wizard, A True Star aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and, most recently, interactive artist, Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.

Todd Rundgren will be making his welcome return to Australian shores in October 2010 under the moniker of Todd Rundgren’s Johnson; the double entendre name of which was derived from Rundgren’s tribute show to American blues impresario, Robert Johnson.

The tour begins in Sydney on Saturday 2 October when Rundgren takes the stage at The Basement before heading south to the newly homed Great Southern Blues Festival at Bateman’s Bay on Sunday 3 October, then onwards to Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on Wednesday 6 October.

In the early part of his career, Rundgren was hailed as a new pop-wunderkind, following the release of his paradigm shifting album ‘A Wizard, A True Star’ in 1973.  A record light years ahead of its time with its intensely amusing and sometimes confusing mixture of totally out there tunes which sits easily next to all time classics like Pet Sounds and The White Album.  37 years later, Wizard continues to inspire legions of contemporaries from Hot Chip and Daft Punk to Simian Mobile Disco.

As a live performer, Rundgren has toured with the likes of Ringo Starr as part of his All-Starr Band, and as producer has worked with just about every rock staple from the New York Dolls and Meatloaf to Hall & Oates and Rick Derringer.

Fans can expect to see the prog-rock innovator, guitar genius and consummate singer/songwriter take the stage and perform a range of songs from throughout his career in an infectious and dazzling performance, resplendent with Rundgren’s ever-irreverent and tongue-in-cheek schtick.

Australian fans will have the chance of getting their copy of ‘Todd Rundgren’s Johnson’ at his headline shows.  Rundgren’s latest album is currently unreleased in Australia so don’t miss your chance to receive your copy.