UK's love for Meat...your theories

[lorenzoduke]

A reviewer recently commented on this country's unwavering love of Meat Loaf. I've been going to rock shows for the vast majority of my life and hold Meat closer to my heart than any other performer (and by that I don't just mean singer - actor, comedian etc.) because of how much his songs have personally meant to me but that's another story. I've seen a lot of the greats, Paul McCartney, Guns N' Roses, The Stones, Dylan on about 10 occasions, Lou Reed....there really does seem to be a special affection for Meat in Britain. It's a different audience.

This isn't a detriment to fans from other part of the world. I've no doubt fans of Meat Loaf in other countries are every bit as fervent, some even more so - but perhaps, Germany aside, not as numerous.

I think it was on the Neighborhood tour I saw a show where he had a high fever and clearly wasn't well. There was some note he blew, then backed the band up and had them play the part again. He blew it again. He backed them up and had them play it again. He hit it and brought the bloody house down. At anyone else's show the audience would have been 'eesh, well, he sure ~~~~ed that up'. People here seem to root for Meat like they do their favourite sports team. They don't hate him if he doesn't do well, they just support him and want him to do well. Again, I'm sure in many cases this is the same the world over.

But as we look forward to the new album, I'm curious - Bat re-charting every other year, selling out arena's where in other markets he plays theaters and casinos....what do you think is the reason why a 69 year old man from Texas continues to resonate so strongly with the UK?

[AndrewG]

My take on why:


Excellent music. Takes the ideas from rock from the Beatles to Springsteen to rock musicals and turns it up to 11.

Confidence. Meat always had this in bucket loads from when you saw the early videos to when you see him live yourself.

Powerful voice.

Makes it look hard. He admitted this himself. :-)

Safe-ish rock music with lyrics that avoid specifics and thus suit a large age range. Albeit there is the occasional curse word during Paradise live the music itself is lyrically quite safe (only sexual innuendos that most kids probably don't get). The music is appreciated by young and old.

Hard working (to achieve some of these other points). Eventually this shines through in most things in life and people will appreciate that when they can recognise it.

The underdog / anti hero / initially a clown/fat guy that people first maybe laugh at but later appreciate even more than a normal rock star as it is so unlikely how he used to be and what he did.

Politically incorrect. People love that more than they think they do.

Bat would never have worked with another singer. People would not have given a damn about it I reckon. Maybe a few intellectuals who can appreciate the complexity of the music as with Steinman's Bad for Good solo album but it never would have caught on mainstream.


The fact that this happened in the UK so strongly and the Netherlands / Germany is perhaps down to being in the right place at the right time. The UK especially was far more politically correct in the 70s than the USA. We didn't really have the whole hippy / Vietnam backlash movement so much in the 60s leading into the 70s. The time was right over here in the 70s for the yearning for something rebellious but without the more psychedelic thing such as the Doors, which I think was found in Bat out of Hell. People stuck with it because of the impact.

(Random afterthoughts: I actually think some of these more general character points I mentioned can as silly as it may sound to some right now be applied to Donald Trump. He was always the clown / politically incorrect / rude / an unlikely politician / divides people. Yet people are really warming to him in the States from what I can see and I actually think he will win in November by a landslide)

[anotherday]

His passion, hands down. His passion for what he does. Its why my boyfriend and I are considering a trip over next year for a show or two in the UK...We need to experience Meat LIVE there.

[lorenzoduke]

His passion, hands down. His passion for what he does. Its why my boyfriend and I are considering a trip over next year for a show or two in the UK...We need to experience Meat LIVE there.

I've seen Meat in Holland, Denmark and England. I don't meant to oversell it, but the latter is a completely different experience.

My take on why:


Excellent music. Takes the ideas from rock from the Beatles to Springsteen to rock musicals and turns it up to 11.

Confidence. Meat always had this in bucket loads from when you saw the early videos to when you see him live yourself.

Powerful voice.

Makes it look hard. He admitted this himself. :-)

Safe-ish rock music with lyrics that avoid specifics and thus suit a large age range. Albeit there is the occasional curse word during Paradise live the music itself is lyrically quite safe (only sexual innuendos that most kids probably don't get). The music is appreciated by young and old.

Hard working (to achieve some of these other points). Eventually this shines through in most things in life and people will appreciate that when they can recognise it.

The underdog / anti hero / initially a clown/fat guy that people first maybe laugh at but later appreciate even more than a normal rock star as it is so unlikely how he used to be and what he did.

Politically incorrect. People love that more than they think they do.

Bat would never have worked with another singer. People would not have given a damn about it I reckon. Maybe a few intellectuals who can appreciate the complexity of the music as with Steinman's Bad for Good solo album but it never would have caught on mainstream.


The fact that this happened in the UK is perhaps down to being in the right place at the right time. The UK was far more politically correct in the 70s than the USA. We didn't really have the whole hippy / Vietnam backlash movement so much. The time was right over here in the 70s for the yearning for something rebellious which I think was found in Bat out of Hell. People stuck with it because of the impact.

(Random afterthoughts: I actually think some of these more general character points I mentioned can as silly as it may sound to some right now be applied to Donald Trump. He was always the clown / politically incorrect / rude / an unlikely politician / divides people. Yet people are really warming to him in the States from what I can see and I actually think he will win in November by a landslide)

That's a great list. The underdog thing would have definitely been on mine, as would the work ethic. I'd also say as far as goes being PC, there's no getting around the fact that the UK loves it's stereotypes and I think the fact that Meat has that big blustering Texan vibe tickles us a lot. The confidence thing is something I think a lot of Brits secretly envy Americans for too. Thought provoking post, bud.

[CarylB]

It's a great question, and all the things mentioned so far would explain why he has such a loyal following, but that's true of so many countries even if the numbers might be different. So why in the UK so strongly, and why has it persisted so long? I'd add

* Being a small country but with a large population and many large cities, I think his accessibility on tours has always helped .. most people are within reasonable travel of a venue; then all those other things come into play .. his passion, his unique approach to delivering the songs because he IS each song, and that command he has of an audience. When he says that as an actor he delivers in a way that makes each person feel he's singing to them directly, he's right, and that builds an incredible bond. It's something relatively easy to experience when you live in a small country.

* In the USA they frequently refer to his "comeback" after Bat2. But here of course he never went away, indeed lived here, continued to tour, and that silver thread was never broken or interrupted.

* He has always emphasised HIS love and thanks for his fans' support, and we see that in so many ways. Behind the huge stage personality there's a basic, genuine and honest humility. I think the British particularly like that .. he's human, he places himself as a guy doing a job, using his talents to the best of his ability. And he not an acquisitive man. He doesn't have multiple homes, half a dozen cars, flash jewellery, designer suits, a private jet .. all those trappings that so many successful performers acquire. There's a modesty in the way he lives, which together with his down to earth and prodigious work ethic endears him to the British I think.

* He's a fighter, and no matter what fate throws in his teeth, he gets up and fights through it. I think we like that too. It's never come easy, and every time he gives everything of himself. (That's where I disagree with the frightening comparison to Trump, who was handed a silver spoon, and manipulates to his advantage. Meat earns every penny the hard way. There's an honesty and integrity that shines out in everything he does.) He's the guy who made it all himself through relentless hard work and energy, often in the face of huge obstacles, and he deserves his success.

I will always remember the woman at Cardiff LAB who had seen him for the first time in concert, and was simply overwhelmed by what she described as a solid wall of love from the arena, all focused on that one figure on stage. And it struck me how accurate a description that was. Yes, there was excitement, enthusiasm, singing .. but wrapped around that was such genuine love; it was personal. You said they don't hate him if he doesn't do well, they just support him and want him to do well, and in most cases you're right. There will always be a few detractors, but the vast majority have a connection with the, as Andrew says, unlikely looking guy who came onto stages across the country, delivered songs in a way they'd never experienced before, and won their hearts and minds, their loyalty and support, on a very personal level. It comes down to a very basic question .. what's not to love? :-)

[ashkent7]

I was....hang on, let's think...14 when I first saw Meat live (the Born To Rock 96 tour). I had been listening to his music since I was 5 because my dad always played him in the car.

I remember two things clearly that I think play a big part in Meat's UK appeal.

Humour - Meat can be funny as a person and in his songs - particularly those by Jim. Jim's humour, combined with Meat's delivery, is a very British humour - play on words, puns, ironic.

The underdog - as has been said, Meat and Jim have always been underdogs in the music industry and the Brits love an underdog.

Character - We love a good character. So a loud, proud, no holds barred Texan (as Meat said recently he played the part of for a lot of his career) who randomly stops concerts to shout at people for no reason was always going to be appealing.

There's more but that's the main things for me

[robgomm]

I was....hang on, let's think...14 when I first saw Meat live (the Born To Rock 96 tour). I had been listening to his music since I was 5 because my dad always played him in the car.

I remember two things clearly that I think play a big part in Meat's UK appeal.

Humour - Meat can be funny as a person and in his songs - particularly those by Jim. Jim's humour, combined with Meat's delivery, is a very British humour - play on words, puns, ironic.

The underdog - as has been said, Meat and Jim have always been underdogs in the music industry and the Brits love an underdog.

Character - We love a good character. So a loud, proud, no holds barred Texan (as Meat said recently he played the part of for a lot of his career) who randomly stops concerts to shout at people for no reason was always going to be appealing.

There's more but that's the main things for me

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I agree I think the reason we love Meat so much over here is his endearing personality as much as the music. His gentle humour and general generous demeanour just comes across so well to us brits. We just love somebody who is so genuine and wears their heart on their sleeve, a bit of a crazy edge about him too as we love that over here, and someone who doesn't act like they have a massive ego. So genuine, bit of crazy, gentle humour, humility is how i'd sum it up.