Thanks Man. I PM'ed it to meat so hopefully it makes him feel a little better. He really is being bullied and its not fair. :(

Oh Meat, you don't know how devastated I am at reading this. They don't speak for the majority, We, your fans, want you to keep on rocking for a long time to come. I don't know anything about keys, but I know what I like to hear and I have loved every single concert of yours I have ever gone to. Please take some time out, give yourself a well earned break and reconsider. Like many others on here have said, don't let the arseholes win. Go out there and keep on proving them wrong.

Carole

Thank you Meat, for all the wonderful music & enjoyment you have given us over the years. I will always be your loyal fan, forever and always.

Love you too
Carole

I think you speak for all of us, well said.

Carole

Lets just hope Meat comes back on here soon and lets us know he he's doing. Sounds really upset. I hope the whole band knows how he feels and that they're talking about it, and planning how to deal with it.

He's right, at his age, and with what he's done in his life, he shouldn't have to put up with this shit right now. Its too much, probably extremely overwhelming.

Then again, you can't control people, they do and say what they please. When I find myself in these situations, my best bet is usually to talk to people, like my councillor or best friends. Have them remind you that you are good enough the way you are, and bullies are usually insecure themselves. They bully others because they are themselves the victims of bullies. You have to get back to that comfortable center of "this is who I am, this is what I do, it is good enough, I do it because I love this work, and my good work ethic should always be enough to get me through anything"

Meat, you show me the enemy, someone I can fight to help you conquer these cyber bullies, and I will do whatever I can to help.

I just can't see who the enemy is right now. Its hard to tell who is upsetting you the most. But show me to to fight and I will fight for you. :cool:

don't give up. you are the best. Come back to usa and europe, here you have truly fans. We want to see u in europe this year ;)

IMHO we need to give Meat his space right now ... but, as you say, hopefully he'll come back on here when he's ready to let us know he's doing better. I know he has said in the past how he considers the band his family, so at least we know he has someone else to talk to if he needs it.

Can't help thinking that, in this instance, it was us. The straw that broke the camel's back, with that thread about changing keys of the classic songs. I mean, I hope Meat knows that we discuss that stuff because we're just brain storming ideas, but I guess with all the criticism at the minute it could've come across in the wrong way :?

I hope we can set the record straight. As tacky as it sounds, it was done out of love and our want for him to succeed.

I hope Meat takes some time, talks to some people, before he decides on what he wants to do.

I'm hoping Meat hops back on soon, too. If my time converter is correct, it's approaching 9:30 a.m., his time.

And, I'm certain the band knows and is doing their very best to support him the best way they know how to. I think Meat and the NLE enjoy a relationship more akin to a family relationship than employer-employee.

Fingers crossed that he is feeling better now, and Monday's frustrations were just that - vents to friends and he is now once again in kick butt, rock 'n' roll MEAT LOAF mode! :D

Sue

Meat has true fans in Australia. It's not his fans that are causing this, it is the media and a few on-line bullies. Don't confuse us and lump us all in together. Meat has true fans in every country, not just in some.

Carole

yeah I think your right, it did come across the wrong way. But with all the criticism from Aus, I think everything starts to look like criticism eventually....

Exactly right Carole. Even though I'm in the USA, I know there are several true fans such as yourself, Mel and others here on the forum from Australia that also love and support Meat.

Vicki

It is unfortunate that all the online bullies who kept saying Meat should call it a day may have ironically gotten their way. Most of those people were likely never fans anyway and even fewer probably went to a concert. They wanted to spoil everything for Meat and they seem to have accomplished it. We all feel supportive of Meat and want the best for him. I will accept whatever decision he has made. Say it ain't so, but it seems the cyber bullies and stupid media have won this go round. Makes you wonder who the next target will be and if this will embolden them even more.

Exactly :(

Well Madonna was booed as she arrived at her movie premiere before they had even seen the movie. A bit mean I thought.

Carole

Totally agree, great post, as sad as that reality is.

When I first heard of the concept of having a "web identity", like having people display who they are at all times, I disliked the idea, for security purposes.

But with this issue with Meat, I'm really starting to come around to the idea that if people are no longer "anonymous", they will post with more caution.

To see someone I know and care about, who I see perform and sweat and cry and laugh with us, be treated this way by anonymous internet jerks is heart breaking. And I want justice, but how can you get justice when people are anonymous?

I saw that on TV today, and they said the fans booed her because she didn't come over to talk to them, even though some had been waiting for hours. In all fairness, that isn't her fault.

The majority of the internet is a universe full of fools and trolls who hide behind a keyboard and write anything they think might be controversial or harsh in order to satisfy there sad little existence. They write disgusting comments without any form of conscious or humanity, it is disturbing and worrying but something that has existed for a long time and will never go away. And for the media and the press...they have always been that way, editing things, jumping of the band wagon making stories from nothing at all. There are very few reliable journalistic newspapers and sites that just report facts and don’t distort truth in order to favour a particular side. I have said this before but even megastars like Adele has said she wouldn’t dare go on youtube because of the hideous and hurtful comments people say would make her want to quit, the joys of freedom of speech ay?

I HOPE this is Meat pissed and he won’t actually take the drastic action of hanging up the hanky. Simply for the fact it sends a message to the people that they have some form of control over the lives and careers of others because of there views and opinions. Sadly people are influenced by the media on politics and popular culture, the media tells people what to wear, what to listen to, what to watch and who to vote for and sadly many people follow it, believe in it and conform to it.

But perhaps more importantly i can say with my hand on my heart i don’t think Meat is at a stage in his career where he should give it up because he can’t perform any longer. Meat knows deep down inside he still has it, he can still put on a tremendous shows. He knows the majority of his fans go home happy, i will honestly say when i feel time has caught up with the guy and he should call in a day (and that day scares me if it ever happens) but that day in my view has yet to come.

We can only imagine the pain Meat must feel, i feel deeply sorry for him and he has my full support. The hatred people have is cruel and unjustified and when you feel the world is against you, you just want to get away and leave it behind. I hope Meat comes here and realises how much we love him and we are all here for him. While i respect his decision i hope he gets back on the saddle, brushes it off and puts Australia behind him. The states and Europe are waiting for the album, they are waiting for Meat.

That's awful :( It wasn't her fault ... maybe she was in a hurry and had someplace else to go after the premiere :shrug:

Very well said.

I agree, Meat needs some space. He has things to do, things to focus on, raw feelings to heal, and some distance to put between himself and all the nonsense and ignorant abuse he's suffered. I believe he knows that he does what he does to fulfil his own passion and for his fans, and he knows his fans love him, still want to see him doing what he does so well, and support and love him ... and that will endure whatever he does or doesn't do.

You can only be pushed so far .. then you need time to regroup and get clarity. Meat isn't the man to give in to bullies who are simply not part of why he performs. He's achieved a peak in his game this past couple of years, and deserves when he does hang up the concert shoes to do this on a high, and because he has yet more roads to travel and mountains to scale. That seems to be to be the essence of this remarkable man.

One of the most valuable things I've learned is that sometimes if you want an answer now it will have to be no .. if you are prepared to wait, it might be yes.

We also serve who simply stand and wait ;)

Caryl

very well said.

Very Well Said. Thank you!