Stories about hecklers
 

A question for you all and perhaps Meat,

Do you have any stories about hecklers at a Meat Loaf Concert?

If by "hecklers" you mean people shouting negative things at the stage, then no.

I've heard people make less than pleasant comments to each other (each to their own) but I've never experienced heckling at a Meat show, ever.

There have been a few occasions when I've heard a loud drunken voice shout something from the rear of the arena when Meat's been in chat mode. Often I haven't heard what it was, and I can't recall any at the moment, but Meat's always picked up on it, put them smartly in their place, and had the whole audience laughing ;)

My favourite response wasn't to a heckler (and I agree with Lucy, heckling as such is rare; it's usually some idiot wanting attention), but to a woman who was invited to speak into the microphone at a Storytellers show. She went into a long rambling story about her friend ringing her up and saying he had tickets for Meat Loaf if she wanted to go .. and that she had thought he meant the food, and said why would anyone want to buy a ticket to eat a meat loaf?

Quick as a flash he replied .. "Oh honey . you wouldn't ever need to pay to eat Meat Loaf!!" and was on to the next question :lol:

I hate it when people will wait for a quiet moment during a show, and then yell stuff out- they're basically screaming, "Look at me!" :?

That, or they're more involved with taking pictures of each other (and themselves) than they are in watching the show. :roll:

I've heard a recording from Sheffield when someone shouted something inchoherant out before Objects in '07. Meat put them in their place.

Talk to Andy and his experience at Keubworth in 1985.....

Oh yes thats a fantastic one. My personal fav 2007 show!

"And you got the ~~~~ing haircut to match" XDDDDD

I really shouldnt have known that right off the spot.... :facepalm:

I remember Northbay Ontario for Mad Mad World Tour. I spent 1000 dollars to get there and a few clams for tickets. I never got my money back for them cause of the even coordinators jerking me around. Quite a few people got really pissed off at Meat Loaf cause the coordinators blamed him for not showing up.

They kind of spelled it out, I recall people bringing up the AFL final, saying he was a fat son of a bitch, and was just a lazy money hound. That was supposed to be my first Meat Loaf concert, well it wasn't. I still haven't been able to see him live. On the whole I have to say people were just heckling the concert that never happened. Blame was put on Meat people were upset, some didn't get their money back and soon people just gave up and went home. Or stayed for the joke of a festival. I am was thinking bate and switch all the way home on the train.

If I hadn't gone then I'd probably had enough money to see him in London but I didn't and that is what sucks.

Dont worry Chris, I've heard it and that bit stands out for me too! So when I read through this thread that was the exact part that went through my mind!

At the Amsterdam show in 2006 some drunk woman shouted out 'Yes he will' during the 'sooner or later you'll be screwing around' bit at the end of IDAFL. Meat said something to the effect that if she couldn't keep a man that was her problem. I don't blame him either, I'd have probably said worse.

I haven't been to a show where there were hecklers but what about people who talk the entire concert? I can't count the number of shows I have been too and the people next to me talked the entire time. Why would someone pay money just to chat and hangout, go to a bar 'pub' to do that. Don't do it at a concert.

That is the one thing that bugs me the most. The people who wait until it is quite and yell out "I love you" or yell out a particular song request doesn't bother me.

I absolutely agree! And I never heard people talking to any concert of Meat in Germany or Holland. But they did in Manchester last month. Behind me there were some teenagers on their day out or something and they were talking all the time during the songs. I wanted to rip their heads off!!! And scream to them, to shut the f*ck up, we are here at a concert! But I didn't do that because you'll never know what will happen then. So I chose the safe option. I looked mad at them and sang all Meat songs very loudly so that I could focus myself on the concert.

Is it me, or were concerts louder in the old days (now I see I'm dating myself :oops: :lol: )? Because I can't remember being able to carry on a conversation with someone even if you wanted to.

Or, maybe it's just because I used to go see metal bands? :mrgreen:

I am not sure if concerts use to be louder. I see it as the opposite but I think that is because I have been going to shows since I was 10 and I go to several a year. I am now 32 so I think my hearing is shot... ;) It could also be that you were going to Metal shows... :-)

I think people use to have more respect for their fellow fans as well as for the performer in the old days. That could be why you didn't see much of it going on.

At Meat's last Pittsburgh Concert, after he passed out, he sang the line, "I would do anything for love" and someone behind me shouted, "Just don't die!" It was a little rude, but we were all a little concerned for his health!

One thing that really struck me about me when I first saw him was how smutty he talks. He had/has a really filthy mouth.

It was kind of shocking watching 'Paradise' and him talking to Patti how much of a slut she was, how much he hated her and than he said 'take that ~~~~ing wig off!" and ripped off Patti's blonde wig.

I know that it was all in character, but still something new for a 12 year old.

If you want to see how to handle hecklers, look up some Axl Rose videos.

I don't agree at all. He puts on a rock and roll show designed for adults, and restricts himself to basically one expletive, in pretty common use amongst adults .. and one which frankly I've heard many kids of 12 use in the playground.

The response I recounted and which you quoted isn't "smutty" at all in my view. It's a clever and fast double entendre, aimed at an adult audience, and if you understand it you're old enough to hear it.

If you want to hear something aimed at 12 year olds, look up some Justin Bieber videos ;)

(edited for content)

:roll:

You're right. ML is a Saint. He's never said anything smutty at all and the lyrics to his songs have no sexual undertones. He also never says anything sexual onstage or in interviews.

In fact I'm surprised that he hasn't been invited onto Sesame Street.

So this is fine, but Masculine isn't because it's "misogynistic" (which it isn't, but that's my view). :roll:

I didn't say or imply Meat was a saint. You referred to him having a "filthy mouth". I disagree, which I believe I am entitled to do. The lyrics of the songs were written by Steinman and others, but they are not smutty either in my view. And as far as Meat's shows are concerned, he tends to avoid delivering songs that are so overtly sexual that they might cause offence .. eg California Isn't Big Enough

Roll your eyes all you want. I was responding to a comment about Meat on stage having "a filthy mouth", as no doubt you're perfectly well aware. I have never suggested the lyrics to Masculine are smutty, or filthy .. simply that I do not care for them for the reason I stated to explain why I didn't care for the song. To infer that I should not like oranges if I don't care for apples seems a non sequitor in my view.

I remember a concert in Birmingham many years ago when Meat was talking between songs and some guy shouted 'aww shut up and sing a song'. Meat just looked at him, started singing and cut the gig short.
Just shows how some idiots can spoil it for everyone else!!

Yes! Used to be much louder!!!

I don't know ... they still seem pretty loud to me :shock: I'm getting so old ... LOL !!

If anything it sounds louder now .. but that's probably because way back I used to be way back :lol: Mind you, my touring legacy is a faint but ever-present tinnitus, which probably means it's even louder than I hear ;)

Back to topic .. the response I've heard most often from Meat to drunken heckles from way back in the arena is "I can't hear a thing you're saying .. have no idea what you're shouting .. " and then continues with business ;)

Ernie said "It was kind of shocking watching 'Paradise' and him talking to Patti how much of a slut she was, how much he hated her and than he said 'take that ~~~~ing wig off!" and ripped off Patti's blonde wig."

You felt the need to defend the above in a 'no big deal' kind of way. My natural reaction to that was this -- :roll: -- considering how negative you were over your own (arguably mis)understanding of themes of misogyny in Masculine.

So for that, you get this: :roll: but also this: :-P , too.