Were you at the same concert I went to last night? You're obviously not a Meatloaf fan or the tracks you say were unfamiliar you would have known. Every song that he sang has been a hit. As for people leaving early, people do this at every concert to try and beat the traffic. We actually camped on the next feild and it was hours before all the fans had left. Everyone in the audiance were enjoying the gig and the only one with attitude seems to be you!!

Your reporter has forgotten to say that he was frequently out of tune, nowhere near the top notes, and often slurred the lyrics.
An absolute waste of the ticket money.

Unfortunately I couldn't attend the concert so I can't comment on what Meatloaf was actually like but I would like to point out to Charles that both the songs he states that were 'unfamiliar' came from the platinum selling album "Bat Out Of Hell 3" so would hardly be unknown to any real fan (of which I would guess there were quite a few there).

Next time he goes to a concert of a multi-album selling star would he like them to just sing songs from their first one or to give the audience a range from all of them?

Sending Charles Hutchinson to review Meat Loaf is akin sending Wayne Rooney to review Twelfth Night - both are strangers to any objectivity on their particular subject given their total unsuitability to comment on the subjects they're watching.

Stick to hacking around stage productions Charles and send out someone with more in common with the music...

As already stated, your idea that singles from Bat Out of Hell III aren't 'real hits' is simply phenomenal and really does highlight your ignorance.

This entire article is an arrogant attempt to look clever as a small-town journalist looks to make a name for himself on the small-town news.

Meat Loaf was aggressive for the first five to ten minutes, which is entirely understandable given pointless self-gratuitous bashing of him by poor reporters who report on what they want to see.

Given where your picture was taken from, you were near the front. So you have absolutely no reason to have mistaken what he did on stage. His sarcastic humour was funny and bit back at reporters who are inexplicably baying for his blood.

People streamed away near the end to beat the rush - not surprising given the roads around Castle Howard. Fans streamed away before the end of the Kaiser Chiefs' critically acclaimed homecoming to Elland Road. Does that mean they were poor too?

Meat Loaf didn't hit the notes like he did in his twenties but that's hardly surprising. He still performed better than most people do. Much better than Kate Nash or Mark Ronson.

Also, given Meat Loafs no-camera, no-video policy I would be interested as to how you got a picture of him?

I have to wounder with the comments you made what were you ever doing reporting on a Meat Loaf concert. Firstly he never even sang What about love you muppet. Secondly the aggression fitted perfectly with the start of the show. Also it's called humour the **** tee-totallers comment. I would say it was a great show with humor, honesty and passion. You forget to mention the heart felt thankyou's at the end which showed how much Meat loves his fans. As for people leaving early it took over an hour to get out of the car park so there couldn't have been that many leaving before the end. Maybe you should have asked some of the fans leaving what they thought of the show, as all i hear were words like fantasic and amazing being used. Try using some fact's & research in your next article as a journalist i would have thought that was a mininum requirement!

Dear Charles Hutchinson you are not a fair reporter. You are in the wrong profession.
Look, this concert did not have a multi billion pound Hollywood budget. Meat is not a 21 year old **** star. This was a very good, out door rock and roll concert. He had sound problems (out of his control), it rained very heavy (not his fault), but for pure escapism, good music and tremendous entertainment//atoms
phere MEATLOAF ROCKED Castle Howard last night. That is what people do at concerts, you know Charles, HAVE A GOOD TIME. The blokes a pensioner for heavens sake…!! Meat = Rocks—Charles your colour coordination needs some attention. Yes, I saw what you were wearing last night you, you, poor reporter!!!

p.s. oh yes and people who left early, did so only due to congrestion problems. Its all country lanes up there you know.

Yes, we left before the end, RELUCTANTLY. And even being one of the first hundred cars to get out, still had to be pushed out of the mud. Yep, he missed some of the high notes, but at least he can still sing - which is more than some so called boy/girl bands have ever been able to do. And he was actually better than when I saw him years ago at Monsters of Rock at Donnington.

I was hoping for a good review, as I was unable to go to the concert, but when I was it was Charles then I knew it would not be an acurate account. I remember his reviews of some Barbican concerts that I was at,and they were not the same as I saw. He needs to be pensioned off.

Having had the good fortune to have seen Meat Loaf numerous times over the last 26 years,last nights rated up there with the best of them.To me I have only ever seen one poor performance from him and that was only six weeks after his heart problems a few years ago.It has always baffled me why the media employ staff to review gigs,films etc. because there is only yourself who can decide wether its worth spending the money. And last night was well worth the two hour frustrating trip from Leeds,including the five mile detour round the house grounds,and apparently it rained but did anyone notice,otherwise most people would have left wouldn't they Charles? If it was too wet for you I recommend
Meat Loafs "Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra" it makes excellent viewing.

Meatloaf was GREAT. This was the first rock concert I have ever been to and I can't wait to go to another!

Blah blah blah is all I hear from this bloke. Meatloaf made me sell my soul to rock and I loved every minute! We rushed away at the end as we were all wet and muddy after dancing our socks off at the front. And I only know one song! So he swore a bit. Big whoop! Its a rock concert. What do you expect? If it's not your thing don't go and ruin it for all the fans who did enjoy themselves.

I am not sure if you were at the same concert as me. I thoroughly enjoyed Meatloafs performance and on stage humour. I was unhappy to read your review and feel it is complete rubbish, as if it had been written without even attending the concert. People were leaving early but purely to avoid the traffic and because of concerns of their cars becoming stuck in the muddy field we had to park in! Maybe if you had bothered to ask why people were leaving you would have got the real reasons behind it.

The show was fantastic and well worth the money.

My wife and I have been a Meatloaf fans for over 30 years and I guess we at a different concert last night to Mr Hutchinson. Yes, it is sad that at times he was unable to hit the notes he used to but the show was, nonetheless, fantastic. Last night he gave 120 per cent, and my recollection is of several thousand fans dancing and rocking for 2 hours, barely noticing the pouring rain. The few that did leave early probably managed to foresee the inevitable quagmire that was to develop in the car park as the majority struggled to get out after the concert. I must say though that much credit for the performance is due to his excellent backing group who very cleverly camouflaged his vocal shortcomings – Patricia Russo is definitely top drawer. We drove from Cambridge for this concert and stayed over in a hotel, but it was definitely worth the effort and expense. Sorry Mr Hutchinson, but you should stick to reporting the Proms.

Charles hutchinson don't ever report on a rock concert again, stick to local flower shows or something of that stature. His performance at castle howard was fantastic and you seriously need to get your facts right, as he didnt sing 'what about love' which is a song of his multi-million selling album 'bat out of hell 3' not an unknown hit which a real fan would of known. As for people leaving before the end, this was because of the hectic traffic leaving castle howard and for the agression on stage this was all part of the act getting SECOND RATE SMALL TOWN REPORTERS SUCH AS YOURSELF back for rediculous and untrue accounts of what was a fantastic energy packed performance by meat loaf.

Having witnessed him walk off stage in newcastle, this performance was first class. GREAT NIGHT

When I read this article the first thing I think is that this person, Charles, has obviously never been to a rock concert in his life. If he had he surely would not be saying what he has said.
For one thing Meatloaf did reach the notes, even kept the notes on longer in some songs like I'd Do Anything For Love to show people like you that he still has it in him. Sorry Colinpayne but Meatloaf did not slur his lyrics, after reading a review from a previous show my brother was listening to see if he did start slurring, and he didn’t.
Another point that Mr Charles Hutchinson has got wrong is that Meatloaf did not perform What About Love, and if he had then sorry but I must have been zapped up by aliens for that song which is what seems to have happened to Charles.
And what’s this about Bad For Good not being a hit, sorry but just because someone hasn’t released a song as a single or it hasn’t been in the top 10 it doesn’t mean the fans don’t know it. Any Meatloaf fan will probably have heard the 3 Bats albums, which Bad For Good is in. Its like saying that no one will know I Can Do It Without You by Kaiser Chiefs just because they haven’t released it as a single, but that doesn’t mean the fans don’t know it.
Yes there was, as you call it, "aggression" at the beginning by Meatloaf, for 10 minutes at the most, this could have been caused by many reasons, one being the fact that there was feedback in the earpieces at the start and all the band had to rip them out, the fact that for some reason there weren’t screens at the side (Which Meatloaf did apologise for) and maybe the fact that reviewers like you who have no concept of the meaning of Rock and Roll and doesn’t know a good show and a crowd enjoying itself when he sees it, goes and find some little reason, even by the looks of this review making things up just to slag him off. I am not in his shoes, but if I were then I would probably react the same, after everything he’s done, come back from a heart problem, sold millions of records worldwide and now just come back from a cyst on his throat which can be painful and bad, and the best a theatre reviewer can do is post something that gives no justice what so ever to the show that was performed last night.
The show last night was one of the best I have been to, and if not the best than very very close behind, (and that’s a BIG Kaiser Chiefs & LUFC fan putting that show next to KC's homecoming at Elland Road).

The thing that you would probably know if you did some research into Meatloaf or what he does at gigs is that he likes to talk to the crowd and make people laugh, the comment about the tee-totallers in England was meant to be funny. Just like when he was having an 'argument' with Patricia Russo (who is an extremely good singer and performed well) and saying about her mother being fat, ironically and with a smile looks at the crowd who gets the joke, which you obviously may not have done.
Sorry but if a member of the public who is only just 16 can find so many faults with this review than I don’t think you should be reviewing.

My last point is about fans leaving early. You don’t know why these people left early, but as a previous comment has stated people were leaving reluctantly early to get out of the car park in good time. As you should have noticed, unless your alien friends decided to give you a lift home, then the car park was extremely muddy and incredibly hard to get out of. It was obvious as soon as you saw cars parked on grass that because of the rain this was going to happen, so these people, who may have been parked further away from the exit wanted to make sure they weren’t waiting for hours. Cars did get stuck so everyone helped everyone else, as two people very kindly helped us in pushing our car onto the road. This was only to be expected though and therefore why people left early, not because they didn’t like the show.
In my opinion Meatloaf sung extremely better than he did when we saw him last May. He is not a young man anymore, so expectantly he would not be at his peak, but he does put on an amazing show and is still a great singer and better than a lot of people who are big now.
And lets not forget the musicians who don’t normally get mentioned, they did perform extremely well and should deserve some recognition of this by you, if you were to write a relevant review.
The reason I think you did not write a fair review, and I may be wrong, is maybe the fact Meatloaf got us all to shout "F*ck You" to the media and the press who like to slag him off for no reason.
Overall I would give this show a 10/10 rating for the performance and the amount of passion and effort Meatloaf puts into singing and making sure that everyone in the wet crowd has a good time, which we all did.
I just want to say Thank You to Meatloaf and the musicians for putting on a great show, and I would defiantly pay for another Meatloaf show in the rain at Castle Howard like last nights.

You may want to correct the title of this review to reflect the correct title of his tour 'Casa De Carne'

Most people have commented on the fact the Meat was unable to hit the right notes. For me, I love his music and have for over 20 years and seen him in concert many times. Sadly, his voice now appears to be past its best. No one could ever fault his effort and commitment but the natural voice which made the man is no longer there (well, not at the start of songs anyway).

As for the bog (I think they called it a car park on the signs), then that is unbeliveable. If Castle Howard is to host large events they really should be able to cope with the English liquid sunshine.


hpprl: Meat did not get the audience to say f*** you about the media but about the fact that there were no screens at the side of the screen

I've just realised there are 2 more concerts this weekend at Castle Howard (Boyzone and Katie Melua) - I really hope they sort the car park out before then otherwise they'll be pulling cars from the mud for weeks.

sorry about that then dsuk, my mistake. I was certainly shouting it to the media that wants to critisise people who try so hard for no reason. :D

and re-reading what i wrote, i meant to say that he may not have reached all the notes but he did manage to extend the notes quite a bit in parts of songs to show he can still sing well.. :P

This reporter must have been to a different concert than me. Meatloaf was as awesome as ever. I did however have the pleasure of meeting the great man before he started the concert and he is a very funny man. Your reporter thinks he was aggressive, i think not, this is how he gets the fans going. He knows how to control the proper fans with his mannerisms on stage. I absolutely hope he will be touring England again and this "so called" reporter will not be there

Can I just thank everyone for their comments, defending Meat Loaf. It seems very clear that Charles Hutchinson should not have been sent to a Meat Loaf show and that he should keep his misinformed opinions to himself. I wasn't at the show but the description is exactly what I have seen at other shows, all of which were amazing. I wonder if Charles would sound any better after 30 years of basically opera singing and several medical issues that nearly finished his career on several occasions. Further evidence that Charles is clueless lies in the fact that he criticises Meat for acting and working up the crowd. THIS IS WHAT HE DOES AND IS FAMOUS FOR!!!

I wonder if it would be possible to have some of these comments published in the actual Press so that the general public can receive an honest review? I just hope that if Meat sees this review (which I think he would find entertaining), that he also sees what his true fans think.

My husband and I were at the concert with friends on Friday and had a fantastic time. Having seen Meatloaf live in the Eighties at the height of his 'Bat Out of Hell' fame I have to say he was every bit as good on Friday as he was then. Perhaps the reporter, Charles, is jealous that a sixty year old can still command audiences in their thousands who will willingly pay £37.50 and more for tickets when the best he can hope for is an audience who will pay pennies to read his jaded and often confused recollections before confining them to the recycle bin unlike Meatloafs CD's. Perhaps the concert went on past his bedtime and he would be happier in future tucked up safely at home with some hot cocoa, his slippers and classic fm. None of our party were teenagers, ranging in age from mid-forties to sixty-five but we all knew every song and were loathe to leave even when the concert finished.

Charles Hutchinson – What planet are you on?

I had a superb day (I was there from 3:30 on a Meet & Greet) and to say it was money well spent is an understatement, meeting Meat in person was brilliant, he is probably one of the nicest guys (if not THE nicest) you could wish to meet. He has a great sense of humour and no ‘airs and graces’ like some famous people, he is there for the fans and realises they are there for him.

The show itself was fantastic, everyone around me had a great time and the atmosphere was electric despite the rain. Both my kids were there and managed to get near the front and thoroughly enjoyed it too. Anyone expecting CD quality music might be disappointed but if you accept that songs will sound different and that Meat will change them slightly for the show then you couldn't fail to enjoy.

Negative reports from previous concerts on the tour were way off mark as far as Castle Howard was concerned, as is this one. Interaction with the audience was great, the sound for an outdoor concert was more than acceptable, although there were a few problems during the first song the appropriately titled ‘If It Ain’t Broke Break It’ but these were soon sorted out.

All I can think is that the reporter is jealous because Meat has been around and loved for almost 40 years and is still gathering new generations of fans and he knows before long he'll be washed-out has-been remembered by no-one

Yes, having attended the Meatloaf concert with my two teenage children I also agree that reporters comments are out of place. We were forunate to grab a spot near the front and were all thouroughly entertained from start to finish. I thought Meatloaf's performace was superp and imo he put every ounce of energy into it. We enjoyed singing and cheering to many of the songs and the atmosphere was fantastic. One of my hobbies is playing the drums and I was blown away by the skill of John and how easy he made drumming look; the rest of the band and singers were wonderful too.
Re: the comments about people leaving early, well that is simply wrong and given that I only live a stones throw away from Castle Howard and I am in a better position to comment than some, it is correct that those who left early did so to avoid the traffic congestion, as they did at the Boyzone and Katie Melua concert which I also attended. Whilst I was leaving the concert I spoke to a guy who was a life long fan of Meatloaf, and has followed him around for many years, and he told me that he thought the performance was brilliat too.
I don't understand why the review is so bad, and I would suggest sending someone who appreciates and understands music to future events.