Here I sit in the best seat I have had on this tour, perhaps the best I have ever had for a Meat concert (although the New Brunswick theatre last year, where the front row seats were not 3 feet from the stage will probably always have the edge) .. but we are sitting centre stage, the main mike immediately in front of us .. it's never going to be better than this in a UK arena Kasim has left the stage after his opening set in which he dealt manfully with a broken guitar string and an audience of whom many talked rather loudly throughout, which I thought pretty rude .. the stage is dark .. the tension mounting .. the audience now frenzied as they wait, knowing or sensing that Meat is about to make his entrance. I can make out the outline of the trolley at the rear of the stage, and catch occasional flashes of the whte nurses' uniforms .. but still we wait in an anticipation that could not be called hushed by any stretch of the imagination .. the insistent beat of a measured encouraging handclap fills the air .. cries of "MEAT!!!" and shrill whistles pierce the expectant air .. but this great showman is going to wait until he's good and the audience more than ready And now Patti and CC push the trolley into the single narrow spotlight .. a huge clash of cymbels .. and and we're off!! The audience erupts!! This is the third time I have seen this particular opening and it still has my heart pounding and a huge grin of appreciation for the sheer theatre this man puts on .. cymbels crash again and the lights flash as tonight Patti pounds Meat's chest, applies imaginary paddles and his body jerks wildly on the trolley .. I tent my mouth with my hands as the opening speech to Wasted Youth plays and I sit waiting to see this great performer celebrate his rebirth again .. I watch that wide diaphragm rise and fall under the blanket, and realise my breathing is keeping pace with his .. and now the speech reaches its conclusion, and as the words Rock 'n roll soar out, I see Meat slip from the trolley and don his mask .. tonight he stays centre stage for a moment or two the lights illuminating his "face" and waving hands as the rest of the band run on stage, faces, hands and guitars glowing .. Meat pushes the trolley to the wings, goes back to get his guitar, and to the incessant beat of Do It!! his voice delivers the rapid, perfectly articulated first verse. Another powerful start to a great show. Meat's voice rings out clear and true .. the band leap around the stage, their guitars whirling .. this is such an impressive start, and it loses none of its impact each time I see it. The lights are up .. and without skipping a beat we are into Life is a Lemon .. Meat stalks the stage .. eyes wide, corners of his mouth turned down, a picture of injured and angry indignation .. he wants his money back, and he wants it back NOW!!!! The lead guitars quiver with righteous anger .. I really think this is the best band that he and Kasim have brought together .. Meat, the band and the audience pound out the outraged verses .. and Patti and CC join him in the lead up to that moment when he holds up the flat of his hand, and knees slightly bent screams out you can take his future and "shove it up your ASS!!!!!!" .. more heavy rock from these talented guitarists .. and Meat moves the song to its crescendo .. his voice rings out into the packed arena "I want my money BACK!!!!!" .. and we're into Mercury Blues, followed equally swiftly by Lawyers, Guns. The audience cheer and applaud wildly at the end of each song, but Meat and the band don't stop for a second, although as Meat crouches ready to start one of them, mouth open in characteristic pose, his chewing gum falls from his mouth and lands on his guitar .. "****! I dropped my gum!!" he exclaims with a chuckle as he pops it back in and continues .. In the closing stages of Lawyers I can see Meat working his right hand into his rear pants pocket .. I'm watching this wondering .. is he adjusting his battery pack? .. and then at the final line I see what he's been working out of his pocket .. it's a handful of funny money .. he throws it into the audience .. it lands on the chair next to me, vacated by the couple who are standing at the barrier. At Birmingham John winked at me when they were taking their final bow, and threw a drumstick right at me .. it landed smack on my chest and as I grasped it with my left hand a woman standing next to me snatched it away nearly knocking me to the ground .. tonight as Meat's money came hurtling towards me I was determined that this time if I caught the prize it would not be wrested from my grasp!! My hand closed on it .. warm and damp .. two other hands closed over mine .. but I held on tight .. "I have it!!" I said .. and I did!! Dead Ringer .. Meat does his "conjuring trick" with the scarf on the mike .. it works .. big **** eating grin .. he tries to muscle in on CC who's chatting to Paul .. no luck .. then on Patti, who's chatting to Kasim and Randy .. same again .. he's the picture of despondency .. comes to centre stage .. "Is there anyone who wants to be my girlfriend?" .. around 7000 women scream YESSSSSSSS .. He shows us just how sexiky he can dance .. and we're into Dead Ringer, a huge hit in the UK and still ever popular. The lights dim for Testify .. an extended and quite beautiful gospel introduction tonight .. this show is slipping so quickly by .. Testify is superb. Again I notice the audience seem to be familiar with the words .. I drag my eyes from Meat for a moment and glance round .. yes, this audience (who have been singing along since Life is a Lemon) holds many I can see who know the words .. I can hear their singing from behind .. this is surely good news Meat slips to the rear of the stage to don his football jacket for All Revved Up ... he appears holding a can of Manchester brew .. chugs it back .. and we're on our way .. he doesn't seem to have drunk as much water tonight as he usually does .. but the beer goes down well and affects him not a jot. I again wonder at the fitness and energy of this man .. he's barely stopped .. the lights are beating down on him .. he's now wearing a warm fleecy jacket over the rest of his stage clothes .. but he's still rushing around stage .. some sweat running down his face, but hair relatively dry and energy undiminished! The tippy-toed run across stage is delivered .. I adore this every time I see it Meat wants to read something from his newspaper .. "Hold my mike Kas while I find the page .. I saw this in the Daily Mirror this morning!!" He finds the page .. holds it for the cameraman so we can see it on the screen .. "Michelle (Pop Idol finalist) has said SHE's not like Meat Loaf .. SHE's attractive!!!!!! .. " .. Oh Michelle, I think .. you really dropped the ball and a great opportunity with this one!! Meat continues with that pursed mouth he has when he's indignant but amused .. points out amongst other things that when he first came to Merrie Old England .. and Manchester was the first place he did a show (huge cheers) .. that despite the fact he was 70 lbs heavier then .. did we or did we not recognise a SEX GOD when we saw one? Predictable affirmative response from the enthusiastic audience .. particularly the women .. he has a few choice things to say to Michelle .. including "Put me in a dress and I look better than Michelle!!!!!" .. tells us to get the paper tomorrow .. he has replied!!!!! You Took The Words .. Meat jumps down into the audience and runs into the tiered side section .. accosts one hapless guy .. sits down beside him .. "There are fifteen thousand people in this arena tonight .. and fourteen thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine were singing this song .. and who wasn't?" He ribs him for saying he doesn't know the words .. lists all the bizarre things he, Meat, would rather say as an excuse than "I don't know the words" .. gets him to repeat the phrases of the chorus after him up to the final word .. "It must have been while you were ... ?" .. the guy says "Kissing me" .. "I knew it" says Meat .. "You lied!!!!" .. gives the guy a huge full frontal kiss and bounds back to the stage to conclude the song. Couldn't Have Said It Better .. again many people know the words, and it's a great version tonight .. once again I'm struck by how Meat may sing a song I have heard live twice in the preceeding seven days .. but every time it's different .. I could watch this gifted and versatile man perform the same list of songs ten nights in a row and each show would be fresh and new and have different things to enjoy. Then Frying Pan .. Out of the Frying Pan follows .. wonderful song, wonderful delivery .. Meat shushes us at the end .. he wants to extemporise, moving from side to side of the stage "I want you .. I want to take you .. oh how I want to take you .. " .. and then the grand finish .. the burining clouds flare and billow at the rear of the stage .. "Into the fire, fire, fire, fire" and one long last note rings out over the arena ..... And the intro to Paradise is starting .. Meat is holding out his arms for his gold jacket .. where has the time gone? The "theme" for this tour is the same, but the delivery different .. no "Guess the animal" game tonight .. straight into the clinch! .. concluding with Meat rolling on the floor after Patti has kneed him in the family jewels The band are introduced, and tonight as each member is singled out and they are shown on the screens, a few words have been added for each one .. John Micelli is first .. it says his hobby is proctology .. and those of us who would like to assist him in developing his interest are invited to go backstage after the show .. .. Patti is "looking for a man in Manchester" .. and "finally myself " has "Hey pretty thing, let me light your candle .. woah momma I'm too hot to handle .. Yes I am!!" We are thanked from their hearts to our souls .. adjured to never, ever stop rocking!!! .. they run from the stage .. we clap, cheer and shout until they come back to a huge roar of approval. A beautiful rendition of Anyting For LOve .. the audience go wild as they hear the intro .. and suddenly Paul's guitar signals the intro to BOOH .. the audience nearly bring the roof down with their singing .. a final "HEEEELLLLLLL" soars out over the arena, and it's done .. holding hands they take bow after bow .. Meat strides from side to side of the stage pulling us all to his heart with that familiar clenched-fist gesture .. and suddenlty he's gone! It's over, and another show is burned on my memory forever. Meat has been tireless, has given 150% yet again. I have thrilled to his clear voice delivering wonderful songs .. laughed at the wit and humour which is ever present .. tonight he refers to Justin Timberlake again .. "Justin doesn't use a mike like this .. he has one of those little ones that's strapped to his head .. comes down here .. of course he doesn't SING into it!!!!" .. when he's singing in a high key .. higher than usual .. doing his Michael Jackson impression he checks his crotch .. yes .. it's OK .. they're still there!! He has revelled again in the excellence of his band, in his own zest and energy, in the sheer FUN he's having .. the Meat Loaf that Meat takes on stage .. the born performer, has given us another evening of high octane excellence .. the little kid jumping up and down saying "Look at MEEEE!!!!!" that he described recently in an interview, has jumped up and down with all the loving zest, fun and exuberance of the child who will stay forever young .. and I thank him for the gift of yet another evening I will treasure always. I also thank Chris for ferrying me over to Manchester .. it was lovely to meet you .. as it was to meet Heather, who after that huge disappointment when her ebay seller failed to send her tickets and finally sent back her money, had managed to get front row sets next to us from a trustworthy ebayer .. and so many thanks to Chris to staying in his seat so I could see, and to Heather and her husband who kept an area clear so I could see the show without any problem. Sin, I thought of you so many times last night .. but we will have out time in Sheffield in January .. and hopefully again in the summer. THE MAN IS BACK! HE'S BACK BETTER THAN EVER!! LONG LIVE THIS MARVELLOUS MAN!!!