Q&A With Meat Loaf

Q: What separates the "Mad Mad World Tour" from other tours you've done? - Meat Loaf: We've got a new album, Hell In A Handbasket, and we're playing songs from that. We're doing a couple songs from other albums that we've never done live before. It's a Meat Loaf show. Meat Loaf shows are dramatic and funny. People who come to Meat Loaf shows know what to expect. They know they're going to get full-on energy with the best rock 'n' roll band in the world. That's not an opinion. That's the truth.

Q: How would you describe a Meat Loaf show to the uninitiated? Meat Loaf: It's high energy. We sing and play live. It's not on tape. I do my own choreography [laughs]. It's a rock 'n' roll show. If you've never been to a Meat Loaf concert, you should go because you've never seen anything like it.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a great show? Meat Loaf: Well, a great play can be done with a table, a light, and four chairs. Great shows are about people. You don't want to put up a wall with laser lights, production, and dancers. It's really about going out there and putting on the show of these people's lives without all of the bells and whistles. That's why I don't carry much production. I've never had more than five trucks. Some artists go out in 28 trucks. We don't camouflage anything. It's a show about the truth. The object of a show is not to high-five the guy in the front row, blow a kiss to the girl in side stand, or wave to the people in the back. The object is to give the crowd the true meaning and feeling of the songs you're singing or playing. It's about energy and tension. After my show, you're going to leave saying, "How the hell does he do that?" and "I'm tired." Anyone who attends will leave excited and worn out because of the amount of energy coming off that stage. It's not just from me either.