The parkland at Blickling Hall, near Aylsham, was basking in warm sunlight as 9,000 music fans rolled out their rugs or set up their chairs, unloaded their picnic baskets and let the alcohol flow ready to enjoy the venue's first summer gig. With the crowd in good spirits, Brit rockers Hurricane Party took the support slot honours and did a great job, despite having the odds piled against them. Before the gig, rhythm guitarist Jonny Rocker was knocked over by a truck and ended up in casualty. The group's manager and co-songwriter stepped into the breach, which is just as well when you're a rock band whose sound depends on thrashing guitars. Front man Richie Hervanz had an engaging line in cheery banter and the crowd met his demands of arm-waving and clapping. Their sound owes a lot to American rock bands like Aerosmith and Guns 'n' Roses - and with their amps turned up so they were impossible to ignore - they turned out a crowd-pleasing set which lifted an admirable number of gig-goers out of their garden seats. Happy ending And in a happy ending, Jonny managed to race back from hospital, albeit with his broken arm in a sling, to watch the band dedicate their last number, Steam, to the Norfolk and Norwich's A & E department. But the main draw which shifted 9,000 tickets out of Blickling Hall's box office within days was Meat Loaf. The lakeside setting held as mixed a crowd as you'd find at a gig. There were families chinking wine glasses with their nearest and dearest over picnics, leather-clad rockers, fans who no doubt remember buying Bat Out Of Hell in 1976 as well as teenagers and those in their early 20s. United crowd Despite the differences, when Meat Loaf and his singers Patti Russo and CC walked out onto the stage, the fans were united in cheers and hollers. Launching into a set stretching nearly two hours, the Texan-born legend was ready to put on a show. The thunderous bass-heavy introduction to second song Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back lent a rock opera feel to proceedings and the concert continued in this vein.  | | This pair of fans catered for 11! |
True to his passion for acting, the heavyweight singer melded rock 'n' roll with theatrics in a happy marriage. Story-boarded songs The lyrics to crowd-pleasers like Dead Ringer For Love, All Revved Up With No Place To Go, Paradise By The Dashboard Light and Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad were acted out by Meat Loaf and his stunning singers, who were squeezed into corsets and PVC trousers so tight that they must be existing on liquid diets. Entertaining though he was, unfortunately he wasn't in fine voice. At times it lacked the clarity and flourishes which I'd expected from this icon. At certain points, his vocals dipped out and this was emphasised by the performances of Patti and CC whose voices packed enough power to fell the trees which flanked the stage. Maybe it's because the Blickling date was at the tail end of his European Hair Of The Dog tour that he was flagging or perhaps he hasn't got over the shock of his private plane over-shooting the runway at Manchester airport when he landed in England at the end of June. Sing-along delight Despite his voice lacking some beef, the sellout crowd lapped up his set which was a karaoke lover's delight.  | | The gig setting |
Meat Loaf played up to the audience, cutting the volume to You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) to encourage the whole of the park to sing along. With a career spanning 30 years, the gig offered a passage through the archives with tracks aired from the seminal Bat Out Of Hell album through to the forthcoming Bat Out Of Hell: Volume III. But the gems were revealed near the end. Meat Loaf gave both a tender and powerful rendition of I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) with his vocals weaving in with Patti's, as her voice effortlessly swooped and soared. Next up, was the moment that most had been waiting for, and Bat Out Of Hell didn't disappoint. The Neverland Express band, led by bassist Kasim Sulton, was - as ever - faultless and played with verve to give this classic texture. Down towards the stage, there wasn't a still pair of feet or a silent mouth as everyone joined in with the performance. Ultimately, those who were there to hear Meat Loaf sing would have gone home disappointed, but gig lovers who were there to see a show would have made the trek back to their cars with happy hearts. Meat Loaf and Hurricane Party played Blickling Hall on Friday 15 July 2005. | 
