Latest news with #BatOutofHell
7NEWS
22-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Mourners say goodbye to AFL great Robert Walls in emotional funeral at the MCG
The Robert Walls' funeral ended on a highly emotional note on Thursday, with a letter penned by the AFL legend read out to the hundreds of mourners who turned up to the MCG service. Walls — who chose to end his own life rather than keep fighting the rare cancer that was slowly killing him — pre-wrote the letter, ensuring a final goodbye from the grave to friends and family. Not even any of his family knew a note from beyond the grave was coming. 'The most fortunate thing in my life was meeting and marrying Erin — we raised three beautiful kids: Rebecca, David and Daniel,' Walls wrote. 'Who have become just very good, kind, respectful, decent people. 'My adult kids are my best friends. 'Erin and I shared over 30 years together. She was always my strong, loyal support, and a devoted mum.' He then spoke about his partner, Julie, who he met after Erin, saying 'fortune shone' on him when they met. He then said farewell for the last time in classic Walls style. 'Enough from me, goodbye, best wishes and be kind to each other,' he wrote. Football great Robert Walls was remembered as a devoted family man, mentor and friend in a touching service celebrating his life. About 600 mourners attended the service at MCG's Members Dining Room, including many AFL champions and media icons. Carlton greats such as Stephen Kernahan, Stephen Silvagni and Craig Bradley all paid their respects to Walls, as did Michael Voss (who was coached by Walls when he was at the Brisbane Bears). After Walls' coaching career ended with an unhappy tenure at Richmond, he became a respected commentator — always with the forthright and fierce demeanour that had marked his lengthy tenure inside the game. David Barham worked with Walls when the Essendon president was head of sport Channel 10. 'Wallsy set the standard for expert commentators. He remains the best I have ever seen,' Barham said. 'At times he was blunt, and brutally honest, but it never came from anything other than what he believed was right and fair.' Barham also relayed a story about Walls and Meat Loaf when the famous US Bat Out of Hell singer performed at the 2011 grand final. Barham revealed Meat Loaf was thinking about pulling out of the event due to rain, and he had let that information slip to Walls. There were concerns from Meat Loaf's representatives about safety in performing on an outside stage. 'It was big news, and given this was (Channel 10's) last grand final (as the AFL broadcaster) ... the confidentiality part slipped my mind, and I decided I would tell Wallsy,' Barham said. '(Robert) didn't take it well. He lived his life by fronting up no matter what, and he didn't take to people who dodged their responsibilities. On air, he gave Meat Loaf one of his better sprays … along the lines of 'he just must front up and perform … he's being paid a lot of money … it's just a bit of a drizzle… if he doesn't perform I will'. 'He finished with my personal favourite: 'Just tell the Big Loaf, to harden up and get out there …' 'Wallsy's on air spray started a bit of a media bushfire and the news spread quickly. 3AW picked up the story and it blew up into a drama. 'Meatloaf's man, turned directly to me and launched into me, he was screaming ... 'Walls … who's Walls' … Walls' … I looked him straight in the eye and said, 'I have never heard of him' … and then turned around and walked away, knowing Wallsy had single-handedly ensured Meatloaf's half-time show was back on. 'Suffice to say, had it not been for Wallsy, we may not have the Meat Loaf memory, something we have all enjoyed talking about for more than a decade. 'Wallsy, if you are listening to this and you have ended up in the same place as Meat Loaf, a warning, he will probably be looking for you, and I suggest an apology might be a good thing … however, if you do see him, tell him it was great TV.'
Press and Journal
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Meat Loaf tribute act leaves the Aberdeen audience 'All Revved Up'
There's a fine line between homage and impersonation. Heaven Can Wait, the Meat Loaf tribute act currently touring the UK, knows exactly where to walk it. Big vocals, high drama, and more than a few raised eyebrows. The show knows exactly what it is, and in Aberdeen on Wednesday night it delivered everything the crowd came for. More than three years on from Meat Loaf's passing, his music still has the power to fill a theatre and stir a crowd which is a testament to just how deeply it connected. Taking on Meat Loaf is no small feat – literally. It's not just about hitting the notes. It's about channelling that wild-eyed, operatic melodrama that made him such a one-off. Frontman Lee Brady is a brave soul, stepping into the spotlight with the swagger and stamina needed to power through an epic Jim Steinman setlist. And to his credit, he delivers. No one can truly be Meat Loaf, but Brady finds the theatrical core and runs with it. During two 45 minute sets he's backed by a rock-solid band of seasoned UK musicians, including female vocalist Kerry Carlton, handling everything from Paradise by the Dashboard Light to Dead Ringer for Love. This wasn't just a karaoke night in wigs; there was proper musicianship on display. Some music fans can be a bit sniffy about these shows, but it's worth noting that many players split their time between tributes and original projects. Far from stifling creativity, often gigs like this help fund it. The setlist is exactly what it needs to be. We got the big Bat Out of Hell hitters, along with some deep cuts. The show leans into the over-the-top drama that made these songs iconic. It's ridiculous, of course, but that's exactly the point. A quick nod, too, to the venue. The Tivoli Theatre is one of Aberdeen's hidden gems. Rich in heritage and with an intimate feel, it's a perfect match for a show built on connection and emotion rather than sheer scale. The all-seated setup perhaps encouraged a reserved response from the polite Aberdeen audience. The crowd, mostly folks who were around when Bat Out of Hell first came screaming out of radios nearly half a century ago, took some coaxing before they got up and let loose during the second half. In the end, Heaven Can Wait isn't trying to replace the original. It's trying to keep the fire burning. And for Wednesday night's Aberdeen crowd, it did. If you came looking for subtlety, you were in the wrong century. But if you came looking for a rock opera dream of leather, heartbreak and passion, you'd do anything for this show. It's no surprise that it's set to return next year. If you enjoyed this story, you may also like:
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Remember Monday, What the Hell Just Happened? review: Eurovision entry is Meatloaf meets Chappell Roan
'What the Hell Just Happened?' I'll tell you what, the UK has unveiled a genuinely good Eurovision entry in the form of pop trio Remember Monday, the first girl group to represent since 1999. What the hell, indeed. The big reveal of the act chosen to perform at the annual Eurovision Song Contest has, for the past decade, carried with it a sense of doom. Britain has a victim mentality when it comes to the world's biggest singing competition – particularly since Brexit, naysayers have claimed that politics is a sword of Damocles hanging over the head of whichever sacrificial lamb we decide to send to the slaughter. Never mind that the UK has in fact won five times, tied for the second-most wins with Luxembourg, France and the Netherlands, with Ireland and Sweden claiming the most wins (seven). In truth – and as any true Eurovision fan knows – the UK is its own worst enemy. With the exception of 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder, who dazzled the public voters and the jury with his golden voice and golden retriever energy, our more recent history is a graveyard of forgettable, identikit ballads performed by quailing pop singers. None of whom can hope to compete against delegates from countries who better understand what voters look for in a winning candidate. Give it up for Remember Monday, then, who have co-written what sounds like the result of a drunken one-night stand between Meatloaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' and Chappell Roan 's 'Pink Pony Club'. There's certainly a touch of Queen and Elton John in those dramatic piano crescendos, squalling guitar riffs and bombastic blasts of synth – this is a full-scale production, full of fun and flair. The lyrics, too, present Remember Monday as actual personalities (crucial for Eurovision), with the kind of winking, tongue-in-cheek tone that made Little Mix so endearing. Thematically, it's reminiscent of Katy Perry 's 2011 bop 'Last Friday Night (TGIF)' and Carrie Underwood's 'Last Night', a piecing-together of the messiness of the previous evening: 'Broke a heel, lost my keys, scraped my knee/When I fell from the chandelier…/ Ripped my dress, call an ex, I confess/ I'm obsessed, not the best idea…' There's a devil-may-care hedonism to it, the kind Britain seems to yearn for right now. In the midst of a cost of living crisis and a particularly bleak news cycle, 'What the Hell Just Happened?' does for pop what Disney's Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals did for TV. It's a throwback to carefree times, when the biggest thing you had to worry about was whether you did call your ex after five shots of tequila. How will they fare at Eurovision? No idea, but I like it.
