Steamin' Steinman makes it hot at The Grove
Temperatures soar with classy homage to Meatloaf.
ONCE upon a time showman Steve Steinman took to the stage and belted out a tribute act to his hero, Meatloaf. Then the act began to grow like Topsy.
First came the The Lost Boys, his talented six-piece backing band, then there were the sexy girl dancers and pyrotechnics, and, now we have his most ambitious addition – a full orchestra – well, almost.
We'd been promised a full 40-piece orchestra at The Grove on Saturday night when Steinman's latest creation, Bat The Symphony, flew into the Dunstable venue for a one-night stand.
What we got, no doubt because of space restrictions on stage, were just 19 musicians from the National Concert Orchestra of Great Britain. But that was okay. What they lacked in numbers they more than made up with in presence, giving Meatloaf's epic songs a sweeping grandeur and elegant resonance.
No-one does Meatloaf quite like this jovial, bald-headed Mancunian and it would be wrong to say that this is yet another tribute act plying its carbon-copy trade.
Steve Steinman is one of The Grove's great success stories, returning time and again with stadium anthems, rocking vampires and even an homage to Dolly Parton. His passion has spawned an industry that seems constantly on the road, touring venues around the country, winning fans and critical acclaim in equal measure.
If it's September it must be The Stables, January he's back to Dunstable, then there's a gig at the Royal & Derngate to fit in. It never seems to stop – and that's just the way his growing fan-base like it.
Bat The Symphony is his best show to date. What started as a bit of kitsch 1970s rock n roll, with fantasy babes, long-haired rock musicians tossing their tousled manes expertly into the wind machine, and a front man belting out someone else's songs, has evolved into a winning formula.
It's high octane from the first drum beats of Life Is A Lemon to the Bat out of Hell encore when everyone's out of their seats and singing along.
There were a few indulgent solos from the Boys but they were entertaining and showcased their undisputed flair for their chosen instrument.
Both star guitarists Henry "Birdy" Bird and Jordan Bracewell showed off to their female fans while Birdy's little brother, Arthur, got everyone's attention with a couple of crowd-grabbing piano pieces (and went to show that his classical training hadn't been wasted). One woman was so impressed that she wanted to take the handsome hunk home with her. A few more would have fought her for the privilege.
Part of the encore was given over to a powerhouse performance by Nicky Miller on the drums. Not too long as to be boring but enough to shake the lethargic out of their seats for the final song.
Steinman sung his way through a selection of songs from the Bat out of Hell trilogy. It was a polished and electrifying performance from arguably one of the most powerful voices in the business.
Joining him on occasions was his stunning chanteuse Emily Clark and together they sang of love in true Gothic rock opera style.
A brilliant night's entertainment.
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Thursday 09 February 2012
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