Seize the Night, also known as the Three Bats tour, is a 2007 world tour by Meat Loaf to promote the album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.
Some concerts in April were cancelled due to Meat Loaf's ill health. Just over an hour into a concert in Newcastle upon Tyne on October 31, 2007, he told the audience that it was the last of his life, and walked off stage. He was later diagnosed with an "inter-vocal cord cyst" and cancelled the remaining dates on his European tour. Playing down the comments he made at Newcastle, in a statement he said "I'll be back."
A DVD of the tour was released in October 2007, entitled 3 Bats Live. It also contains a bonus disc featuring the promotional videos and animations from Bat III. The DVD also features Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise, a documentary about the tour.
Musicians Many musicians from recent tours returned to play in the Neverland Express band. The most major change was the departure of Patti Russo, who had toured with Meat Loaf for 13 years. Vocalist Aspen Miller and saxophonist/keyboardist Dave Luther joined the band. He opened the show as lead on "All Revved up with No Place to Go".
Paul Crook, Randy Flowers, Mark Alexander, and John Miceli performed on lead guitar, guitar, piano and drums, respectively. Kasim Sulton was bass guitar and musical director.
Marion Raven joined Meat Loaf for the first leg as the supporting act. Meat Loaf introduced her on stage at the latter stages of the concerts to duet on "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". Supporting acts for the second leg included backing singer C.C. Colletti and Mother Pearl.
Dates
Date City Country Venue Notes Leg IFebruary 23, 2007PalaUnited StatesPala CasinoFebruary 28, 2007VictoriaCanadaSave-On-Foods Memorial CentreMarch 2, 2007VancouverPacific ColiseumMarch 4, 2007EdmontonRexall PlaceMarch 6, 2007KelownaProspera PlaceMarch 8, 2007CalgaryPengrowth SaddledomeMarch 11, 2007WinnipegMTS CentreMarch 14, 2007TorontoHummingbird CentreMarch 16, 2007OttawaScotiabank PlaceMarch 18, 2007LondonJohn Labatt CentreMarch 20, 2007HamiltonCopps ColiseumMarch 22, 2007SyracuseUnited StatesWar Memorial at OncenterMarch 24, 2007Upper Darby TownshipTower TheaterMarch 26, 2007PoughkeepsieMid-Hudson Civic CenterMarch 28, 2007BinghamtonBroome County Veterans Memorial ArenaMarch 30, 2007HersheyGiant CenterApril 1, 2007Washington, D.C.DAR Constitution HallPostponed to April 16April 3, 2007ClearwaterRuth Eckerd HallRescheduled for September 1April 5, 2007Boca RatonMizner AmphitheaterStopped after four songs;rescheduled for August 30April 7, 2007OrlandoHard Rock LiveCanceledApril 10, 2007WallingfordChevrolet TheatreCanceledApril 12, 2007New York CityTheater @ Madison Square GardenRescheduled for July 18April 13, 2007Rescheduled for July 20April 16, 2007Washington, D.C.DAR Constitution HallEurope May 10, 2007ManchesterEnglandManchester Evening News ArenaMay 12, 2007May 14, 2007BirminghamNEC ArenaMay 16, 2007May 18, 2007GlasgowScotlandSECCMay 20, 2007Newcastle upon TyneEnglandMetro Radio ArenaMay 23, 2007LondonWembley ArenaMay 25, 2007May 27, 2007SheffieldHallam FM ArenaMay 29, 2007May 31, 2007BelfastNorthern IrelandOdyssey ArenaJune 2, 2007DublinIrelandThe PointJune 4, 2007June 7, 2007SölvesborgSwedenSweden Rock FestivalJune 9, 2007MiddelfartDenmarkRock Under BroenJune 12, 2007HamburgGermanyColor Line ArenaJune 14, 2007CologneCologne ArenaJune 17, 2007MunichOlympiahalleJune 19, 2007StuttgartSchleyerhalleJune 21, 2007FrankfurtFesthalle FrankfurtJune 23, 2007Yello Strom World Bowl XV, Commerzbank-ArenaJune 25, 2007BaselSwitzerlandSt. Jakob ArenaJune 27, 2007AmsterdamNetherlandsHeineken Music HallJune 29, 2007BristolEnglandAshton Gate Football GroundNorth AmericaJuly 18, 2007New York CityUnited StatesTheater @ Madison Square GardenJuly 20, 2007July 22, 2007Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Performing Arts CenterJuly 24, 2007CorfuDarien Lake Performing Arts CenterJuly 27, 2007UncasvilleMohegan Sun ArenaJuly 29, 2007Holmdel TownshipPNC Bank Arts CenterJuly 31, 2007WatertownWatertown FairgroundsAugust 2, 2007ScrantonToyota Pavilion at Montage MountainAugust 4, 2007ClearfiledClearfield County FairAugust 6, 2007BethlehemMusikfestAugust 9, 2007ClevelandTime Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower CityAugust 11, 2007GilfordMeadowbrook Musical Arts CenterAugust 13, 2007MontrealCanadaBell CentreAugust 16, 2007RamaCasino RamaAugust 18, 2007Atlantic CityUnited StatesBorgata Events CenterAugust 20, 2007BostonBank of America PavilionAugust 22, 2007WantaghNikon at Jones Beach TheaterAugust 24, 2007Tunica ResortsGrand CasinoAugust 28, 2007OrlandoHard Rock LiveRescheduled from April 8August 30, 2007Boca RatonMizner AmphitheaterRescheduled from April 5September 1, 2007ClearwaterRuth Eckerd HallRescheduled from April 3September 3, 2007AtlantaChastain Park AmphitheatreEuropeOctober 18, 2007DortmundGermanyWestfalenhalleOctober 20, 2007LeipzigLeipzig ArenaOctober 22, 2007MannheimSAP ArenaOctober 24, 2007NurembergNuremberg ArenaOctober 26, 2007BremenAWD-DomeOctober 28, 2007GlasgowScotlandSECCOctober 31, 2007Newcastle upon TyneEnglandMetro Radio ArenaCut short after 1hr 18mins.November 2, 2007BirminghamNEC ArenaCancelledNovember 4, 2007ManchesterManchester Evening News ArenaRescheduled for November 27November 6, 2007LondonWembley ArenaCancelledNovember 8, 2007NottinghamNottingham ArenaCancelledNovember 11, 2007CardiffWalesCardiff International ArenaCancelledNovember 2007HorsensDenmarkCancelledNovember 2007BergenNorwayCancelledNovember 2007StockholmSwedenCancelledNovember 2007BelfastNorthern IrelandCancelledNovember 27, 2007ManchesterEnglandEvening News ArenaCancelled
Set list "All Revved Up with No Place to Go" (part) "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth" "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)" "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" "Seize the Night" (part) "The Monster Is Loose" "Bad for Good" "If It Ain't Broke, Break It" "Blind as a Bat" "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" "Bat Out of Hell" "Black Betty" "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" "Mercury Blues" "Gimme Shelter"
Other songs: "In the Land of the Pig, The Butcher Is King" (replaced The Monster Is Loose) "I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us" (played since Dortmund, planned for cancelled shows)
Critical reaction The staging of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" received a poor critical reaction due to the 32 years age difference between Meat Loaf and Aspen Miller, the latter dressed in a small costume. After consistent comments in the press, the staging was changed so that the band were dressed in 1970s clothing for the song so that it was divorced from reality. Meat Loaf even wore a wig for some concerts so that he appeared as he did when the first Bat album was released in 1977."In Search of Paradise", 3 Bats DVD
Cancellations Meat Loaf cancelled some concerts in April due to ill health.
During a performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK on October 31, 2007, at the opening of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" he suggested that the crowd of thousands should enjoy the performance as it was the last of his career. He attempted to sing the first line of the song, but instead said "Ladies and gentlemen, I love you, thank you for coming, but I can no longer continue." Removing the jacket he was wearing, he thanked the audience for 30 years, said "goodbye forever" and left the stage. The next day his tour promoter, Andrew Miller, refuted that this was the end for Meat Loaf and that he would continue touring after suitable rest.
His management initially claimed that the singer had "acute laryngitis." Nearly a week later he announced that he had been diagnosed with an inter-vocal cyst, and cancelled the remaining dates of his European tour. He announced that he would return, however. He began his Casa de Carne tour in summer 2008 featuring the return of his long-time duet partner Patti Russo. Also, in an attempt to compensate for cutting short the show at Newcastle, he took part in a charity penalty shoot-out at the city's football stadium.
References
First leg dates