American Idol winner Caleb Johnson keeping the legacy of Meat Loaf alive

If you never got the chance to see American rock legend Meat Loaf live in concert, well Celebrating Meat Loaf, an ambitious, high-energy show coming to the Cambridge Corn Exchange later this month, is undoubtedly the next best thing.

For Neverland Express, otherwise known as Meat Loaf’s band, will be travelling around the UK with American Idol winner Caleb Johnson on vocals – and Cambridge will be one of the cities on their Never Stop Rockin’ tour.

Much more than just a tribute concert, the band – led by Meat Loaf’s long-time record producer/musical director/guitarist Paul Crook – and Caleb will be performing some of the much-missed artist’s best-loved classics, such as Bat Out of Hell, Paradise by the Dashboard Light and I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).

The show is the only authentic reimagining of the late singer and composer Jim Steinman’s songbook (the pair collaborated most famously on the classic Bat Out of Hell album).

Blessed with a powerful, Meat Loaf-esque singing voice, Caleb Johnson won the 13th series of TV talent show American Idol in 2014, delivering assured versions of a number of rock classics on his way to victory.

“I was approached by Paul Crook, who was Meat Loaf’s musical director,” recalls the Asheville, North Carolina-born singer, 33, speaking to the Cambridge Independent via Zoom from the village of Pinehurst, also in North Carolina.

“At the beginning of 2018, I was asked basically to front the band. Meat Loaf was on a hiatus from touring; he had some back issues and had to have some pretty invasive surgery.

“So he was off the road for a while, and so with Meat’s blessing and everything, Paul reached out to me about doing this.

“And I was completely honoured and really excited about this project because I’m a massive Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman fan, and Bat Out of Hell is one of my favourite records of all time.

“So it was a real no-brainer for me because again I just love the music and love Meat Loaf as a singer and a performer, so it’s a real honour to be a part of this and to get to do this music – and now, with Meat Loaf’s untimely passing, I get to keep this legacy alive and keep the music out there for the fans.”

Meat Loaf, whose real name was Marvin Lee Aday, was known for his operatic rock sound and was a very popular and well-known figure in the music world for decades, tragically passing away in early 2022.

Released in 1977, Bat Out of Hell, the first album in a trilogy, spent nine years on the music charts and is one of the best-selling records in history with more than 43 million copies sold.

The likeable star was also known for his film and television appearances, which included 1975’s Rocky Horror Picture Show and 1999’s Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt.

Caleb, something of a “late bloomer” who didn’t start singing until his junior year of high school, got to work with ‘Meat’ in 2021.

He describes him as “a great guy – a very interesting person as well”, adding: “Just like with his music, he was a larger-than-life character, very funny but very intense as well.

“Just such a unique individual, such a badass and I have the utmost respect for him.”

“We did a TV show together,” remembers Caleb, “a live performance, and I got to sing with him, which was great.

“Meat Loaf was one-of-a-kind – amazing performer, amazing singer, and I learned a lot from him about how to approach this material and perform this material, so all that stuff was incredibly invaluable. It was so much fun.”

As an added second set bonus, the show includes hit songs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Meat Loaf starred as luckless delivery driver Eddie in the hit film and sang the show-stopper, Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul – which is one of Caleb’s favourite songs to sing in the show, along with Bat Out of Hell and Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

Caleb also makes his own music, releasing his second album, Mountain Mojo Vol 1, in 2021.

“We recorded that in Nashville, Tennessee,” he reveals, “with Jason Bonham [son of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham] on the drums.”

The hardworking musician has also toured with the likes of Kiss, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, and Sammy Hagar – “all these artists that I’ve really loved and admire,” says Caleb, “and this is just an extension of that with Meat Loaf’s band, Neverland Express.

“It’s such a blast – I do this because I’m a fan. I love music and love these records and these artists, so it’s just a real treat for me to get to do this.

“Again, Bat Out of Hell is one of my favourite records of all time and it’s so cool getting to do this with Meat Loaf’s band and just put on an incredibly bombastic, over-the-top, theatrical rock show.”

He adds: “I’m not Meat Loaf, Meat Loaf is irreplaceable, Meat Loaf is a one-of-a-kind artist and performer.

“What I do is I bring my own artistic stamp to this material, but also try to keep the essence and honour the legacy of Meat Loaf and what he did and what these songs were to him.

“And obviously Neverland Express is one of the greatest live rock ‘n’ roll bands in the world, and these songs are not just run-of-the-mill pop songs – these are like 12-minute operas.

“These are huge sprawling epics of just ups and downs, twists and turns, and all these different emotional highs and lows…

“It’s a very physically demanding show, it is very intense – but it’s very theatrical, it’s fun, and it’s all you’d want in a Meat Loaf show, just without Meat Loaf.

“But then all of the good stuff that Meat Loaf was and is and everything – it’s all embedded in this show, because it’s Meat Loaf’s music.”

Caleb is not alone in his enthusiasm for the show, with none other than Queen guitarist Brian May proclaiming: “Do not miss this! This is the closest you could possibly get…

“This is NOT a tribute band but Meat’s incredible, actual band. Singer Caleb has all the power and glory of Meat in his glory days and this band rocks!”

Fans will have the chance to draw their own conclusions when the Celebrating Meat Loaf show calls into the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Sunday, 22 September.

Tickets, priced £35.50-£133 (VIP), are available from cornex.co.uk. For more on Caleb Johnson, go to calebjohnsonofficial.com. For more on the Meat Loaf show, visit celebratingmeatloaf.com.