Back Into Hell: A Tribute to Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman

A two-hour extravaganza celebrating the iconic music of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman is coming to Bournemouth.

We hear from Terry Nash who is starring as Meat Loaf in ‘Back Into Hell’ at Bournemouth Pavilion on 25 January 2025. Book your tickets now: https://www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk/events/back-into-hell-2025 

How did you end up performing in Back into Hell?
After many years of performing my Meet Loaf tribute with my live band, we were offered the opportunity to collaborate and produce a first class professional theatre show. We are all very excited for this project.

What is the hardest bit of preparing for the role? 
Bringing the fluidity of gig and festival style shows into the discipline and professional production values of theatre. It’s a superb challenge.

What is the most exciting part of taking the show on tour?
I am really looking forward to working the show with our team of musicians and techies, and getting the feedback from real live audiences to our accurately reproduced performances. The anticipation that we will very respectfully re-create a lot of the magic that the real Meat Loaf once did. 

What do you do when not performing?
I do all the necessary admin and research that a professional Entertainer needs to do to stay afloat. I also keep my skills honed as a performing arts coach with private students. Furthermore, I enjoy social activities and holidays with my friends and family on our motorbikes.

What would you like to tell the audience?
A year ago, I would have centred my performance, and discussion thereof, on pretending Meat Loaf himself was on the stage with his band. To have striven to create the suspension of disbelief, or verisimilitude, that it was not the real thing. 

I want the audience to know that I completely have, and always will, respect Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman for the art they created. Sadly, now they’ve both passed, my aim is to respectfully re-create what audiences would have seen when he was at the height of their powers.

We all have the fondest memories of the original Hit Makers out of Hell. We hope we honour them in our show.

Have you ever met Meat Loaf?
Yes. On his ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’ tour in 1996 at Wembley Arena.

I met the whole band and his singer Patti Rousseau. They told me Meat and they were in England touring when my Stars in Their Eyes show was broadcast. Steve Buslowe (MD and bass guitarist for Meat) said they all thought I’d done ‘Dead Ringer for Love really well’ and ‘It was cool man’.  Needless to say, I was chuffed to bits!!

When did your love of Meat Loaf begin?
I was in a wilderness of music after Elvis died. Like Meat, I was a big fan. I told him, you met Elvis, and I met you … starstruck eh!! 
I also told him that I first saw him and the band on BBC’s ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ in 1978. That I was hooked instantly on his voice and passionate delivery.

When and how did you start performing as Meat Loaf?
I have been singing with bands and duos for some years. I have been firm family friends with the late Rick Huxley from ‘The Dave Clarke Five’ and his family. With Rick playing guitar in social situations, he gave me the tools to further develop the confidence to sing in public. Some years later, I got to know an Elvis tribute in the early 1990’s. He kept calling me Meat Loaf, even though I wasn’t even singing Meat Loaf songs then. He suggested I get some backing tracks and try them out on one of his Elvis tribute shows as a guest. I’ve never looked back. I got hooked on the positive feedback from audiences.

What is your favourite Meat Loaf song to perform?
There is the dilemma. The range of emotions and song narratives allow for many favourites on context alone.
Romantically it’s ‘All Coming Back to Me Now’. Spiritually it’s ‘For Crying out Loud’, for Rocking Out it has to be ‘Bat out of Hell’.

Which is your favourite Meat Loaf album?
Bat out of Hell the original album. However, a very little known album ‘Blind Before I Stop’ pitches in joint 2nd with Bat out of Hell 2 (Back into Hell) from which out show’s name is inspired.

Tell us your favourite Meat Loaf quote or lyric?
From ‘For Crying out Loud’, it’s ‘…and I never knew just how high I was flying , with you right above me’

From ‘Night of the Soft Parade’, it’s ‘Our home is the wind, you know we're gods of the morning…..Campions of the night, when the engines are rumbling'

What is your favourite Meat Loaf fact? 
He is the only Musical/ Rock Star that really broke the mould in terms of body image and vocal quality. The ‘Big Boy’ rocked like hell, and people loved him for that. Also, that he once duetted with Pavarotti. 

Where is your favourite place to have performed so far? 
Too many to list really. Theatres anywhere are my favourite settings. Performing with the band at The Indigo Theatre inside the O2 Arena, London was particularly memorable. So too have been live festivals such as TribFest and TruckFest. I once played a private party for 17 people in a home overlooking Lake Windermere… that was stunning in a different way.

What are your essential items for on the road?
iPhone, iPad, Sat Nav, zero sugar drinks, yummy sandwiches, wine gums and plenty of time to travel and avoid the dreaded traffic!!! 

Is there anything else you would like to say?
It has been an honour to have watched Meat and his work over the years. It’s also been a privilege to have had the skills and opportunity to work with incredibly talented musicians and other singers over the years. Bringing all of the above together with this professional theatre creation team. I promise you all we will respect and celebrate Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman, whilst enjoying every minute in which,  you join us in the same. 

Don’t miss ‘Back Into Hell’ at Bournemouth Pavilion on 25 January 2025. Book your tickets now: https://www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk/events/back-into-hell-2025