Meat Loaf announces ‘MAD, MAD WORLD’ tour kicking off June 22 in Austin, TX in connection with his newly released album ‘HELL IN A HANDBASKET’

“…a blistering screed about the state of the world and a call to arms to fix it.”

–ESQUIRE.COM (3/8/12)

“…you can’t deny the power of Meat Loaf’s voice or his rightful place as King of the Anthems…Vocally and interpretively, Meat Loaf is still on top of his game. You really can’t find another performer who is as natural a talent and puts as much emotion into his performance as him.”

–CONSEQUENCEOFSOUND.NET (3/16/12)

Iconic singer MEAT LOAF has announced the first round of dates for his upcoming “MAD, MAD, WORLD” TOUR in connection with his newly released album HELL IN A HANDBASKET (Sony/Legacy). The trek kicks off in the city of Austin, TX June 22 and runs through August 2, including stops in Los Angeles, Boston and Atlantic City, with more dates expected to be announced.

For the HELL IN A HANDBASKET tour, MEAT LOAF says, “People who come to Meat Loaf shows know what to expect. They know they’re going to get full-on energy with the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. That’s not an opinion. That’s the truth.” Asked specifically what makes for a good show, he says, “Well, a great play can be done with a table, a light, and four chairs. Great shows are about people. You don’t want to put up a wall with laser lights, production, and dancers. It’s really about going out there and putting on the show of these people’s lives without all of the bells and whistles.”

Joining MEAT LOAF onstage will be his longtime band THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS: guitarist Paul Crook (who also produced the HELL IN A HANDBASKET album), John Miceli (drums, percussion), Patti Russo (lead and backing vocals), Randy Flowers (guitars, vocals), David Luther (saxophone, vocals) Justin Avery (piano, organ, keyboard, vocals), Danny Miranda (electric and upright bass) and Ginny Luke (violin, vocals).

MEAT LOAF recently performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where he sang “The Giving Tree” from HELL IN A HANDBASKET. “It’s is the most personal record I’ve ever made,” said MEAT LOAF. “It’s really the first record I’ve ever put out about how I feel about life and how I feel about what’s going on at the moment.” The album, produced by Paul Crook, is an expression of life’s metaphors, driven by excellent musicianship, and of course, the passionate vocals of MEAT LOAF. “Making this album was a great experience,” said MEAT LOAF, “and I hope my fans enjoy hearing it as much as I did making it.”

MEAT LOAF–whose 1977 breakout album Bat Out Of Hell defined the arena rock genre and remains as one of the world’s five top-selling albums of all-time, with more than 43 million copies sold to date–is excited about HELL IN A HANDBASKET. It’s a thematic record that easily crosses any number of genres, featuring such unlikely contributors as rappers Chuck D and Lil Jon, country star Trace Adkins, and Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath.