Review: Vampires Rock: Ghost Train - Grand Theatre, Blackpool

If you are not familiar with Steve Steinman then you probably would not remember him from his Meatloaf songs from Stars in their Eyes from 1990. This former chef from Manchester has made a successful career out of performing the Meatloaf Story and the spin off show Vampires Rock, both shows playing regularly across the country.

He plays Barron Von Rockula in the show which he has written, produced and directed (which he is very fond of telling you at the end of the gig). The plot is a loose tale of him finding a new home in a deserted fairground where he lures Roxy Honey Box (Hayley Russell) into his lair.

Interspersed with classic rock tracks from mostly the 80's such as Living After Midnight (Judas Priest), Since You've Been Gone (Rainbow), Schools Out (Alice Cooper) and lots of AC/DC hits it was a tour de force of the golden age of heavy metal music. The only nod to anything that was released after 2000 was I Believe in a Thing Called Love (The Darkness) which shows that either mainstream and timeless rock tracks are just not being written anymore or that Steinman feels his mainly middle aged audience would not know the more up to date rock tracks.

The in between song banter is friendly and witty, at times he slips out of character and addresses the audience in his more familiar Mancunian accent.

He has a fine set of musicians on stage with him along with 4 female dancers/singers who include Victoria Jones whose vocals were superb and her voice complemented Steinman on the duets they performed together. She was as much a star of the production as the main man himself.

Comic timing was in evidence with Steinman and his sidekick, Bosely, The Janitor played by John Evans, at times their double act reminded me of the comic double acts such as Cannon and Ball such was the dynamism between the two. Evans was funny, engaging and also a strong vocalist. He has some of the best one liners of the night.

It was inevitable that the night would end with some Meatloaf tracks and Dead Ringer For Love worked a treat, Steinman has probably sung the song hundreds of times but he still appears to enjoy performing it.

It was an entertaining evening from start to finish; it's not rocket science and it's not high art, however it is fun and above all a show where all performers involved held the audience in the palm of their hands for over 2 hours, with a superb set and brilliant lighting effects. A great show.

Steve Steinman's Meatloaf Greatest Hits tour plays York Grand Opera House on Wednesday 9 March 2016.

Tickets available from: www.grandoperahouseyork.org.uk