Meatloaf kick-starts hot concert whirl

LIKE a bat outta hell, a typically frenzied Meatloaf kick-started a whirl of gigfests on Saturday that will climax with a dose of Vertigo in Croker next weekend.

Pounding more than bounding onto the stage at Ardgillan Castle on Saturday night, he received a raucous welcome from a crowd warmed up by those other relics of rock, Status Quo.

Centre-stage last night, at their Orange Crush-ing best, were REM, taking their frenetic fans Around the Sun and back, in a performance that was automatic for the people.

Their full-on, energetic brand of rock was tempered with the haunting Everybody Hurts, the madness of The Great Beyond and the gloriousness of their present day Electron Blue.

Moby was an able side-kick, proving Fatboy Slim has come a long way, baby, and The Devlins injected their own sublime brand of rock making more than a few waves.

Soaring temperatures raised the carnival mood of the crowd, leaving a lip for more and a promise of even better to come when U2 bring their world tour home to roost on Friday night.