Well that fun was over before it really even started. This morning the phones were ringing hot for everyone in the music industry on a leak from the infamous Nui Te Koha who jumped on breakfast radio in Melbourne and told listeners “Bruce Springsteen at the AFL Grand Final. The word is promoter Michael Gudinski has got Bruce Springsteen wrapped up.”
The Boss, who a few years back performed as halftime entertainment for the NFL Superbowl, is gearing up to embark on a world tour later this year however Australian dates are yet to be announced. A month back some dates were leaked onto the internet but later proved to be false.
The AFL this morning refused to comment on the claims, saying it would announce its grand-final entertainment closer to the date, but a spokeswoman for Gudinski’s company The Mushroom Group has told Fairfax that the rumour is not true. “There’s no truth in that rumour at all,” she said.
Eddie McGuire who was hosting the breakfast show also added that the AFL would make changes to their Grand Final entertainment format. “You can take it to the bank that instead of pre-match it will be a halftime show and the stage where it’s been in the stand is gone as well. That will come back out into the middle.”
The changes are no doubt in response to the huge public outcry after Meatloaf performed before last year’s Grand Final match. The ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ singer put on a performance that many called the worst ever, even worse than Angry Anderson’s embarrassing ‘bat mobile’ incident.
The AFL were also quick to throw the larger than life singer under the bus with Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan telling a media briefing “The guy turned up and just couldn’t sing. I reckon he was absolutely terrible.”
But Meat Loaf defended his performance, blaming the AFL because they didn’t offer enough time for sound check, wouldn’t provide a live piano, and insisted he sing to a backing tape which he couldn’t hear. “I’m sorry, they’re jerks. I do not like them,” he said after the performance.
“And I’ll tell you what,” he continued. “Anybody that I hear announces that they’re going to play for them I’m going to write to that particular artist a letter and tell them not to. And I hope the AFL hears this and I want this everywhere. Because I will go out of my way to tell any artist do not play for them.”
Meatloaf isn’t the only performer to hit well below expectations at a sporting event however, check out our slideshow of the worst halftime entertainment ever
