Patti’s UK tour is still going, with gigs in Leeds and Southampton coming up in May. Expect a brilliant night of Patti’s own music, giving you a chance to hear some of her own songs played live for the firs time.

7 May 2015
Southampton @ The Brook
Book tickets here
Box office: 02380555366

16 May 2015
Leeds @ City Varieties Music Hall
Book tickets here
Box office: 01132430808

Here’s the article:

(Hope you have your magnifying glass ready We’re working on getting our hands on a better copy…)

And here she is at the event’s opening night:

Image via @BritWeek

If you spot any other reviews of the tour or Patti’s EP around the web, share them with us @PattiRussoNews!

Live: Patti Russo – Birmingham O2 Academy – 13th April
16 April 2014

Anybody who knows anything about MeatLoaf will obviously know that Patti Russo is or was his chosen backing singer, appearing on all his albums, live DVD,s and of course on stage since the 1990′s. Patti Russo has decided to step out and build herself a solo career, but not everybody will know that she has had a number of high’s already away from Meat loaf, song writing, other projects like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Queen, soloist on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and appearing in the Las Vegas version of Queen’s ‘We will rock you’ as the killer queen, plus various solo appearances on tv.

Patti Russo appeared at The O2 Academy in Birmingham to a too small a crowd for a lady of her talent, this did not put her off as she’s too good and too experienced for that kind of thing, mixing Queen, Meat Loaf and a few classics like Black Velvet and a storming version of River Deep Mountain High, and some of her own material.

Titles like, VISION, HERE WE ARE, ONE DOOR OPENS and probably her most well known BIBLE & BEER, which were applauded equally, (a good sign for the future) she has a great voice, as we all knew anyway! and it sounds like the songs to go with it, I don’t think it will be long before the size of the audience will grow as word spreads, on a footnote I understand that an album should be out in around 6 months time, and I for one look forward to it and some more show’s

Hurry up back Patti!!

Below is a transcript for the archive as always, but do check out the original post which comes with photos and videos!

She’s spent most of her career singing as a backing vocalist for the biggest names in music; Meat Loaf, Cher and Queen to name a few; but now Patti Russo has decided to spread her wings and fly solo. So far 2014 is going in the right direction for the woman, who’s often described as having powerful pipes or being a firecracker on stage. She’s just finished her first ever solo tour across the UK and her solo EP XO!! has just been released.
We were lucky to be treated to an afternoon in Russo’s company, where she spoke candidly about ageing, singing for Cher, alongsid revealing a secret talent. Russo has her mind set on solo success and there’s just no stopping her!

So So Gay: You’ve just turned fifty last Tuesday, did you wake up and say ‘OH MY GOD’?

Patti Russo: It’s really happening. I actually woke up to hearing the doorbell ring, the dog barking and flowers being delivered to me. I could not believe it. I was in a great mood.

You don’t look 50…

Let’s go back, You’re often described as having powerful pipes, when did you discover you could sing?

It’s in the blood. My mom has a great voice. My great uncle could have given Pavarotti a run for his money. He’s 95 years old and still sings up a storm.

Was Meat Loaf your first professional gig?

Right before him I answered an ad in a magazine. Dick Clark was doing a show called USA Music Challenge, which was like an early version of American Idol and that put me on Network TV. I ended up sending that video to the Meat Loaf audition.

You’ve played at some big stadiums and some great venues around the world, were there any one that made you go WOW?

It was Madison Square Gardens. A friend reminded me of that, someone I was writing with. I had never set foot in Madison Square Gardens and I said ‘The day I ever walk into that venue, Madison Square Garden, I want to be on stage,’ and the day it happened, it was with Meat Loaf. It was a big moment. We were doing ‘Two out of Three Ain’t Bad Enough’. It was February and there was a huge storm in the city. I looked out and everyone was there, friends, family and my mum. Everybody had taken the train in from upstate New York. I started getting really emotional. That was huge.

That, and playing Wembley, but I have to say Madison Square Gardens because it’s New York. It’s big and to be on that stage.

You’ve got great song writing skills, is there any song you wish you could have written?

I admire Annie Lennox, Stevie Nicks, Freddie (Mercury) and the boys, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Diane Warren and Jim Steinman.
The song I wish I’d written? I would have to say ‘Cold’ by Annie Lennox, it just came into my head.

Would you like to work with Diane Warren again?

I would love to. I’ve been doing ‘I’d Lie For You’, which she did. She had wanted me to re-record ‘Not a Dry Eye in the House’, which she gave to Meat Loaf. I’d like to do that. Let’s Twitterise it.

Are you planning on doing any shows in the USA?

Yes. I would love to. I just need to put a band together- I’m still a bit scattered with this.

Fingers crossed. I wanted to be here to do this. A- I love England. B- I know I’m going to end up having a lovely cottage with horses, chickens, cats and dogs.

Are you an Anglophile?

Yes. I love it here. I have wonderful friends. I love it here. I even love the weather.

Going back to turning fifty, I didn’t know how else to say it. I feel like I’ve crossed over something and I can breathe. It’s like a milestone marker. I turned fifty. I honestly feel that everything is going to be just fine and let’s see what trouble we can get into at fifty…good trouble.

Do you have any pre show rituals and does it change for a solo gig versus being a back-up singer?

The guys I did the tour with – The SAS Band, they have a song they do. For my own self, I just take a moment to check out the voice. I throw in a vocal thing from ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. I do a little bit of Annie Lennox. And I thank God.

What was it like singing for Cher?

I couldn’t believe it. From the moment she walked in, to the first rehearsal, I was like, ‘Holy shit, it’s Cher!’.

Did you get to spend any moments alone with her?

God, I wish I did, but there’s always so many people around. She did tell me though, when she heard that my birthday was also 20 May, that I needed to realise we were f*****g crazy!

Did you ever do your Fran Drescher impression for her or Fran Drescher? (Russo can do an uncanny impression of American comedian Fran Drescher and is often asked to do it).

No, I did not. But I did do my heavy New York accent. She had just finished a show and was off to the Palms to present something for David Foster and I said, ‘How you doin’?!’ and she said, ‘Eh, how you doin’?’

I haven’t done it for Fran, but I should because a friend of mine is dating a girl who’s very good friends with Fran and he went to dinner at her house. He said he kept hearing me everytime she spoke.

You’ve just finished your first solo tour, how was that?

I was like ‘now what?’ I was so excited, I wanted more dates, I wanted more. I want it all and I want it now.

What’s next then?

Well, I’m at the Isle of Wight festival on 15 June, playing in the Strongbow Carling tent.I have a huge bucket list. I’m hoping to do a bit more writing. I need to get in the studio. I’d like to get an album and get out there and go. I need to be on this side of the pond. I’d like to go to Germany. I’d like to write for other artists. I’d like to put together my own variety show with comedy skits, all the bells and whistles.

Sounds like it’s going well.

It is a constant work in progress, but I’m just moving forward.

Would you love to do a musical again?

I actually got a phone call from someone in Germany last week asking just that. I will keep you posted.

What’s your favourite musical?

Oh, I just went to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I love the movie. I thought it was funny, good. They change the storyline a bit, but I enjoyed it. There wasn’t a lot of big scenery changes, but what they did with it was great. The music and talent were awesome and fun. I’m not saying that because my friend’s husband is in it. Ha!

Are you going to watch Miss Saigon?

Do you know, that was the first musical I ever saw, and I saw it here in London. My friend Hugh Maynard is in it. Yes, I do hope to see it again.

Tell us something no one knows about you.

I’m not going to tell you things I’m petrified of. I’m a creative person. I can put tiles up, I can do plaster work. I did my home design. I can redecorate. I’ve done friends homes. I’ve done mine.

@susan_den wants to know, Why are you so awesome?

You have to ask my mother that. Why am I so awesome? [chuckles].

The EP is available digitally from all major outlets:
iTunes | Google Play | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon DE | Amazon IT | Amazon ES

EP Review: Patti Russo – XO!!
3 June 2014
by Jazz Tangcay

In April we featured Patti Russo in our #musicmonday, as an artist you should know about. She’s just completed her first UK solo tour and her debut EP XO!! is out now.

XO!! is the much anticipated EP from Russo. For years, her vocals have been heard singing alongside the likes of Meatloaf and Cher. The opening track, ‘Bible and a Beer’ is a killer song, the perfect opener and introduction to Russo’s voice. ‘Is somebody out there? Is anybody here?/Somebody bring me a bible and a beer/Give me a reason, I need another round to wash him down/Somebody bring me a bible and a beer.’ She sings with attitude.

It’s a rock song with Russo’s vocals shining and a great guitar drive. Russo says, ‘I was listening to the music in a kitchen where I was staying ad I had my Bible and a Corona beer on the table, trying to come up with something. Voila! The rest is history! It practically wrote itself.’

‘How Long‘ takes us down a notch from the rock number of ‘Bible and a Beer’.

The last two songs are soaring numbers. First, ‘One Door Opens’ is a power ballad with inspiring lyrics about how life presents opportunities with every door that closes, ‘One more will open.’ It seamlessly leads us to the final track.

‘Here We Are’ is about as simple as they come, Russo and a guitar. This is one of those ballads that can move you to tears, not only the lyrics but the emotion in her vocals and driven delivery of the number. It closes the EP on a high note, which forms a perfect showcase for Russo’s talents as a musician, singer and songwriter.

This EP is something long time fans of Russo have been waiting for, and it’s been worth the wait, especially the studio version of ‘Bible and a Beer’. For new fans, it’s the perfect introduction to her music and her talents.

Having wrapped up her first solo tour, and releasing this EP, hopefully this is the beginning of bigger and better things for a performer who has taken the 20 Feet from Stardom leap from backing vocalist to solo artist.

All we can say is, someone needs to sign her fast and get this woman recording a full length album!

Standout tracks: ‘Here We Are’ / ’One Door Opens’.

#MusicMonday: You Should Know About… Patti Russo
24 Mar 2014
by Jazz Tangcay

She’s been described as having ‘Powerful Pipes‘, and The Express once said, ‘Patti Russo almost stole the show, in her skin tight ensembles and with a voice that could raise the roof of a cathedral. She’s a firecracker.’

Who is Patti Russo? You might not know the name, yet, but you’ve probably heard her voice, after all she’s sung as a backing vocalist with some of the biggest names in the world; Meat Loaf, Cher, Jeff Beck and she has even performed with Queen and Brian May.

That’s not all, Russo has appeared on the West End in Notre Dame De Parisas Esmerelda and as Killer Queen in We Will Rock You.

Born in New Jersey, Russo was raised in New York. She can’t name her musical influences because there are far too many, but when it comes to her own music, she describes it as having a ‘very ethnic feel running through it. I never know what’s going to be the inspiration or the feel. It just happens when it happens and I just follow.’

She wrote ‘Take Good Care of My Heart’ which appeared in the film South Beach Dreams, where her vocal additions to the soundtrack were described as being ‘ truly gratifying.’

Russo sings with panache, gusto, energy and emotion. Her lyrics hit home. Russo performed ‘Bible and a Beer’ whilst on tour in 2008 and it fast became a fan favourite. She sings with such passion, and it is truly an addictive song. ‘How could I be such a fool thinking he was sincere?/It’s gonna be a long road/I ain’t going down alone/Is somebody out there? Is anybody here?/Somebody bring me a bible and a beer/Give me a reason, I need another round to wash him down/Somebody bring me a bible and a beer.’

‘Where Were You’ is another stand out song and is one of Russo’s finest recordings to date, showcasing her ability to write and deliver a powerful ballad that stands on par with any female singer out there. ‘Where were you?/Where was I?/When our world started crumbling I searched for a reason why/I looked deep in my heart/Trying to find/A reason you’d take all my love and leave me behind.’ Her lyrics are emotive and Russo delivers nothing but the finest of performances on all her songs.

For the past twenty years, Russo has spent much of the time working with Meat Loaf as his lead female vocalist performing with him on tour and appearing on his albums, but next month, Russo is taking charge and heading out on the road and she will be performing her own music. Russo says, ‘I’ve never taken that giant leap to start my own solo career and for me it’s like an itch that needs to be scratched! Yeh sure I am late joining the game, very late compared to others, but then again I’ve never followed the rules and I’m not about to start now!’

Patti Russo’s sultry, smoky and ever so powerful vocals are the perfect addition to your music playlist.

If you want to see what made us fall in love with her check out her tour:

10 April – The Brook- Southampton
13 April – o2 Academy – Birmingham
17 April – o2 Academy – Sheffield
19 April -Oxford o2 Academy- Oxford
21 April – Komedia- Birmingham
23 April – o2 Academy- Leicester
27 April – o2 Academy – Islington

Don’t let this artist pass you by.

If you can’t get hold of a copy, there’s a full transcript of the article below.

Patti Russo

Landing the gig of Meat Loaf’s duet partner to tour the multi-million selling ‘Bat Out Of Hell II’, Patti Russo found herself performing in front of thousands of people on a nightly basis. Staying with Meat Loaf for twenty years, Patti has been a key feature of his tours and records up until leaving the band after the release of ‘Bat Out Of Hell III’. She also performed in the theatre, notably as Esmeralda in ‘Notre-Dame De Paris’ before being cast as Killer Queen in the Las Vegas version of the smash hit Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’. She returned to Meat Loaf for the ‘Guilty Pleasure’ tour and is now ready to hit the road as a solo artist for the very first time. James Gaden met up with Patti to discuss her remarkable career to date.

Patti has a lot of loyal fans who have been dying to see her strike out on her own, and finally, the time has come.

“Y’know, when I left the band in 2005, I was hooked up with a writer in Nashville,” Patti explains, “so most of the stuff I’ll be doing was written back then. The timing is perfect for me, I’m excited. Everything is coming together – almost too fast now! We’re just printing CDs as we speak; I’m getting some EPs made. It’s all 90 miles an hour, the in probably won’t be dry on anything!” she laughs.

The band Patti has assembled for her shows looks great on paper, notable for containing two members of the extended Queen family, Spike Edney and Jamie Moses.

“It was funny, I do gigs with Spike when he does his SAS Band shows. I’ve been appearing with them since 2000 and we just became fast friends. Any chance I get to gig with them, I do. This past Christmas, when I came over, Spike told me he would be going off on tour with Queen + Adam Lambert in the States. I thought ‘This is perfect!’ It meant I could come over here, to a country I love, and play some shows before that. It was like the stars have aligned.”

With an EP and a tour to look forward to, a natural progression would be a full blown album.

“Well, it’s an EP for now,” Patti grins. “Four songs.” Fans put them out years ago on Youtube and when I checked them out, the numbers are pretty decent on them. There was one song, from when I came back to Meat Loaf in 2008, called ‘Bring Me A Bible And A Beer’ which I had written. I performed that on Meat’s tour, it was put in the show last minute. I’d never actually recorded a studio version of the song, so I’ve finally finished that and that will be on the EP. Hopefully we’ll have it ready to sell at the first gig in Southampton. Meat Loaf fans will know all the songs, they’ll have heard them already on the internet, but like I said, ‘Bible…’ was never recorded so it’s nice to have that. There are songs I’ll be doing in the show which I had no time to record, along with new music I’m currently writing. I want those to line up so I can put together a full length record. There has been a lot of inspiration, I have to say!”

The tour will coincide with Patti reaching a milestone 50th birthday this year.

“Everything was happening, I looked around and thought hey, I change age in May and it seemed perfect, fuck it, go for it! I’ve never done it and I don’t want to look back four or five years from now and think what might have been. I’ve called the tour the ‘How Are Ya Five-0’ tour. Everyone knows ‘Hawaii Five-0’, I thought it was funny and that’s what this tour is all about: fun.”

With Patti being a great live performer and itching to get out there, I inquire about the possibility of a show being recorded.

“Oh, I think so,” she replies. “Jamie mentioned a friend bringing some audio equipment down for one of the gigs. I’d totally love to record it. People have asked me about maybe an internet stream or whatever – I don’t know, I don’t know the cost involved, but I’m leaving no stone unturned! I’ll try anything – just go for it! Fingers crossed I don’t screw everything up! It’s live, I like things in the moment, don’t polish it up – just as long as it isn’t a train wreck!”

Patti has come a long way since replying to an ad in the Village Voice all those years ago.

“Yeah, that’s how it all started. I was always checking out the advertisements, still do,” the singer reveals. “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I ended up doing their ‘Beethoven’s Last Night’ record from an ad in Backstage Magazine. So yeah, I see this ad in the Village Voice and it just said something like ‘International rock star is looking for a singer with comedic timing and an open mind.’ It asked for video and photos. About two years before, in the same magazine, Dick Clak was doing a thing called ‘USA Music Challenge’. It was kind of a ‘star search’ type thing. They categorised you, I was down as the rock chick. I got to do one of my own songs and I had a great video performance that had gone out on national television. So I sent that in, and the funny part was I’d just cut off all my hair. The only professional head shot I had was with long hair, so I sent the video, a little bio and the original head shot and then wrote on it ‘Please turn over# and I had another picture, cut the hair out and taped it on the back! They decided they needed to find out who I was. I guess it wasn’t every day they got a photo like that!”

It was quite a career leap to land such an impressive gig.

“I was working for a club band called Yasmin, which was the name of their former singer. She had left, the band kept the name and I jumped in. I was working with an Italian wedding band. I was actually making great money, but it just wasn’t fulfilling. So I went to sing with this other band for $40 a night doing three sets. That gave me the stamina, so when it came to finding that advert for Meat in the paper, I felt ready. From weddings to touring the number one record in the world. Talk about cutting the queue!” she laughs. “It was a trip, I’ll tell you that. I didn’t have time to think. Within a month of getting the gig, I had to fly to Australia with him to do some TV shows. Already, that was like ‘Holy crap! I rolled with it I guess. I must have done something right, because I was there for twenty years!”

With her schedule packed due to the large tours and making albums with Meat Loaf, a solo career was something Patti considered but never had time for until recently.

“Yeah – I never had a chance to do it. This year was a monumental turning of the numbers so I’m going for it. The fans are excited, I’m excited… as well as scared shitless! It’s almost like I opened my mouth… oops, now I’ve got to deliver! I can’t wait to get out there. I can’t wait to rehearse actually, we haven’t rehearsed yet, we start in a couple of days. It should be really interesting. That band – putting together a new band wasn’t something I’d really thought hard about – I already knew all these guys, to bring them in, I know what they are about and we all have such a great time on stage together.”

On a personal note, I had been a fan of Patti’s since first seeing her perform alongside Meat Loaf. She enhanced my appreciation even more when I heard her perform at Queen’s Day in Amsterdam with the remaining members of the legendary band, singing ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘The Show Must Go On’ and duetting ‘Under Pressure’ with Roger Taylor.

“Oh my god, when that happened, it was so trippy! I met those guys right after I was finishing my stint as Esmeralda in ‘Notre-Dame De Paris’. Brian May called me up to meet Roger – I’d met Brian before but hadn’t met Roger. They were getting ready to put together the US version of ‘We Will Rock You’. Brian asked if I could come down and do an audition for Roger. So I met Roger and then I was involved in doing the reading for the show. I got to meet Robert De Niro, Andrew Lloyd Webber as there, it was pretty cool! He excused himself while I was talking to a friend of mine and he paid me a nice compliment and all I could think was ‘Ooh, his coat is cashmere!’” she laughs. “Anyway, they ended up casting a different person as Killer Queen in the show. I went back to Meat Loaf and then I got a call saying they were doing Queen’s Day in Amsterdam and they wanted me to sing. Had I been cast that first time in ‘We Will Rock You’, I couldn’t have gone. They told me what I was going to be doing with them and I thought ‘Oh my God!’ So if you saw the footage, I wore a tiara on my hat! They had that big catwalk into that sea of a crowd, but I couldn’t bring myself to go out there, I decided to play things safe. It was, dare I say – and pun intended – the crowning moment in my life. I’m such a huge fan.

“In fact, I remember before I even landed the Meat gig, I heard there was talk about them maybe going out again. At the time there were rumours it was going to be with Robbie Williams, so I called Hollywood Records, trying to speak to somebody. I don’t know what I was thinking! But the affirmations were going out there and boom, I end up connected with them – thank you God! Of course, eventually they went out with Paul Rodgers. Queen + Paul Rodgers were excellent, there was no need for any Freddie comparisons – Paul’s a great singer who Freddie admired and it made for a great pairing. There was only one Freddie. I wanted to get up there though – let the band know that I could step in if Paul had a tickle in his throat, or if he fell off the stage with one of my stiletto shoes stuck in his back!” she laughs.

“Everything was happening, I looked around and thought hey, I change age in May and it seemed perfect, fuck it, go for it! I’ve never done it and I don’t want to look back four or five years from now and think what might have been. I’ve called the tour the ‘How Are Ya Five-0’ tour. Everyone knows ‘Hawaii Five-0’, I thought it was funny and that’s what this tour is all about: fun.”
Patti Russo

Patti was replaced on the tour for ‘Bat Out OF Hell III: The Monster Is Loose’ by her old colleague Aspen Miller. It wasn’t the same and Patti eventually returned, as evidenced on the ‘Guilty Pleasure’ DVD.

“Oh, what a day – I was a mess. Getting ready for that show, I was super sick. I wasn’t ready, they wanted me to have my hair straight, everything was so last minute, I was freaking out. I hope it didn’t show too much! Coming back after Aspen Miller… I know Aspen, we worked together in ‘We Will Rock You’. When I found she was doing the ‘Three Bats Live’ tour, I thought ‘But she’s theatre!’ I wasn’t sure how she would handle all this. She has a great voice, she’s an incredible singer but sometimes theatre people aren’t as suited to that type of music. For me, personally, I was sad how things went down prior to ‘Three Bats Live’. I had to walk away, things had happened and it was horrible. Professionally, there was no way I could do that job so I had to bail. It’s sad… the whole business of putting Marion Raven on the album – I had an idea what was going on. I was told that in the UK and Europe, the versions of the songs I did would be on the record. To discover that everything was taken off, that was personal.”

However, as evidenced with the advertisements she has replied to, the Queen connections she has formed and the achievements in her career, there seems to be some serendipity at work where Patti Russo is concerned.

“I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. I woke up one morning when I was song writing and said out loud that knew Meat was going to call me. That same day, I get an email from him asking if he could give me a shout. I called my mother and said ‘Oh my God, am I a witch of what?’“ Patti chuckles. “My life has been up, down, up… far from normal. Just yesterday, interview requests coming in, is this really happening? Holy shit! From saying ‘This is what I want to do’, suddenly solo dates are booked, there’s a band in place, people are talking to me, this thing’s got a heartbeat!”

The excitement about striking out on her own is obvious.

“For the gigs, I think there will be quite a few people at the London show. For the others, whoever shows up, I’ll appreciate it. I just want to have a great time doing it. If it went like a supernova and then just fizzled out, I’d be that crazy lady, the nutter who wanders around in old stage clothes with cigarette burns and food stains on, looking like Anne Bancroft in ‘Great Expectations’!” Patti grins. “I actually said that as a joke years ago, I had this dream sequence, I was talking to the drum tech and I can’t even remember what brought it on. It was like a vision of my future, I had this image in my head where I’m at my house and I come out in a dress like the one that was worn in the video for ‘I’d Do Anything For Love’. It’s all stained and ragged and I see a little kid walking by and I rasp ‘C’mere kid, c’mere!’ I sit him down on this stump and say ‘did ya know I used ta sing for royalty?’ and it goes into this whole dream sequence showing my life, everything I’ve done, then it fades back to me in the stained, battered dress and I say ‘So waddya think about that kid?’ He looks up at me and says ‘Mamina, es a loco!’ and he doesn’t speak a word of English! I go ‘Grrr, get outta here’” and as he runs down the hill and I go back into my shitbox house, kicking chickens!” She bursts out laughing, before adding “Just promise me if that really happens, you won’t print this!”

And here’s the original of the photo used with the article, from the SAS Xmas gigs in 2007.

Interview PATTI RUSSO 18/05/2014
by Florence Bouvrot

While touring with Meat Loaf for nearly twenty years, Patti Russo’s voice and stage performance have already seduced dozens of millions of people in the whole world. Over the years, she has also worked with numerous famous artists including Cher, Queen, Bryan Ferry, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra… Not to forget the theatre stage as she played Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris and Killer Queen in Las Vegas production “We Will Rock You”.

Singer-songwriter, Patti is now launching her own solo career that began with a UK Tour in April and she has also released an EP of four songs: Xo!!.

A talk with the most European singer from the States…

1/ Hello Patti, you’ve just performed the first gig of your UK Solo Tour. I’d really like you to share with us your feelings during that show.

“It was a pretty amazing moment for me, I must say. Though I’ve been on that stage before as a guest singer, this time is was me fronting a band. I should’ve done this years ago ! Seeing all those familiar faces in the audience was equally amazing and made me feel very honored that they came out to support me.“

2/ You’re really loved by all your fanbase around the world. How would you describe your relationship with your fans?

“They’re great! I’ve known some of them for years and have seen their kids grow up. They’ve been extremely supportive and kind. And they will travel the globe to see you! Very grateful to all of them.“

3/ Everybody was so looking forward to seeing you on stage by your own. Which event finally gave you the impulse to work on this tour? And why did you decide to come first to the UK?

“Waking up to an email, telling you that you no longer had a job after 20 years will get your brain scrambling pretty fast, I’ll say. Performing is my life and who I am, so given what had happened and how it happened, it was an obvious decision to go out there and finally live my childhood dream. I mean, what else can you do really? You can sink or swim and I chose to swim. I chose the UK because it has always felt like home for me. I try to get to there whenever I can.”

4/ You’re performing on stage with a Band. Could you introduce your musicians to our readers?

“These guys are like family to me and I’ve performed with them on numerous occasions. It felt right to have them onboard and I was happy that most of them were available! They’re all accomplished musicians in their own right, but have also been a part of Spike’s All-Stars (The SAS Band) and their other band, The Red Sox. We always have fun!”

5/ How would you describe the musical style of your show? Is it rather Rock and up-tempo songs or romantic ballads? A combination of both maybe?

“For this show, I chose the music that is, and has been, a part of my life. I would say it’s an antipasta selection of songs! Ha! “

6/ I know you’ve worked with a writer from Nashville in the past. How do you like to proceed when composing a new song ? Do you also have some favourite themes that you like to tackle?

“Every song is different. The music tracks for “Bible” & “One Door Opens” for instance, were already written, so it was a bit of a challenge to come up with the melodies and lyrics to music i did not have part in writing. Having said that, I am very proud of the outcome of those songs. When I’m coming up with a song idea, it might be an event in my life or a random melody that creeps into my head, that gets the ball rolling. It’s not just one thing or theme. They just “appear”.“

7/ I’d really like you to talk about one of your songs that seems so emblematic to me, “Bring Me A Bible And A Beer”…

“I love that song! I was listening to the music in a kitchen where I was staying and I had my Bible and a Corona Beer on the table, trying to come up with something. Voila! The rest is history! It practically wrote itself!”

8/ We can’t help talking about your career with Meat Loaf. You entered Meat’s Band, the Neverland Express, in 1993 and toured with him as lead female singer around the whole world in front of dozens of millions people. What are your most impressive memories?

“There are so many memories. Let’s see. I would say performing at Madison Square Garden is a big one, as well as this huge festival we did in Canada with Def Leppard. God, I know there are many more, but off the top of my head, those two stand out.”

9/ You’ve also worked with lots of famous artists over the years, including Queen. How did it happen and what did you feel when singing on stage with them?

“Queen are my favorite band and I would always warm up to their music before a Meat Loaf show. We were playing at Wembley Arena one evening and Brian May came to the show. He was extremely nice and he even gave me his email address, as I would send him songs that I was working on. I soon met Spike Edney, who is their keyboard player and Musical Director, who also has his own band, Spike’s All-Stars. I performed with Spike’s band and they were impressed at how many Queen songs I knew. Things just progressed from there. Pretty crazy!!!! I still can’t believe that I sang with them!!!”

10/ Coming back to your Solo work, do you intend to release an album soon?

“God, I hope so! I know I’m a bit late in starting my own career, but I really do want to put a proper record out there!”

11/ Do you have other plans for touring in the future? And of course, could you consider coming to France, I know you love our country…

“I’m working on putting the proper team in place at the moment. Fingers crossed, as I would love to come to France!!”

12/ 2014 is definitely an important date for you, how would you describe this year in one sentence?

“What doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”

13 / Thanks a lot Patti for sharing this moment with us all…

“Thank you for having me!! Take Care!”