"He revealed that he had social anxiety and said, "I never meet anybody much in a social situation because when I go into a social situation, I have no idea what to do." He said that he does not "even go anywhere" and that he felt that he led a "boring life", in having said that he "completely freaked" when having to attend a party and that he was "so nervous, so scared" of the idea. He also said that he spent time with fellow musicians mainly in work-related situations rather than social ones. He also said that as a kid, "Being too fat to play with the other children, I had to spend a lot of time alone, which probably has a lot to do with the way I am today. I'm usually alone in my hotel room from right after the show until the next day's sound check. And I'm never bored; I don't get bored. Probably because mothers wouldn't let their kids play with me."
"Despite his large stage persona, he was known to be a quiet person off-stage and used acting and performance to cope with his shyness. He also described a routine of isolating himself in his hotel room between shows.
Struggled with social interaction: Meat Loaf acknowledged social anxiety and found it difficult to socialize, preferring to be alone.
Contrasting public and private personas: His public image was flamboyant and dramatic, but in private, he was quiet and pensive.
Coped through performance: He found that acting and being on stage helped him come out of his shell and connect with people in a way that he couldn't in social settings.
Isolated on the road: During his tours, he would often isolate himself in his hotel room, speaking only when necessary.
Childhood isolation: He mentioned that as a child, he spent a lot of time alone because other kids wouldn't play with him."
“Meat had gone up to the front and said slow down, everybody’s going a little crazy,” says Buslowe. “Well, the guy wouldn’t. Meat went nuts and he goes: ‘Pull over!’ Well they pull over at a rest stop right off of this highway and the two of them get out and start beating the crap out of each other!...Buslowe remembers looking through the window of the band’s RV at the songwriter Jim Steinman, the creative mastermind behind Bat Out of Hell and Meat Loaf’s other most epic hits, watching bemusedly the fight on the grass in the truck stop. “I’m sitting there going: what did I get myself into? This is madness! Of course, Meat and the guy wound up being friends again. But that was Meat’s personality: he could get really angry with you, and after he gets that out of his system, he can be your best friend.”
"He was sometimes warm, but then he could also get a little manic, a little out of control, maybe a little violent. So you never knew who he was going to be. He was kind of fearless in being warm and generous, but also in his anger. If he got frustrated with something, he wouldn’t go in a corner and pout. He’d throw a chair. He’d be in your face to let you know how he felt.”
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