Meat Loaf's retirement by stealth

When Meat Loaf left the stage claiming he'd retired, his promoter Andrew Miller gamely insisted it was a 24-hour type-thing and angrily denied that Loaf had decided showbiz had gone stale.

He'd have been better off admitting that Meat is in trouble - "acute laryngitis" is now the official line - instead of subjecting his tour to a daily pitter-patter of cancellations. Another one has gone tonight.