Post by Deleted on May 12, 2011 13:06:02 GMT
www.montrealmirror.com/wp/2011/05/12/striking-while-the-metal%E2%80%99s-hot/
Old-school headbangers Anvil finally get what’s coming to ’em
by JOHNSON CUMMINS
May 12, 2011
Okay, let’s crack open the rock history books and look at some of God’s favourite bands. AC/DC, Motörhead, Ramones, the Sonics—the single sign of true greatness that links these truly great rock ’n’ roll bands together was the fact that they didn’t have a single brain cell among ’em. The meatheads in Anvil prove to be no chumps in this department, with molten riffs that dare not reinvent the wheel while slinging out Neanderthal anthems like “f**kin’ Eh,” “Hair Pie” and the tender missive “Show Me Your Tits.” The incredible 2008 documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, directed by Sacha Gervasi, truly resonated with all who watched it, due to the amazing true-life characters of guitarist/singer Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb “Robbo” Reiner, and their triumph of the human spirit. If you weren’t rooting for these underdogs, you truly had to check your pulse.
“Once I knew that a documentary was going to be made about us, I just knew it was going to be massively successful right from the start and that people would instantly get into our band,” says Kudlow. “With the success of the movie, we found ourselves in a really good, positive environment to make really good music, and now we’ve just made the best record of our careers [Juggernaut of Justice]—so I really couldn’t ask for much more.”
As anyone who viewed their documentary will attest, Anvil’s sudden ascension into the limelight came after years and years of the toil, constant struggle and bad business decisions that had followed them around since they first cut their teeth in 1973 in Toronto. Their iron-clad perseverance and undying faith in their music are almost unprecedented, and are the real reason we all kept cheering the pair who never got a break while hanging on the edge of our theatre seats and sofas.
“I knew this day would come because we never stopped working really hard. We had really cloudy days, but now it’s nothing but hope and sunshine. But I always knew it would come. After the movie came out, we knew it was really time to stand up and show people what we’re really made of, and that all went into our new record.”
Also on Anvil’s side for their true moment to shine was the fact that a huge resurgence of old-school metal has completely taken over bangers’ iPods and festival stages. Truly a divine convergence, the success of the film and Anvil’s finest recorded moment, released last month, coincide with this resurgence in interest.
“I knew it would happen for the band and knew that people would love the movie before we even started filming. When they first told me they were making a movie about us, I broke down crying because I realized that everything I’d been doing for 30 years was suddenly now validated. Not to say there aren’t surreal moments that happen every day, be it playing with AC/DC or meeting Paul McCartney. One of my heroes is Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, and he came up to me in Heathrow Airport and told me the movie had completely inspired him to keep playing music, and he just kept thanking me for all of the inspiration my band gave him. I mean, this is Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull—how cool is that?”
WITH METALIAN AT FOUFOUNES ÉLECTRIQUES ON SUNDAY, MAY 15, 7 P.M., $20
> We're getting a little short on heroes lately. <
Old-school headbangers Anvil finally get what’s coming to ’em
by JOHNSON CUMMINS
May 12, 2011
Okay, let’s crack open the rock history books and look at some of God’s favourite bands. AC/DC, Motörhead, Ramones, the Sonics—the single sign of true greatness that links these truly great rock ’n’ roll bands together was the fact that they didn’t have a single brain cell among ’em. The meatheads in Anvil prove to be no chumps in this department, with molten riffs that dare not reinvent the wheel while slinging out Neanderthal anthems like “f**kin’ Eh,” “Hair Pie” and the tender missive “Show Me Your Tits.” The incredible 2008 documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, directed by Sacha Gervasi, truly resonated with all who watched it, due to the amazing true-life characters of guitarist/singer Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb “Robbo” Reiner, and their triumph of the human spirit. If you weren’t rooting for these underdogs, you truly had to check your pulse.
“Once I knew that a documentary was going to be made about us, I just knew it was going to be massively successful right from the start and that people would instantly get into our band,” says Kudlow. “With the success of the movie, we found ourselves in a really good, positive environment to make really good music, and now we’ve just made the best record of our careers [Juggernaut of Justice]—so I really couldn’t ask for much more.”
As anyone who viewed their documentary will attest, Anvil’s sudden ascension into the limelight came after years and years of the toil, constant struggle and bad business decisions that had followed them around since they first cut their teeth in 1973 in Toronto. Their iron-clad perseverance and undying faith in their music are almost unprecedented, and are the real reason we all kept cheering the pair who never got a break while hanging on the edge of our theatre seats and sofas.
“I knew this day would come because we never stopped working really hard. We had really cloudy days, but now it’s nothing but hope and sunshine. But I always knew it would come. After the movie came out, we knew it was really time to stand up and show people what we’re really made of, and that all went into our new record.”
Also on Anvil’s side for their true moment to shine was the fact that a huge resurgence of old-school metal has completely taken over bangers’ iPods and festival stages. Truly a divine convergence, the success of the film and Anvil’s finest recorded moment, released last month, coincide with this resurgence in interest.
“I knew it would happen for the band and knew that people would love the movie before we even started filming. When they first told me they were making a movie about us, I broke down crying because I realized that everything I’d been doing for 30 years was suddenly now validated. Not to say there aren’t surreal moments that happen every day, be it playing with AC/DC or meeting Paul McCartney. One of my heroes is Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, and he came up to me in Heathrow Airport and told me the movie had completely inspired him to keep playing music, and he just kept thanking me for all of the inspiration my band gave him. I mean, this is Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull—how cool is that?”
WITH METALIAN AT FOUFOUNES ÉLECTRIQUES ON SUNDAY, MAY 15, 7 P.M., $20
> We're getting a little short on heroes lately. <