Always Heavy

The cringe-inducing, seat-squirming awkwardness of 2008’s highly entertaining Anvil! The Story Of Anvil documentary finally afforded the dogged Canucks the prosperity they’d craved for eons, after a brief early flirtation with success. It emphasised, often painstakingly, that effervescent vocalist/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and long-suffering partner-in-crime, drummer Robb Reiner, are heavy metal lifers.

Kudlow is adamant they’ve never attempted to chase any trends. “What it’s all about is finding an identity or creating an identity and remaining true to it. It’s sort of like, when you learn how to write, you write your signature, and that becomes your signature. It’s not like you’re going to change it, it’s just whatever is natural that’s what we do. Then we don’t let anything intervene with the flow of that. You don’t contrive, you do it straight from the heart, because you believe in it… When Robb and I decided to do this when we were 14 years old, it was to do it for a lifetime, the way we want to do it.”

The dedicated, grizzled followers depicted in the film still actively support their endeavours, but a slew of youthful metal-heads now populate Anvil’s shows. Kudlow believes the film has refreshed the band’s audience in the long-term. “Of course we have our diehards who are always there. But it has completely opened up a whole new world for us as far as young fans are concerned. So [it’s] a huge advantage on that level. Literally 90 per cent of the audience that comes to see us in this day and age are all first time ever seeing us… It’s a complete regeneration of the brand name, our repertoire and history.” 

While admitting he hasn’t viewed the movie in some time (“my mother and my older brother have passed away, and it’s pretty difficult for me to watch without getting very emotional”), the frontman maintains despite well-publicised hardship Anvil’s profile better equips them than most to negotiate these problematic industry times. “Anybody starting at this point in time is in a really bad position, a lot worse because there is no infrastructure to the industry anymore. You can’t make money from sales of records. They’ve become nothing more than your advertisement for hopefully selling merchandise. Because the music itself is free and can be obtained on the internet at no cost. I feel fortunate that I made a name for myself and created a brand name in the early ‘80s. I feel fortunate that I’m in a very good position of advantage, because people know who the band is, and then therefore I have the opportunity to go out and play and advertise my music, and sell my merchandise. A new band today, I don’t know how you get that. The genre, the creation of the music is still very strong and alive, but the business that surrounds it is completely dead.”