Anvil

Wed 10th Feb, 2010 in Features

“I’m having difficulty hearing you. These fucking cell phones…” says Anvil’s drummer Robb Reiner when congratulated on his band netting the inaugural Australian Rolling Stone Award. “What, they gave Anvil an award or something? Well, that’s a good thing, you know. I don’t know the award is for, but we deserve it,” he laughs.

“Listen, we’ve worked very hard, man, for many years, rocking at the forefront of real metal, you know what I mean? This is what everyone’s gotta understand about Anvil. We’ve been rocking for 32 years. We’re going to keep rocking until we can’t. The only way it would end is if I die. We don’t plan on stopping rocking.”

“I’m very ecstatic and happy that the movie was made,” Reiner continues, “that it’s been engaged by everybody, that the story’s been told and that people really, truly, want the band to get where it deserves and belongs to be. Currently, that life is alive and well so all I’m doing is celebrating. There’s not much more I can do.”

And fuck it, he’s right. Anvil – thrash metal pioneers – had been ignored by fate and success since their inception in the late – �70s. But they never wavered in their belief of “the majesty of Anvil” until one day something amazing happened.

A bloke who’d roadied for Anvil during his teenage years in the – �80s turned up out of the blue. Turns out that while Anvil had been working low-rate jobs and mortgaging their houses to support their 30-year heavy metal dream, this kid, Sacha Gervasi, had grown up to become a Hollywood screenwriter. And now he wanted to make Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a documentary that later became the runaway darling of Sundance Film Festival and feel-good film of the year.

The movie was the mainstream recognition Anvil needed. Finally, they had the kudos they deserved and, more importantly, the means to make “living the dream” a reality. Movie or no, however, there was never any question in Robb’s mind – or that of his best mate and bandmate Steve – �Lips’ Kudlow – that they’d give up on Anvil.

“Exactly,” he affirms. “We do this for the right reasons. We love to rock. We love to play. We’re very passionate about it. We knew our music meant something. We knew we influenced everybody. All’s we can do is just keep rocking and enjoy it.”

Scott Ian of Anthrax — one of the “influenced” — was apparently instrumental in getting ex-Guns N Roses guitarist Slash and other metal heads [Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead] involved in the documentary.

“All metal guys are usually fans of bands, you know? We’re all fans of each other. Everybody who spoke out on Anvil, they’re all my buddies and I bless their hearts and I love them all for coming out and telling the world the real truth about Anvil. They’re beautiful people.”

And mostly successful people. While Anvil’s lack of success was somewhat attributed to bad judgment, they seem better able to make decisions about the support people they employ these days.

“We have assembled an amazing team. We have our first top-notch manager, Rick Sales [Slayer, Mastodon]. He’s done a phenomenal job for us already. We have amazing booking agents [namely Steve Strange, who books Coldplay and Eminem, and Scott Sokol, booker for Oasis and Black Sabbath]. We’ve got record distribution. I’d say we’re in pretty good shape to keep rocking.

“Right now, I’m in San Francisco and last night we sold out The Fillmore and played to a thousand people. It’s the most successful tour we’ve ever been on in our whole career. Things are rocking for Anvil.”

Not to mention the recent run of shows with AC/DC. It must have been vindicating to walk out in front of those crowds.

“Yep. That’s right. The AC/DC shows were completely mind blowing. Angus Young had seen the Anvil movie, fell in love with Anvil and offered to give us some big shows in American playing to 50,000 people a night. It was living the dream. People say, what are you gonna do when it’s all over? I mean, my fifteen minutes of fame is three years and going.”

It has been a pretty massive three years. Anvil released their thirteenth studio album This Is Thirteen in 2007, the movie came out in 2008, the book in 2009, and during the resultant mania they’ve managed to write forthcoming record, Juggernaut of Justice, slated for studio time around October. Considering Juggernaut… would have been written on the wave of this new celebration, how does it differ to what’s come before?

“The new album has such massive amounts of hyper-positive energy, it’s amazing. With everything that’s been going on it’s given us more excitement and creative juices. It will be Anvil’s best album ever I think. No question. Juggernaut of Justice is going to be the pinnacle of the mountain.”

But first, the business of Anvil’s first-ever Australian shows. Audiences down under are going to get their first live taste of Anvil on the epic Soundwave 2010 festival line-up.

“I can’t wait to play to Australian crowds. We’ve been told we’re the most anticipated band on the festival. I’ve heard from that from so many people. This is going to be cool.”

Australia has a protective love of the underdog so Anvil can certainly expect to enjoy a warm, embracing crowd. “I was in Australia with Lips last September and that’s what I loved about Australia,” Reiner enthuses. “It reminded me of the UK and Canada in that way. I loved it so much I wanted to stay there. Spread the word about the majesty of Anvil! I can’t wait to come and rock down there.”

Anvil plays Soundwave Festival around the country this month, as well as an intimate sideshow with Trivium in Melbourne.

Saturday 20 Feb – Soundwave Festival Brisbane
Sunday 21 Feb – Soundwave Festival Sydney
Tuesday 23 Feb – The Espy, Gershwin Room, Melbourne
Friday 26 Feb – Soundwave Festival Melbourne
Saturday 27 Feb – Soundwave Festival Adelaide
Monday 1 March – Soundwave Festival Perth