Anvil: The Story of Anvil
On the surface, Anvil: The Story of Anvil looks like nothing more than a retread of Spinal Tap, even to the point of wondering, “are these guys actually real? I have never heard of them.” Anvil draws inevitable comparisons, but they are a real band, doing real work, feeling real creative and commercial frustration. Director Sacha Gervasi seems aware of the parallels of that vaunted 1984 mockumentary for the Tap fans will find little nods to that fictional band’s experience. Maybe it’s a coincidence, a hazard of the trade.
In 1987, Anvil was headlining with huge, huge bands at a major concert in Japan (Metallica, Guns N Roses, others), then – nothing. Well, not actually nothing. Anvil, as embodied by Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (a hilarious coincidence), is still rocking heavy metal between shifts at their modest day jobs in their small Ontario town. They play local clubs and have churned out 12 albums since the early 1980’s. They just haven’t made it. It’s their dream, and they are not letting go of it for anything.
Rounding 50, these two have been friends and bandmates for 35 years. Their relationship is deep and lush and of course peppered with disagreements and highs and everything inbetween. According to their high profile professional colleagues, their skills are legendary. They inspired a generation of now-huge bands. The Story of Anvil is here to tell the world about them and to find out just why they languis in obscurity. Why aren’t these gods of rock gods of rock?
The journey of Anvil in the film is one suffused with love and passion – it’s an inspiring, not sad, sight to see these guys light up on the stage, even for a desultory audience of bored-looking slobs. Their story follows them through a short series of breaks and bursts of activity – the crumbs of hope and positivity that sustain them. I don’t want to tell you what happens at all – the joy is being surprised (for better or for worse) along with the band.
Lips and Robb are a yin/yang combination and are open, generous subjects for Gervasi’s film (watch past the credits for the greatest gift to a fan you can imagine). We’re inundated with so much celebrity everywhere, with hordes of fame-hungry, self-debasing, wanna-be-celebrities, that Anvil’s obvious sincerity and lack of self-exploitation or even a self-serving agenda is surprising and endearing. Even with a camera in their face, these guys just want to rock. Perhaps that’s why they aren’t famous – self-promotion isn’t on the docket. They know they have the chops, but they are still humble, not cutthroat enough.
I must plead ignorance of the heavy metal scene, but these guys sound very technically proficient with their music. Lips’ vocals feel scratchy and homemade to me before the studio smooths them out, and they were never pretty boys to look at. I hope the reason for their toil in obscurity is nothing as sad as “they weren’t sexy enough,” because it’s safe to say that no band wants it as badly as they do, or for as long – and no band is as sincere in putting the music first. They don’t want to get rich and be famous, they just want to get paid and get heard. Anvil is the poster-band for passion, and their story is worth checking out.
MPAA Not Rated but plenty of profanity
Release date 4/10/09
Time in minutes 90
Director Sacha Gervasi
Studio Ahimsa Films
