The guys of Canadian metal band Anvil may be the most sincere, endearing egomaniacs of all time.
It takes that sort of self-confidence to keep together a metal band for more than 30 years, all in hopes of making it big. More than two decades after festival performances with bands like Bon Jovi and Metallica failed to translate to global domination, singer/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner are finally having their moment.
It comes courtesy of “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” a documentary about the band’s quest to deliver their old-fashioned, fist-pumping hard rock to the masses. Lips, 53, and Reiner, 50, couldn’t be more proud of their journey.
How many bands get their big break after being together for 35-plus years?
Steve “Lips” Kudlow: The band that stays together that long will get another break. Even though things went sort of awry during the early ’80s when a couple of business transactions didn’t work out properly, we figured, “Well, it doesn’t matter. There will always be another chance. All we have to do is just keep going.” The randomness of making it in the business is completely outrageous, and it really has nothing to do with talent or ability or anything, really.
What goes through your heads when you watch “Anvil”?
Lips: I think it’s one of the greatest rock documentaries that has ever existed. It’s so real and it represents the vast majority of bands that are out there trying to cut a living and make it.
Robb Reiner: At this point, now I completely enjoy watching the unsuspecting public walk in and within 20 minutes be completely converted and engaged in our story.
It shows that a lot of stereotypes about metal bands aren’t true. You’re human and vulnerable.
Reiner: We’re real people. I think this is a great thing for metal, really, at the end of the day. We’re showing that we’re real people, man. We’re not sleeping in coffins and doing sacrifices and all the crazy things that people have misconceptions about metal musicians.
Seriously? You’ve never slept in a coffin?
Reiner: Absolutely. I have never slept in a coffin.
How about the opposite, like a race-car bed?
Reiner: Nope. I sleep on air mattresses.
What’s the craziest memory you have of something that does fit into the metal stereotype?
Reiner: There used to be a lot of sex and drugs around us. I don’t know if that’s a metal stereotype. We make metal music because it’s the top of the game as far as an art form. That’s the only reason I do this. And the other reason is it’s F-U-N. All the metal stereotype stuff, that’s not what Anvil’s really been about. We’re just regular guys playing amazing, kick-ass music.
Do you party as hard as you did when you were in your 20s?
Reiner: No. We can, we just don’t. At least I don’t anyways.
Compare after-show activities for Anvil
30 years ago versus today.
Reiner: There’s way less p***y. The whole attitude of, “Let’s f*** right now” is gone. That kind of s*** doesn’t exist. All the drugs and partying, that’s all gone.
Lips: It was a time during the ’80s that you’d get girls coming in, they’d bring cocaine, they’d get naked. There was a time it was like that. That’s all gone, man.
Reiner: Or it’s just all gone around us.
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mpais@tribune.com
