Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Encyclopedia
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a 2008 documentary film about the Canadian
heavy metal
band, Anvil
. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi
, whose previous credits include The Big Tease
(co-written with Craig Ferguson
) and The Terminal
.
The movie features interviews with other musicians who have been influenced by the band, including Slash
(Guns N' Roses
, Velvet Revolver
), Tom Araya
(Slayer
), Lemmy (Hawkwind
, Motörhead), Scott Ian
(Anthrax
, Stormtroopers of Death
), and Lars Ulrich
(Metallica
).
, Whitesnake
, and Bon Jovi
, all of whom have gone on to sell millions of records, except one: Anvil. Despite their ambition, the Canadian band was unable to achieve the same level of success. Instead, singer and guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow drives trucks for Children's Choice Catering, delivering food to schools and institutions. Drummer Robb Reiner works in construction. But both would rather be playing on stage at the local sports bar to their small but dedicated group of fans, as shown during a show for Steve's 50th birthday party.
Steve gets an email from a European fan named Tiziana Arrigoni, who offers to set up a European tour for the band, estimating 1500 Euros per show. The tour has a promising start at the Sweden Rock festival, where the group interacts with Michael Schenker
and Carmine Appice
, but it quickly goes downhill. Trains are full before the band can buy tickets, they miss travel connections altogether, they get lost in Prague
due to language barriers and scuffle with the bar owner who refuses to pay since the band was 2 hours late, they play to mostly empty rooms and complain about the lack of promotion, eventually running out of money and sleeping in a train station. At one point, Robb refuses to perform and announces he's quitting from the band, only to be persuaded by Steve to stick it out. The final concert of the tour is the Monsters of Transylvania
rock concert, held in a 10,000 seat arena and promising a crowd of 5,000. But only 174 people show up.
The band returns to Canada having taken 5 weeks off of work and making no money. Steve describes the financial difficulties that have befallen the band, including his own second mortgage, and bassist Glenn Five's homelessness. Guitarist Ivan Hurd ends up marrying Tiziana, and Anvil plays at the wedding reception as a handful of family members watch politely. Robb describes his other passion, painting, focusing on themes of solitude.
Steve notes that recent Anvil albums have not been as well written or produced as earlier efforts, such as Metal on Metal
, and sends a rough demo tape to the producer of that record, Chris "CT" Tsangarides
. CT replies to Steve that he feels the songs have potential, and after a face to face meeting they decide to record their 13th album, This Is Thirteen
. The band still needs to raise the £13,000 to finance the recording. He returns to Canada and tries to raise the money as a telemarketer selling sunglasses, but does not make a single sale. Eventually, he borrows the money from his sister Rhonda.
The band begins recording in Dover, England and almost immediately Steve and Robb start fighting about the quality of each other's takes. Robb threatens to quit again, and again the two reunite after declaring their love for one another. After the recording is finished, the two shop it around unsuccessfully to labels, including EMI
Canada. Despite the lack of major label distribution, Steve labels the process a success, in the sense that he stayed true to his metal roots, recorded a great album, and formed strong relationships with family and friends.
Steve receives a phone call asking Anvil to play a concert in Japan. Excitedly, the group returns to the site that marked the highlight of their career. Their spirits are dampened when they realize they are the very first act at a 3-day festival, taking the stage at 11:35 am. Fearing disaster, the group tentatively takes the stage to a large, receptive crowd.
in January 2008, and won Audience Awards at the 2008 Sydney Film Festival
, Los Angeles Film Festival
and Galway International Film Festival. The film has been nominated in the "Truer Than Fiction" category of Film Independent's 2009 Independent Spirit Awards
. The award recognizes emerging directors of non-fiction films.
Since its first season, VH1 Classic's
That Metal Show
has supported the film, and on March 28, 2009, Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner were the show's featured guests. It was picked up for distribution in the US by VH1
under their VH1 Rock Docs label, and will open on limited release on April 10, 2009. The band will also go on the road with the film starting April 7 for what has been dubbed The Anvil Experience.
In North America, the film was released on DVD on October 6, 2009. Distribution was handled by Fontana Distribution
on behalf of VH1.
. The Times
called it "possibly the greatest film yet made about rock and roll".
The film was named Best Documentary of 2009 at the Evening Standard British Film Awards
in London. Chris Martin
of Coldplay
presented the award. The film won Best Documentary at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards
in Los Angeles.
Steve Kudlow: "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?”
2009 headlining the Tuborg stage and support slots for both AC/DC
and Saxon
. The band also performed on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
around this time. Anvil toured the US in 2010.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, Anvil
Anvil (band)
Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...
. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi
Sacha Gervasi
-Early life and career in screen-writing:Born Alexander Gervasi in London in 1966, Gervasi was educated at Westminster School, and then read modern history at King's College London...
, whose previous credits include The Big Tease
The Big Tease
The Big Tease is a 1999 comedy film starring Craig Ferguson, directed by Kevin Allen, and written by Ferguson and Sacha Gervasi.- Plot :Ferguson plays Crawford Mackenzie, a Scottish hairdresser who, while being filmed as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, is invited to the World Hairdresser...
(co-written with Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
) and The Terminal
The Terminal
The Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is about a man trapped in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when he is denied entry into the United States and at the same time cannot...
.
The movie features interviews with other musicians who have been influenced by the band, including Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
(Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
), Tom Araya
Tom Araya
Tom Araya is a Chilean musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer...
(Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
), Lemmy (Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, Motörhead), Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
(Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
), and Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
(Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
).
Plot
The film begins by listing the headlining acts of the Super Rock festival held in Japan in 1984: ScorpionsScorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
, and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, all of whom have gone on to sell millions of records, except one: Anvil. Despite their ambition, the Canadian band was unable to achieve the same level of success. Instead, singer and guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow drives trucks for Children's Choice Catering, delivering food to schools and institutions. Drummer Robb Reiner works in construction. But both would rather be playing on stage at the local sports bar to their small but dedicated group of fans, as shown during a show for Steve's 50th birthday party.
Steve gets an email from a European fan named Tiziana Arrigoni, who offers to set up a European tour for the band, estimating 1500 Euros per show. The tour has a promising start at the Sweden Rock festival, where the group interacts with Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
and Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
, but it quickly goes downhill. Trains are full before the band can buy tickets, they miss travel connections altogether, they get lost in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
due to language barriers and scuffle with the bar owner who refuses to pay since the band was 2 hours late, they play to mostly empty rooms and complain about the lack of promotion, eventually running out of money and sleeping in a train station. At one point, Robb refuses to perform and announces he's quitting from the band, only to be persuaded by Steve to stick it out. The final concert of the tour is the Monsters of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
rock concert, held in a 10,000 seat arena and promising a crowd of 5,000. But only 174 people show up.
The band returns to Canada having taken 5 weeks off of work and making no money. Steve describes the financial difficulties that have befallen the band, including his own second mortgage, and bassist Glenn Five's homelessness. Guitarist Ivan Hurd ends up marrying Tiziana, and Anvil plays at the wedding reception as a handful of family members watch politely. Robb describes his other passion, painting, focusing on themes of solitude.
Steve notes that recent Anvil albums have not been as well written or produced as earlier efforts, such as Metal on Metal
Metal on Metal
Metal on Metal is the second studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil.- Track listing :All songs written and arranged by AnvilThe title song was featured on the November 14th, 2010 episode of The Simpsons titled "Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life."-Personnel:*Lips - vocals, guitar*Dave...
, and sends a rough demo tape to the producer of that record, Chris "CT" Tsangarides
Chris Tsangarides
Chris Tsangarides is a British Grammy-nominated record producer, sound engineer, and mixer. He is best known for his work with many heavy metal bands, including Judas Priest, Anvil, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Helloween, and Yngwie Malmsteen...
. CT replies to Steve that he feels the songs have potential, and after a face to face meeting they decide to record their 13th album, This Is Thirteen
This Is Thirteen
-Personnel:*Lips - Vocals & Guitar*Robb Reiner - Drums*Glenn Five - Bass*Ivan Hurd - Guitar solos on "Worry", "Burning Bridges" and "Room #9"...
. The band still needs to raise the £13,000 to finance the recording. He returns to Canada and tries to raise the money as a telemarketer selling sunglasses, but does not make a single sale. Eventually, he borrows the money from his sister Rhonda.
The band begins recording in Dover, England and almost immediately Steve and Robb start fighting about the quality of each other's takes. Robb threatens to quit again, and again the two reunite after declaring their love for one another. After the recording is finished, the two shop it around unsuccessfully to labels, including EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Canada. Despite the lack of major label distribution, Steve labels the process a success, in the sense that he stayed true to his metal roots, recorded a great album, and formed strong relationships with family and friends.
Steve receives a phone call asking Anvil to play a concert in Japan. Excitedly, the group returns to the site that marked the highlight of their career. Their spirits are dampened when they realize they are the very first act at a 3-day festival, taking the stage at 11:35 am. Fearing disaster, the group tentatively takes the stage to a large, receptive crowd.
Production
Gervasi first met Anvil on September 21, 1982, after a gig at The Marquee Club in London, where he introduced himself to the band as "England's number-one Anvil fan." He subsequently became a roadie for the band on their '82, '84 and '85 tours, and was given the nickname "Teabag" by the band. He reunited with Anvil after a break of 20 years, and started shooting a documentary about them in November 2005.Release
The film premiered at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2008, and won Audience Awards at the 2008 Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
, Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
and Galway International Film Festival. The film has been nominated in the "Truer Than Fiction" category of Film Independent's 2009 Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
. The award recognizes emerging directors of non-fiction films.
Since its first season, VH1 Classic's
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
That Metal Show
That Metal Show
That Metal Show is a talk show hosted by Eddie Trunk with co-hosts Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. It premiered on VH1 Classic on November 15, 2008. New episodes air on VH1 Classic on Saturday nights and are rebroadcast throughout the week....
has supported the film, and on March 28, 2009, Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner were the show's featured guests. It was picked up for distribution in the US by VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
under their VH1 Rock Docs label, and will open on limited release on April 10, 2009. The band will also go on the road with the film starting April 7 for what has been dubbed The Anvil Experience.
In North America, the film was released on DVD on October 6, 2009. Distribution was handled by Fontana Distribution
Fontana Distribution
Fontana Distribution is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group that was launched in 2004, which deals in distribution, as well as in a range of sales, marketing, and back office support services, for a diverse roster of independent record labels and their artists. The company takes its name and logo...
on behalf of VH1.
Reception
The film has received praise and high acclaim in many reviews, receiving a 98% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called it "possibly the greatest film yet made about rock and roll".
The film was named Best Documentary of 2009 at the Evening Standard British Film Awards
Evening Standard British Film Awards
The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by the British London area evening newspaper Evening Standard. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony honours films from the previous...
in London. Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
of Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
presented the award. The film won Best Documentary at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
in Los Angeles.
Steve Kudlow: "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?”
Impact
Since the release of the film, the band has received a second wave of popularity and success. This includes an appearance at Download FestivalDownload Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
2009 headlining the Tuborg stage and support slots for both AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
. The band also performed on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
around this time. Anvil toured the US in 2010.