Keltie's response to my Anvil post!

The following is Keltie's response to my Anvil post from yesterday! (see my post here).



I was familiar with Anvil from the 80's when I heard "Metal On Metal" on a K-Tel compilation called "Masters Of Metal" (great compilation by the way ) but never really heard much about them. I knew they were a Canadian band. And, like most people, forgot about them for years.

 


The first time I heard about Anvil in many years was on CBC Radio's "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi. Lips & Robb were on plugging the movie which had just made the rounds of influential film festivals & was set to be shown nationwide. They were both very humble & passionate about keeping their brand of metal alive. So it gave me renewed interest in the band.



I found a website that was streaming the film for free, and yes it was sanctioned by The band & the film's producer. The movie was one of the most direct, real & heartfelt movies I have ever saw. Plus it's one hell of a rockumentary! After watching the movie I immediately became a hardcore fan, searching out their music. And I developed a deep respect for these guys who were slugging it out on their terms.



Not to give anything away to Brad, this movie does echo another very famous rockumentary of ages past. On another Jian Ghomeshi interview with Sascha Gerbaisi, he was asked if this was a deliberate artistic choice & he said it was,, as an homage to said film.



So with the film making me a fan, I hoped that they would play in NB sometime. And last year they played a SMOKING show at the (now defunct) Manhattan Bar in Moncton. (My friends in Iron Giant opened the show.) these guys were tight, and one of the BEST metal shows ever. Robb is a monster on the drums, and has the stamina of a young Turk. Amazing drummer. One of the best. PERIOD! Lips is a great guitarist & went from rhythm to lead & back with ease. Glenn Five was solid on the bass, propelling the band with a thunderous bottom end.



What really brought the whole experience home was that after they played, they came down to the main floor to meet the fans, sign autographs, take pictures and connect with the fans. I stayed for almost an hour afterwards & they made time for EVERYONE who wanted to talk to them. And they were ever so appreciative of every single fan! That's what I loved most about them. They were genuinely happy to be there. Plus I got quite a bit of merch too.



Most of their CD's had become collectors items & were getting harder to find. Recently they have been reissued on a domestic label & are easily obtainable. I'm working on getting the back catalog completed.



So an appreciation goes to Anvil for sticking with it, and fighting on their terms, and keeping it real, and I am happy that they've found success after all this time. JOIN THE HEAVY METAL FIGHT!!!!

Keltie (Anvil Metal Pounder's Union, Local 666, member 666-02345)