by James Garvin
Certain bands just demand respect – and Canada’s Anvil is one such band. Although a healthy crowd showed up at the Southgate House Revival in Newport, Kentucky on a Wednesday night, Anvil would no doubt play to ten people in a shed. Playing live music is in their blood. How many flavor of the month pop stars can we say that about? As usual, Steve “Lips” Kudlow begins “March Of The Crabs” playing guitar from the floor of the venue surrounded by fans. He then moves to the stage to begin “666.”
Anyone who has been to an Anvil show knows that you will hear you share of anthems which beg for audience participation. “Legal At Last,” “Ooh Baby,” “Badass Rock N’ Roll,” and the closer “Metal on Metal” certainly qualify. But there is more to Anvil, with the anthems “Mothra” and “13.” There are also the stories about Lemmy and a certain white powdery substance which lead into “Free As The Wind,” bald spots, and a dedication to former member David Allison who passed away in 2024 with “Forged in Fire.”
While Lips is hard to ignore during the show, there are few drummers who I find more interesting to watch and listen to than Robb Reiner. He doesn’t need pyrotechnics, or a huge kit. But his playing during the show is so precise, so tasteful, and even his solo during “Swing Thing” is so much more than visual. It really is an aural experience. He does so much with a small kit. I might argue that he is the most underrated drummer in metal.
I won’t fail to mention Chris Robertson on bass, who on stage often reminds me of the crazy uncle, who often drew a look of “Did he really just do that?” from Lips. His bass was a little elevated in the mix from the couple of times I’ve seen them in the past, which I thought was a good thing, but he also contributes the very important second set of vocals.
The show ends with “Metal On Metal,” which begins with Lips playing in the audience, and then meeting fans, posing for pictures, and signing autographs. At the risk of being melodramatic, seeing Anvil renews my faith in musicians who value music and the art and value of playing live music from musicians who have dedicated their lives to the art form of heavy music without a huge financial reward, but who were born to make music nevertheless.
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