Tori Stafford of the Kingston Whig-Standard recently conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow of Canadian metal legends ANVIL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
On whether he’s ever surprised the band is still together and rocking some 40-plus years after its formation:
Lips: “What, that ANVIL‘s still together? Hell, no, Man! Not at all. You have to understand that when you talk about two guys that started in 1973, we were just 15 or 16 years old. I mean, would we have ever thought at that point that I’d be doing it when I was 56? Well, probably not. But at the same time, it’s no big surprise.”
On touring:
Lips: “Nothing could feel more at home and more normal, really. We’re one of those bands that kind of loves to be on the road, we’re not one of those bands that can’t wait to get home. It’s usually the opposite. But I think what that has to do with is a long, long period of deprivation.”
“The schedules are extraordinarily hectic at some points where you don’t really sleep. Sometimes there is no time, and I’ve found myself asleep in change rooms an hour before stage. But you sleep when you can.”
On recently being approached in London’s Heathrow Airport by a small man in a long coat and a hat that turned out to be Ian Anderson of JETHRO TULL:
Lips: “He had a solemn voice, a deep voice, one that I knew, but couldn’t place for the life of me. He told me he wanted to let me know how inspiring and life-changing the movie was for him. He said ‘It made me put my band back together and back on the road. How out there is that?! But it feels amazing. I want to be humble, but it really is a great feeling to have people searching me out to let me know they have respect for the band and what we’ve done.”
On putting on a really great show:
Lips: “As much as this band is about the love of metal, I’ve learned recently there’s a lot more to performing than just loving the metal. I love to entertain. People come away from ANVIL shows with a smile on their faces having just seen a great show. It’s not normal, I guess, for a metal band — we don’t inspire punching someone out, or Satan worshiping. But we have enough angst to keep die hard metal lovers happy, and entertain a whole age range, from the kids of today to elderly rockers.”
On whether he is ever surprised that ANVIL can still pull in an audience, still fill the seats after all these years:
Lips: “I think I’m more surprised when we don’t! It truly has been a hard and long road to get here, and it’s more of a surprise when we don’t do well than when we do… At this point. Because it used to be the other way around!”
Canadian metal legends ANVIL made their live debut with their new bassist Sal Italiano last night (Friday, January 27) at the Live Wire concert club in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio.
The band’s setlist was as follows:
01. March Of The Crabs
02. 666
03. School Love
04. Juggernaut Of Justice
05. Winged Assassins
06. On Fire
07. This Is Thirteen
08. Mothra
09. Thumb Hang (dedicated to RIOT’s Mark Reale)
10. Swing Thing
11. Fuckin’ Eh
12. Metal On Metal
Encore:
13. Forged In Fire
14. Running
Several photos taken at last night’s concert can be seen below (all pictures by Bill Peters).
Sal Italiano is a member of the Long Island, New York IRON MAIDEN tribute band LIVE AFTER DEATH and original progressive metal act THE NIGHTMARE STAGE, as well as a former member of the acclaimed ’80s heavy metal group CITIES.
ANVIL‘s longtime bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5) announced his departure from the band on January 16, citing creative differences.
Glenn Five joined ANVIL in 1996 and has appeared on seven of the band’s albums, including “This Is Thirteen” and the group’s latest release, “Juggernaut Of Justice”, on which he wrote and sang the song “This Ride”.
Commented Glenn: “Playing in ANVIL has given me some of the best years of my life. However, after nearly 16 years with the band, the time has come to move on and try new musical endeavors. Although ANVIL has been a great band to play in, I have been limited creatively. I have a wide taste in music and I feel that it’s time to broaden my horizons.”
Speaking to Metal Shock Finland about Glenn‘s exit and Italiano‘s addition to ANVIL, guitarist/vocalist Steve “Lips” Kudlow said, “We hired an old friend to do the tour and are currently working with a new, improved bassist. There was no major issue in fixing this at all, and in fact, everything was sorted out within a few hours of Glenn departing. Glenn tried to make it difficult by leaving without proper notice, but we’ve been preparing for this for quite some time. This did end up for the better, as it is a huge improvement with our new guy, both musically as well as personally.”
ANVIL‘s latest album, “Juggernaut Of Justice”, was released in Europe on June 20, 2011 (three days earlier in Germany) via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort was made available as a limited-edition digipak (including two bonus tracks), double gatefold LP in blue vinyl, standard version and a digital download.
The End Records celebrated ANVIL‘s career with “Monument Of Metal: The Very Best Of Anvil”, a 19-track career retrospective that will earn “must-own” and “must-hear” status for fans both fans new and old.
Glenn Five (pictured below), bass player of veteran metal rockers ANVIL, recently announced his departure from the band, citing creative differences.
Mohsen Fayyazi from Metal Shock Finland has issued an exclusive interview with Anvil’s Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, in which he discusses Glenn Five’s split from the band. An excerpt follows:
Q: With the recent news of Glenn Five’s departure, can you update me on the current situation in Anvil as you are touring the US soon?
A: “We hired an old friend to do the tour and are currently working with a new improved bassist. There was no major issue in fixing this at all and in fact everything was sorted out within a few hours of Glenn departing. Glenn tried to make it difficult by leaving without proper notice but we’ve been preparing for this for quite sometime. This did end up for the better as it is a huge improvement with our new guy both musically as well as personally.”
Q: There is a point in Anvil history that I couldn’t find any clue… in 1983, you signed a contract with David Krebs, but he suddenly changed his mind and stopped returning phone calls and did not get the band a major label recording contract, I’d like to know why? And what happened during that time to you?
A: “There are many unanswered questions concerning why. David had little or no knowledge of metal music. He managed AEROSMITH and thought we were a great opener, but beyond that he couldn’t find us a deal without including our first three albums in a deal. The company Attic refused to license or release those recordings in the US. This made it impossible for David to go forward with us. He pulled us out of the contract with Attic and left us to die or what ever!! We wrote Strength of Steel and recorded it on our own and released it through Metal Blade. Unfortunately this was 4 years after Forged In Fire which made the album three years too late. We struggled and did it on our own from that time until we began making the movie in 2005.”
ANVIL is a legendary Canadian heavy/speed metal band that formed by Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner in 1973. To date, the band has released fourteen studio albums, and has been cited as having influenced many notable heavy metal bands, including Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica.
I recently had an interview with the legendary LIPS from Anvil, read what he had to say about the ups and downs the band have been through in their career and also an exclusive on the departure of Glenn Five!
Hi Lips, how are you doing? What’s happening at the moment?
Hi Mohsen, I am doing well, Thanks.
I never had a chance to see you on stage, fingers crossed though, but I saw several videos of you playing guitar and sliding using a vibrator (lol) , I think that’s a genius way of use, but would you tell me the story of how did you discover that you can use a vibrator as a slider? And don’t you ever have any problem in airport or security with that?
Back in our early beginning of the band we had decided all of our songs would be about woman and sex….we would put things like panties, braziers, and nylon stockings on our microphone stands. I thought it would be a good idea to play my guitar with a vibrator as when I was a kid I discovered that small electric battery powered motors produce sound when placed near a guitar pick up. The vibration causes the strings to play and the hard plastic curved plastic worked great to use as a slide. Only one person could get away with this kind of novelty and it’s me!! The airport security always has to take a second look to believe their eyes but they never make an issue of it…..
Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow
We are doomed to live our life in the present, no way to the past and nor to the future, but we are able to think about them and analyze them or make some plans for future. I’d like to ask what was in your head in 1981 when you were recording “Hard ‘n’ Heavy”? Did you think that you were going to be a legend someday?
When we started we believed we had something special…we were a very strange anomaly as we played our own music that was considered very heavy. We knew that it was a lifelong journey and we followed our dreams and desires. Robb and I made our decision to stick with each other forever and meant it!
Robb Reiner, House Of Blues LosAngeles. Photo by Kevin Strada
When you and Robbo first started playing music together in 1973 and even from the first incarnation of the band in 1978, did you think you would still be creating music together over such a long period of time?
There was never any doubt what so ever…only our health will ever stop that from continuing.
Can you tell me what feeling encouraged you in those years and what passion made you write such great songs?
The things that inspired us most was going to see live shows. Robb and I were lucky enough to see some of the original heavy rock bands in their big moments. Like for me, seeing Black Sabbath in the summer of 71 was an experience I have never forgotten. It has stayed with me my entire life. I understood what they were before anyone did….they were the future of rock music and most of the people that were at that show didn’t see it the way I did! They were there to see Three Dog Night doing Jeremiah was a Bullfrog!! When Sabbath played Children of the Grave I lost my mind! I’d never heard it before but I remember thinking that it was the heaviest thing I’d ever heard!! They played an incredible show that day….and in fact there is a bootleg recording of it I hear recently…it was as I remembered excellent!
Let’s talk about “Juggernaut of Justice” album, How do you feel now after releasing such a METAL piece of work? And how has it been received so far? And I’d like to know if you have any particular memories during the recording process.
We feel it is our best work ever! The sales have gone well and even more importantly people love hearing the new songs live. The recording and writing were great! It was a lot of fun recording the bed tracks at Dave Grohl’s studio in Los Angeles. The huge Motorhead flag hung up over the studio glass added an ambience of pure metal inspiration!
“Juggernaut of Justice” Takes Top Honors In the ‘Metal On Metal’ Listener Poll, but I’d like to know what album is the top of 2011 in your opinion?
I have no idea!!! I haven’t bought anyone’s cd this year to compare it with…..
Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, The Fillmore SanFrancisco. Photo by Raymond Ahner
There is a point in ANVIL history that I couldn’t find any clue, In 1983, you signed a contract with David Krebs, but he suddenly changed his mind and stopped returning phone calls and did not get the band a major label recording contract, i’d like to know why? And what happened during that time to you?
There are many unanswered questions concerning why. David had little or no knowledge of metal music. He managed Aerosmith and thought we were a great opener, but beyond that he couldn’t find us a deal without including our first three albums in a deal. The company Attic refused to license or release those recordings in the USA. This made it impossible for David to go forward with us. He pulled us out of the contract with Attic and left us to die or what ever!! We wrote Strength of Steel and recorded it on our own and released it through Metal Blade. Unfortunately this was 4 years after Forged in Fire which made the album 3 years too late. We struggled and did it on our own from that time until we began making the movie in 2005.
“…I actually preferred being a King in Hell than a servant below” you said this somewhere and also you advise younger musicians with this: “Never put a value of money on your music, and never depend on your music to make you money.” I saw many younger musicians who produce great music but they weren’t supported by record labels, so after several years, they gave up and disbanded. Do you think we need some changes in the music industry or do we have to learn how we can make a balance between economic issues and producing music?
There will never be balance between economic issues and producing music. This is even more true now than ever before. The reason is…people don’t buy music anymore…it’s free! So how can bands afford to record if people aren’t paying money for their music? The music has become nothing more than the advertisement to buy a t shirt! We sell 10 t shirts to 1 cd a night. This is because the internet supplies the people with free music sharing, so the only reason to buy a cd is for a souvenir.
Robb Reinner. Photo by Raymond Ahner
In the summer of 2011, you played sell out dates in the UK and Europe and you said that you paid back a loan to your sister from the production of This Is Thirteen, how did it feel to be making money at last?
It’s been amazing….I quit my job at Choice Children Catering and am now making a living from Anvil. I’m working on making my first million!
As a Metal musician who has written, recorded and played Metal for 34 years, in your opinion what’s the main problem for younger Metallers these days? And what is your advice for them?
In my opinion…metal needs good singing….cookie monster yelling is not singing!!
Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, Loud-Park,-TokyoJapan. Photo by Andrew Stuart
With the recent news of Glenn Five’s departure, can you update me on the current situation in Anvil as you are touring the USA soon?
We hired an old friend to do the tour and are currently working with a new improved bassist. There was no major issue in fixing this at all and in fact everything was sorted out within a few hours of Glenn departing. Glenn tried to make it difficult by leaving without proper notice but we’ve been preparing for this for quite sometime. This did end up for the better as it is a huge improvement with our new guy both musically as well as personally.
Thank you so much for giving me your time, I hope I can have the honor of meeting you one day and feel free to leave a message for our readers and young Anvil Pounders here.
Metal is a way of life not just a type of music. It’s about the perseverance of rough times and getting everything you can out of life. I wish you all happiness which is the most valuable thing in life….All the best and thanks for the opportunity. LIPS
As the hollywoodreporter.com has claimed, Canadian heavy metal band ANVIL has lost bass player Glenn Five over creative differences.
Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner launched Anvil in 1973, enjoyed 1980s success, before Five, AKA Glenn Gyorffy, joined up in 1996 when Anvil had settled back into near obscurity.
But the Canadian band was restored to cult fame when Sacha Gervasi, a one-time Anvil fan-roadie who wrote the script for Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, made the 2008 award-winning documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil.
The indie film, which screened at Hot Docs in Toronto, Cannes and Sundance, grossed more than $550,000 at the U.S. box office alone.
That got the never-surrender Canadian band touring global metal festivals, being cheered on by supporters like Chris Martin of Coldplay and Tilda Swinton, who coined the phrase “The Anvil Factor,” and backing up AC/DC and Alice Cooper.
Now Five is calling it quits after 16 years and six albums with Anvil, including the band’s latest album, “Juggernaut of Justice,” to perform new musical styles.
“Although Anvil has been a great band to play in, I have been limited creatively. I have a wide taste in music and I feel that it’s time to broaden my horizons,” Five said Monday in a statement.
PS: METAL SHOCK FINLAND couldn’t find any official post about this news from the band, but we will try to get you more details in near future, stay tune!
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