ANVIL AT THE MELKWEG ON THE 13TH OF JULY 2010

In 1977 two Canadian childhood friends made a pact to start a band together and become rockstars. Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner formed Anvil and appeared to be one of the most important and influential bands in the genre to come out of the Canadian scene. Even bands like Metallica and Anthrax are full of praise for the speed metal gods and see them as an important link in their own development. Naturally everyone knows how the story of Anvil went. The rockers got lost in oblivion and were forced into regular dayjobs until a few years ago when their friend Sacha Gervasi decided to film a documentary. The Story Of Anvil is the true and touching story about the history of the band and how tough the metal world can be. The result is that in 2010 Anvil is back and got enough attention to tour Europe and the rest of the world. The Melkweg in Amsterdam, a multimedia center since 1970, showcases Anvil and support. Make no mistake however. The support for this concert is quite appropiately Anvil itself in the form of the documentary The Story Of Anvil. Apparently few people did purchase the dvd and sometimes it was so quiet in the Oude Zaal of the Melkweg you could hear a needle drop. Anvil started right after the video screen was lifted. Lips dove right into the crowd to greet his fans. Anvil adepts from the first hour and younger devotees couldn’t believe their luck. March Of The Crabs, Winged Assassins, Mothra, Forged In Fire and even the new This Is Thirteen were played with the upmost diligence and fun. Finally the band got were they deserve to be. Live and onstage. Lips also frequently said that his fans made his dreams come true. You really can’t blame him for this attitude when you know he struggled for 33 years to get the recognition he deserves. Metal On Metal, the ultimate Anvil anthem and the song everyone is waiting for, ends a hard and sublime concert. The band returns one more time and with the promise to tour here again. Anvil is back!