Frontman/guitarist Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow sets the scene for the Canadian trio’s first UK dates in two years.
How come Anvil didn’t include Britain in their winter 2014 European tour?
The UK didn’t quite fit the schedule.
Is there a new Anvil album on the cards?
We’re heading into the studio in September or October, so not right away.
Seven years on from Anvil: The Story Of Anvil, has it reverted to genuine fans of Anvil that come to see the band again, as opposed to those curious about the film?
It’s quite the opposite, actually. For maybe eighty per cent of people that come to see us it’s their first time. And they’re mostly very young – alarmingly so.
Are you comfortable with that? After the film broke there were a lot of non-metal fans at your shows?
The thing about most of the newcomers is that it’s their first time at any kind of metal show. And I’m pretty damned proud of that.
Playing in venues of all sizes right across the world, you must see quite a few support acts. Is Anvil’s form of old-school metal in good shape right now?
Sad to say that, in America at least, it’s become virtually non-existent. That really distresses me. A lot of metal is extraordinary in a technical sense but just un-musical.
Those are strong words.
Local acts opened for us on our last tour of America – that’s eighty shows – and I can’t recall the name of one of those bands.
What advice would you offer a kid who’s looking at a career as a metal musician?
They should build their lives in such a way that they could do it for free. Maybe even pay for doing it.
