I have waited over a year to finally see this movie. Anvil are a well known Canadian band and most of the Toronto area musicians of their era know them either by reputation or have met them somewhere on the road. We were rootin' for them when this movie came out because it tells not only their story, but ours.
Anvil were one of the lucky ones. They achieved some success and notoriety early in their career during the early 80's, influencing such heavyweights as Metallica and Guns 'N Roses. But, what goes up eventually comes down and for them "down" was almost a 30 year ordeal.
The Canadian music scene is littered with talented musicians who "almost" made it. It was always more difficult for us to crack that elusive and lucrative U.S. market. Anvil almost did; and when they didn't it left us scratching our heads. A simple twist of fate, being in the right place at the right time makes the difference between being Guns 'N Roses or Anvil, rich or poor.
While many of their peers found day jobs and hung up their axes, Rob and Lips persevered and never completely lost hope and in doing so have become local heroes. The release and success of this movie prove that opportunities still exist even for musicians who cannot be signed by our age-conscious and corporate driven record labels.
The message of this movie? Never give up on yourself or your dreams. Don't listen to naysayers. And be nice to people on your way up because they may be able to help you once you are down.
Excellent, heartwarming, funny and sadly true film.
Anvil were one of the lucky ones. They achieved some success and notoriety early in their career during the early 80's, influencing such heavyweights as Metallica and Guns 'N Roses. But, what goes up eventually comes down and for them "down" was almost a 30 year ordeal.
The Canadian music scene is littered with talented musicians who "almost" made it. It was always more difficult for us to crack that elusive and lucrative U.S. market. Anvil almost did; and when they didn't it left us scratching our heads. A simple twist of fate, being in the right place at the right time makes the difference between being Guns 'N Roses or Anvil, rich or poor.
While many of their peers found day jobs and hung up their axes, Rob and Lips persevered and never completely lost hope and in doing so have become local heroes. The release and success of this movie prove that opportunities still exist even for musicians who cannot be signed by our age-conscious and corporate driven record labels.
The message of this movie? Never give up on yourself or your dreams. Don't listen to naysayers. And be nice to people on your way up because they may be able to help you once you are down.
Excellent, heartwarming, funny and sadly true film.