It resurrected the band, outside their core audience to a larger audience. Even it was for a brief period, Kudlow and Reiner didn’t care. Coming into 2020, they are still at it, taking out loans, borrowing money from friends, taking out second mortgages, holding down various day jobs and taking on more credit cards to keep their dreams alive of recording albums, releasing em and playing live.
And this review stood out to me because the reviewer at the time obviously had no idea about the band nor the names of the band members because the reviewer mentioned how he believes it’s a mockumentary because the drummers name is the same as the director of the Spinal Tap movie with an extra B added to Rob.
The movie makes you think, what is success and what it’s failure and if there is a middle ground. Not all artists can be on top, but they shouldn’t be in oblivion either.
And what is value and how do you measure it?
We live in a society of metrics. Everything is measured and people make up their own rules as to how to measure. Its an impossible game.
So for a lot of people not involved in the creative arts, it doesn’t make sense of all the time that Kudlow and Reiner put in, for so little reward in a commercial sense. They can’t understand why they would do it. But the need to create is never tied to money to begin with. Its tied to a need to express yourself.
Persistence is important.
Why give up if you don’t have to?
And should you give up something you love if it doesn’t fit some social rule that if you invest time into something you must be paid a liveable wage.
And it’s not glossy. It’s not all good times, like being plucked from the crowd in “Rock Star” and singing to millions.
As Kudlow said in the doco “it can get any worse than it is right now” or when the Europe tour went sideways Lips said, “at least there was a tour for something to go wrong on”. And if you want to know how it is to be independent, Kudlow’s sister loaned him $12K so that album number 13 gets done and then they couldn’t find a label to release it on.
destroyerofharmony 
It’s a good documentary. I enjoyed it as I bought Anvils first three albums in the early 80s so they got there due from this film.
I agree. For me, I’d had heard the name Anvil but that’s it. Never seen a music video or read an interview or heard any music. So I was one of those people who showed an interest and then went about listening to their music.
I bought Hard N Heavy/ Metal on Metal and Forged In Fire and than they lost momentum. For some reason when they came back I didn’t! lol
This was a great documentary. It showed that you should never give up your dream and these guys worked tirelessly on that dream. Persistence can some time pay off and this got them in the limelight and gave them their 15 minutes. Now, I don’t buy any of their stuff, but I respect the heck out of them for their hard work. And if they were on a festival bill, I would watch them.
Save your cash John
Caught em last year Lips threatened the sound guy for no reason as they were way to loud in a bar setting!
I reviewed the show from about a year ago…
Reiner on the drums is still a beast but Lips … I have no comment.
I’m not paying to see just them. I just meant if I was already at a music festival and they were on one of the stages, I might check them out, but now, no way!!
Go buy merch or go for a piss If you have too lol
Lol
I remember reading that review about the Lip service the soundman got.
And the next tour should be the story of Advil.
Great memory Pete. Yeah, it was pretty unprofessional. Lips and Anvil were way 2 loud for Crocks. I have seen alot of bands in there and the house guy who does sound for Frank was always good.
Case in point when John5 played Tbay John5 gave his sound guy the night off as he said it sounded fine to him with the local guy doing it.
I know bands have off nights but be thankful Lips that the 75 people you pulled that did show up actually stayed!
That’s right be grateful that people came and stayed.
I remember saying to my buddy Deano that how many drum solos have oyu seen live at 1 am in the morning! lol
Got home at 2:30am and realized I had been up for 21 hours! lol Since i worked earlier that day
Nothing else like it and the ringing ears.
Same John. This DVD is the only thing I’ve purchased which is Anvil related. As you say, they have earned people’s Respect.
Sometimes I come across a website which reviews an Anvil record and I’ll go to Spotify and play it. To see if I get the same feel they did.
You are a glutton for punishment! Ha!