Anvil: The Story of Anvil

It is impossible to talk about the story of Anvil without referencing the well known and eternally popular spoof rock-umentary “This is Spinal Tap”. The two films are essentially identical as they follow a likeable but ludicrous heavy metal band on its painful descent from the cusp of fame back to the depths of grim forgotten obscurity. The band itself has just enough witless charm and musical talent to make their increasingly implausible delusions of rock star grandeur not only bearable, but endearing. There is only one difference between the two films, the story of Anvil is entirely real, making it more tragically painful and by turns hilarious than its fictitious counterpart.

At their peak, Canadian speed metal pioneers Anvil shared festival stages with global megastars who still hail them today as inspirations. But while those bands went on to sell millions of records and live out the rock dream, Anvil watched it all slip away. Three decades of mismanagement and misadventures had reduced them to playing in empty bars to tiny crowds of friends and family. But in the face of depressing reality, financial ruin and non-existent support Anvil has kept on rocking past the point of all reason and almost to the brink of insanity.

Like the protagonists of Spinal Tap, Anvil’s singer ‘Lips’ and guitarist Rob Reiner are childhood friends who share a vision of rock greatness that seems destined to escape them. Their bickering and casual philosophising are unknowingly hysterical if occasionally tainted by genuine sadness and despair. Beneath the leather and flowing manes of thinning hair, their wide eyed enthusiasm is simply overpowering as they lurch from one disaster to the next. It’s impossible not to find yourself rooting for them while at the same time feeling sorry for their poor families, who provoke sympathy similar to that bestowed upon the wives of alcoholics. But, few things are more infectious than confidence in the face of certain and utter failure. As complete underdogs, Anvil has a startling power to enthral audiences with a potent mix of pity and affection.

It’s compelling to watch as the band embarks on the most disastrous European tour imaginable and struggles against all odds to release their ‘masterpiece’ album. At times it’s hard to believe events so perfectly scripted and such absurd characters can possibly be real. While the band clearly plays up to the cameras and revels in the novelty of attention, their desperate tragedy and obsessive passion simply cannot be faked. Anvil are the sort of brilliant failures that can only be born not invented. A rare breed to be cherished.

Celebrity fan Keanu Reeves flew to London just to introduce this film at its festival premiere. When the band took to the stage to rock after the credits rolled, it’s hard to describe the pure joyous rapture that greeted them. So, put your fist in the air, crank the volume to eleven and enjoy what is perhaps the greatest rock documentary of all time.