There is nothing that Lips from Anvil doesn’t love about metal. And even if it’s a Sunday night in sleepy Adelaide, he’s going to make sure you love it too.
The night wasn’t just about Anvil’s ‘Badass Rock N Roll’ though. We had local boys Shadow Realm open with an electric performance. The vocals of Torsha Khan, backed by an incredibly tight band, tore through the senses, reminding fans that indeed, they were at a metal gig.
Local favourite Hidden Intent stepped up to the plate next. The band ripped through a blistering set that would have many a neck sore the next morning. They even slowed it down with the booming song ‘Petrified.’ Well, as slow as Hidden Intent can be! This is a band you should get off your couch to see next time they play near you; if there is a better metal guitarist than Phil Bennett in Adelaide right now, I’ll eat my hat.
Then there were the headliners, Anvil. And in their true style, there was no brash opening. The guys simply came on stage and said hello. At that point, though, lead singer/guitarist Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow made his way into the audience to start the show with a ball-tearing solo as the crowd gathered around him.
As previously mentioned, Lips wanted his audience to enjoy the show—to forget about the negativity in the world. Like a man with a mission, he set out to achieve just that. Songs such as ‘School Love,’ ‘Badass Rock N Roll’ and the Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister-inspired, ‘Free As The Wind’ had the crowd chanting along, heads banging in approval.
Let me tell you, these guys are in their 60s and could teach many younger bands a thing or two about getting the crowd revved up. An Anvil show is like no other, especially when the legendary vibrator makes an appearance. By the time the classic ‘Metal on Metal’ flooded the room, the boys were drenched in sweat, the crowd hanging on for that one last hurrah. Anvil were not finished though, a suitable ‘metalised’ version of Steppenwolf’s ‘Born To Be Wild’ dragged every last ounce of energy out of the audience.
When the house lights came up, an appreciative audience knew they’d seen the guys do exactly what they wanted: play metal because they love playing metal. I can assure you that the Adelaide audience loved them too.
Catch the guys at their last Aussie show on Tuesday 14th November at the Rosemount Hotel, Perth.
Tickets available here.
Find more photos here and here.
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Photos: Peter Pap
