Mail-intervju - Steven "Lips" Kudlow, Anvil Det kanadensiska bandet Anvil är dubbelt aktuella, de har en ny skiva ute, "This Is Thirteen", en skiva de själva gett ut och finns att köpa på http://anvilmetal.tk/ och deras gamla kompis Sacha Gervasi har gjort en film om bandet med titeln "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil". Kolla klipp på http://anvilmetal.tk/ ! Sacha roddade for Anvil i början av 80-talet, och nu är han mest känd för att ha varit screenwriter till "The Terminal" med Tom Hanks. Filmen "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" är en underbar skildring av ett gammalt hårdrocksband som vägrar ge upp, och som samtidigt är ute på en misslyckad Europaturné. Tankarna går naturligtvis till filmen "This Is Spinal Tap", och faktum är att Sachas kameraman kände sig tvingad att fråga Sacha när inspelningarna började om Lips och trummisen Robb var skådisar eller inte. Filmen har vunnit mängder av utmärkelser, och vare sig man älskar eller hatar bandet så finns det något tröstrikt i att det finns 50 åringar som brinner för sin älskade hårdrock och som fortfarande väntar på the big break. Lips, gitarrist, låtskrivare och en av grundarna av Anvil, tog sig tid och besvarade Matelshrines frågor strax innan jul 2008. The movie "Anvil-The story of Anvil", is now touring the world. What went through your head the very first time you saw it? I was too preoccupied with watching each sequence and not being able to follow a story. When you see yourself you're too busy being self conscious than following a plot. Did Sasha tell you what kind of movie he was planning about you? Or was he just shooting? I was aware of the basic idea but for the most part he just kept shooting. I knew from the onset we would be doing a different type of movie than most would expect. I certainly hoped it would be ground breaking rather than run of the mill technical history that most would expect. It is!! Did you have any input in how the movie was turning out? Of course, it depended on me to make it all happen. I needed to be on the ball and ready for serious action. The band needed to do things to get filmed!! Only the band has the will and way to make it all come to pass, otherwise it would have been a movie about sitting and waiting for something to happen. Where there any footage you liked, which didn't make it into the film? If it didn't make it to the final cut there was a reason. Any non additive thing was edited out, and there was tons. It's not a question of whether I wanted to see them included, it was does it belong? When is it going to be released on DVD? Next summer. Tell us a bit about the new album; "This Is Thirteen"? "This Is Thirteen" was written from the spring of 2004 till spring of 2006 and we had 19 songs prepared to record. We arrived in the U.K. in April of 2006 and began recording with Chris Tsangarides at his studio in Kingsdown, near Dover. It was about a 9 week time that the recording was written, and was mixed in Los Angeles a few months later. Which song from that album is your favourite for the moment? "This is Thirteen", it was at the beginning and still is but "Feed the Greed" is also a major favourite as well. You have written quite a lot of songs during the years, is it harder each time to find a new chord progression and melody? No not really...even when it's the same it still has new favorites...weirdly speaking there are only certain notes that sound proper together and mankind has been listening to them over and over for generations. Nothing is completely original but that's the real beauty. There are an infinite amount of combinations, the question being which one do I use? So in simple terms the well is never dry... Anvil is a three-piece now, how do you play the guitar when you perform the old songs which were written for two guitars? Do you re-arrange the songs or do you just play your parts? For the most part everything is the same. The second guitar was a shadow of what I was playing anyway. Glenn´s bass playing is so intense it basically retired the second guitar. The other really important thing is that Glenn also sings which was the major contributing factor to why we had a second guitarist to begin with. The only song I had to intensest was "Forged in Fire" and now I play both guitar parts, which has made little if no difference to the overall song in a live situation. Let's talk about your gear. What guitar do you use? I use a semi hallow flying V that was custom built for me in the early eighties. Do you use the same guitar live as in the studio? I use a variety of guitars in the studio for the basic tracks but all or at least 90% of it with one of my 2 semi hollow Vs for lead guitar overdubs. What kind of strings does you use, which thickness? .008-.038 What picks do you use? .88mm dunlop How do you get your guitar sound? 2 Fender Twin Reverb amps, Tokai distortion, Pearl Anolog delay, Boss EQ, and an Ibanez chorus for splitting the output but it's not being used for it's effect. Do you still practise every day? Almost!! Anvil rehearses everyday except Saturday and Sunday if we aren't doing a show. If we are then it's everyday. You are one of my favourite guitar players, I am 37 years old, and have just bought an electric Cort guitar, and what tips can you tell me how to improve my playing? Make sure you are using the lightest and thinnest strings until you have learned to play a bit. It's easier on the fingers and easier to fret notes and get the string to vibrate clear and clean. I taught guitar to kids for a while and discovered that the most important thing was that they should be able to get the sound of a chord as quickly as possible to give them the confidance to continue. What guitar players are your inspiration? Tony Iommi, Micheal Schenker, Ted Nugent, Ritchie Blackmore and the onslaught of all the hard rock guitarists of the 60s-80s. I could go crazy and try to remember all of them, and in fact I did list them all on my personal myspace page if you want to check it... myspace.com/anvilips What is it like to be a musician today if you compare it to 30 years ago? It's been one long long road that has changed a lot less than one might think. It's still down to the same a usual, what songs and where are we playing next... What's next for Anvil? Tour? Sweden? We always are hoping to tour as that is the heart and soul of what we are....Sweden BRING IT ON!!!! Thanks for the interview!!! Take care.....LIPS
|
|