Firing on all cylinders off the release of their latest album, Pounding the Pavement, Canadian metal legends Anvil are doing just that. Currently on tour promoting the album, the band are certain to bring the party to Glasgow with their heavy anthems. Seeing as they don’t disappoint live, the gig is definitely going to be a fun one.
Opening the show are local rockers Burnt Out Wreck. Their heavy classic rock sound with some NWOBHM flavours bring vibes of AC/DC and Saxon. The catchy songs get the crowd warmed up as heads nod along and cheers ring between songs. Frontman Gary Moat (drummer of Scottish NWOBHM heroes Heavy Pettin’) is having fun rocking out and working the crowd, making for a good show. Unfortunately I arrived near the end of their set and didn’t see much, but it’s safe to say that Burnt Out Wreck are a band to look out for in the future.
Next up is the main event: Anvil. Opening with the instrumental “March of the Crabs”, ever effervescent frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow is playing in the middle of the audience. All eyes around him are watching as he pounds out each riff. Massive cheers erupt in the Cathouse as he bursts onstage ing bassist Chris Robertson and drummer Robb Reiner. The set is a display of classic Anvil mixed with some newer bangers. Banging heads are everywhere through the thrashing “666”, the party vibes of “Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll” and Pounding the Pavement stormer “Doing What I Want”.
The band are at the top of their game and perform with ease. Each member gets their moment to shine, with Robertson’s bass solo at the beginning of “Winged Assassins”, Reiner’s expert jazz-influenced drum solo during the swinging thrash of “Swing Thing”, and Lips’ guitar antics featuring the weird sounds of guitar shredding with a vibrator during the extended solo in “Mothra”. Robertson and Reiner holding the intense fast rhythm beneath the guitar solo for such a long period of time is also impressive. It can’t be denied Anvil know how to entertain, especially while performing expertly, and the banging heads, cheers and chants all around are the result.
Pounding the Pavement is further represented with the stomping “Bitch in the Box” and the thrashing “Ego”. The set ends with shout-alongs to banging Anvil signature tune “Metal on Metal” and all out rocking out to a cover of Steppenwolf’s rock ‘n’ roll classic “Born to Be Wild”. The band are having fun entertaining the crowd with banter and smiles throughout the set, and the feeling resonates with the crowd. Everyone is rocking out to anthem after heavy metal anthem from the old-skool legends. Anvil have been pounding the pavement for 40 years and with heavy tunes and awesome shows, the band and fans alike are loving it every step of the way.
