RIP Morgan Spurlock (3 Viewers)

[guidomerkinsrules]

Do you mean Anvil? Or is there an entire subgenre of heartwarming documentaries about underdog 80s metal bands from Canada?

not sure about that, but how about Punks as parents?

 

[fred8615]

 

[Saintman2884]

Do you mean Anvil? Or is there an entire subgenre of heartwarming documentaries about underdog 80s metal bands from Canada?

You’re right, the band’s name was Anvil. It’s been well over a dozen years since I’ve heard or seen anything remotely relevant about the band or the documentary that sort of gave them a mini-revival after its release and success.


They were, unfortunately, one of many bands that during their initial heyday, suffered through the “all-too-common” pitfalls of the record industry: bad band business decisions, sheetty management, awful, mediocre record production, and a lack of genuine, interest and promotion from record companies.

 

[Poison]

You’re right, the band’s name was Anvil. It’s been well over a dozen years since I’ve heard or seen anything remotely relevant about the band or the documentary that sort of gave them a mini-revival after its release and success.


They were, unfortunately, one of many bands that during their initial heyday, suffered through the “all-too-common” pitfalls of the record industry: bad band business decisions, sheetty management, awful, mediocre record production, and a lack of genuine, interest and promotion from record companies.

It is a great movie, and I’m glad they got their fifteen minutes of fame (30 years too late). They even got a tour down here to Australia out of it. Part of the reason the movie worked is because they are such likable, relentlessly optimistic guys.

Truth be told though, their music wasn’t very good. I’ve seen some awesome bands who didn’t make it, or didn’t reach the levels of popularity they should have (Tyketto’s Don’t Come Easy is one of the best hard rock albums I own and yet they are virtually unheard of). Anvil, for mine, aren’t one of them - but I’m pleased for them nonetheless.

I might have to dig the movie out though.

 

[Saintman2884]

It is a great movie, and I’m glad they got their fifteen minutes of fame (30 years too late). They even got a tour down here to Australia out of it. Part of the reason the movie worked is because they are such likable, relentlessly optimistic guys.

Truth be told though, their music wasn’t very good. I’ve seen some awesome bands who didn’t make it, or didn’t reach the levels of popularity they should have (Tyketto’s Don’t Come Easy is one of the best hard rock albums I own and yet they are virtually unheard of). Anvil, for mine, aren’t one of them - but I’m pleased for them nonetheless.

I might have to dig the movie out though.

Poison, it's unfortunate their careers were sidetracked due to bad record production, sheetty management, or inept management even if the collective sample of Anvil's musical catalogue was mediocre, at best. Their were more then a few hard rock/heavy metal bands in the late 70's and 1980's with music and albums, IMHO, arguably much worse than anything Anvil put out (most of these bands were comical "hair metal bands", BTW) and sold millions of more records.

But as an Aussie yourself, their have been a few bands that became hugely successful, and it turned out over the long haul, success might've been the worst, deadliest thing to ever happened to them. You know, AC/DC has had more then its fair share of personal tragedies, band deaths and deadly concerts like Salt Lake City, Utah in 1990, but one thing about the band is that their success was gradual, they were allowed to build up their fanbase, support, record promotion, a true underground repore from 1974-77 until they relocated to London and began their ascent to heavy metal superstardom with Highway to Hell and even if he hadn't died of asphyxiation, or died 3-4 years later, Bon Scott likely doesn't remain the band's long-term singer, regardless. He'd been telling fellow bandmates, friends privately that he wanted to have enough success in music and then retire as a sheep farmer as early as 1977/78. Despite his on-stage bravado, swagger, and presence as a lead singer, Scott subconsciously suspected he wasnt made for the rock lifestyle, long-term.

Band like INXS, has to be maybe Australia's most tragic, saddest successful bands that after Michael Hutchence got into a fight or accident in Amsterdam where he lost his sense of taste (terrible loss, since he was a huge wine lover/connoisseur), and he unfortunately got into auto-erotic asphyxiation and one night, in 1997, it ended in tragedy. They were one of the biggest rock bands of the MTV era of the 1980's and how it all imploded was terribly sad.

Some have argued it was really suicide because his daughter, Tiger-Lilly, was estranged from him and her mother, with her stepfather, Live Aid founder Bob Geldof and philanthropist and after Hutchence's death, his former lover, British TV rock pop presenter committed suicide IIRC, in 2009 or 2010.

 

[Saintman2884]

It is a great movie, and I’m glad they got their fifteen minutes of fame (30 years too late). They even got a tour down here to Australia out of it. Part of the reason the movie worked is because they are such likable, relentlessly optimistic guys.

Truth be told though, their music wasn’t very good. I’ve seen some awesome bands who didn’t make it, or didn’t reach the levels of popularity they should have (Tyketto’s Don’t Come Easy is one of the best hard rock albums I own and yet they are virtually unheard of). Anvil, for mine, aren’t one of them - but I’m pleased for them nonetheless.

I might have to dig the movie out though.

BTW, soon if you want me too, I'll tell you an interesting behind-the-scenes story about a very tense, nasty confrontation at an early 1975 Australian rock festival between a very young, raw, up-and-coming AC/DC as a support band to one of rock's then-biggest bands in the world, Deep Purple and how Purple's notorious temperamental guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, and one of Purple's managers, nearly got into a vicious fight between Angus Young, Bon Scott and one of Young's uncles backstage.

This concert was one of the last concerts Blackmore played with Deep Purple before leaving and forming his own solo band, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.

 

[Poison]

Poison, it's unfortunate their careers were sidetracked due to bad record production, sheetty management, or inept management even if the collective sample of Anvil's musical catalogue was mediocre, at best. Their were more then a few hard rock/heavy metal bands in the late 70's and 1980's with music and albums, IMHO, arguably much worse than anything Anvil put out (most of these bands were comical "hair metal bands", BTW) and sold millions of more records.

But as an Aussie yourself, their have been a few bands that became hugely successful, and it turned out over the long haul, success might've been the worst, deadliest thing to ever happened to them. You know, AC/DC has had more then its fair share of personal tragedies, band deaths and deadly concerts like Salt Lake City, Utah in 1990, but one thing about the band is that their success was gradual, they were allowed to build up their fanbase, support, record promotion, a true underground repore from 1974-77 until they relocated to London and began their ascent to heavy metal superstardom with Highway to Hell and even if he hadn't died of asphyxiation, or died 3-4 years later, Bon Scott likely doesn't remain the band's long-term singer, regardless. He'd been telling fellow bandmates, friends privately that he wanted to have enough success in music and then retire as a sheep farmer as early as 1977/78. Despite his on-stage bravado, swagger, and presence as a lead singer, Scott subconsciously suspected he wasnt made for the rock lifestyle, long-term.

Band like INXS, has to be maybe Australia's most tragic, saddest successful bands that after Michael Hutchence got into a fight or accident in Amsterdam where he lost his sense of taste (terrible loss, since he was a huge wine lover/connoisseur), and he unfortunately got into auto-erotic asphyxiation and one night, in 1997, it ended in tragedy. They were one of the biggest rock bands of the MTV era of the 1980's and how it all imploded was terribly sad.

Some have argued it was really suicide because his daughter, Tiger-Lilly, was estranged from him and her mother, with her stepfather, Live Aid founder Bob Geldof and philanthropist and after Hutchence's death, his former lover, British TV rock pop presenter committed suicide IIRC, in 2009 or 2010.

I always thought the story about Michael Hutchence’s cause of death was a bit like Mama Cass supposedly choking on a ham sandwich - an urban myth. My friend’s brother played Hutchence on TV miniseries where they left that aspect open-ended though, so maybe there is some truth to it
(https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3150144/). I agree though, it was a tragic story.

It’s interesting to hear about AC/DC “breaking through” with Highway to Hell internationally. Locally, they were huge in the 70s (before my time). They had released High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and TNT by 1976 here, and they were all platinum albums several times over. I love Back in Black with Brian Johnson, and much of what came after, but Aussies have a particular affection for Bon Scott as the original lead singer.

Always open to hearing about backstage blow ups though. I admit to liking Deep Purple too, albeit predominately Coverdale and Hughes, and more what they put out with other bands.