Anvil! My Story of Anvil

Dear reader,

Your intrepid blogger had EVERY intention of going to see Anvil at the Gothic theater tonight but forces greater than myself conspired to thwart even this most determined metal fan...

First off, it was a late Saturday at the 'Metal as Art' show at the Lion's Lair...That show (see previous post) started late and had four bands.  These travellers were not giving short shrift to those of us in attendance and it was well past 1:00 a.m. when headliners Hypno5e collapsed in a pile of sweat and feedback on the tiny stage.  This, and the tickle at the back of my throat assured me I was to have a long night.

My wife has a hard time sleeping without me home and was cranky about the Mike situation (buying him drinks) and the lateness of the hour.  Had this been an Andy Capp strip, she might have had a rolling pin behind her back waiting for yours truly to arrive.

By the morning, with a full 4 hours of sleep (!), I wrote my previous blog entry, and scooted off to work at my second job of pizza guy.  That tickle at the back of my throat was slowly but surely turning into heavy petting.

Work at Pudge Brothers was what it always is when you are the only driver, are sick and haven't slept; busy.  I had a ton of "coast to coast" deliveries; trips from one farthest point of our delivery area to the opposite farthest point in our delivery area.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't ever seen Anvil...I haven't heard Anvil...My relationship to Anvil is seeing the trailer and the trailer alone.  It was enough to get me to support these sad sack workhorses with my dinero. I suppose like many folks, I just passed over them because of the name.  I mean, it is a stupid name right?  Sure, its heavy and gets beaten on but does anyone younger than 50 know what the hell an anvil is?! or what its used for?!  I guess they belong in the list of great bands with stupid names (I am looking at you, Decrepit Birth, Psycroptic, Baroness, Moss, Celtic Frost, Gojira...man the list is practically endless).

Alas it was not to be...

After work, I had to go to my friend Jim's house.  Jim is a friend I met when I was a meter reader for Public Service and we hit it off because he was into comic books just like I am.  I had been putting him off for days in helping him fix his computer because my schedule has been crazy.  He's a bit of a shut-in and has terrible luck with computers.  I am that dude; the one who fixes his relatives' and friends' computers.  Earlier in the week I had to move a big dresser from my mother-in-law's storage facility to our house, take a woman I help take care of to the dentist TWICE and get a person I take care of a physical, H1N1 shot and a new winter coat.  When my unmarried, childless friends say they're busy I usually say "BULLSHIT.".

I was starting to get more sick as the hours were going by and there was nothing I could do about his computer.  My head was feeling like it was half helium and half water.  After the looks my wife was giving me last night, there was no way I was going to push my luck and go a SECOND night to a concert.  Plus, not much money thanks to paying for drinks for Mike and his date and cheapskates wanting pizza today but not tipping. That tickle that turned to heavy petting before? Now was full on molestation.

I was disheartened, tired, broke and sick.  I just didn't have the energy or the WILL to go to the show...

How do they do it?  How did these guys, on whom the rays of fame never shined on save the reviews about the movie 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil' showing their pathos, keep going?  Bungled tours, manager problems and just being ignored by the media? Am I  a total wuss, because a little sinus infection and lack of funds got me down?  not. very. metal.

I even showed the trailer to my wife who got misty and said I should go, but quickly recanted.  I did have to help with Ruby, our 8 year-old, I don't have any extra cash and I do need some rest to keep being the provider I am for my family and to recover from whatever this is... The boys in Anvil will have to wait; see you next time around fellas.

My wife wondered aloud whether or not Anvil's historically bad luck was just that everyone around them has bad luck in dealing with them? How strange would that be? The story of Anvil could just be a circle of people connected loosely to Anvil, (fans, managers, friends and family), that are just being beaten like the item of the band's namesake and its Anvil that suffers for it. Strange indeed...