The definition of success, like beauty and art, is something that society wholly agrees upon, though at the same time, everybody you meet is poised to have a completely differing opinion on just what it means to be successful.
This is exacerbated tenfold when it comes to success in the music industry, where artists are often forced into a balancing act of personal and artistic integrity (both subjective in their own right) versus monetary reward.
To find out what this fickle, subjective, much-coveted concept means to Anvil, a band who were once seen as the epitome of “coulda been”, but who found their own, unique version of success in the most novel of ways, we caught up with frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow.
Lips spoke to us from his home in Toronto, Canada, shortly after taking out the garbage and just days before he was set to depart for Japan, ahead of the band’s forthcoming Australian headline tour.
Do It Yourself
“We left our management, which then opened up the door to be able to do whatever we wanted to do… So, we were not obligated to stay or be dedicated to anybody in particular. We’re free agents to do whatever we want to do and in so doing, it opened the door to people that we’d already met in our travels who’d been offering us work but had been refused by our management and agency people.”
“I’m touring, that says everything. I’m coming to Australia – that says a hell of a lot. And that’s on our own volition, on our own abilities to get to our fans. Business no longer stands in the way of us getting to where we gotta get to. That’s empowered us.”
Remember, No One Cares The Way You Do
“No one cares other than the guys in the band. We’re really the only ones who have anything at stake. That’s what it always comes down to, it’s the lowest common denominator, what it actually is. If you don’t steer it, who is?”
Get Out and Play
“That’s why we create our music is for the purpose of going and playing in front of people, that’s the main cause. So, to me, it makes no difference whether I’m playing the big festival or the little club. It’s all the same. The job’s the same, the songs are the same, I’m the same, the fans are the same, so what’s the difference with the venue? Gotta go get to them, gotta be there. 99.9% of life is being there, that’s what it’s all about.”
…Anywhere You Can
“You’re doing a lot more by going to Soundwave and the way management and everybody looks at it, if you’re gonna go and do that kind of thing then you’ve gotta do it with the biggest attack you can possibly muster up. And to them, it’s not playing clubs. To me, it’s making a living, and to me, it’s the real grass roots and real foundation of what it’s all about, so I don’t look at it as being about the financial advantage versus I guess, people seeing it, the exposure.
Get Noticed
“Certainly, the exposure is worth everything, but if you can’t get that exposure then you’ve gotta find it other ways, because you’ve still gotta get your audience and that’s the number one priority of Anvil and it always has been and it always will be is to go out and play for the people that like our music.”
“We go looking and we find, because people know who we are – that’s why. When promoters were asked, ‘Do you wanna book Anvil?’ They said, ‘Sure, I know that band. I saw the movie.’ That opens up a door, immediately.
Whether people in the business like it or not, there’s always someone who’s willing to do business with me because they know who I am. I mean, I go to the Japan consulate and the guy there goes, ‘Oh my god, it’s Mr. Lips!’”
Be A Crowd-Pleaser
“[Something that can only happen in Canada is] a bar full of very, very drunk and high people, and everybody’s sitting down, but enjoying every second of it. And then, when you finish playing, the whole place goes insane and starts busting all their beer bottles ‘cause they want you to come back on stage. It’s something I’ve only seen happen in Canada [laughs] You don’t realise you’ve actually gotten over until you’ve finished.”
Learn How to Stand Up After You’ve Been Knocked Down
“[The story of Anvil], it’s very common. It’s a regular human story. I think it’s what we all really have in common, our dreams and how they can be smashed. But I think moreover, it’s about how to stand up after you’ve knocked down. It’s about finding strength to face tomorrow, but we all are.
Everybody in every walk of life, no matter who you meet, has their own journey and their own trials and tribulations, and problems, and victories, and losses, and it’s very common. It has a common thread that everybody can relate to, because everybody’s been told that they can’t, no matter what, because it’s a very negative world.”
Accept Failure, Then Move On
“[Anvil is] also a story of being able to accept failure and move on and not dwell on it and let it defeat you. You know, you’re not defeated until you’re in the ground. Then you’re defeated, life got ya. Until then, it’s a fight.”
Keep Fighting, Always
You’ve gotta fight to stay above ground and stay alive and do the things you love. I mean, that’s the real thing, man. The key to success and what success really is is doing what you want to and what you love and getting away with it. That is pure success… There definitely is hope in hell [laughs]”
Focus On Yourself, Not Criticising Others
“It’s always easier to criticise others and look for everybody’s faults, but that is, I suppose, is our own insecurity and our own self-being, so you project it out, what has everyone else got not going for them? You watch intently and make sort of cynical statements about them and so forth.
You look at the old rock stars, ‘Oh, they’re getting old.’ How old are you? You wanna say how old Mick Jagger is? Well, how do you know that? How long have you been around? He’s been around your whole life? So, how old are you?”
IDGAF
“A lot of the time, it’s dealing with the projection of people’s negativity. So, you’ve gotta overcome that and that’s the way I live my life. I don’t give a shit what anybody thinks. I do what I want to do and in my heart, what I desire, and I don’t let anybody or anything stand in my way, and if they do, I find a way around it.”
It’s Not About the Money
“[It’s about] enjoyment. Fulfilment. My life meaning something, that it’s significant. It’s not about money. To leave a mark. It’s more about leaving a mark and having meant something. That’s the achievement. You don’t take money with you, but you can certainly leave a legacy and a history. Everything you have in life is borrowed, and then you gotta give it back [laughs]”
Anvil will soon be embarking on their latest tour of Australia, in celebration of their new album, ‘Hope In Hell’, out now. Check below for all tour dates and details.
Anvil 2014 Australian Tour Dates
Thursday, 6th November 2014
Astor Lounge, Perth
Tickets: Show Ticketing | Heatseeker | Oztix
Friday, 7th November 2014
The Hifi, Melbourne
Tickets: The Hi-Fi
Saturday, 8th November 2014
The Hifi, Brisbane
Tickets: The Hi-Fi | Oztix
Sunday, 9th November 2014
The Hifi, Sydney
Tickets: The Hi-Fi
Monday, 19th November 2014
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Tickets: Bigtix
