15/6/2010 Girlschool & Anvil @ Islington Academy

Subject	Girlschool & Anvil @ Islington Academy
PostedDate	6/15/2010
	Not as cheap as most gigs at The Gaff (although cheaper than Dave Evans there recently) but this is a top value for money night at Islington Academy at only £10. This is for Girlschool and Anvil. The original bill included Ratt as well, and that was only £15. Unfortunately Ratt dropped out due the their singer needing an operation for a hernia - a circumstance which gets a dig from Anvil's frontman later... I had my journey well planned in advance and knew all the train times, but hadn't reckoned on First Capital Connect running my train nearly 20 minutes late - which resulted in me missing half Girschool's set. I was not best pleased.  The girls were on good form though, and looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves! This band have an impressive back catologue, and continue to make good albums - it's a shame they don't play more often in London as I'm sure with some half decent promotion they could sell more tickets than some of the other recently revived NWoBHM bands doing the rounds. Tonight it was well worth the admission price just to see the support band - Girlschool are still a great live band and a lot of fun.  This was the first time I'd seen Anvil, and although I've known about them for a while I'd still not seen their film or heard any of their music. In spite of this, they looked and sounded pretty much exactly as I'd expected them to. Lets be honest here - they are not actually that good are they? In spite of all the hype surrounding them because of their documentary, you can see why they never 'made it'. It's not that they are terrible or anything, but they don't have much in the way of decent songs. What they do have, is a frontman with amazing enthusiasm! The music is pretty much bog standard NWoBHM (although the band is Canadian) - it's just not very good NWoBHM. However, they have such an engaging frontman that you get drawn in to the band's show. He seems genuinely excited when he informs up that this is the first time in 25 years that they have had their own backdrop! I find myself half thinking "Is this a joke?" It's not. This isn't Steel Panther or The Darkness - they are deadly serious! After all that they have been through, just to get to this level (playing to a less than half full Islington Academy) after so long it's incredible they they are still going at all - never mind with this level of enthusiasm! You've got to hand it to them and their 'Don't let the bastards grind you down' ethic. There is no bullshit about them at all - this is as real as it gets - and their singer is so genuinely excited about this gig that you'd think they were playing the O2 Arena! Their frontman proudly informs us that last time they played with Girslchool (many years ago) they were supporting the girls, but now it's Girlschool supporting them! I genuinely don't think he has any idea how easily it could be the other way round. I thought Girlschool were a far better band than the 'headliners' tonight, and if it wasn't for that film he keeps referring to they would be lucky to be playing pub venues over here... In spite of the music being nothing special, Anvil manage to be entertaining - from the singer using the pickup in his guitar as a microphone to address the crowd, to gurning and flicking the horns - using a vibrator like a e-bow on his guitar, and looking like he really is having the time of his life! I'm not sure I'd go and see them again, unless I wanted to see the support band (same as tonight) but I'm glad I've seen Anvil and they managed to bring a smile to my face - well worth a tenner! Good luck to 'em. I'd have bought the DVD of their documentary if it had been on the merch stand - they can fuck off if they think I'm paying £20 just for an Anvil T-shirt though - I wouldn't even pay that for a Kiss one!