Anvil's Steve "Lips" Ludlow On The Documentary, Sudden Fame, Meeting Ozzie Osbourne

Well, actually he didn’t keep in touch with us at all, since like '87. But it was really weird because I had almost like a premonition that something was about to happen, and what it was is that we had ended up going to Italy for this sort of festival and there were a lot of bands we knew. I was sitting in my trailer with the guys from Candlemass, and we kind of wondered what happened [to Sacha]. So when I returned home from Italy there was an email from Sacha, and before I had gone I had seen The Terminal and seen his name but never equated that it could possibly be him. So he invited me to come to Los Angeles and tells me not to worry about paying for the flight, that he would pay. So I arrive in Los Angeles, and he pulls up in this little Jaguar convertible that apparently used to belong to Sean Connery, and I was like, ‘Dude, what is going on?’ I was freaking out. But it was like not one day had passed, I gave him all our CD’s, and then a few weeks later he shows up in Toronto and says he’s going to make a movie.

They’re extraordinarily elated, just really, really happy. It feels like vindication or some sort or maybe it's more a celebration of something good happening.

Ozzy got his own personal copy and watched it a number of times from what I understand. And we were at some Awards show… the Classic Rock Awards… and [chuckles] I was sitting at the table minding my own business and somebody taps me on the shoulder. I turn around and it's Ozzy peering down at me from behind his blue glasses and he was like [adopts accent], “I love your movie, mate. You guys are great. I wish you all the luck in the world.” Then he walks to the stage.

Quite frankly, it was as much a surprise to me. I didn’t realize exactly what was going on because we’re not really informed. The record company is not going to tell you you’ve sold lots of CD’s. Even if you have they’re going to minimize everything so that you’re under the impression that you have no fanbase. I mean that’s what we were led to believe. We’d sporadically – and I underline that – sporadically released CD’s in Japan, but not everything.

Absolutely! So did I really know how many fans I have? Heck, no. We hadn’t been there in a quarter of a century and we were sort of a legend – an obscure band that people never get to see. So what happens in parents tell their kids and you have a second generation of fans that you have no idea exists. The reality is that every band between us and the headliner have to pay to get on that bill so the record company wants some guarantee that these bands are being seen. So what the promoter did was take this “legendary” band and put it at the front. And it worked.

Quite frankly I think the two go too closely, hand-in-hand, to separate that. I think it’s the same with every musician that one way or another people fall in love with the artist and you get to know their personality. Like Dave Mustaine from Megadeth has something of a persona as a nasty ill-tempered kind of guy, but when you talk to him as a regular person he’s a very nice person but there is something about his music that kind of conveys that too. One way or another someone’s personality is connected to their music. There are many, many examples of how someone’s personality can affect their career. Look at what it’s done to Mel Gibson.

Well, that’s an interesting thing. I think that it can help you gain popularity and popularity can help you get shows, so that’s good. But on the other side of it music has now become this promotional tool that you have to get things like shows. You actually have to give away your music, and I think there is something ethically wrong with that. But that’s the way things are. I mean, what are you going to say about it? You can’t change it. It might not be the nicest aspect to give away your music for free but on the other side of it there are some advantages, but in the long run most people don’t end up coming to see the shows. In the grand scheme of things, it won’t help you make money, but certainly to gain popularity…

Absolutely and I felt that way from the first moment. In truth and pure honesty I felt that everything I was about to do was the most important thing I was doing ever.

Oh, weird stuff, like people knocking at my door. People coming from out of town knocking at my door and asking to buy CD’s. [laughs] I’m going to have to take myself out of the phone book.