After a long absence, finally ANVIL came back to Helsinki on October 22nd, 2024, to promote their latest effort, “One and Only.” The evening was pretty quiet at the beginning at Tavastia, with the crowd slowly making their way in as the opening band, the German GREY ATTACK, was about to begin their show (many people arrived during or even after their set). To be honest, it wasn’t the biggest audience, as only the downstairs area was in use, and even the bar at the back of the main hall was closed.
Nonetheless, the Germans displayed a certain enthusiasm playing in front of the earlycomers. Contrary to what one might assume, the band name refers to the frontman Grey Charlez, not the ripe age of the members. While the band was new to many, it seems that in their career of over ten years, GREY ATTACK has performed alongside ANVIL and other acts like Y&T, LOUDNESS, and FREEDOM CALL, to name a few. The reception to their hard rock was somewhat lukewarm, with the occasional person in the audience yelling, “More!” Despite this, there were plenty of smiles from the guys on stage, and they seemed to be having the time of their lives. After their set, there was what felt like an interminably long break; 45 minutes between bands seemed excessive, especially since ANVIL had a rather straightforward setup (aside from the drum kit, which was already waiting on stage).
Finally, these Canadian veterans—with their extremely Canadian demeanor and very Canadian sense of humor—delighted their fans with their presence, kicking off with “March of the Crabs” and “666” straight from “Metal on Metal.” Lips immediately disappeared into the middle of the audience—which was not surprising, given the stairs placed on one side of the stage to easily climb up and down—playing his guitar while being illuminated by a tech guy holding a flashlight. That simple moment was enough to wake up the audience, who then got to enjoy some more recent songs like the new “Truth is Dying” and “Legal at Last.” Music aside, half of the show consisted of listening to the frontman’s anecdotes and jokes, such as when he pointed out that most of the guys in the audience had either gray hair or had lost their hair, only to point at his own bald patch.
Touching was the story about the band playing with MOTÖRHEAD and partying with Lemmy (to whom they dedicated “Free Like the Wind.” Later, they also dedicated another song to their former bandmate Dave Allison, who passed away recently). There was room for Chris Robertson‘s bass solo, Robb Reiner‘s drum solo, and, of course, Lips‘ own shenanigans and gimmicks, such as the traditional dildo/vibrator guitar solo. Honestly, these guys are always fun to watch and definitely know how to keep their audience entertained. They’ve still got it after 40+ years and counting.
Of course, the final song had to be “Metal on Metal,” after which some people lingered at the venue in the hope of having a good chat with these friendly Canadians, while others disappeared into the night, given that it was still a Tuesday. Gotta love these early shows on weekdays!
GREY ATTACK
ANVIL
Photos by Marco Manzi