Glenn Five Former Anvil Bassist

by Alex Barbieri
Staff Writer –

No Expectations, Just Possibilities: An Interview with Former Anvil Bassist, Glenn Five

Bassist Glenn Gyorffy (a.k.a. Glenn Five or G5), powered the Canadian metal power trio, Anvil, for 16 years. In late January 2012, news hit the rock press that G5 was leaving Anvil for various reasons. Here, Glenn Five—one of the most underrated and inspirational bassists in rock — opens up to Hardrock Haven on why he left Anvil, his favorite memories of the past 16 years, and his musical plans for the future.

HRH: Glenn, thank you for reaching out to Hardrock Haven. We’re honored to be one of the websites you have chosen to talk to. Before we discuss more positive topics, let’s get it out of the way … what happened in Anvil that made you want to leave after 16 years?

G5: To begin, let me thank you, Alex, for once again opening up the pages of Hardrock Haven to me and allowing me the chance to share my words with your readers.

I wouldn’t say anything in particular happened that made me want to quit Anvil. It’s been an ongoing thing for many years. Basically, it was getting a bit stale for the artist inside me and I simply wasn’t fulfilled playing in the band anymore. As many people know there was a wonderful movie made about Anvil (“Anvil! The Story of Anvil”) that re-ignited a flame in the band, not only in the public eye, but also in ourselves. When the film started to receive critical acclaim and we started this amazing ride on the film festival circuit, we found ourselves very inspired like we hadn’t been in a long time. The success of the movie also brought with it the interest of the industry and we obtained proper management for the first time in decades—certainly the first time in my long tenure with the band.

With that management came tours all around the world and a chance to experience many new things. It was very inspirational and we found ourselves writing and recording Juggernaut of Justice, the best album the band has done to date. The truth is before the film maker, Sacha Gervasi, came back into Anvil’s life and made a brilliant movie about a great story of perseverance, the band was in a downward spiral. The music just wasn’t making a difference and creatively speaking we were at a bit of a stand still. This changed with the prospect of a film and a chance to once again record with Chris Tsangarides on the This is Thirteen album. That album, because of the movie, received a lot of attention and was picked up and distributed by “big time record companies like Sony in Japan and Vh1 in the United States.

That feeling of renewed creativity continued on with the Juggernaut album, but unfortunately the interest of the record companies didn’t, and in my opinion the album hasn’t been given the chance to shine like it deserves and Anvil have found themselves once again in a position of irrelevance. The music just isn’t making a difference in today’s marketplace. The movie was sort of a band aid over the inevitable, and in my opinion, Anvil is now on its way back to the same position as it was back in 2005 before the filming of the movie began.

HRH: That said, you have a lot to be proud from your time in Anvil. You helped sustain Anvil through periods of relative obscurity, helped fuel the success of the movie, “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” and helped create an absolutely crushing album, Juggernaut of Justice.
What are some of your favorite memories and experiences from the past 16 years with the band?

G5: Well, it’s all been great. My entire time with Anvil has been a great ride. I’ve learned a lot, experienced some amazing things, got to travel the world and meet some amazing people along the way. Two very wonderful experiences for me took place in England.

The first was the recording of the This is Thirteen album. Not only to work with a great producer like Chris Tsangarides, but also to spend nine weeks in the village of Kingsdown where Chris’ studio is located. Kingsdown is a small village in Kent in the South East of England. The local villagers are among some of the greatest people I’ve met and they welcomed us with open arms. I made some really great friends there that I consider my extended family, and I have been back to visit a couple of times. The second was when we went to London for the London Film Festival. The premier of our movie was awesome, complete with being joined on the red carpet by Sarah Brown, the wife of then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

But the best part of that particular trip was meeting the love of my life, an amazing woman who is a publicist at The Works, the company that distributed the Anvil movie. I lived the dream professionally with Anvil, but all the other things that came with it mean a great deal to me, and maybe more so at the end of the day. I don’t play in Anvil anymore but the relationships remain and I couldn’t be more grateful for having such wonderful people in my life.

HRH: Is there anything you want to say to your ex-bandmates, Steve and Robb to clear the air?

G5: Actually there is nothing that I would say to them in this forum. One day, when our paths cross again, there will be things to say. For now, I just wish them well and continued success.

HRH: What are your musical goals for the future? Do you have a new band in the works yet that you’d like to announce?

G5: Nothing I’d like to announce at the moment, Alex. I’ve got a few things on the go and I am entertaining offers. I’d like to join another band. I enjoy the band atmosphere, the brotherhood and common goal between bandmates is a strong thing.

I want to record some of my songs as well, but I’m not sure that I would want to put a band together to play only my stuff. I much rather collaborate in a band setting, than just dictate what I want. Basically at this point in time, I’m leaving my options open and having fun and feeling creative again. Something I can say I didn’t feel in Anvil for the past year or so. Other musical goals include producing and musical directing. I’ve had great collaborating moments with great producers and have been encouraged that I can in fact be a producer. Also, I would like to get into session work. That would be a great way to widen my horizons and meet other musicians and producers. Session work would be a good opportunity to play different styles of music.

HRH: You’re a songwriter with a wide taste in music. How would you describe your style of writing, and who are some of your primary influences, songwriting-wise?

G5: That’s an interesting question—I’ve never really had to describe my song writing style. I’ve always just written from my heart and soul, and what comes out is usually an indication of where I was and how I was feeling at that point in time. I’ve always believed that the song is there and you just need to find it. I think it was Bono from U2 who said, “Just get out of the song’s way,” and that’s the way I feel too. The song will write itself—you just need to guide it where it wants to go. I believe the best songs are the ones that just happen, usually quickly and effortlessly. A couple of my influences would be Paul McCartney and Sting, not a coincidence that they are both primarily bass players. I also believe that bassists make good musical directors as well as song writers, as the bass is the glue between rhythm and melody.

HRH: What non-musical activities are you into lately? Tell us a bit about the man behind the music.

G5: Well lately, I’ve been spending much more time with family and friends. I’ve been on the road a lot for the last few years, and although I have great people in my life all around the world, it’s nice to spend time with the people at home whom I always miss when I’m away. As far as activities, I enjoy going to movies and watching English football. I support Arsenal, a team based out of North London. Go Gunners!

HRH: What movies, music and books are you into? Anything you want to recommend to the Hardrock Haven audience?

G5: When reading, I go through phases between biographies and action novels. For obvious reasons, I enjoy biographies about my favorite bands and musicians. I’ve recently read bios on Dave Grohl, Dave Mustaine, and am currently reading a pretty good Metallica bio called “Metallica: Enter Night: The Biography.”

When I’m reading my action adventures, I enjoy Dan Brown and Raymond Khoury, but I mostly read Clive Cussler books. He has a few different series that he collaborates on with different writers including “The Oregon Files,” “The Kurt Austin Adventures,” and the Dirk Pitt novels. For those soccer fans out there, I’ve read a great book called “Damned United,” about one of the greatest managers in the history of the sport, Brian Clough.

I don’t have a particular favorite genre of movie, I just love a good film. If a movie can take me on a journey, then I’m willing to take the ride. Recently I’ve been finding that French movies have a certain cleverness to them that we don’t really get here in the North American blockbusters.
As far as music, that also spans a broad range of genres. Of course I love my hard rock and metal, but I also enjoy many different things other than just the hard stuff. Some newer music that I’ve been enjoying lately is Foo Fighters – Wasting Light, Megadeth – Thirteen, Mastadon – The Hunter, Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys, Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto, Pearl Jam – Backspacer and Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown.

HRH: Let’s do a bit of word association. What are the first thoughts that come to mind on the following:

HRH: Your time in Anvil.

G5: Proud to be a big part of the history. Other than Lips and Robb, I have spent more time than anyone in the band.

HRH: The success of the Anvil documentary.

G5: A wonderful experience and the greatest promotional tool a band has ever had.

HRH: Touring the world.

G5: Living the dream!!

HRH: Opening for AC/DC.

G5: Completely a thrill for me to share a stage with one of the greatest bands in the history of music. Plus, an amazing thrill to play stadiums, especially the historic Giants Stadium.

HRH: Metal fans.

G5: A brotherhood, a family. Metal fans are among the most passionate of music listeners. They choose their faves and stay with them forever. Even if their interests change and they listen to other things, metal remains in the soul and never dies.

HRH: Playing music.

G5: Something I and many other artists need to do. I’ve said it before, but we don’t choose to play music, it’s the music that chooses us to play it.

HRH: The future.

G5: I will share a mantra that has guided me well through the past few years: No expectations, just possibilities.

HRH: Glenn, thank you again for your time and for opening up to Hardrock Haven. We wish you happiness and success, and look forward to hearing your music in the future. How can fans stay in touch with what you’re up to? Any websites or pages you want to promote?

G5: Thank you for all the support Alex. I appreciate it very much. There is a website under construction at the moment, it is glenn5ive.com and people can also find me on Twitter@GlennFive and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/glenn5.

HRH: Thanks again, Glenn, and please stay in touch!

Like Glenn Five on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/glenn5

View a Glenn Five photo slideshow on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM6mrskvGM8

Ronnie James Dio : Reflections on a Sacred Heart

by Alex Barbieri
Staff Writer

Ronnie James Dio was, and will remain, one of the most powerful and emotional singers in rock history. His legacy lives on in the vast collection of songs he recorded, and in the loving memories of those lucky enough to meet the man personally.

May 16, 2011 marks one year since the passing of Dio. Over the past year, Hardrock Haven has asked many artists the following question, “What are your thoughts on the passing of Ronnie James Dio, and do you have any memories you would like to share?” Without exception, all of them answered with loving respect.

The following is a compilation of those answers and memories. Thanks to all the artists, especially Paul Shortino, who contributed to this retrospective. Rest in peace, Ronnie. Cheers!

Anders Ringman of PLATFORM: Of course it’s a huge loss. In the eyes of his fans, he truly was immortal, so that’s why it was such a shock. I think, music-wise, I will cherish the Rainbow albums with him, Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell and Holy Diver, of course.

Chris Laney of PLATFORM: It’s a great loss, a small man with a BIG voice. I got into Dio back when Holy Diver was released, and still think Holy Diver and The Last in Line are among the best albums released by Dio. Of course there’s tons of good stuff with him in Sabbath, too, but I think those albums are killer. I literally ran into him backstage when Dio, Uriah Heep and Asia played Stockholm.

DJ Will of KNAC.com: Ronnie was a big influence and a huge, huge loss. My last moment/encounter was him giving me a thumbs up at the Revolver “Golden God Awards” backstage after winning an award as he walked by with his wife, Wendy. That, as we know, was to be his last public appearance.
Attending the services a month later was a bit surreal with its concert-like atmosphere. Saying good-bye to a music legend surrounded by fans like myself who shared the same thoughts. The tribute performances were fantastic, as were the personal stories at the podium. I have since ended my show each week with one of the final tracks he recorded—“Heavy Metal Will Never Die”—which to me says it all.

Glenn Five of Anvil: I have some very personal thoughts and memories about Ronnie that are very dear to my heart. Ronnie was one of the nicest men a person could ever get to know. He had a love for people and life that you rarely come across. He was the type of man who would meet you early in the day and then go off to do tons of interviews and ‘meet and greets’ and when he would bump into you again later that day, he would call you by name and ask how your day has been. The last time I saw him was backstage after a Heaven and Hell show with Motorhead and Judas Priest. He was having a great time laughing and smiling—a fitting last memory of a truly amazing man.

Gregg Livesay of Livesay: We opened up for Dio twice—once in ’97 and again in ’98. I just remember when we got tapped to do the show how psyched we were. We couldn’t even believe we were going to get to share the stage with the guy. I remember, after our set, I was down on the floor and I remember looking around the place. It was packed and they were turning people away at the front door—it was shoulder-to-shoulder, the balcony, everywhere. They couldn’t fit any more people. But I remember when he was on stage and he was singing “Don’t Talk To Strangers” and was just singing by himself, everybody was just absolutely blown away by him. His presence, his power. The guy just had incredible, incredible pipes. And so full of emotion. When he sang, you really felt like he was singing to you. He was the pinnacle of singers, and the fact that he’s gone is awful. He was the Pavarotti of metal.

Jaime St. James of Black N Blue: Ronnie was a very nice man and an amazing singer. He is horribly missed.

Jesse Damon of Silent Rage: I miss Ronnie James Dio. I got to see Heaven and Hell at the Forum in Los Angeles a couple years back and he was great to see and watch and listen to. What a nice gentleman. I also met him briefly at Los Angeles International Airport. He was coming in from Russia and I was heading to England. I walked up and said “Hi” and we exchanged pleasantries, a handshake, smile and a laugh or two. I asked him how the fans were in Russia, and he said they couldn’t have been nicer. He wished me well for England and good luck, and I said, “Thanks, Ronnie!”

Joey Concepcion of Chaos Embrace: I think (Dio’s passing) is very sad, and is such a tremendous loss to the metal community. I loved his voice and his music and he will be missed all over the world, and his music will without a doubt carry on.

Kyoji Yamamoto: He was one of the best rock singers in the world. I heard his voice for the first time on Rainbow’s first album. I was very impressed by his powerful, beautiful and dignified voice. I met him in an Indian restaurant in the U.K. by coincidence. He was with his wife and he was very calm and tender. We lost an irreplaceable treasure.

Marcie Michelle Free of Unruly Child: Ronnie and I first met at a Christmas party back in 1985. Carmine Appice introduced us. I will never forget how blown away I was at how much of a kind gentleman he was. Many so called “rock stars” are not as real and down to earth as he was. He was always like that. I miss him dearly.

Mark Tornillo of Accept: Ronnie was always a huge influence on my writing and singing. The world lost one of the all time greats, and he will be missed for a long, long time.

Michael Larrson of ColdSpell: Dio meant a lot to me and has a special place in my heart. Dio was the one that was supposed to be around as long as hard rock exists and unite us all. He will be remembered and not forgotten, that’s for sure! We have a song on the new ColdSpell album called “The King” that is dedicated to him. That lyric and song felt so right at the time he passed away, so I decided to include it on the new album.

Paul Shortino of King Kobra: When Rough Cutt was starting out, Ronnie was checking us out. Next thing we know, the Dios were managing us. Ronnie and Wendy took me under their wing and moved me into their home. I was able to live and breathe the Holy Diver album because Ronnie was working on it at home and he’d share ideas and mixes with me. I watched him do the artwork and create Murray the Holy Diver mascot. It was really an experience to get to know Ronnie on a different level—sharing his creativity in the studio and his guidance was quite an experience.

He was such a humble gentle man. One thing I learned from Ronnie was to try and always be humble. Ronnie always had time for fans and to say “Hi” to people, and be kind and gentle and humble. He always had time for people.

It’s a shame we lost such a talent and big voice in the rock scene. He was definitely too young to pass away. He’ll live on forever. King Kobra recorded a tribute to Ronnie called “Monsters & Heroes.” The first verse is, “Sing me a song singer, you’re the man on the mountain who rocked my world.” That’s exactly what he did in my life.

Sammy Serious of The Zeros: Ronnie James Dio was a great singer and front man. One of my favorites. I remember getting turned on to Elf and saying, “Who is that guy? What a great, powerhouse voice.” I also love his solo stuff. I just heard “The Last in Line” on the radio. What a great tune. He left us way too soon.

Stephen Jensen of F3 Studios: My good friend Keri Kelli of the Alice Cooper Band owns a bar in Las Vegas called Aces N Ales. He was hosting a fundraiser event for the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.” Keri had asked me if I’d donate some of my photo prints to auction for the fundraiser. I always try to help out my friends whenever I can and it was an honor for Keri to ask to be involved with this great cause. I donated a print of Ronnie, Alice Cooper and Dimebag Darrell. I never had the chance to meet Ronnie personally, but the show in Chicago that I shot with Heaven and Hell was amazing. I listened to Dio growing up and it was great to see him on a big stage again up close. He looked so happy like he was having the time of his life grinning from ear to ear. It was clear to me that he just loved what he did and what he was doing.

Donate to the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund on the Official Ronnie James Dio website:
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/

Official Dio Facebook Fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialRonnieJamesDio

Official Dio Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/dioofficial

Glenn Five of Anvil

by Alex Barbieri
Staff Writer

Glenn Gyorffy (aka Glenn Five or G5) of Anvil is one of the most underrated and inspirational bassists in rock. His aggressive yet melodic style helped revive Anvil from obscurity in the ’90s. No less important was his dedication to his Anvil brothers, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb “Robbo” Reiner, without which the band might have never survived and realized the success of the “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” film. 

In this rare interview, Hardrock Haven talks with Glenn Five—Anvil’s quiet but no less crucial third member talks about life since the Anvil movie, their new album Juggernaut of Justice due in May and much more.

HRH: Glenn, thank you for your time. The first question that comes to mind is, how has your life changed since the worldwide acclaim of “Anvil: The Story of Anvil?”

Glenn Five: My pleasure Alex. Well, for starters playing with Anvil is my job now! I am very proud to say that. Playing music has always been part of my life and the fact that I get to do it as a career now is truly a dream come true.

The movie first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Jan 2008 and since then we have been incredibly busy appearing and performing at many film festivals all over the world and playing many shows in headlining and support positions. In 2009 we headlined the 3rd stage at “Loud Park” in Japan, the same festival where we went on at 11:35 a.m. three years earlier. And just this past year in 2010, Anvil did a world tour starting in North America then on to Australia and Japan and Europe where we finished at the “Wacken Open Air Festival” playing after Slayer for 80,000 people.

HRH: When you joined Anvil 15 years ago, did you ever think the band would realize this type of success? What kept you going through the years of obscurity?

Glenn Five: Absolutely!! As soon as I started playing with Anvil, I knew something special was happening. I remember thinking ‘This is where I belong,’ and ‘The world needs to know about this.’ Those thoughts have kept me dedicated to Anvil and to Lips and Robb who accepted me into their life-long endeavor.

Many people have called our journey a struggle—and to a certain extent it has been. But continuing on hasn’t been the struggle, that part is easy when you have the self-belief and love what you do. It has been getting the rest of the world to take notice that has been the real hard part.

HRH: When did you realize you were, as Lips called it, “a lifer?” All in, 100% dedicated to Anvil, come what may?

Glenn Five: I’ve been playing music my whole life, as long as I can remember. Being an artist is a life-long thing, whether by choice or not. Being a “lifer” means by choice! By realizing that this is who you are and what you are meant to do is choosing to be a “lifer.” I don’t think you can make this choice until you are already doing it, loving it … living it! Even though I played for years before I joined Anvil, it was after I started playing with Lips and Robb that I learned what it meant to dedicate myself to my art. To really live it, not just do it.

HRH: Going back in time, who and what inspired you to play bass and how did you get the nickname Glenn Five or G5?

Glenn Five: As I said earlier, I’ve been playing music my whole life. As a child I played organ and piano, then I started playing guitar when I was 7, and also trumpet and tuba in orchestras in school. But when I was about 14, one of my older cousins gave me a bass. It was around this time that I heard Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast album and heard the amazing bass playing of Steve Harris and thought, ‘Hey, I have a bass! I’m gonna try that!!’ Not long after that, a friend told me I should listen to this guy named Cliff Burton who plays in Metallica. I’ve been a bass player ever since!

There are a few stories as to how I got the name G5. The “G” stands for Glenn, that’s the easy one. There are many reasons for the 5—too many to count to be honest. 5 was a nickname that my friends gave to me before I joined Anvil. It was simply a number that sort of followed me around and would pop up in my life very often. The fact that I mostly play a 5-string bass is probably why it stuck as my name in the band.

HRH: For the technical musicians out there, please describe your bass rig and equipment. Any endorsements you’d like to talk about?

Glenn Five: I am admittedly not one of those “gear head” musicians. But I do love the sound I get from my two Peavey Tour 700 amps and two Peavey 8×10 cabinets. I run both stacks separately with a splitter. I’m also endorsed by Gibson/Epiphone so I primarily I use Gibson 5-string Thunderbirds and an Epiphone Jack Cassidy semi hollow 4-string. But I also play a 12-string bass called “The Wraith” made by October guitars and an EDR-5R/FM bass made by Fujigen in Japan. I use D’Addario strings on all.

HRH: What are some of your favorite memories promoting the Anvil movie and This Is Thirteen album? Any highlights or crazy stories you can share?

Glenn Five: There have been so many exciting things we’ve done over the past few years. One of the most thrilling was appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Conan O’Brien. Not only getting to perform, but for Anvil to sit and do a couch segment as well was truly an amazing experience. Appearing on VH1’s “That Metal Show” live from the Hard Rock Time’s Square was quite cool too. But as a musician/performer it doesn’t get much better than opening up for AC/DC at three of their stadium shows, including the now torn down and replaced Giants Stadium.

HRH: Wow, those are some amazing accomplishments, I’m sure made sweeter because of what Anvil has been through together. Take us through a day in the life of Glenn Gyorffy. Have you become much busier since the release of the Anvil movie?

Glenn Five: Well as you said at the top, I’m a quiet guy. So outside the band I lead a very simple, private life. A normal day for me not involving Anvil will be spent like any other regular guy. Especially now that we are on the road so much, when I’m home, I try to spend lots of time with family and friends.

I’m diabetic so I try to keep a healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise and a proper diet. Like I said, a very normal guy! It’s this duality that keeps me grounded when I’m not on the road with the band. Being out there performing night after night is anything but simple and private, so when I’m home, I cherish that way of life.

HRH: What’s next for Anvil and how do you define success in music and life?

Glenn Five: We just finished recording the next Anvil album titled Juggernaut of Justice. (Again, you read it here first HRH readers! – Alex.)

We recorded in L.A. with famed producer, Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Saliva, Seether.) He has given Anvil one of its greatest gifts—a killer sounding album! We have always been proud of our albums in the past, but this one is by far the best sounding. Which is fitting considering it was written from a very positive place in all our souls.

After the release of This is Thirteen and the Anvil movie, we started writing this album and it just seemed to flow out of this great frame of mind and body. We are very proud and excited for the release which is in May. I should mention that it will be released in North America by The End Records.

But next on the schedule are seven shows in South America at the end of February and beginning of March. We are very thrilled about that because it will be the first time Anvil has been in South America and we hear our fans are rampant down there. Awesome!!!

I define success in music by simply doing it! Doing it to your fullest capability and sustaining longevity by never stopping at any cost. Even if it means never reaching the summit of the mountain, it’s the climb that brings the most pride and self fulfillment.

HRH: Give us your first thought that comes to mind on the following names and words:

Bass: Makes music three dimensional! It’s like drawing a circle on a piece of paper, it’s just a circle until you add a shadow, then it becomes a sphere. Bass is like the shadow. Another analogy I like is that if the drums are the engine and the guitar and vocals are the sleek aerodynamic shape and a nice paint job, then the bass is like the tires. Not as nice to look at, or hear rev, but they keep the car on the road.

Metal: One of the genre’s of music that I love the most. There is a brotherhood in metal that in my opinion is stronger and more passionate than any other type of music. Almost like metal fans have the same kind of struggle to be heard as the metal bands do. Metal is the “underdog” that we all love to root for.

Anvil Fans: Well a true Anvil fan is a true fan of music. Not someone who likes something because the guy next to you does. There is a passion and heart in all metal fans that seems to shine even brighter when they are an Anvil fan as well. You have to realize for more than a couple of decades there have been fans dedicated to Anvil when the rest of the world was telling them not to be, or at the least questioning why. I think our fans deserve as much credit as we do for sticking it out all these years.

The Music Business: Fragile! It takes so much work to get your foot in the door and it can so easily be swept away. Because it is just that! A business! It is a lot of work to get your foot in the door but even more work to get the door fully open and walk through before it closes shut in your face! I don’t think it is possible to be a part of the business without all the business men and women on your team. Without managers and agents and lawyers, etc., it would be impossible to break in and stay there.

Lips: An innovator with self belief—a vital combination to be a front man in a band. And I might add that Lips is one of the best front men in the game. Also, it’s an honour to be a co-writer with Lips. We have a special connection in that we can see wheels turning and hear thoughts forming in each other before they even appear.

Robbo: As a drummer he is a bass players “wet dream!” A genuine upfront man. Rarely will you find a more “real” person. Robbo tells it like it is.

Sacha: A genius with an unbelievably creative mind. A true friend and an angel to Anvil.

Hollywood: Shiny, sparkly, tasty, alluring … enter at your own risk!!! But very fun and we had some wonderful experiences and met some awesome people there.

Canada: A great place to live and a great place to come home to. Not necessarily the greatest place for an artist to showcase their talents but a country full of talented people who excel at their crafts. We just generally see them excelling in other countries.

HRH: Do you have any thoughts on the passing of Ronnie James Dio?

Glenn Five: I have some very personal thoughts and memories about Ronnie that are very dear to my heart. I don’t mind sharing a few. Ronnie was one of the nicest men a person could ever get to know. He had a love for people and life that you come across rarely. He was the type of man who could meet you early in the day and then go off to do tons of interviews and ‘meet and greets’ and when he would bump into you again later in the day he would call you by name and ask how your day has been.

The last time I saw him was backstage after a Heaven & Hell show with Motorhead and Judas Priest. He was having a great time laughing and smiling. A fitting last memory of a truly amazing man.

HRH: Tell us something we don’t know about Glenn Gyorffy.

Glenn Five: Hmmmm, tough to answer this one! As I said earlier, I’m a pretty private guy so I don’t talk about myself very much. One thing I can say is that I’m a proud man with self esteem and many values and principles. And I don’t let anyone or anything get in the way of that. These are important tools in my life and I would not compromise these attributes at any price. In the music business, in Hollywood—anywhere!

HRH: Do you give bass lessons, and if so, how can someone get in touch with you?

Glenn Five: No I don’t give lessons. Everything I’ve learned has been pretty much self-taught, so I’m not sure I’d make a good teacher. I’ve tried to teach but I get frustrated quickly, which does not make for a good teacher! When I’ve been asked to teach I usually just give this piece of advice: ‘If it sounds good keep it up, if it doesn’t sound so good keep keeping it up. If it still doesn’t sound so good, try another approach.’ Basically what I’m saying is your ear will be a better teacher than me.

HRH: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and the Hardrock Haven audience?

Glenn Five: First off, I would like to thank Alex and Hardrock Haven. And I want to let the fans (new and old) know that we are fans of music as well, so we know what it means to love music and have favourite bands and go see live shows. So when we meet you at an Anvil concert, we are on the same level. We don’t hold ourselves above the audience. We are the audience as well. Anvil fans make an Anvil show as special as Anvil itself.

HRH: Glenn, thanks again for your honesty and openness. You and Anvil are an inspiration to anyone with a dream—not just musicians—everywhere. All the best and please keep us posted on what’s going on with Anvil.

Glenn Five: Thanks again Alex and HRH. We are looking forward to continuing on our amazing journey. Just now, we have many more people coming along for the ride with us, and that is very exciting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF4H8lB2Y_o

www.facebook.com/pages/Glenn-Five…/62290202609

www.facebook.com/anvilmetal

Official Anvil website: http://www.anvilmetal.com/

Anvil Live!

January 16, 2010 at the House Of Blues in Boston, Mass.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

Hot off the tracks of attending the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles nominated for Best Documentary Anvil – The Story Of Anvil, on Friday evening Jan.15, Anvil made their way to the House Of Blues in Boston on Saturday evening Jan. 16. As many old school and new Anvil fans witnessed the Anvil Experience. Anvil, one of the greatest success stories of 2009 continuing their successful trek into 2010 evoked their powerful onslaught of high-energized metal on fans at the HOB.

Anvil, featuring Steve “Lips” Kudlow on lead vocals and guitar, drummer Robb Reiner, and bassist Glen Five performed a vast array of songs in a 75-minute set that resonated all the way back to their debut album Hard “N” Heavy to their current release This Is Thirteen.

Opening with “666″, Steve “Lips” Kudlow was a ball of energy jumping off the stage onto the stairs before the audience unleashing the powerful Anvil fury to a wrath of headbangers showcasing his versality as a guitarist. Steven “Lips” Kudlow commented to me, “Last night Anvil was at the Critics Choice Awards in LA with all the Hollywood types. Highlight of the evening at the awards was meeting Paul McCartney. The greatest thing about meeting Paul McCartney was, he knew who we were! We are so happy to be playing here in Boston tonight.”

Anvil also performed the song from their first video back in 1987, “Mad Dog.” Steven “Lips” Kudlow commented, “Metal is timeless. We are all growing old but not growing up.” Other highlights included drum solo from Robb Reiner on “White Rhino.” I had the opportunity to talk to Robb after the show and he told me to tell everyone,”The Tour has been going amazing! We met Paul McCartney last night at the Critic Choice Awards.”

Before the show, I talked with some fans who first saw the band in 1984. I would say that is quite the accomplishment for a band to still be surviving and making a huge comeback in 2010.

The focus of the evening was on guitar solos. The fans could not get enough of Steve ‘Lips” Kudlow. Highlight of the evening was the song “Metal On Metal.”

After their performance, Anvil signed autographs for their many fans. You may have become familiar with Canadian legends Anvil from their critically acclaimed documentary Anvil – The Anvil Story but finally Canadian rock band Anvil has made it to Boston to showcase the Anvil Experience that is only meant to be witnessed live. Tour Dates are listed below. If you love Metal, go see Anvil and keep Metal alive.

Anvil Set List:
“666″
School Love
Winged Assassins
This Is Thirteen
Flying Blind
Thumb Hang
Forged In Fire
White Rhino
Mad Dog
Metal On Metal
Jack Hammer

ANVIL TOUR DATES:
JANUARY
19 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
20 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
21 House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
23 House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
24 House of Blues, Houston, TX
25 Emo’s, Austin, TX
26 House of Blues, Dallas, TX
29 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
30 The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
31 Gothic Theatre, Denver, CO

FEBRUARY

2 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
3 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
4 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
5 House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
6 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
9 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
11 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
12 Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
13 Venue Vancouver, Vancouver, BC CANADA

MARCH
19 The Gramercy Theatre, New York, NY

Photos by Deb Rao