LIVE REPORT
Anvil Keep the Heavy Metal Spirit Alive in Hannover
Anvil Keeps Metal Alive
With autumn firmly in its grip on Hannover, nature slowly fading into beautiful shades between green and yellow, I was looking forward to a concert that could lift the melancholy that settles over me every autumn. That was exactly what I had in mind. Anvil, a band that secured its place on the world Heavy Metal stage many years ago, was coming to my city as part of the Pounding the Past Tour 2026, and that alone seemed enough to dispel the dark atmosphere I had found myself in.
A band that has left its mark on the Heavy Metal scene with unforgettable recordings and tours since 1981 was set to play at Béi Chéz Heinz, a basement venue (or “Keller Klub,” as the Germans call it) that has been giving various subcultures, particularly rock and metal, a stage in our city for more than thirty years. At first, this made me somewhat sceptical about the concert, but I was soon convinced that the venue suited the concept of the tour.
Tonight, a special event would take place in Hannover, one that many Heavy Metal fans in the city would miss out on. But Pit-Stop was here to witness it. Once we had found our place inside, the first thing that caught my attention was how much room there was to move around in a venue I was used to seeing packed to the rafters. Come on, people, one of the living legends of Heavy Metal history is playing tonight. You could have gone to work an hour short on sleep! The crowd was fantastic. Since I don't often attend events where the audience is predominantly over 55, it felt good to know that there are still metal concerts where I can feel very young. This aspect of metal never fails to impress me. No matter what stage of their lives people discover this music, those who love it never abandon something that has left such a lasting mark on them.
The Heavy Metal faithful had gathered inside, the merch stand was ready, curious eyes were browsing the records and T-shirts, and old friends had already grabbed their beers and settled into conversations filled with laughter. Everything about the atmosphere felt right for a Heavy Metal concert, and the show started right on time.
The first band onstage was the French trio Spirit War. I hadn't seen their name on the poster. In fact, this is one of my favourite things about tours like this: discovering a band you didn't even know would be playing. While the audience was still busy buying beer and other drinks, they kicked things off with ‘Just For One Night’, the opening track from their second album, “Beyond Frontiers”.
The initial indifference at the front gradually gave way to growing interest. They managed to win the crowd over, particularly after the third song, ‘So Cold’. I have to say that bassist/vocalist Markus Fortunato combined his experience with the energy of his two younger bandmates, Valentin Leroy and Nicolas Lebrat, to deliver a highly energetic performance with a musical approach that stood out distinctly from the classic Heavy Metal show we had come to see. With ‘Child Of Muci Hall’, ‘Diagon Alley Heat’ and ‘Fountain Of Pleasure’ following in quick succession, the band's stage energy and audience participation reached their peak with ‘On and On’.
Am I a fan of Heavy Metal in the style of Spirit War? No. But I loved their stage energy. I'm certain they wouldn't have come onto my radar if I hadn't attended this concert. I started writing this report while listening to them. They definitely deserve more attention.
As Spirit War left the stage, we had a chance to get some fresh air. After a brief breather outside with my wife, we headed back into the venue. The second band of the night was Killer from Belgium. Thanks to Hard Life Promotion, which regularly sends promo packages to Pit-Stop, I've had the chance to discover many bands from the Belgian underground scene, but I'd never crossed paths with a Heavy/Speed Metal band whose roots went back to the early '80s. Killer is clearly one of the special bands in this genre, a name familiar to Heavy Metal fans who witnessed that era firsthand.
The band experienced its peak years between 1981 and 1984 in particular. Ready for Hell (1981), Wall of Sound (1982) and Shock Waves (1984), in that order, were crucial not only to the band's history but also to that of the Belgian Metal scene, as they helped both extend their reach beyond the country's borders. The 1984 album Shock Waves was a turning point for the band. With this release, Killer achieved its highest album sales to date, shifting 80,000 copies. Their 1985 concert in Antwerp, performed in front of approximately 1,500 people, went down in history as evidence of the band's standing in the Heavy Metal scene. There were plans to release the album as a double record, but unfortunately, they never came to fruition. The problems with the record label that derailed the plan became the first serious setback in the band's career, laying the groundwork for other difficulties that had already emerged and might arise in the future.
Anyway, getting back to the concert after that brief introduction, Killer had put together an excellent setlist spanning their career, from their early material with its NWOBHM-style melodic guitar approach, harsh vocals and straight-ahead energy reminiscent of Motörhead to their more progressive output. They made a fantastic start with ‘Shock Waves’. It's great to see them still going after all the ups and downs they've been through. Shorty (Paul Van Camp) is the only surviving original member of the band, but his stage chemistry with Jakke and Vanne, who have been playing alongside him for a long time, is fantastic. Each of them seemed able to anticipate the other's next move, and that kind of harmony is a valuable thing for any band.
Whenever Jakke moved towards Vanne, Vanne would repeatedly shoot him a look that said, “Watch it! Don't step there!” He was worried Jakke would step on the tangle of cables gathered around the cymbal stands. It was a funny little detail. Shorty's extended solos, Jakke jumping into the crowd at one point and wandering around the venue while playing, and the shot I managed to capture towards the end were among the performance's most memorable moments.
As for the sound, everything was powerful during the first song, but towards the end, Shorty's guitar tone changed, becoming rather muddy during the final tracks. One detail worth mentioning is that the sound problems continued throughout the rest of the night from that point on. Apparently, though, the issue didn't bother the audience too much, as the crowd sang along with Killer until the very end. According to Shorty, the band's latest album, “The Grand Finale”, seems to mark the end of their career. I consider myself very lucky to have witnessed a band so important to both Heavy Metal and the Belgian scene. I hope I get the chance to see them on a bigger stage in their home country, Belgium, surrounded by the audience they set out with, before they call it a day. I'd really love that.
After Killer's performance, we took another break to fill our lungs with fresh air. Once we'd had our breather, Anvil took the stage without giving us much time to cool down. Robb Reiner was the first to appear. He began performing alone, followed by Chris Robertson. Chris running from one end of the stage to the other, accompanied by his unforgettable facial expressions, was truly incredible. The combination of Heavy Metal and sheer madness was a sight to behold.
Finally, Steve Kudlow, whom we know as “Lips”, didn't simply walk onto the stage. Instead, he plunged into the crowd with his guitar and played practically shoulder to shoulder with the audience filling the venue for almost three minutes. Béi Chéz Heinz isn't a venue that ranks among the favourites of many metal fans in this city, myself included, due to its low ceiling, small stage and ventilation problems. But for bringing to life the atmosphere these three veteran Heavy Metal musicians wanted to share with the audience on a tour like Pounding the Past, it was the perfect choice.
Instruments crammed tightly together, bands playing at full throttle and delivering performances at the highest level regardless of age, and audience members trying to catch a glimpse of the action between the shoulders and heads of some particularly tall people. Some were headbanging, others were trying to capture an unforgettable shot. In many ways, it all carried traces of the '80s.
After opening by drawing the audience into the performance, Kudlow took his place onstage, and ‘March Of The Crabs’ followed by ‘666’ had Béi Chéz Heinz shaking. There is one detail I need to mention here: something about the band's sound bothered me, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I suspect a guitar-related hum persisted throughout the entire concert, sometimes growing louder and sometimes fading into the background. Unfortunately, the problem was never resolved.
Apart from that, everything about Anvil was fantastic. The selected tracks were particularly satisfying for those who had witnessed the band's early days. The setlist drew from albums such as “Hard ’n’ Heavy”, “Metal on Metal” and “Forged in Fire”, with performances of ‘School Love’, ‘Bedroom Game’ and ‘Mad Dog’ standing out during the first part of the show.
Of course, Kudlow didn't stay quiet between songs. He shared some wonderful stories from the band's early years, talking about their tours with Motörhead and his adventures with Lemmy. It was incredibly entertaining.
To sum it up, during one tour, after a show, Lemmy invited poor, innocent Kudlow to his hotel room for a drink. Lips thought they'd have a few beers, but Lemmy put a bottle of vodka and several bottles of orange juice on the table. Naturally, Lemmy's magnificent concoctions consisted of 90% vodka and 10% orange juice. The juice was only there to add a little flavour.
Poor Lips, thinking like an ordinary working man, had convinced himself that surely they'd get at least one Sunday off, a day when they could relax and catch their breath. That comforting thought made him feel at ease as he started drinking with Lemmy during a period when he was young and couldn't handle alcohol particularly well. The inevitable happened: Lips went straight into rocket mode.
Seeing that Lips was thoroughly drunk, Lemmy said, “I've got just the thing for you,” and, like a doctor who knew his trade inside out, reached into his leather pouch, pulled out a pocketknife and graciously offered Lips a little amphetamine on its tip (it might have been cocaine; I can't remember that detail clearly). After that, Lips thought he could no longer feel the effects of the alcohol.
The two carried on drinking and talking, losing track of time as they jumped from one subject to another. It seems Lemmy had really got Lips under his spell. They spent 24 hours drinking and chatting away in the hotel room, completely forgetting about time. Lips still thought they were within the first hour or two after the show. Then the tour manager burst through the door as if he were about to kick it down and announced that it was time to go onstage.
In all his innocence, Lips replied, “We're just hanging out after the show, mate. How much time has passed? What gig?” This only made the tour manager angrier. After explaining what had happened in a brief, colourful tirade of profanity, they headed towards the stage.
Lemmy was sharp as a tack, but Lips was completely wrecked. Lemmy's kindly alchemist routine kicked in once again, and he offered Lips two black capsules. “You take these, brother, and you'll be as right as rain onstage,” he said. Lips's knees were shaking from severe dehydration, and he thought taking the capsules would only make things worse. On the other hand, he could barely string three coherent sentences together, which wasn't exactly ideal for going onstage. Worried and desperate, he said, “I'll take just one, then.” The result was incredible: Lips went onstage firing on all cylinders, performing with an energy that made it seem as though the previous night had never happened.
I got the impression that some people in the audience thought these stories went on a bit too long, but I've always been fascinated by the tales told by people who have become living legends of Heavy Metal. In short, the anecdotes shared between songs were wonderful little details.
Back to the concert: the setlist continued with ‘Winged Assassins’ and ‘Free As The Wind’ before closing with two fantastic tracks, ‘Jackhammer’ and ‘Metal on Metal’. Anvil's performance was brilliant. Yes, they're getting on in years, and there's a certain weariness in Lips's voice. But come on, we're talking about a band whose journey began in 1978 under the name Lips, who adopted the name Anvil in 1981, and who have been onstage without interruption ever since. A little weariness in the voice is only natural.
Robb Reiner's superb drumming, Lips and Chris sharing the front of the stage with tremendous energy, Lips's ever-present smile that hasn't changed over the years, and, of course, the wild looks he and Chris kept throwing around will remain among the night's unforgettable memories whenever I look back on it.
When bands like Anvil take the stage, their past comes with them. But with ANVIL, that past isn't simply a matter of the musicians' age or the albums they've left behind. It reveals itself in the communication between songs, the ease with which they command the stage, and the way they still approach Heavy Metal as something deeply personal. The concert at Béi Chéz Heinz was undoubtedly a performance steeped in nostalgia, yet one that managed to go beyond it. Thanks to all the bands, Béi Chéz Heinz and Carlos Konzerte for making this concert in Hannover possible.
https://www.instagram.com/anvil.metal/