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Spinal Tap (stylized as Spın̈al Tap, with a dotless letter ''i'' and a metal umlaut over the ''n'') is a fictional English heavy metal band created by American comedians and musicians
Michael McKean Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in ''Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in ''T ...
(as lead singer and co-lead guitarist David St. Hubbins),
Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in h ...
(as lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel) and Harry Shearer (as bassist Derek Smalls). They are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands". McKean, Guest and Shearer wrote and performed original songs for the band. The band first appeared on a 1979 ABC television sketch comedy pilot called ''The T.V. Show'', starring
Rob Reiner Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performa ...
. The sketch, actually a mock promotional video for the song "Rock and Roll Nightmare", was written by Reiner and the band, and included songwriter-performer Loudon Wainwright III on keyboards. Later the band became the fictional subject of the 1984
rockumentary A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...
/ mockumentary film '' This Is Spinal Tap''. ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was accompanied by a soundtrack album of the same name. In the years following the film's release, the actors have portrayed the band members at concerts and released music under the Spinal Tap name. Guest, McKean and Shearer toured in the United States in and performed as Spinal Tap in a "One Night Only World Tour" on June 30, 2009, at
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500- ...
in London, three days after playing the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
. The trio also portray the fictional
American folk music revival The American folk music revival began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Billie Holiday, Richard Dyer-B ...
band the Folksmen; some Spinal Tap concert appearances have featured Guest, McKean and Shearer opening for "Tap" as the Folksmen.


History


Fictional history

Although the 1984 film portrays the band hailing from the United Kingdom, the three actors who play the principal band members—Guest, McKean and Shearer—were born in the United States. Guest was however raised in both the U.S. and Britain, and would later be granted dual citizenship and an inherited title of nobility as the 5th Baron Haden-Guest. David Kaff (as keyboardist "Viv Savage") and R. J. Parnell (as drummer "Mick Shrimpton"), who have smaller roles in the film, are both British. Fans of Spinal Tap have assembled details about the band based on fictional film, albums, concerts and related promotional material, including a discography and a list of the band's former members. Within the context of the band's fictional history, Spinal Tap began as a
skiffle Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United Stat ...
band called the Thamesmen in the early 1960s, before changing their name to Spinal Tap. In the late 60s, Spinal Tap was a psychedelic pop band, and has also performed
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
,
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, but is best known as a heavy metal band. Spinal Tap has also been classified as
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
, glam metal and
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
. Spinal Tap's fictional history includes a succession of drummers, all of whom are said to have died in strange circumstances: one in a "bizarre gardening accident"; another who "choked on vomit", but possibly not his own vomit; and two from "
spontaneous human combustion Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is the pseudoscientific concept of the combustion of a living (or recently deceased) human body without an apparent external source of ignition. In addition to reported cases, descriptions of the alleged phen ...
" onstage. Additionally, it is claimed that police described one of the deaths as a mystery "best left unsolved".


Real history

The band Spinal Tap first appeared in a video aired as part of a 1979
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...
special called ''The T.V. Show'', a project spearheaded by Rob Reiner and Michael McKean. The video was for the song "Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare", in a sequence that was intended as a spoof of '' The Midnight Special''. Participating in the video (and playing the music) were Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Loudon Wainwright III, and Russ Kunkel; the segment was introduced by Reiner in character as Wolfman Jack. The Spinal Tap band members were at this point unnamed. McKean and Shearer had previously been members of the Credibility Gap, a comedy troupe that did both spoken word and musical comedy, and had released a mini rock opera and at least one musical 7-inch single. Also in 1979, Guest and McKean were members of
Lenny and the Squigtones Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed in character by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played Lenny and Squiggy on the U.S. television series ''Laverne & Shirley'', which is set primarily in the 1950s. The ...
, a band that was fronted by characters from the hit television series '' Laverne and Shirley''. Guest, on guitar and clarinet, was credited as "Nigel Tufnel", the name he would eventually use as a member of Spinal Tap. The appearance on ''The T.V. Show'' eventually led to the creation of a film, tracing a disastrous tour undertaken by the aging British metal band Spinal Tap. Reiner hosted the film in the character of filmmaker "Marty DiBergi", while Guest, McKean and Shearer took on character names for the project, and further developed their Spinal Tap personas. (Respectively, Guest was guitarist "Nigel Tufnel"; McKean was vocalist "David St. Hubbins"; and Shearer was bassist "Derek Smalls".) Also added to the group were David Kaff (as keyboard player "Viv Savage") and R.J. Parnell (as drummer "Mick Shrimpton"). Parnell had previously been in the band
Atomic Rooster Atomic Rooster are a British rock band originally formed by members of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, organist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer. Throughout their history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member and wro ...
, while Kaff had been a member of
Rare Bird Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band formed in 1969. They had more success in other European countries. They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, they never charted with an album but charted with one singl ...
. The quintet played their own instruments throughout the film. The band Spinal Tap became a going concern, with the group (in character) playing gigs and appearing on a 1984 episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' to promote the film. The character of Mick Shrimpton having died in the film, Parnell played his "twin brother" drummer Ric Shrimpton for these and later appearances.


Reunion and recent history

The group reformed on January 18, 1991, for a performance at the Disneyland Hotel that included new material. This featured on the 1992 release, '' Break Like the Wind'', an album produced in part by
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
. The album was accompanied by a promotional audition for a new drummer attended by Stephen Perkins of
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands fr ...
, Gina Schock of The Go-Go's, and Mick Fleetwood of
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...
, who auditioned in a fireproof suit. Despite the auditions, Parnell was retained as "Ric Shrimpton" and remained the band's drummer. Kaff did not return, and consequently the "reunited" band now consisted of Guest, McKean, Shearer and Parnell (all in character) and new keyboardist
C. J. Vanston Cj (Jeffrey) Vanston is an American film composer, record producer, songwriter, and keyboardist, based in Hollywood, California. He was born in Denver, Colorado, the son of Bonnie L. Smith and Paul L. Vanston. Film credits * 1996 ''Waiting for Gu ...
(under his own name). A promotional concert tour followed, which included an appearance at
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was a benefit concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis ...
, where they performed "The Majesty of Rock", a song they dedicated to Mercury. The band also released the single "Bitch School", which became a genuine chart single in the UK, as did follow-up single "The Majesty of Rock". The band also appeared on ''The Simpsons'' in the episode “
The Otto Show "The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart wants to become a rock ...
”, which aired in the United States on April 23, 1992. The episode was written by
Jeff Martin Jeff Martin may refer to: *Jeff Martin (American musician) (born 1957), lead vocalist for the bands Surgical Steel and Racer X; drummer for Badlands * Jeff Martin (Canadian musician) (born 1969), guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Tea Party ...
and directed by Wes Archer. Harry Shearer, who is a regular Simpsons cast member, reprised his role as Derek Smalls. On July 1, 1992, Tap crossed five time zones for three performances in St. John's,
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
;
Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politicall ...
, Ontario; and
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
, British Columbia, for
MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, ...
and Molson's Great Canadian Party. For each performance of "Stonehenge", the miniature monument prop was delivered on stage in a courier envelope. Parnell dropped out of the group in the 1990s, leaving Spinal Tap to use session drummers. In 2000, the band launched a web site named "Tapster", where their song "Back from the Dead" was made available for download. Tapster was a parody of
Napster Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing application. It originally launched on June 1, 1999, with an emphasis on digital audio file distribution. Audio songs shared on the service were typically encoded in the MP3 format. It was founded by Sha ...
, a
peer-to-peer file sharing Peer-to-peer file sharing is the distribution and sharing of digital media using peer-to-peer (P2P) networking technology. P2P file sharing allows users to access media files such as books, music, movies, and games using a P2P software program t ...
network. In 2001, the band "reunited" for the nine-city "Back from the Dead Tour" that began on June 1, 2001, at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. The tour included a show at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
in New York City and ended in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
in mid-July at the Just for Laughs festival. The opening act for some of these shows were the Folksmen, the folk trio seen in the film ''
A Mighty Wind ''A Mighty Wind'' is a 2003 American mockumentary comedy film about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. Co-written (with Eugene Levy), directed, and compo ...
'', and also performed by Guest, McKean, and Shearer. In 2007, Tap reunited again, this time to help combat
global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
. "They're not that environmentally conscious, but they've heard of global warming," said Marty DeBergi (portrayed by Reiner). "Nigel thought it was just because he was wearing too much clothing – that if he just took his jacket off it would be cooler." This reunion also included the release of a new song called "Warmer Than Hell". The band played on the London leg of the
SOS is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, that was originally established for maritime use. In formal notation is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" ...
/ Live Earth concert series, and
Rob Reiner Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performa ...
has directed a short film (entitled ''Spinal Tap'') which was released on the Live Earth website on April 27. The film reveals that Nigel Tufnel is now working as a farmhand looking after miniature horses. He plans to race them. David St. Hubbins is currently working as a hip-hop producer, and Derek Smalls is in rehab for being addicted to the Internet. A new album, '' Back from the Dead'', was released on June 16, 2009. The album consists mostly of re-recordings of songs from the original film's soundtrack, as they would have sounded had they really existed and been recorded in a studio. On April 6, 2009, the band announced a one-date "world tour", performing at London's
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500- ...
on June 30, 2009. Support on this night came from the Folksmen. The band unexpectedly also self-confirmed for Glastonbury Festival 2009 during an online interview on May 8, 2009, in the ''
Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. The ''Da ...
'' following a "Unwigged and Unplugged" show in the city. It has been announced that they will reunite at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival for the 35th anniversary of the film.


Other appearances

The band appeared as the musical guests on an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' (SNL) in the spring of 1984. Barry Bostwick was the host. At this time, producer Dick Ebersol approached Shearer, Guest and McKean to join the cast. Shearer and Guest accepted (McKean would not join until ten years later, by which time original producer Lorne Michaels was back at the show's helm). Shearer's stint on ''SNL'' the following season—his second, the first having been the 1979–80 season—was to be short-lived, following creative disputes with the show's management. In 1985, at the invitation of
Ronnie James Dio Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and ...
, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer took part in the heavy metal benefit project Hear 'n Aid, to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia. McKean and Shearer attended the event in character as David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls, appearing in the behind-the-scenes videos and interacting in character with many real-life metal stars, many of whom were huge fans of Spinal Tap. "David St. Hubbins" and "Derek Smalls" are part of the vocal chorus heard on the record (and seen in the video), and are credited under those names on the Hear 'n Aid single's front cover (alongside many real-life heavy metal stars). The
ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with ''a priori''.) Com ...
supergroup's single "Stars" rose to No. 26 on the UK charts in May 1986. As part of the promotion surrounding ''Break Like the Wind'', Spinal Tap was portrayed in "
The Otto Show "The Otto Show" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 23, 1992. In the episode, Bart wants to become a rock ...
" episode of the animated series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'', for which Shearer is a principal voice actor. ''The Simpsons'' follows the approach of the original film by presenting the group as if they were a real group. During the disastrous performance, a massive devil balloon on the stage does not inflate properly, and Nigel is temporarily blinded by lasers. Later in the episode, their tour bus is accidentally pushed off a cliff due to Otto's reckless driving. In a 2016 interview Shearer said this was the only time Spinal Tap had worked to a script, all other movie, television and live appearances being improvised. On July 1, 1992, as part of MuchMusic's Canada Day "Great Canadian Party" festival, Spinal Tap completed an unprecedented tour of Canada in less than 24 hours. Jetting across five time-zones, the band played St. John's, Newfoundland, Barrie, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia. That evening, during a performance of "Stonehenge", Tap received their signature, triptych set-piece via
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operat ...
in a small, bubble-wrap envelope that Derek Smalls signed for onstage. Bemused, Smalls tore open the packaging, and revealed to the cheering crowd the prop which looked to be half the size of the original 18 inch Stonehenge rock from the film. In 1993, Nigel Tufnel appeared in the
rockumentary A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...
'' Joe Satriani: The Satch Tapes''. In 1994, ''The Return of Spinal Tap'' was released on video; most of this was live material from a 1992 performance at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
where the Stonehenge set was shown to the audience on video as being too big to fit through the stage doors, but it also included some interviews and follow-up on the band members. In 2000, while promoting Tapster.com, Spinal Tap appeared and performed on the short-lived series VH1 ''The List'' (with Mick Fleetwood on drums) and appeared on the ''Late Show''. In 2006, Nigel Tufnel appeared in a
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
TV commercial highlighting their offer of a free, exclusive First Act guitar with the purchase of qualifying automobiles. The guitar features knobs and inlays with the
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
logo and pre-amps that allow it to be played through the car's stereo system. Also in 2006, the song "Gimme Some Money" was used in a TV commercial for Open from
American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...
, "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" appeared in Harmonix's video game ''
Guitar Hero 2 ''Guitar Hero II'' is a music rhythm video game developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 and Activision for the Xbox 360. It is the second main installment in the ''Guitar Hero'' series and is the sequel to 2005' ...
'' and "Christmas with the Devil" appeared in
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
promo spots for the network's Christmas program. In 2007, while accepting an award from the
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
program '' The Culture Show'', Christopher Guest broke into Nigel Tufnel, and considered what his wife and kids would make of the Mark Kermode-shaped award. On July 7, 2007, Spinal Tap played at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in London along with many major bands and groups as part of Live Earth, a
Climate Change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
awareness concert. Their set included a new song written for the occasion, "Warmer Than Hell". During their final number, the song "Big Bottom", St. Hubbins and Tufnel both picked up basses. Spinal Tap was also joined by "every bass player in the known universe", including Nate Mendel (of the
Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) ...
); Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, and
James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder and a main songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionall ...
(
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
); Gordon Moakes (
Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Louise Bartle ...
); and Adam Yauch (a.k.a. MCA), of
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar, programming) ...
. They were also joined on back-up vocals by
Annette O'Toole Annette O'Toole (born Annette Toole; April 1, 1952) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in the television series ''Nash Bridges'', Beverly Marsh in the 1990 television mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's epic hor ...
, Michael McKean's wife. In May 2008, Nigel Tufnel appeared in the
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widel ...
show ''Stonehenge Decoded'', expounding his nonsensical theories about Stonehenge and who was responsible for building it. His claims to have invented "decoder" experiments capable of unveiling the true purpose of the monument are, as yet, unproven. McKean, Guest and Shearer have made several appearances as their alter egos the Folksmen, including the television shows ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' and '' Mad TV'' and the film ''The Return of Spinal Tap''. On March 2, 2009, Guest, McKean and Shearer held a press conference at the House of Blues in Los Angeles to announce their forthcoming album of new and old Spinal Tap songs, plus a 2009 "Unwigged & Unplugged" tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film, ''This Is Spinal Tap''. According to an ''L.A. Weekly'' report, when MTV News'
Kurt Loder Kurtis Loder (born May 5, 1945) is an American entertainment critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at ''Rolling Stone'', during a tenure that ''Reason'' later called "legendary". He has contribute ...
asked the trio "if they had plans beyond an album and tour, Shearer answered, 'We're gonna bomb
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.'" The tour also features songs from the Folksmen and others from throughout the trio's career. On April 1, 2009, Guest, McKean, and Shearer played on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' as the musical guest. On June 15, 2009, Spinal Tap performed on ''
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late Ni ...
'' as the musical guest. On Saturday, June 27, 2009, Spinal Tap performed on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival with Jarvis Cocker guesting on bass during "Big Bottom," and also inviting Jamie Cullum on stage to play keyboards. One of the unexpected highlights for Tap fans was a rendition of the newly written overture from the mythical Jack the Ripper musical ''Saucy Jack''. Also on the bill were
Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and occasional vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Ka ...
, Crosby Stills & Nash, and
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
. On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Spinal Tap performed at Wembley Arena with the Folksmen as support. A variety of special guests featured including
Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He becam ...
(joined them on organ/keyboards – which he later destroyed during the show), Justin Hawkins from the Darkness and others. On July 27, 2009, the band performed on '' Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' as the musical guest announcing their retirement and shortly thereafter their comeback. The next day, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, they were the musical guest on '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. On August 25, 2009, Spinal Tap released a seven-minute short film titled ''Stonehenge: 'Tis a Magical Place'' celebrating their 25th anniversary. The video is distributed through INgrooves and is available only on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
. The short film depicts the founding members of Spinal Tap making a pilgrimage to Stonehenge for the first time. On October 18, 2022, Spinal Tap star
Michael McKean Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in ''Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in ''T ...
deleted scene from the movie on his Twitter account and added: "Wow, thanks. Unseen by me, anyway, Lo these many years."


Band members


Current members

* David St. Hubbins ( by
Michael McKean Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in ''Laverne & Shirley'', David St. Hubbins in ''T ...
) – lead vocals, rhythm & lead guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar (1964–present) * Nigel Tufnel (portrayed by
Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in h ...
) – lead guitar, backing & lead vocals, bass guitar, piano, violin, violin bow, mandolin (1964–present) * Derek Smalls (portrayed by Harry Shearer) – bass guitar, backing & lead vocals (1967–present) * "Caucasian" Jeffery Vanston (portrayed by
C. J. Vanston Cj (Jeffrey) Vanston is an American film composer, record producer, songwriter, and keyboardist, based in Hollywood, California. He was born in Denver, Colorado, the son of Bonnie L. Smith and Paul L. Vanston. Film credits * 1996 ''Waiting for Gu ...
) – keyboards, backing vocals * Gregg Bissonette (as himself) – drums, percussion


Former members

This list contains both fictional former members of Spinal Tap and celebrities that have played with the band.


Guitar, backing vocals

* "Ricky from San Francisco" (1982) * Rhyan Gordon (1992) also played baseball bat


Keyboards, backing vocals

* Jan van der Kvelk (1965) * Tony Brixton (1965–1966) * Nick Wax (1965–1966) * Dicky Laine (1965–1966) * Denny Upham (1966–1968) * Ross MacLochness (1974–1975) * Viv Savage ( David Kaff) (1975–198?) also played keyboard bass. Savage was allegedly killed when he went to visit the grave of former drummer, Mick Shrimpton, whose grave exploded due to
methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane ...
gas build-up. * John Sinclair (1982) * Jon Carin (Amnesty International performance in 1991) * Jamie Cullum (Glastonbury 2009) *
Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He becam ...
(Wembley Arena, June 30, 2009)


Bass guitar, backing vocals

* Ronnie Pudding (1964–1967) (Portrayed by Danny Kortchmar) * Danny Jarman (1967) *
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...
(Amnesty International performance in 1991) * Tim Renwick (Amnesty International performance in 1991) * Pino Palladino (Amnesty International performance in 1991) * Cody Wheaton *
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following ...
(Glastonbury 2009)


Drums, percussion

* Actual :* Ric Parnell ('' This Is Spinal Tap'', 1984 album; '' Break Like the Wind'', 1992 album; died 2022) :* Gary Wallis (Amnesty International performance in 1991) (Wallis pretended to explode at the end of the performance) :* Jody Linscott (Amnesty International performance in 1991) :* Mick Fleetwood (2000) :*
Todd Sucherman Todd Sucherman (born May 2, 1969) is an American drummer, who is best known for having been a member of Styx since March 1995. Early life Sucherman grew up in a musical family and followed in his father's footsteps by playing the drums. His fat ...
(2009) :* Gregg Bissonette (2009) * Fictional and deceased :*John "Stumpy" Pepys (1964–1966) (Portrayed by
Ed Begley Jr. Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series ''St. E ...
in the video "Gimme Some Money"). Died in a bizarre gardening accident that the authorities said was "best left unsolved." :*Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs (1966–1967). Choked on vomit of unknown origin, perhaps but not necessarily his own, because "you can't really dust for vomit." The name is an homage to "Curly Joe" DeRita of the
Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeare ...
. :*Peter "James" Bond (1967–1977) (Portrayed by Russ Kunkel whose character was mistakenly credited as the name of the previous drummer). Spontaneously combusted on stage during a jazz-blues or blues-jazz festival on the Isle of Lucy, leaving behind what has been described alternately as a "globule" or a "stain". :*Mick Shrimpton (1977–1982) (Portrayed by R. J. "Ric" Parnell). Exploded onstage. :*Joe "Mama" Besser (1982) (Portrayed by Fred Asparagus). Claimed he "couldn't take this shit"; according to an
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
interview with Spinal Tap in November 1991, he disappeared along with the equipment during their Japanese tour. He is either dead or playing
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
. The name is a reference that of Joe Besser, who similarly had a short-lived and ill-fitted stint as a member of The Three Stooges; it is also a play on the insult phrase " Yo mama". :*Richard "Ric" Shrimpton (1982–1999). Allegedly sold his dialysis machine for drugs; presumed dead. :*Sammy "Stumpy" Bateman (1999–2001). Died trying to jump over a tank full of sharks while on a tricycle in a freak show. :*Scott "Skippy" Scuffleton (2001–2007). Fate unknown. :*Chris "Poppa" Cadeau (2007–2008). Eaten by his pet python Cleopatra. :*Plus nine other drummers at various times (probably between 1970 and 1981) all of whom are dead.


Tambourine

* Jeanine Pettibone (1982). After she left, Jeanine opened her own Irish clothing store named Potato Republic. * Stewart Ikin (1982). Backing tambourine; left the band to join Creme Brulee. * Oliver Ridout (Amnesty International performance in 1991). * Billy Murgatroyd (1996). Murgatroyd is the only tambourine player of the band to be killed, overdosing on coffee creamer.


Harmonica

* Little Danny Schindler (1965–1966)


Horns

* Keelan Hegarty (1965–1966). * Geoff Clovington (1965–1966). * Dan Taman (1967). Died while falling off a train as it was entering King's Cross station, his body was never recovered.


Backing vocals

* Lhasa Apso (1965–1966). * Julie Scrubbs-Martin (1965–1966). * Xof Lorac (1982–1983). * Andy Sutcliffe (1987). Died beating himself to death with his own shoes.


Session members

* Dweezil Zappa – guitar on "Diva Fever" *
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
 – vocals on "Just Begin Again" *
Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...
 – guitar on "Break Like the Wind" *
Steve Lukather Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...
 – guitar on "Break Like the Wind" * Joe Satriani – guitar on "Break Like the Wind" *
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a fo ...
 – guitar on "Break Like the Wind" * Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals on "Christmas with the Devil", "Cash on Delivery" * Steve Vai – guitar on "Short and Sweet" *
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
 – guitar on "Short and Sweet" * Phil Collen – guitar on "Short and Sweet"


Discography


Actual discography

Studio albums Singles


Fictional discography

;Studio albums * ''Spinal Tap Sings "(Listen to the) Flower People" and Other Favourites'' (1967) * ''We Are All Flower People'' (1968) * ''Brainhammer'' (1970) * ''Nerve Damage'' (1971) * ''Blood to Let'' (1972) * ''Intravenus de Milo'' (1974) * ''The Sun Never Sweats'' (1975) * ''Bent for the Rent'' (1976) * ''Tap Dancing'' (1976) * ''Rock 'n' Roll Creation'' (referred to as ''The Gospel According to Spinal Tap'' in the film) (1977) * ''Shark Sandwich'' (1980) * ''Smell the Glove'' (1982) ;Live albums * ''Silent but Deadly'' (1969) * ''Jap Habit'' (1975) ;Compilations * ''The Incredible Flight of Icarus P. Anybody'' (1969) * ''Heavy Metal Memories'' (1983) ;Singles * "All the Way Home" (1961) – an unreleased demo * "Gimme Some Money" (1965) * "(Listen to The) Flower People" (1967) * "Breakfast of Evil" (1969) * "Silent but Deadly" (1969) * "Big Bottom" (1970) * "Swallow My Love" (1970) * "Nerve Damage" (1971) * "Blood to Let" (1972) * "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" (1974) * "Stonehenge" (1975) * "Nice 'n' Stinky" (1975) * "Heavy Duty" (1976) * "Bent for the Rent" (1976) * "Tap Dancing" (1976) * "Rock 'n' Roll Creation" (1977) * "Sex Farm" (1980) * "No Place Like Nowhere" (1980) * "Hell Hole" (1982) ;Bootlegs * ''Top Hit for Nows'' (1968) * ''Audible Death'' (1969) * ''Live at Budokan'' (1975) * ''Openfaced Mako'' (1980) * ''Got Thamesmen on Tap'' (unknown date) * ''Maximum Tap'' (unknown date) * ''It's a Dub World'' (unknown date) ;Unreleased/unfinished material * ''Here's More Tap'' * ''Flak Packet'' * ''Lusty Lorry'' * ''SEXX! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' * ''Hernia'' * Nigel Tufnel's ''Trilogy in D-minor'', including song with the working title "Lick My Love Pump" * David St. Hubbins' / Derek Smalls' ''Saucy Jack'', a musical based on the life of Jack the Ripper ** The title song from the musical was released in 2009 as a free MP3 download from the official Spinal Tap website


Solo releases

; Nigel Tufnel * ''Nigel Tufnel's Clam Caravan'' (1979) * ''Pyramid Blue'' (unknown date) ; Derek Smalls * ''It's a Smalls World'' (1978) * ''Smalls Change Meditations Upon Ageing'' (2018) ; David St. Hubbins * ''In Search of a Brown Note'' (unfinished album of jazz collaborations, c. 1984–1985) ; Ross MacLochness * ''Doesn't Anybody Here Speak English?'' (unknown date)


References


External links

* {{Authority control Bands with fictional stage personas British musical trios Comedy film characters Comedy rock musical groups English glam metal musical groups English hard rock musical groups British rock and roll music groups Fictional musical groups MCA Records artists Male characters in film British parodists Parody musicians