Spinal Tap Still a Hit

Sept. 11, 2000 -- It started out as a joke.

And it still is a joke. But 16 years later, Spinal Tap remains one hell of a funny joke.

In fact, with their 1984 film and a few odd TV appearances, the “band” — actually comedians Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean — has managed to accomplish what took Monty Python years: become a virtual Familiar Quotations for generations of youth.

Impressive, especially when you take into consideration that vast portions of the film were ad-libbed.

The effect was such that some people even believed the band was real.

But Spinal Tap is, to a certain extent, a very real band. They have albums. They have toured. And they still do sporadic gigs, including one to promote the “new” DVD, which will be re-released Tuesday with almost two hours of additional material, chosen from some 50 hours of outtakes.

A Real Spinal Tap?

“It is now a real band,” Guest, who plays guitarist Nigel “These Go To Eleven” Tufnel, told the Associated Press. “Without getting delusional in a sense, we go out and we play a two-hour show. It’s not as if we play a song then do some sketches or comedy material.”

And when they do perform, it’s usually with a different drummer. Tap percussionists have a notorious tendency to die. Mick Fleetwood filled in for one gig, however, and lived to tell the tale. So far.

The “band” has even released a new single, available for download on the Internet along with an “anonymous” interview by the notoriously low-tech group on the very high-tech subject of Napster (see Web Links, right).

“We feel that it’s important for a band which some would consider dinosaur to take dinosaur-sized steps into the future,” said bassist Derek Smalls — otherwise known as Simpsons talent Shearer — on a mock episode of VH1’s Where Are They Now.

The film is also being given a limited run in theaters around the country.

“Obviously this is the reward you get for just sticking around,” Shearer told an ABCNEWS affiliate.

In addition to outtakes, the DVD also features a commentary track — a running dialogue that extends even to the disc’s title screen, where the band bickers over what the various menu options mean.

Oh, and if all this sounds familiar, that’s because it is: Spinal Tap was re-released in 1995, on VHS and the then-revolutionary laserdisc format — along with, you guessed it, additional footage. A four-hour bootleg is also in circulation... or so we hear.

The Test of Time

Unlike a lot of comedies, the humor in This Is Spinal Tap — ranked 29th on the American Film Institute’s list of all-time funniest flicks — holds up very well.

“We’ve made it a bit louder, you know, so even if you haven’t seen it before it’ll be too loud for you this time,” explained McKean, who plays singer/guitarist David St. Hubbins.

But Tap is not too loud for Britain’s most venerable venue: Royal Albert Hall. Guest told The Associated Press George Harrison’s son asked for his autograph after the gig at famed arena — where The Beatles have played.

“I thought, this has now come more than full circle,” Guest told the wire service. “The Beatles played this place, but we’re a fictional band playing there. It’s all dovetailing into this Fellini-esque situation.”

Aging Mockers

Spinal Tap, in their more recent appearances, have continued their brilliant devolution. Where the jokes were once about 1970s rock, now the jokes revolve around age.

“Johnny Mathis is probably our biggest competitor right now,” said Guest.

“All of the hair bands have really gone, you know, because their hair is gone,” said Shearer, whose wig for the role now sports a bald spot.

“Yeah, like Flock of Seagulls,” agreed Guest. “They’re not around anymore.”

Actually, they are. But that’s beside the point. Flock of Seagulls doesn’t have action figures, and, as far as most people are concerned, they aren’t around anymore.

Spinal Tap, on the other hand, is still around. Even though they technically never existed.

“I’m older, I’m balder, I’m fatter and I’m grayer,” said director Rob Reiner, who also plays the film’s fictional director, Marty DiBergi. “But aside from that, I’m great!”

So’s Spinal Tap, as a matter of fact.

ABC Station KABC in Los Angeles contributed to this report.