Creators of the beloved faux English heavy metal band, Spinal Tap, recently signed on for a reunion benefit in assisting Democrats campaigning in the swing state of Pennsylvania. As previously reported on Pitchfork, “Patton Oswalt will moderate the event on Wednesday, October 14, which fans can access with donation to Pennsylvania Democrats.”
The creative minds behind Spinal Tap, when it was originally formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, were American actors/comedians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner. The fictional band made their first television appearance in 1979 on an ABC sketch comedy pilot called The T.V. Show, starring Rob Reiner. Spinal Tap would later go on to be the fictional subject of the 1984 rock documentary/mockumentary film, This Is Spinal Tap, directed by Reiner. The fictional UK collective was comprised of lead singer/co-lead guitarist David St. Hubbins (played by Michael McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest) and bassist Derek Smalls (played by Harry Shearer).
In their titular film, This Is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner played the fictional documentary filmmaker Martin “Marty” Di Bergi who followed the band on their 1982 U.S. concert tour promoting their album, Smell the Glove. According to the above source, “In 2018, Guest, Reiner, Shearer, and McKean reunited at the Tribeca Film Festival to celebrate the movie’s 35th anniversary. Shearer released an album as Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls titled Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing) the same year.”
Spinal Tap have recorded a total of three full-length studio albums. Their debut served as the original motion picture soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name, This Is Spinal Tap, via Polydor. They released a sophomore follow-up in 1992 entitled, Break Like the Wind, via MCA Records. Spinal Tap’s most recently released musical offering came in 2009 entitled, Back from the Dead, via Spuzzle/Polymer.
Last month, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner reached an undisclosed settlement with Vivendi and its StudioCanal division. As previously reported here on mxdwn, “According to The Hollywood Reporter, both sides reportedly noted that settlement discussions involved the rights to Spinal Tap, the fictional band featured in the mockumentary and a monetary payment to the creators. A resolution for both parties also means that a judge will no longer have to decide whether the film was a work made-for-hire ineligible for copyright termination.”
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