Today, if something goes wrong with a band on tour or at a performance, it's common to use the term 'this is so Spinal Tap' .
By Lucas Gabriel
The year is 1984, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock were in full swing, topping the charts worldwide. What a crazy time those were, when distorted guitars ruled the roost. And it was during this time that a documentary about a band emerged, a documentary that showed how this life might not be as glamorous as people think, but is still incredibly exciting.
What if I told you this documentary is about a band that didn't actually exist? Sounds strange, right? But hold on, even though it's about a fake band, it's one of the best portrayals – albeit sarcastically – of the excesses of the time. Especially of all the egocentrism and pretension of grandeur that surrounded the big names of the genre. This band is Spinal Tap, one of the most outrageous and exaggerated to emerge in this business, and if you didn't know, it was created exclusively to mock the style in this mockumentary, called "This is Spinal Tap" or here in Brazil "Isso é Spinal Tap".
Also classified as a mockumentary, this fictional story is about the fictional band Spinal Tap. Formed in the 1960s, it has struggled through the years to reach the time period in which the film is set.
The core of Spinal Tap is the trio David ST. Hubbins on rhythm guitar and vocals, Derek Smalls on bass, and Nigel Tufnel on lead guitar. They are portrayed respectively by actors Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest. Their acting is immediately striking, as we can't tell the difference between the actor and the character on screen, making us believe they are truly the musicians they are portraying. The fact that they actually played in the film also helps. The band is accompanied during a 1982 US tour by director Marty Di Bergi, played by Rob Reiner, who is also the actual director of the film.
They're promoting the album Smell The Glove, which, due to concerns about its sexism, had its cover changed to an all-black image (perhaps anticipating what Metallica would do years later). And they go through all sorts of problems you can imagine: including getting lost backstage on the way to the stage. A replica of Stonehenge that was supposed to be used in the show ended up being much smaller than it should have been, generating one of the film's most hilarious moments. Nigel's complaints about the size of the bread in the dressing room. The curse of drummers who always end up dying in strange ways, like one who exploded during a show. In short, everything happens.
Actually, it's Nigel who steals the show in the movie for me and has the best scenes. Possessing a strong personality, he stars in moments like the one where he shows that his amplifiers don't go up to ten, but to eleven, and his incredible guitar collection, where the most special one can never be played.
I could comment on the film scene by scene, because every moment deserves attention. Like their reaction to the criticism of their work, calling their album Shark Sandwich "Shit Sandwich," the autograph session where no one shows up, or being scheduled to play in a park after a puppet show. Believe me, it's one good joke after another, and if you have a band or know/like the scene at least a little, you'll immediately identify with it, even though it's all exaggerated and made up.
Misunderstood at the time by people who didn't realize it was a joke mocking the exaggeration of the rockstar world and the documentaries about it, the film gained a cult following over the years, becoming a major success in the video market. Today, if something goes wrong with a band on tour or at a performance, it's common to use the term "this is so Spinal Tap".
Many famous rock stars saw themselves portrayed on screen, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Dee Snider, and Jimmy Page, who identified with various moments. Lars Ulrich even commented that the 1992 tour with Guns N' Roses was something worthy of Spinal Tap. And Steven Tyler, upon seeing the film, didn't find it funny at all, as it seemed too similar to reality.
Years have shown that this crazy idea of making a fake documentary about a fictional band worked. Spinal Tap left the screen and played some shows, including at famous festivals, and the film was selected in 2002 for preservation by the United States National Film Registry.
Whether you're a rock fan or not, this gem is worth checking out for a good laugh. You might not get the humor right away, but it's a part of rock and film history and culture that deserves to be seen.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
