Spinal Tap to Reunite for Live Earth

Maximum Prophet noted that one of the most influential and loud rock bands in the history of music is coming back together to perform at Live Earth this summer. Yes, that's right Tap is Back. The article has some good news (a new single is coming) and some bad news... apparently Derek is in rehab for addiction to the Internet. Best wishes to him on his recovery- I'm sure it won't impact the performance... if Spinal Tap is anything, they are a band.

Spinal Tap

[jshriverWVU (810740)]

Always been confused over this. Is Spinal Tap a real band, or just a movie made band that parodies the rock industry. Thought it was the latter, but people talk about it so passionately as if it was a real band.

Re:Spinal Tap

[multipart/mixed (163409)]

That's because their music goes all the way to eleven!

Re:Spinal Tap

[Mister Whirly (964219)]

Wow, after all this time my sig is finally relevant!!

Re:Spinal Tap

[Keebler71 (520908)]

Nigel Tufnel: This is a top post, it's very, very special, because, if you can see...

Marty DiBergi: Yeah...

Nigel Tufnel: [pointing to the moderation] ...the numbers all go to six. Look, right across the board: six, six, six, six,..

Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most scoring systems go up to five?

Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.

Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's funnier? Is that any more funny?

Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one funnier, isn't it? It's not five. You see, most... most blokes, you know, will be joking at five. You're on five here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up... you're on five on slashdot. Where can you go from there? Where?

Marty DiBergi: I don't know...

Nigel Tufnel: ...nowhere! Exactly! What we do is if we need that extra... push over the cliff, you know what we do?

Marty DiBergi: Mod it up to six.

Nigel Tufnel: ...six. Exactly. One higher.

Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make five funnier, and make five be the top... number, and make that a little funnier?

Nigel Tufnel: [pause, blank look and snapping chewing gum] This goes to six.

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[Mister Whirly (964219)]

This is the first post ever desrving a six I have ever seen on Slashdot!!

Re:Spinal Tap

[qwijibo (101731)]

The music industry is a caricature of itself, so why shouldn't Spinal Tap be both?

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[cayenne8 (626475)]

"The music industry is a caricature of itself, so why shouldn't Spinal Tap be both?"

No doubt!!

Funny...I'd not even heard of this Live Earth concert till this article. I went to the website to look at the bands, wow...not much to see except the Police really. I guess Madonna and the Peppers still put on a good show, but, really, the music industry has really killed music.

Look at the HUGE names for the original Live Aid, heck, look at the bands that were fairly newcommers that became huge (U2 for instanc

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[PatrickThomson (712694)]

So every star wars fan you've met prefixes every implausible sentence with "in the fictional star wars universe," ?

Just sayin'.

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[Turn-X Alphonse (789240)]

It's an extremely well done parody of the rock and roll life style.

Re:Spinal Tap

[Mister Whirly (964219)]

Actually, I think the rock and roll lifestyle is a less well done parody of Spinal Tap.

Re:Spinal Tap

[Ctrl+Alt+De1337 (837964)]

Spinal Tap did not exist before the movie. Due to the popularity of the movie, the actors who portrayed Spinal Tap actually went on tours and released albums. Because the members are actors, they do not remain together touring and recording albums, but they get together from time to time for things like this.

Re:Spinal Tap

[Rob T Firefly (844560)]

Additionally, Tap fans often join in on the joke by reporting on and discussing the band's doings as though it were all real, as the submitter did here.

Re:Spinal Tap

[bytor4232 (304582)]

According to wikipedia, they first appeared as a band on the ABC Comedy Special "The TV Show" back in 1978, long before the movie was released.

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[pablodiazgutierrez (756813)]

Not anymore, if you give me a minute.

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[dfghjk (711126)]

The actors learned their instruments and performed their own music. In order to do that they performed as a actual band quite a bit before the making of the movie and continue to do that from time to time.

Re:Spinal Tap

[MsGeek (162936)]

And the fact of the matter is that they aren't bad musicians at all. Like many in comedy they all had backgrounds in music before Tap. It used to be that some sort of musical ability was a prerequisite for being a comedian. Vaudeville sort of made that a part of being a theatrical comedian. It's not really as wedded to comedy anymore -- I think that Andy Kaufman was the last person to call himself a "song and dance man" -- but it's in the DNA.

Same with animators. Max and Dave Fleischer created a very unique system at their studio where the animators had to know how to read music to time out cartoons. At the very least, they had to know how to read rhythms. The Fleischers had a radically different system than any other studio, and only Tezuka Osamu really copied their methods. However, because Tezuka Osamu copied the Fleischer system, a lot of animation made for domestic consumption in Japan has the seiyuu laying on their voice performances after everything else is done, and x-sheets containing rhythmic notation of some sort or another. The American/Canadian/European system that started at Disney had the soundtrack recording go first and everything else being animated to that "track." When the Japanese did overseas services for studios like Hanna-Barbera in the '60s and '70s they used the "track goes first" system. From what I understand, in modern Japan, whether they animate to the track or not is a personal decision of the production company. Some studios do, some don't.

Anyway what I was getting at is that there are a lot of animators who are also musicians. Some are just people who play music for fun, some are really, really good at it, for example Jim Smith who helped create Ren & Stimpy and whose guitar playing can be heard at the beginning and end of every episode. Being funny and being musical seems to be connected somehow.

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[owlnation (858981)]

Because the members are actors, they do not remain together touring and recording albums, but they get together from time to time for things like this.

Almost, but not quite. They do work together regularly as part of a large ensemble, just not as Spinal Tap. See for example: "The Mighty Wind", "Best In Show", "Waiting for Guffman", and recently "For Your Consideration"

Re:Spinal Tap

[whoever57 (658626)]

Sometimes, when performing as Spinal Tap, they also performed as their own supporting band: "The Folksmen", which was OK if the fans "got it", but they also had the experience of being booed off the stage as The Folksmen, only to be cheered back on as Spinal Tap.

Actually...

[Anonymous Meoward (665631)]

Spinal Tap did not exist before the movie.

I beg to differ. When I was a wee lad (and allowed to stay up late), I remember watching a special (read: pilot) that Rob Reiner put together called "The TV Show" in the late 1970s (on ABC-TV I think). It was basically skits that parodied TV (much like "Robot Chicken", though horribly dated of course).

The skits included a telethon ("Stop Death During Our Lifetime!"), a commercial for the chemical company Proto-Chem (with CEO Tom Proto-Chem no less), a send-up of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (the prey of the intrepid crew that week was "the white collar worker"), and.. Spinal Tap.

I was too young to do any drugs, so I know I wasn't hallucinating. Anyone else see this too?

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[clickclickdrone (964164)]

>Anyone else see this too?
No but you're correct - that's where they started.

Did I mention I've got a Spinal Tap glow-in-the-dark plectrum? :-)

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[Maximum Prophet (716608)]

And Rob Reiner was a member of "The Commitee", which included Howard Hessman. Howard and other commitee members were on "WKRP in Cincinnati" which just release it's first season on DVD. (With some/all of the orginal music replace because of licensing issue. bleck) Howard was also in "Spinal Tap"

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[saboola (655522)]

Most Live Earth performances only go to 10pm, but I hear this one is going to 11. Wakka Wakka Wakka.

Spinal Tap - no big deal

[mconners (665830)]

Now, if the Rutles got back together that would be big news.

Re:Spinal Tap

[Ngarrang (1023425)]

Always been confused over this. Is Spinal Tap a real band, or just a movie made band that parodies the rock industry. Thought it was the latter, but people talk about it so passionately as if it was a real band.

As real as The Monkeys, The Spice Girls, every boy band since 1990 and Vanilla Ice.

Re:Spinal Tap

[curecollector (957211)]

No way - they're still on their first drummer.

Re:Spinal Tap

[rizzo420 (136707)]

you just insulted spinal tap.

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[Intron (870560)]

Only things that can be verified clearly, scientifically and uncontroversially like WMDs, global warming, AIDS caused by HIV, etc.

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[MushMouth (5650)]

Unlike the bands in the subject Spinal Tap wrote their and played their own songs. They are also used in a VW Ad (Nigel does a solo from the top of a Jetta, the ad was most likely directed by the 5th Baron Haden-Guest [wikipedia.org], who is somehow related to Tufnel. I think they were school mates in Squatney) and GSM by the Themesmen (Tap with Joe 'Stumpy' Pepys on drums) can be heard in a Schwab ad.

Great news.

[EveryNickIsTaken (1054794)]

I'm hoping their amps can now go up to 12 instead of 11, due to advances in sound and rock technology since their last tour.

Question: sound vs. chip technology

[Zoxed (676559)]

> I'm hoping their amps can now go up to 12 instead of 11

Question: if sound amplification technology had progressed at the same rate as chip speeds have since 1984 (when ST last played) what volume number would be required on their *new* amps to get the same sound level as 11 did back in 1984 ?

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[MrNougat (927651)]

I'm hoping their amps can now go up to 12 instead of 11, due to advances in sound and rock technology since their last tour.

Silly, they'll just make eleven louder, and keep eleven as the top number. Sheesh.

Re:Great news.

[roystgnr (4015)]

Silly, they'll just make eleven louder, and keep eleven as the top number. Sheesh. ...

These go to twelve.

Re:Great news.

[Bazman (4849)]

I hope Nigel will do his bit for the environment by turning his amps down to 10.

I thought the Live Earth line-up would feature the Energy-Saving Electric Light Orchestra and Joan Carbontrading...

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[Hoi Polloi (522990)]

In honor of Live Earth they will be using eco-friendly solar powered guitars and lighting. They go on stage at 8pm.

Re:Great news.

[Who235 (959706)]

it still has nothing to do with technology.

Wrong again.

The incident involving the stage setting for "Stonehenge" demonstrates the importance of making sure everyone involved with a project is using the same units of measure. This is an invaluable lesson that all programmers should absorb.

So there, it's nerdy.

Plus it's just about the funniest movie in history, and (most) nerds like funny stuff.

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[lucabrasi999 (585141)]

under either 'humor' and 'movies'.

Ugh. Well, I hope the grammar police don't read THAT post.

I hope the drummer doesn't combust

[tinrobot (314936)]

The subsequent release of carbon would be detrimental to the planet.

Vomit

[Philotic (957984)]

"The official cause of death is he died of choking on CO2 emissions. It wasn't his own CO2 emissions. He choked on somebody else's CO2 emissions."

Heh.

[Black Parrot (19622)]

and some bad news... apparently Derek is in rehab for addiction to the Internet.

He's probably reading about himself on Slashdot right now...

A Masterpiece

[Zaphenath (980370)]

As much as I look forward to the new single, nothing will ever take the place in my heart reserved for the song "Lick My Love Pump." Hopefully it will get more than just a two word review.

What this really has to do with Slashdot is t-shirt color. How much more black can our t-shirts be? And the answer is none. None more black.

Wanted: Drummer - Life expectancy ONE Tour

[Ageing Metalhead (586837)]

Advertisement as expected on Craigslist!

Best line

[by Anonymous Coward]

Baby, you're too young
And I'm too well hung

Re:

[dfghjk (711126)]

You're sweet but you're just four feet
And you still got your baby teeth

Speaking of loud

[ptomblin (1378)]

When is "Disaster Area" going to be touring this end of the galaxy again?

Re:Speaking of loud

[Rob T Firefly (844560)]

Sadly they're only touring the opposite end of the galaxy.. but don't worry, you'll hear it fine.

You sick bastards.

[goodEvans (112958)]

I for one would like to distance myself from the original poster's comments regarding Derek's current stint in rehab. Wishing him well on a website is tantamount to buying a round of drinks and saying "cheers" to congratulate a recovering alcoholic.

Derek, if you are reading this, step away from the computer you weak-willed fool.

Sick, sick, sick.

The DVD is fantastic

[fahrvergnugen (228539)]

If you've never watched the DVD with the commentary track on, I highly recommend you do so. It's like getting the film for the first time all over again. The band watches the film in character, and comments on it from their perspective 20 years later. They spend the whole time bitching about what a horrible hatchet job Reiner did on them. "29 shows out of 30 those pods open just fine, but which one makes it into the film? I ask you."

Great stuff.

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[mstahl (701501)]

This is Spinal Tap is an utterly hilarious "mockumentary" about a hard rock band in the eighties, brought to you by the same folks as Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. It's news for nerds because, like everybody else in this world, nerds like Spinal Tap. Why don't you?

Re:Music!=NewsForNerds

[Mister Whirly (964219)]

Spinal Tap are the pioneers of overclocking. Their infamous "Amp Hack" allowed them to go to 11.

They also wrote one of the very first version of the Unix kernels, and developed TCP/IP in between gigs. Linus Torvalds was once quoted as saying "If it weren't for Spinal Tap's work in the field, I would have never been inspired to develop Linux." The entire concept for broadband internet access - Spinal Tap. Cisco Corporation was started by the proceeds of an early Spinal Tap show. Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap doodled the first design for the Cray Supercomputer on the back of a napkin at a diner while on tour. David St. Hubbins is also credited for inventing SATA drives because "I just didn't like the sound of the IDE drives".

There, that enough for you, or shall I continue?

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[morgan_greywolf (835522)]

how's it coming wiping your butt with one piece of paper?

I don't know, you'd have to ask Sheryl Crow [bbc.co.uk]. But this article is about Spinal Tap, whose amps go up to 11, not Sheryl Crow, who sometimes doesn't even use amps.