#hubbins on tour

[softcherubhips]

[the-hottest-band-tournament]

Round one

Spın̈al Tap  

Formed in: 1979

Genres: Comedy rock, heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal

Lineup: David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) – lead vocals and guitar, bass guitar on "Big Bottom"

Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) – lead guitar, mandolin, and vocals, bass guitar on "Big Bottom", co-lead vocals on "Hell Hole", "America", and "Stonehenge"

Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) – bass guitar and vocals, co-lead vocals on "America"

Viv Savage (David Kaff) – keyboards and vocals

Mick Shrimpton (Ric Parnell) – drums and percussion

Albums from the 80s: 

This is Spinal Tap (1984)

Propaganda: The original music written and performed by the trio (with assistance on drums and keyboards) proved popular enough for them to put out follow-up albums, go on tour multiple times, and play several of the world's biggest music festivals. Not bad for a fake band, huh?

Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Formed in: 1977

Genres: Punk, new wave

Lineup: Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar, organ

Steve Nieve – piano, organ

Bruce Thomas – bass, harmonica

Pete Thomas – drums

Albums from the 80s:

Get Happy!! (1980)

Taking Liberties (1980)

Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers (1980)

Trust (1981)

Almost Blue (1981)

Imperial Bedroom (1982)

Punch the Clock (1983)

Goodbye Cruel World (1984)

The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1985)

Blood & Chocolate (1986)

Out of Our Idiot (1987)

Girls +£÷ Girls =$& Girls (1989)

Propaganda: 

[shoesallinaline]

Every now and again, I think of this quote from Roger Ebert's review of This is Spinal Tap, and it makes me wonder:

"The band members are the blond rock god David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), the bass player Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), who longs for St. Hubbins with big wet spaniel eyes. When Nigel learns that David's girlfriend Jeanine Pettibone (June Chadwick) is flying over from England to join the tour, his heart sinks. His crush on David is obvious to everyone except, of course, David."

Here's the source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984

[stevensavage]

Stupid or Clever? A Ramble on Parody and Perspective with Popstar

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve's Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever.

David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap is one of the greatest movies ever made.  It defined the mockumentary genre, absolutely capturing the sense of a cultural space - ridiculous metal bands in the 80s.  It was well-acted, sensitive, and also the music may have been silly but pretty good.  In fact, it was so well done that when the “band” toured, a friend who was a fan ran into people at a concert who didn’t get the joke.

Want to argue with me?  Shut up.  Look. I just like Spinal Tap.

Being such a fan of the film, I checked out a similar movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, as a friend said it was in much the same vein.  Popstar was also a mockumentary, but was released in 2016, targeting more modern pop music (with bits of boybands, the Beastie Boys, and rap thrown in).  The movie focuses on one Conner Friel (Andy Samberg) who rose to fame as part of a trio called “The Style Boys,” but being the most charismatic of the group, he ended up solo, leaving one friend traumatized and the other as his DJ.  Connor’s meteoric rise becomes a crashing-to-earth potential extinction event through various bad choices, exacerbated by more bad choices.

The film was a bomb, but I found it quite entertaining, disturbingly spot-on, and the musical performances are pretty good.  However, there were parts of it that seemed, well, stupid - over the top, vulgar, or dumb.  As I watched it my reaction was yes, it was funny, but Spinal Tap it was not.

However, as I watched, I realized that this was a film of a different time.  Spinal Tap was funny to sixteen-year old me as I knew that era of music, the stories of drummer disasters, monsters of metal who just kept going, and strange careers.  Watching Popstar i started thinking that maybe I didn’t “get it.”

Stupid or clever?  A fine line indeed as Mr. St. Hubbins would note.  So I tried to view it as best I could through a modern lens - and I’m the kind of person who hears of Maroon Five and wonders what happened to the first four.

Once I did that, my perspective changed - and with it I got a better understanding of media.

The excesses shown in Popstar were excesses that were distinctly modern - stupidity that was in most cases part of our lives.  Megastars who gain a great deal of fame very fast and do very stupid and immature things amplified by the news.  Oversharing on social media of every detail.  Dumb tie-ins using modern technology to do things no one wants but everyone tells you is cool.

A lot of the things I found stupid in the film were there in real life.  This was a fascinating realization, as well as more than a bit depressing.  Maybe the first four Maroons were in hiding from the dumb world we’d made.

In the end I came to the conclusion that of Popstar’s stupid elements, well over half were completely well-deserved.  Tell me you can’t believe a business called Party Wolves with stellar yelp reviews for providing cute wolves for events.  There’s a scene taking on Daft Punk/Deadmaus techno-costumes and bands that is hilarious as it is believable.  We really do amazingly self-destructive things on social media, especially when famous.

Clever or Stupid?  I had to come down on the side of clever.  It’s just that it was made in modern times where we have invented some incredible kinds of idiocy.

I did note where there was actual stupidity it was due to the film going from mockumentary to parody.  Mockumentaries should adhere to being as real as possible while also exploring the ridiculousness of their subject.  Parody has more of a free hand and allows - indeed may require - some excess to point out the ridiculousness of its subject.  I consider a mockumentary a sub-form of parody, a more disciplined and sensitive one, and to break out of the form is jarring - as this film does occasionally.

I wish the film had been handled with some more deftness, dare I say “more Spinal Tap like,” but perhaps that was too much of a challenge. The musical and managerial traumas in Spinal Tap were of a different time, one without social media, and embarrassing holographic reconstructions.  Perhaps our current times have so much stupidity that it’s harder to handle it cleverly - one needs their cleverness up to eleven as it were.

If there’s a point to all of my intentional rambling  it’s that mockumentaries require some careful handling, but also that audience understanding matters.  I had to take effort to put myself in the right mindset of Popstar, much as a young person might not “get” Spinal Tap with some thought.  Even if Popstar had been handled as well as Spinal Tap (and it is still pretty good) I would have had to make some effort.

Some things just are of their times.  Including me.  Besides, I’d probably throw my back out trying to do The Donkey Roll.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

[gibelwho]

This is Spinal Tap Up to Eleven

This is Spinal Tap burst on the scene in the 1980s as a milestone in the mockumentary genre, kicking off a modern creative investment in the format for film and television. Featuring the directorial debut of Rob Reiner, who also co-wrote and is an actor in the film, and led by the genius trio of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, the film utilizes the formal elements of the documentary format to mock the stereotypes of a 1980s rock n’ roll band. The majority of the film was improvised by the actors and while humor is the driving force of the film, it also features pretty great music and also a surprising emotional climax. Let’s turn the volume up to 11 and dive into the woesome adventures of the band Spinal Tap. 

Filmmaker Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) opens the film with an explanation about the rockumentary he filmed with the band Spinal Tap, who was attempting a comeback with a new album and a tour around America. The film features members of the band, including David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) on lead guitar and vocals, Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) as bassist, along with several drummers who have mysteriously died over the years - including one who spontaneously combusted on the stage. Their tour starts off successfully, but several onstage mishaps with their props and scenery, along with a miscalculated album cover choice, lead to their major tour stops falling through and the band must perform at venues that are not a match for their energy (such as performing “Sex Farm Woman” at an uptight military base). This leads to friction in the band, causing both their manager and Nigel to quit in frustration. The band attempts to limp along, managed by David’s assertive girlfriend, but their prospects look dim. David and Derek half-heartedly contemplate what their life could look like when the band dissolves, but they are saved from that unknown fate when “Sex Farm Woman” becomes a hit in Japan and the band reunites for a new tour, bringing everyone back to their proper (and dysfunctional) family. 

The mockumentary genre, which is a blend of the terms mock and documentary, is a satire of a topic using the formal elements of the documentary genre. Those aesthetic choices are immediately established in the opening footage of This is Spinal Tap, which shows the band Spinal Tap’s first concert on their American tour. There is handheld b-roll footage of the roadies unloading equipment, on-the-spot interviews of “fans” coming to see the band perform, and talking head interviews of the band themselves that include overlaid titles to introduce their names. The film also features “past” footage of the band’s early days, including a sequence that channels the Beatles youth and a second scene that features the band’s 1960s era flower power pop. This found footage and cinema verite are all performed by actors for the film, but they take on the aesthetics that are familiar in the documentary format to capture real life. This formal approach is consistent throughout the film, but there are many hints that clue the viewer in that this is not a true documentary.

The humor in the film is outlandish, but also can be quite subtle. The screenplay charted out the arc of the storyline, but individual scenes, especially the ones involving the main members of the band, were heavily improvised. The actor’s comedic genius shines through in these scenes, where you can see the actors building upon elements that a scene partner introduces; for example, the progression of their various band names, going from “The Originals” to “The New Originals,” which is a ridiculous contradiction in terms. Additionally, the famous scene where Nigel explains that his amp “goes up to 11” is Christopher Guest’s perfect delivery of Nigel’s innocent ridiculousness, showing the complete understanding Guest had over that character so that he could react to any dialogue that Rob/Marty as the director presented to him. The editing is also utilized to emphasize the humor, either cutting in footage that undercuts a character’s point or to be the button of a joke. For example, when Nigel is seriously discussing his approach to solos, the camera cuts to him onstage and the escalating antics during his solo, culminating in him using a violin to strum his guitar. Finally, the camera placement is also intentional in framing the characters and props in order to highlight the humor. The most memorable usage of this is during the famous Stonehenge performance, which captures the band rocking out to their iconic song. The camera tilts slightly upward and focuses on Nigel singing, as the Stonehenge prop starts to slowly descend from the rafters of the stage. At first, due to the camera’s angle, it is unclear the size of the prop, but slowly dawns on the viewer as it descends that this is a tiny recreation of the towering monument, which is quite an epic fail for the supposedly edgy rock and roll band.

As the film does focus on a rock and roll band, the believability of the characters hinge on whether they can deliver realistic performances of the music. And it must be stated, even though this is a comedic film that is spoofing a band, the actual music from Spinal Tap is quite delightful. The music is used as an integral piece of the film’s comedic tapestry, from the band’s historical songs to the oftimes ridiculous song title and lyrics (re: “Sex Farm Woman”), but Guest, McKean, and Shearer not only channel the (budget) glam rock era convincingly, but they are also quite talented musicians! The songs are catchy, with great hooks, clever lyrics, fantastic vocals, and stand up to repeat listening sessions. Some of the standout cuts on the album are “Hell Hole,” “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You,” “Rock and Roll Creation,” “Stonehenge,” and “(Listen To The) Flower People.” In fact, their faux band and music was so popular, the trio have recorded three albums, done several tours, and performed together at Wembley in real life. Good thing they have their music career to fall back on in case their acting gigs fall through. 

This is Spinal Tap is considered one of the top tier comedies of all time and it certainly kickstarted a generation of mockumentaries in its wake, where the camera is not just an observer, but is in on the joke as the actors break the fourth wall. The humor is timeless and is carried off by genius improvisers who nevertheless are able to channel drama and heart while also rocking out to great music! When Nigel leaves the band, the emotions are real and the viewer can’t help but root for them to re-form. Christopher Guest clearly enjoyed this format and continued the mockumentary train with Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind, but this film is also clearly the genesis for shows like The Office and Parks & Rec. My favorite gag of the entire film is when the band performs onstage and each of the trio start off in giant transparent pods. Slowly, each one opens and they exit to perform, however the bassist gets stuck and spends the entirety of the song attempting to break out. The roadie is desperately trying to get him out, bringing out a hammer and eventually a blowtorch; just as the song ends, he successfully breaks out and runs to the microphone, ready to perform - but seeing his partners re-enter the pods causes him confusion. He then decides to jump back in the pod just as it closes, only getting his arm in before the pod seals once again; all of these visual gags happen while they are performing a pretty great song - “Rock and Roll Creation!” As with all great comedies, this review could have just been a listing of all the funny lines and hilarious scenes, but the film manages to bring an even mix of drama, heart, rock music, and hilarity.

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #155 - Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap, 1984

Avvertenza: la foto della copertina del disco è proprio questa. Tutta nera, senza nessun riferimento. Se vi sembra uno scherzo, in tutta verità lo è, perchè la storia di oggi è una delle più bizzarre e divertenti della storia del rock. Lo è perchè gli Spinal Tap (con una improbabile umlaut sulla n, graficamente scritto  Spın̈al Tap, e non si può pensare che sia un sarcastico omaggio ai Motörhead) sono una band fittizia, protagonista del finto documentario (un cosiddetto mockumentary) sul loro tour d’addio alle scene. Tutto nasce nel 1979 quando Rob Reiner ( futuro regista di capolavori come Stand By Me, Harry Ti Presento Sally, La Storia Fantastica, Misery Non Deve Morire) mette su per uno spettacolo della ABC, TV Show, il finto videoclip dell’ultimo successo, Rock And Roll Nightmare, di una band heavy metal inglese, perfetta parodia dei grandi gruppi del genere, in quegli anni all’apice estetico e di successo. Gli Spinal Tap sono composti da: David St. Hubbins, chitarrista e co leader, Nigel Tufnel chitarra e secondo leader e il bassista  Derek Smalls. In quella esibizione li accompagnava Loudon Wainwright III alle tastiere. St. Hubbins in realtà è Michael John McKean, protagonista ultimamente della serie Better Call Saul, Tufnel è Christopher Haden-Guest, attore, regista e produttore britannico, marito di Jamie-Lee Curtis e Smalls è Harry Shearer, cabarettista e comico statunitense, conosciuto perché uno dei doppiatori principali dei Simpson. L’idea per un po’ rimane lì, ma anche per il successo di film come The Song Remains The Same sui Led Zeppelin, The Last Waltz sulla The Band e persino un primo esperimento comico dei The Rutles con All You Need Is Cash (una spietata parodia su un gruppo inglese del rock, chiaramente ispirato ai Beatles) Reiner raccoglie fondi e inizia a mettere su l’idea. Nel 1984 esce nei cinema This Is Spinal Tap, di cui l’album di oggi ne è una sorta di colonna sonora (in tutta questa storia le definizioni sono per natura approssimative). Reiner, che nel film è Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, è un regista che sta documentando l’ultimo tour americano degli Spinal Tap, una delle band “più rumorose” d’Inghilterra:  macchina a mano, regista spesso in campo per porre domande ai protagonisti e stacchi veloci da un'intervista a un'esibizione live del gruppo. La Band è in cerca di se stessa, dopo un discreto successo iniziale ma una carriera stranissima, costellata da episodi “surreali” capitati ai loro batteristi, con uno morto nel suo vomito, riferimento a John Bohnam degli Zeppelin, qualcuno esploso accidentalmente durante le prove (sic), a chi muore durante un incidente con il giardinaggio, come Jeff Porcaro dei Toto. I concerti vanno malissimo, con pochissimo pubblico, molte date cancellate, gli unici concerti che vengono fatti avvengono i posti improbabili, tra cui una base aeronautica o in un teatro per marionette. C’è dentro tutta una serie di “clichè” sui gruppi rock: l’armonia tra i due leader rotta dall’arrivo di una donna sensuale, il rapporto con le groupie, l’estetica del rock duro (con improbabili vestiti che i musicisti indossano), il rapporto irreale con l’industria discografica, la censura sui testi e le copertine degli album, i virtuosismi di certi chitarristi: una delle scene più esilaranti del film vede Nigel Tufnel suonare più chitarre contemporaneamente con mani e piedi, e al posto di un archetto aiutarsi addirittura con un violino. In pratica il finto documentario spiega la genesi e il “significato” delle più famose canzoni degli Spinal Tap, con risultati tutt’altro che epici, come dimostra Stonehenge  la cui scenografia avrebbe dovuto riproporre i monoliti di Stonehende per fare colpo sul pubblico, ma siccome si confusero piedi con pollici, piuttosto che colossali erano minuscole .Guidati dai loro strumenti particolari, che hanno livello massimo non a 10, come tutti, ma al numero 11 (altra gag famosa), alcune canzoni, che voglio sottolinearlo, sono tutte suonate e cantate dai tre comici, hanno anche un discreto successo: Gimme Some Money verrà inserita nella colonna sonora di numerosi film, Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight, forse la loro canzone più famosa, era pure tra i brani per il famoso videogioco Guitar Hero, Big Bottom, piena di doppisensi, fu addirittura coverizzata dai Soundgarden durante il Louder Than Love Tour. Il film si conclude con un inaspettato successo sul mercato musicale giapponese di un loro vecchio successo, Sex Farm. Il film è una sorta di cult nel mondo anglosassone, e si dice che la moda dei black album (tra i più famosi quello di Prince e quello dei Metallica negli anni a venire) sia un sottinteso omaggio a quello degli Spinal Tap, addirittura scelto dalla Biblioteca del Congresso per la conservazione per il valore estetico, culturale e artistico. Gli Spinal Tap ritorneranno con un disco nel 1992, Break Like The Wind, a cui partecipano Cher, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Slash, Steve Lukather, Dwezzil Zappa, proprio a segnare lo spirito di culto tra i musicisti per questo progetto. tanto che durante il Live Earth del 2007 a Wembley, gli Spinal Tap furono accompagati sul palco da numerose star della musica per una versione da sogno di Big Bottom. Una canzone che dice: My baby fits me like a flesh tuxedo\I'd like to sink her with my pink torpedo. Nel film, camei di personaggi famosi, come Billy Crystal o Dana Carvey o Anjelica Houston, alcuni che lo diventeranno almeno per noi come Fran Drescher (quella della sitcom La Tata) o Paul Schaffer, il leader della resident band al David Letterman Show, in uno dei ruoli più divertenti del film, quello di Fufkin, proprietario della Polymer Music, che di musica non sa niente.

[krispyweiss]

Neil Innes, Rutles Co-founder, “Seventh Python,” Dead at 75

Neil Innes, the musical comedian known as the "Seventh Python" and who co-founded the Rutles Beatles parody band with Eric Idle, died Dec. 30, his family said.

Innes was 75.

“We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all," his family said in a statement carried by Rolling Stone.

"He died of natural causes quickly without warning and, I think, without pain. His wife Yvonne and their three sons, Miles, Luke and Barney, and three grandchildren, Max, Issy and Zac, give thanks for his life, for his music and for the joy he gave us all.”

In addition to his work with Python and the Rutles, Innes co-wrote "Death Cab for Cutie," which he and the Bonzo Dog Band performed in the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour,” inspiring an American band to adopt the song title as its name.

Writing on Twitter, John Cleese said he was "utterly dismayed" to hear about the sudden death of Innes, whom he called "a lovely writer and performer,” and was one of only two outside writers to work with Monty Python.

"A very sweet man, much too nice for his own good," Cleese said.

With the Rutles, Innes played the John Lennon character "Ron Nasty." Their films included "All You Need is Cash" (1978) and "The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch" (2002). In 1996, the band spoofed the Beatles' Anthology project with its own Archaeology.

“I wanted Neil Innes to live forever,” Michael McKean, aka Spinal Tap’s David St. Hubbins, tweeted. “A wise, funny and beautiful man. RIP.”

Yes' Rick Wakeman said he was "absolutely gutted" by Innes' death.

"He was gentle and kind, extremely funny and extremely talented," Wakeman wrote.

12/30/19

[rye-views]

This is Spinal Tap (1984) dir. Rob Reiner. 6.6/10

I like how they still had something to see through the credits.

These are good songs for being fake.

I think Smalls is my favorite if I had to choose.

Spoiler: [About filmmaker, Martin Di Bergi creating a rockumentary on the English rock group, Spinal Tap. After many years, they are doing a US tour and releasing their new album, Smell the Glove. The band gets off at JFK and performs with David St. Hubbins as lead guitar, Nigel Tufnel as lead guitar, Derek Smalls as bass, Mick Shrimpton as drums, and Viv Savage as keyboard. Martin talks to them and learns that Nigel and David started the band after originally being a part of different bands. They went through many band name changes. The band has the drummers repeatedly die. At the opening night party in NYC, they are introduced to Bobbi Flekman of the record company. She’s the host and shows them around. Their limo driver is ignored as he tries to talk to them about the Yes I Can book. Their manager, Ian Faith, mentions how they won’t saturate New York’s market, so they’re going to Philly. They perform there. Martin talks to them about their album covers and the reviews. Ian mentions their Boston show being cancelled. Bobbi talks to Ian about how the record company doesn’t like the new album cover, because it’s too provocative and sexist. Ian gets a call from Sir Denis and he says they’re not releasing the album because of the cover. Bobbi wants a compromise to happen. David and Nigel bring up to Martin their first song written together and why their main audience is young boys. Nigel is unhappy with the size proportions of the food provided him. The band performs again and Nigel reveals their collection of guitars to Martin. He also shows that their amps go up to 11 instead of the usual 10. Ian deals with the hotel staff as they provided only 1 suite instead of 7. The band sees fans getting autographs from Duke and the band introduces themselves. After Duke leaves and they learn of his sold out show, the band talks about him having a provocative album cover too. David talks with his friendlies, Jeanine, on the phone as she decides to come join them on tour. They listen to the radio talk about the band. They visit Graceland and try to harmonize on one of Elvis’s songs. They do sound check in Wisconsin and Jeanine arrives. They also see their new album and it’s just solid black. During the performance, the members come out from opening shells and Derek’s fails to open. Jeanine talks with Martin about how she provides input to David’s song making. David plays sad, original music for Martin. Derek fails to go through security check properly. In Chicago, they are introduced to Artie Fufkin of Polymer Records. He has them do an autograph signing, but no one shows up. Artie gets upset with them. The band goes towards the stage, but fails to find it for many paths. A worker helps them and they get lost still. Jeanine brings up her concerns about the album. David reveals a theme that Jeanine had sketched out to have them dress up as zodiac animals. Nigel doesn’t like the plan, but plans a sketch of having a large set for Stonehenge created. Ian says he’ll get it done. Nigel talks to Martin about his solos being his trademark. Ian loves the design of the Stonehenge, but learns that the sample is the actual product. It’s too tiny, because the dimensions provided to the artist was 18 inches. It’s revealed during the performance with dwarves prancing around and the audience laughing. The group attacks Ian on it afterwards and David brings up having Jeanine co-manage. Ian quits. Jeanine goes over her ideas with the group as they travel. Nigel doesn’t pay attention. Nigel talks to Martin about being more than brothers with David. David can’t play the guitar part right during practice and Nigel yells at him for being distracted by his wife. Jeanine reveals that their gig fell through, so they are performing at an Air Force Base. They meet Lieutenant Hookstratten and the band performs for the dancing couples. They are not liked as the audience stops dancing. Nigel stops performing and leaves. David talks to Martin about how they’ve had many members in this band and if Nigel leaves, he won’t be missed as much. They perform at an

amusement park, but since they don’t have Nigel, they have to play a jazz exploration. The crowd is unhappy. Derek and David talk about having more time to do what they want. Nigel comes with a message from Ian to have the band regroup to perform in Japan since their song is high on the charts there recently. They perform and David has Nigel join onstage. The band talks with Martin about their responses to different questions.]

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

An Interview with Luna, 2004

The return of the Sunday interview! This one is honor of the fact that I’m seeing Luna this week at the Fox Theatre in Boulder -- the exact place I saw them 13 years ago when they were just about to break up. How time flies. So yeah, here’s an interview with them discussing their initial farewell ...

On the eve of their seventh album's release, Luna has announced that, following a world tour, the band will cease to exist. It's been a good run for the NYC-based group -- 12 years of blissful guitar pop and consistently stunning concerts.

Luna has lasted much longer than most bands, and Rendezvous sees them going out on a high note. Band members Britta Phillips (bass/vocals), Dean Wareham (guitar/vocals), and Sean Eden (guitar/vocals) recently answered a few questions about the decision to put Luna on the shelf.

Rendezvous is one of Luna's best records yet. Why call it quits now?

Britta: a) More free time to do other things before we get old. b) It's difficult to make a living as a 4 piece band on an indie label. c) See Dean's 10 reasons on www.fuzzywuzzy.com. (Ed: Reason 1: Rock and Roll is killing my life.) Glad you like the record, though. I think it's really good, too.

Dean: The simple answer to your question is that bands break up, that's part of the equation. We've been around for 12 years, which feels like enough. It is not easy to keep a band together that long, there are all kinds of pressures we all have to deal with. Having fulfilled our contract with Jetset, it seemed like a natural time to do this. And personally I very much wanted to do this while we still like each other.

Sean: We have been doing this a long time. It's very difficult to pay the bills, for one thing, especially living in New York. I think sometimes people think "Oh it must be so fun and easy." It's fun but it ain't easy. It's quite difficult to make a living. If I told you how much I made from Luna last year, it would not be funny.

Was the decision to break up a mutual one among the band members? How was the decision reached?

Sean:: It was not exactly mutual, no. Dean has a kid and does not enjoy being on the road as much as I do. I enjoy touring and traveling and playing live, generally speaking. We could tour more than we do, and make more money than we do, but everyone has to be enthusiastic about it, and that is not the case anymore, which is okay. Sometimes things need to change.

Dean: I think we all realized that things were coming to this point, we all sat down and discussed it a few months ago. 

Britta: We were having a band meeting and the subject just came up naturally. It just seemed like the right time for all of us.

Is this an "amicable" breakup or something else?

Dean: It's amicable. We get along well for people who have been playing together so long, through numerous life changes... If you're in a band together for twelve years, there are times you get along well, and times where you have disagreements. You see the best and the worst of each other, you spend too much time together, you are sometimes annoyed by each other, and sometimes amazed.

Sean: It's fairly amicable, there are no huge disagreements or dramas behind this, although there has certainly been a fair amount of drama over the years. This is something that's been in the back of our minds for a while.

Britta: Yes, it is amicable. I think its best not to wait until things get ugly.

Did you know the breakup was coming all along while recording Rendezvous?

Dean: I think so. But you never really know until it happens.

Sean: No. The decision was made after recording the record. We've known we were going to announce this for a few months, we just didn't know when.

Britta: No, we weren't thinking about it during the making of that album. At least I wasn't... At least not consciously.

Do you feel the album is a good swan song for the band?

Sean: Yeah, I do. It shows things going in a few different directions, and yet it's definitely a Luna record.

Dean: I like that this album feels like it's just the four of us playing together in one big room, without too much studio embellishment. It is pretty close to how we sound live.

Britta: I think it's a good album. I'm not sure what a good swan song album should sound like, though. I guess Let It Be was a good one.... or was it Abbey Road?

Sean's lead vocals on a few Rendezvous songs are a pleasant surprise. Is there a full-length Sean Eden album in the making?

Sean: There will be a Sean record. It may have a band name instead of my name, but it is in the making. I'm also working on two other projects with other singers.

What do you feel the band's legacy is? Looking back at your records, is there one that sums up what Luna was about? Why?

Britta: That sounds like a good question for Dean! The band's legacy is the music and the live performances, of course. I think each album sums up what was going on at the time, so they're all about Luna. There are quintessential Luna songs, I suppose. Everyone has a different list, though.

Sean: Hmmm... Well, I think they all contribute to the legacy. My favorites are probably Penthouse, Bewitched and Rendezvous, personally. Penthouse and Bewitched have a very natural and timeless feel to them and are a good document of a band discovering themselves, which is exciting. We'll be remembered as a cool, New York late-night dreamy guitar music band, and for Dean's lyrics and also definitely for our live shows.

Dean: The live shows will fade from memory, so the legacy is the records we made, seven of them. Plus all the cover versions we've done over the years, which I'd like to see issued on a compilation. My favorites are Penthouse and Romantica. They both have a really nice mood to them, and that's sort of what Luna is about.

What are your plans post-Luna?

Britta: I've been doing some soundtrack stuff, so I'd like to continue doing that. And Dean and I will make another record together, of course. We're also working on a project with Pete Kember (Sonic Boom).

Sean: I will be recording and performing some new stuff, as well as working on soundtrack and commercial music, and producing, in addition to hopefully doing some acting and voice-over work, along with investment banking and perhaps being a criminal defense lawyer, as well as a chemical engineer. Okay, probably not those last three things...

Dean: That's a frightening question for a musician. I've spent many years trying not to think about it. I suppose there is now time for "all those projects," to quote David St. Hubbins. I will keep making records of some kind. But Luna is still going to be active for a while yet, I don't have to face reality till some time next year.

[kevrocksicehouse]

In ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ Richard Lester semi-fictionalized what a day in the world’s biggest rock band was like. A few other movies about real and imagined bands.

This is Spinal Tap. D: Rob Reiner (1984). A “Mockumentary” about a journeyman heavy-metal band struggling against bad reviews (“shit sandwich”), malfunctioning or ill-proportioned stage props and the rampaging egos of their lead singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). “They’re two distinct types of visionaries” says bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), “It’s like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role is to be in the middle of that, like lukewarm water.”

The Commitments. D: Alan Parker (1991). A young Irish entrepreneur puts together a soul band of Dublin musicians and friends. They rehearse a lot, play a few disastrous gigs and break up, but the one time they get it right (on a version of “Dark End of the Street”) the movie shows how sweet getting it right can be.

That Thing You Do! D: Tom Hanks (1996). The Oneders (pronounced “Wonders” not “oh-NEE-ders” they have to keep telling people), one of the many garage bands that tried to surf the Beatles wave, make a record, get a manager (amiably devious Hanks) and last through a whole tour before self-destructing. You’ll hear the title song about 300 times in the movie but if you’re like me, you’ll never get sick of it.

School of Rock. D: Richard Linklater (2013). A small-time musician (Jack Black) fakes credentials to get a job as a kids teacher and turns their music class into a rock group to win a battle of the bands. When he gets busted he explains how much he’s learned “I have been touched by your kids….and I’m pretty sure that I’ve touched them.” Saw the last 15 minutes recently. Still rocks.

Straight Outta Compton. D: F. Gary Gray (2015). The true story of the formation of the hip-hop band N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) and how Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E et.al created Gangsta Rap and changed music, and what it cost them. The live debut of their first performance of F--- Tha Police is one of the best directed cinematic performance of a song I’ve ever seen.

[softcherubhips]

You 🤝 me: believeing Harry is a princess irl 😌 (I know I always say this in tags but I wanna repeat how much I love your additions to that masterpost, because you always add fitting quotes or lyrics to it and it always brings a huge smile to my face 🥰)

EMMA!!!!!! WHY ARE YOU SOOOOOOOOO SWEET OMG!!??😇🥰😊💖💖💖 I love this ongoing tag game we have going on! I really wish the OG group would come back!!! @awatercolorhummingbird, @whatagreatproblemtohave, bells, and everyone else who is/was in on this masterpiece/masterpost please come join us!

Look at this human and tell me he didn't sell his soul to the sea witch. No one is this pretty AND can sing like an Angel, except for the hubbins Lou!!😉 💙💚 HE IS A PRINCESS AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN A LITTLE LOUDER FOR EVERYONE IN THE BACK!

Anyways, thank you for your sweet words! I am so looking forward to the rest of Love on Tour~Princess Edition Looks!! All the Love to you my friend! ~L.

Flowers for you sweetie!!

💐🌸🏵🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘💐

Together we make a perfect team and I'm so grateful for your love and support and kindness!💖💖💖

Have a fabulous weekend darling!!😇🥰😘😘😘

[monstersofrock]

‪On this day in 1984, ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ is released.‬ 🎥 Filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi is creating a documentary that follows the English rock group Spinal Tap on their 1982 United States concert tour to promote their new album Smell the Glove. The band comprises childhood friends David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel on vocals and guitar, bassist Derek Smalls, keyboardist Viv Savage, and drummer Mick Shrimpton. They found early success as the Thamesmen with their single "Gimme Some Money", before changing their name and achieving a minor hit with the flower power anthem "Listen to the Flower People", and finally transitioning to heavy metal. Several of their previous drummers died in strange circumstances: spontaneous human combustion, a "bizarre gardening accident", and choking on someone else's vomit. Segments of Marty's film show David and Nigel to be competent but dimwitted and immature musicians. At one point, Nigel shows Marty a custom-made amplifier that has volume knobs that go up to eleven, believing this would make their output louder. (at MONSTERS OF ROCK) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PrYZJpPsX/?igshid=1kfdpfi13dkp2

[doomonfilm]

Favorites : This Is Spin̈al Tap (1984)

There are classic comedies, and there are iconic movies about rock and roll, and most of the best output from both of those genres can barely hold a candle to the mastery of This Is Spin̈al Tap.  This film holds the rare honor of being a landmark comedy, a landmark rock film and a landmark in the world of mockumentary.

Spin̈al Tap, the UK-based band with the rare honor of being the loudest outfit in rock and roll, is attempting to revitalize their career after a nearly decade long hiatus.  Lead guitarists David St. Hubbins (MIchael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), along with bassists Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) (the core members of Spin̈al Tap), decide to embark on a tour of the United States in honor of their new album Smell The Glove.  Documentary filmmaker Marty DeBergi (director Rob Reiner) decides that this tour will be the opportunity to capture the legendary band, but with many years passed since their last dance with success, the band has several hard truths to face.  Along with keyboardist Viv Savage (David Kaff), current drummer Mick Shrimpton (R.J. Parnell) and manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra), the band embarks on a tour that will make them legendary (in one way or another).

Rob Reiner hit a home run with this film.  The mockumentary approach is pitch perfect, with the comedians in the lead role pulling off being a band in terms of both charisma, personality and talent.  With that core element in place, Reiner surrounds the group with tons of up and coming comedic quick-witted talents (many of whom would have incredibly successfully careers in their own right), and the result is pure gold.  Reiner is smart enough to set up the situations and let the people in front of the camera cut loose, and he was apparently patient enough to take what surely amounted to hours and hours of footage in order to put together the final presentation that we all know and love.  The humor is nearly unmatched, and the human drama is appropriate and strong enough to propel the story forward while helping spare the humor from doing all of the heavy lifting.

Speaking of humor, anyone who has ever remotely cared about rock and roll or been in a band probably has this movie high on their list of favorites.  The movie is funny on it’s own merit, but when it comes to the musical jokes, that humor is working on a completely separate and equally funny level.  Be it struggles with managers, logistics and executives, struggles with creative direction, or struggles with relationships that affect the band dynamic, every struggle under the collective musical sun shows up.  The scene between Marty and Spin̈al Tap where they go over album reviews is some of the funniest improvisation around, and Nigel’s tour of his equipment birthed what is arguably the most quotable moment of the film.  Even subtle musical jokes land, like every core member of the band playing bass on the song Big Bottom.

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, all successful as individuals, went on to have a legendary run of improvisation-based comedies, and This is Spin̈al Tap started it all.  These three had a comedic chemistry that is undeniable right out the gate.  Tony Hendra is excellent as the manager attempting to survive while being way in over his head, while June Chadwick killed in her role as the distracting girlfriend.  David Kaff steals several moments as Viv Savage.  Rob Reiner is wonderful as the straight man, turning in a strong performance despite doing double duty.  Fran Drescher, Fred Willard, Billy Crystal and a handful of other famous names turn in wonderful comedic moments.

I’ve been on the search for the most quotable movie for many, many years, and This is Spin̈al Tap undoubtably always finds its way into the argument.  Plain and simple, this film has no contemporary equals, and only finds comparison from films by members from the original camp (or those associated).

[thetoledos]

Isle Of Wight tour. Day 3. Gig 2. Old Village Inn, Bembridge - Sunday 4th June 2017.

We arrived at the Old Village Inn (grateful to not have to feed yet another parking meter) and headed down the side of the pub to the car park. We were greeted with a marquee and what appeared to be the wrap party for the cast of Grease. Never before have quite so many Sandys been assembled...in a pub car park...on the Isle Of Wight...sweet!

What's that I hear you cry? Tell me more, tell me more? Okay, okay, I'll continue…

As we were setting up, dance instructors Steve and Tara from JiveRevive had the challenge of teaching a lucky few guests some basic jive moves. After an hour, the transformation was, perhaps not complete, but well on its way, and several couples jived away in the afternoon sunshine.

An ancient Eastern saying goes: when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Tony, after surveying Steve's talent on the dance floor knew that his time had come. Following another effortless dance from Steve and Tara, Tony gently guided Steve back to the dance floor to give him a masterclass of his own. For the next gruelling 10 seconds of intense tutoring, Tony walked Steve through what his dancing career had been ultimately been leading to: The Lunge.

Freshly enlightened, the latest graduate of the Tony Toledo school of modern dance, wasted no time in incorporating a perfectly executed lunge into his very next dance. It was a beautiful moment. From the sidelines Tony looked on, smiling and nodding approvingly, his chest swollen with pride. He also had what appeared to be a tear in his eye (although, to be fair, Hank may just have cruelly chosen that moment to unleash another stinker. Valentine’s veggie curry certainly has staying power).

Usually we don't do the soundcheck when the party is in full flow. However, we didn't have that luxury, so rushed through it to avoid too much disruption. Tony though, a little tired after the first five gigs (and he hadn’t had his afternoon nap), wasn't happy with the sound and had, um, a moment. It wasn’t a full on Elton John, more David St. Hubbins. Actually, very David St. Hubbins.

Finally it was time for us to take to the stage. Steve announced us and I turned around to pick up my guitar from its stand. It wasn’t there. Gulp. Instead Valentine was standing beside me, looking a little panicked, with it in his hands, one of its strings flopping loosely across it. Now, Tony is the undisputed king of string breaking. Virtually every gig one of the strings goes. In fact, it happens so regularly I’m starting to suspect Valentine is giving them a quick stroke or two with a nail file whilst Tony’s back is turned. However, I don’t think that even Tony has managed to break a string before the first beat, of the first bar, of the first song.

A quick guitar swap and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for the birthday boy later and, we were off, blasting our way through the first set. Thanks to Steve and Tara (and an afternoon spent within 20 yards of a bar), it wasn’t long before the dance floor started filling. As the sun started to set, a chilly breeze started blowing across the car park but it was going to take more than that to stop those hardy locals from dancing. Before we know it, we reached the end of the first set and have a short, ahem, refreshment break.

Break over, we launched into the second set and the dancing resumed with renewed vigour. Not wishing to be outdone, Tony dutifully broke a string. As we reached the dancier part of the set, more people poured onto the dancefloor. Bam, bam, bam. The songs flowed together, one into another, no breaks – oh no, we weren’t giving anyone an excuse to slope off, no siree! Then we segued into the sing-along songs backed by the Old Village Inn choir, singing with gusto. Blimey, they were in fine voice that night. Next up was "Satisfaction", where Tony and I ventured out onto the dancefloor to join in with the dad dancing. At this point, Tara was standing on a table holding her phone aloft. Now either the reception around Bembridge is a bit ropey (I’m sure Hank would agree - although, to be fair, his reception problems are most likely due to him dropping his phone into his, not quite empty, coffee cup soon after arriving on the island) or she was trying to capture a few more of Tony’s classic moves for prosperity.

Sadly the fun had to come to an end and we rounded out the evening with "Johnny B Goode". As is traditional, we did a drop-down and introduced the band. Following Frankie’s drum solo, I braced myself for a solo of my own. Then two ladies made a break from the dance floor, stormed the stage and planted two smackers on my sweaty cheeks. Somehow I muddled through the solo, then it was Jimmy’s moment of glory, followed by one final rousing chorus.

It had been a great night and a great crowd. As the guests drifted out of the marquee towards the pub where Chicane was laying down some tasty beats, we snacked on cod goujons, exhausted but happy.

Vinnie.

[yahoonewsdigest-us]

Spinal Tap bandmates join lawsuit over film's profits

Entertainment

Spinal Tap bandmates join lawsuit over film's profits

Spinal Tap is regrouping to demand that Vivendi SA, the distributor of the 1984 cult film, give them some money. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner — who played singer Nigel Tufnel, lead guitarist David St. Hubbins and director Marty Di Bergi, respectively, in "This Is Spinal Tap" — joined Harry Shearer's lawsuit against Vivendi. Shearer played bassist Derek Smalls in the film. The revised complaint demands $400 million in damages for "anticompetitive and unfair business practices, as well as fraudulent accounting," the men said Wednesday in a statement. Shearer, who also voices numerous characters on "The Simpsons," sued Vivendi and its subsidiary StudioCanal in October, alleging that the companies fraudulently withheld profits from the film.

What makes this case so egregious is the prolonged and deliberate concealment of profit and the purposeful manipulation of revenue allocation between various Vivendi subsidiaries — to the detriment of the creative talent behind the band and film. Such anticompetitive practices need to be exposed. I am hoping this lawsuit goes to 11.

Reiner

The lawsuit alleges that the Paris-based company made millions from videos and music from the film but failed to share the income with the actors and creators. The faux documentary followed the star-crossed and musically challenged band on a North American tour, and helped usher in a genre satirizing serious films. It popularized lines such as "This goes to 11," and introduced songs such as "Gimme Some Money" and "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight." It was added to the U.S. Library of Congress as an important work, despite grossing what Box Office Mojo estimated as just $4.5 million in U.S. theaters.