Day to Day, March 4, 2009 - Twenty-five years ago this week, a little film came out about three guys — David, Derek and Nigel — and their intense desire to rock. That film, of course, was This Is Spinal Tap. Much has changed since 1984, when the movie was first released, but, as they say in the music business, the song remains the same.

This week in Southern California, Spinal Tap reunited and held a press conference announcing a new 30-city tour. Actors and real-life musicians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer took to the stage at the House of Blues, where they played a few songs from the movie, including "Hell Hole."

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Who would dare accept the drummer position?

They're gonna play stuff from A Mighty Wind too. Might be worth checking out.

Thanks for the heads up, Pip--I just bought two tickets to see the St. Pete show on May 8th. It will be my first concert in eight years.

I saw Tap twice back in 1992. A friend and I went to Daytona Beach after being tipped off that Tap would be playing at an MTV Spring Break taping, and amazingly, we managed to find ourselves watching a live, outdoor performance of "Bitch School" a couple of weeks in advance of the release of the "Break Like The Wind" album. Later on that summer, Tap played a full set at the Bob Carr Theater in Orlando.

Very happy to hear they're going to be performing "Folksmen" material as well

Billboard has further info on the new album: "The trio is also in the midst of recording a new Spinal Tap album that will be released May 26 and feature the "original studio versions" of the live songs on "This is Spinal Tap" and some new songs -- including the ironically titled "Short and Sweet," a 20-minute epic to which they're "adding stellar guitar player (guest) as we speak," according to McKean." http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/spi ... 6771.story

The timing on this is amazing. Earlier this week I was out in the garage and happened to dig up an original 7" picture sleeve version of "Christmas With The Devil" from 1984 that I had forgotten about.

The ad for this keeps popping up on Facebook. I am so there!

(I wish the Ruggles would reunite.)

I saw Spinal Tap in 1992 in Philly at the Tower Theatre. They're such good musicians that they pulled it off quite well, but it was so good that it really wasn't funny. I was impressed and bored at the same time. It was too close to an actual concert. Nigel's guitar solo where he threw tennis balls at a guitar on a stand was amusing as was "Stonehenge". My point I guess, is that it was a good rock show with some amusing moments, but otherwise was really just another concert.
I might go again especially if they're doing some Folksmen stuff, but I think once might be enough for me.

They're playing songs by The Folksmen? That's a completely different band!

Never thought the Tap would stoop to doing cover tunes!

I hope they perform "This Bulging River", written for "Waiting For Guffman", deleted from the film, but available as a DVD bonus.

This would be lots of fun!

I just noticed on http://www.spinaltapfan.com/spinal-tap-sounds.html , longtime link for Tap's 2000 download single "Back From The Dead", that the aforementioned MP3 is no longer available. Could it be slated to finally see CD release on the new Tap album coming next month?

A book originally published in 1985, "Inside Spinal Tap", contained a discography for the band which mentioned many song titles ("The Sun Never Sweats", "Clam Caravan", "Rainy Day Sun") that would go unheard until the release of 1992's "Break Like The Wind". I hope that the new album will gather even more from the Tap apocrypha, including the 2007 Wembley single "Warmer Than Hell", and "Goat Boy" from the 1996 IBM commerical. There's also Derek Smalls solo material to consider, such as his pre-Tap work with Skaface, and "Whole Lotta Lord" from his late-80's stint with the Christian metal band Lambsblood.

I hope some of you had the opportunity to see this tour. I was at the Beacon Theater last night, and it was alot of fun. It was a nice mix of Tap, Wind and Guffman songs. They did (as asked above) "This Bulging River."

There was a Q&A session, some video breaks, and (funniest of all) a reading of censor notes from NBC after they were thinking of showing Spinal Tap one Saturday night.

.......and Elvis Costello made a surprise appearance and sang "Give Me Some Money."

I wrote down a setlist and left it at home.....I can post it tomorrow if there's any interest.

I saw them in St. Pete on May 8th. Highlights included a beatnik version of "Big Bottom" complete with stand-up bass, finger-snapping and a dancing girl, and the reading of an NBC censor's memo listing all broadcast-inappropriate moments from "This Is Spinal Tap"--including "Shit sandwich" and "'I fucked up' (three times)". Folksmen performances included "Corn Wine", "Old Joe's Place", "Blood On The Coal", "A Mighty Wind" and "Start Me Up"; Tap material included acoustic versions of "The Majesty Of Rock" and "Heavy Duty". Annette O'Toole (Mrs. McKeon) was a surprise guest, joining in for "A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow" and "The Good Book" from "A Mighty Wind"; and, as I'd hoped, McKeon also performed "This Bulging River" from the"Waiting For Guffman" DVD deleted scenes. I also bought a Folksmen t-shirt that reads "EA A OE'S" on the back. Other items for sale included "None More Black" nail polish, Stonehenge soap-on-a-rope, and a vintage t-shirt from the 1967 Blues-Jazz festival at the Isle of Lucy.

Somebody in the back shouted a request for "Skeletons Of Quinto"; Guest confessed that although he had co-written the song, he didn't remember the words. Also, at one point, the trio took questions from the audience. A drunk woman who had shouted "I love you, Harry!" several times from a box seat took the microphone. "Black coffee" was McKeon's response before she was able to ask her question.

I bought the 1967 Isle of Lucy shirt

5/27 Beacon Theater setlist..........

Celtics Blues (a cappella)
Hell Hole
Never Did No Wanderin'
Clam Caravan
---- home video: "Rock Roll Nightmare"
Bitch School
Loco Man
---- video: "Corky Dance"
This Bulging River
---- NBC Clotworthy censorship segment
Gimme Some Money - with Elvis Costello
Blood On The Coal
---- home video: "Back From The Dead"
Listen To The Flower People
Corn Wine
The Majesty Of Rock
---- Cheese Roll video
All Backed Up
Stonehenge
Start Me Up
A Penny For Your Thoughts - with Terre Roche
---- Q&A section
Cups & Cakes
---- home video: "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You" made with Legos
A Mighty Wind
Saucy Jack
Big Bottom (with a girl dancing on a bar stool)
The Good Book Song - with Annette O'Toole
A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow - with Annette O'Toole
Rainy Day Sun
Sex Farm

Encore 1:
All The Way Home
Old Joe's Place

Encore 2:
Celtics Blues (2nd verse)
Heavy Duty

They did "Start Me Up"! Damn, I shoulda been there!

Harry Shearer mentioned in his May 31st "Le Show" podcast that the final show of the "Unwigged" tour (later that day, in Milwaukee) was going to be taped for a forthcoming DVD release.