Reason Magazine
- reason.com
- reason.tv
- reason.org
- Donate
- Site Search:
Reason on Facebook
Reason on Twitter
Reason on YouTube
Reason RSSGet Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsadvertisements
Listen to What the Flower People Say
The Live Earth concerts have achieved what Bob Geldof's lame-o Live 8 never could: launching the Spinal Tap comeback.
The mock heavy metal group immortalized in the 1984 mockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap," will reunite for a performance at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the Live Earth concerts scheduled worldwide for July 7.
The original members of Spinal Tap will be there: guitarist Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest), singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). Rob Reiner, who both directed "This is Spinal Tap" and played the fake documentarian Marty DeBergi in the film, will also be in attendance.
A new 15-minute film directed by Reiner on the band's reunion will also play at the opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Wednesday.
And at the end of the band's set, Al Gore will spontaneously combust. You know, several, you know, dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported.
ed|4.25.07 @ 10:26AM|#
The warning sticker on my washing machine says my clothes may also spontaneously combust. Maybe the key for humans is to avoid spinning really, really fast.
|4.25.07 @ 10:28AM|#
It's like, how much more green could they be? and the answer is none. None more green.
thoreau|4.25.07 @ 10:32AM|#
On an awesomeness scale, this rates 11! Because, I mean, when you have something awesome but it just needs that extra little bit of awesomeness, you bring it up to 11!
Guy Montag|4.25.07 @ 10:35AM|#
I wish these writers would quit calling them a "mock heavy metal group". They are just as real as The Monkeys, The Archies, Winger and Kiss.
ron|4.25.07 @ 10:48AM|#
actually spinal tap has been getting together for random new songs and occasional shows off-and-on about every 5 years since the movie came out. most recently in 2000 with the "back from the dead" tour and single.
|4.25.07 @ 10:48AM|#
But will there be a 18" Al Gore lowered onto the stage so that dwarves can dance around him?
|4.25.07 @ 10:51AM|#
How much do yu have to spend on carbon credits to offset turning
it up to 11?
Kevin
(Who lives within walking distance of Shank Hall.)
|4.25.07 @ 10:52AM|#
But will there be a 18" Al Gore lowered onto the stage so
that dwarves can dance around him?
The preferred nomenclature is "little people"...
thoreau|4.25.07 @ 10:54AM|#
Sadly, Al Gore was trapped in his bubble cage (made of recycled plastic, of course) and was unable to join the set.
|4.25.07 @ 10:57AM|#
Guy Montag | April 25, 2007, 10:35am | #
I wish these writers would quit calling them a "mock heavy metal
group". They are just as real as The Monkeys, The Archies, Winger
and Kiss.
===============================================
Well, how many of those you named were specifically formed with the
purpose of mocking their own genre, as opposed to merely
participating in it (by whatever means, at whatever level)? Maybe
KISS, but they were nevertheless always accepted as "real" by the
industry and the fans.
You might as well ask the difference between WKRP and a real radio
station. WKRP is a fabrication, intended to let television poke fun
at the radio industry. Real radio stations and radio personalities,
on the other hand, are these days (and, in some cases, for decades)
practically self-parodies, whatever their genre.
I think the difference between "real" and "mock" is that "real"
enterprises invite judgment and business profit for doing (or, as
in the case of the early Monkees, pretending to do) something,
whereas "mock" enterprises indeed consciously, deliberately mock
the things they resemble. With rock and roll, there has always been
a lot of overlap between the two, and at some point, you have the
Monkees deciding that not playing their own instruments is a form
of "mocking" that they will abandon -- as KISS at one time
abandoned their makeup. On the other extreme, you have Spinal Tap,
whose members can now put on their characters as KISS put on its
makeup, to provide paying audiences with a musical entertainment
experience: the reality of what they can do has overshadowed the
original "mocking" intentions.
Perhpas the difference between "mock" and "real" is the difference
between clowning around in rodeo garb, and being a rodeo clown.
thoreau|4.25.07 @ 10:59AM|#
How many other forums have this much fun? I'll bet that a lot of
forums out there envy us.
FWIW, I envy us.
VM|4.25.07 @ 11:03AM|#
JW - making a big deal out of it was the idea. :)
You're right Dr. T. You're right.
*rides off on rodeo clown
Seitz|4.25.07 @ 11:07AM|#
What day did the lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
dhex|4.25.07 @ 11:08AM|#
"I wish these writers would quit calling them a "mock heavy
metal group". They are just as real as The Monkeys, The Archies,
Winger and Kiss."
none of those bands are real, though.
in kiss' defense, they did write "going blind," which was
masterfully covered by the melvins. so in that sense they weren't a
total waste of space.
|4.25.07 @ 11:12AM|#
VM--True, that would have been a good idea. Al is in danger of
being crushed.
But are we going to do Stonehenge tomorrow?
VM|4.25.07 @ 11:15AM|#
No we're not going to do fucking Stonehenge.
BTW - Spinal Tap first. Puppet Show last. At least the dressing
room is big!
Shark Sandwich. Shit Sandwich.
|4.25.07 @ 11:17AM|#
The Monkees may have been more real than The Archies, but the
least real of them all were
The Detergents.
Kevin
|4.25.07 @ 11:18AM|#
w00t Melvins!
Also, there was a cover on "Kiss My Ass" of Calling Dr.
Love which featured members of TOOL, Faith No More, and Rage
Against the Machine that was pretty good.
|4.25.07 @ 11:25AM|#
We'd like to dedicate our next song to Dr. Gore. Ladies and gentleman, Break Like The Wind...
|4.25.07 @ 12:14PM|#
In ancient times, hundreds of years before the
dawn of history, there lived a strange race of people...the
libertarians
VM|4.25.07 @ 1:06PM|#
Lunch - they tried, but they missed the 5:19 and cried, cried, cried all the way home...
|4.25.07 @ 1:33PM|#
They are just as real as The Monkeys, The Archies, Winger
and Kiss.
Maybe, but they aren't as unreal as Iron Butterfly.
|4.25.07 @ 1:46PM|#
It is comforting that mock rock groups can also embark fruitfully on the "We're broke and we're back together reunion tour."
Brian Sorgatz|4.25.07 @ 2:04PM|#
Messrs. Tufnel, St. Hubbins, and Smalls do a funny audio commentary on the DVD: "DiBergi had an agenda. He wanted us to look like prima donnas. Tee bloody hee."
Guy Montag|4.25.07 @ 2:14PM|#
How much do yu have to spend on carbon credits to offset
turning it up to 11?
How much you got? I have plenty to spare :)
James Anderson Merritt,
That was the greatest mock response ever!
biologist|4.25.07 @ 2:27PM|#
I prefer Deathtongue, or their later incarnation (post-Senate-testimony re: Tipper Gore's parents' music censorship group) Billy and the Boingers
biologist|4.25.07 @ 2:37PM|#
Let me graze into your veldt
Let me stomple your albino
Let me nibble on your buds,
I'm your...LOVE RHINO
thoreau|4.25.07 @ 2:57PM|#
For all the haters who don't like Spinal Tap, I have only one
thing to say:
Smell the glove!
edward przydzial|5.1.07 @ 2:17PM|#
Tuesday May 1st, 2007
PHOTOGRAPHER TO FILE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT ON GENE SIMMONS
Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS facing another lawsuit...
Press Release - 07:46:30 - Associate Press Newswire
KISS bassist GENE SIMMONS has been notified he's violated another
photographers copyrights.
Edward Przydzial of Beverly Hills states; "Mr. Simmons has stolen
and used/abused my copyrights as far back as 1997 when they
returned to the classic make-up era of the 70's... He has used my
images on merchandise magazines, books, kisstory, metal edge
magazine kiss specials and more. He has made no attempt to pay me
or request usage in the proper protocol."
Przydzial from East Detroit states that "Simmons' knows full well
he's violating my copyrights." And has been in contact with
Przydzial through Bill Randolph's office in New York. Przydzial
also claims that during his last dealings with Mr. Simmons, he made
it clear that he would continue to use any photographs he chooses,
if they are images of KISS or of any member of KISS, Simmons'
thinks he can legally do this. Fact is, he cannot and copyright
laws say it takes 75 years before a copyright runs out. Mr. Simmons
is not in the clear.
Przydzial photographed the band from the years 1975 to 1983. He
claims a loss value of more then a million dollars in black &
white images and color slides. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons along
with FBI agents in tow confiscate costumes and collectables from
one of the many KISS conventions put on by fans of the rock band.
Federal agents also confiscated costumes from a man named Joe
Marshall of Detroit at the very same convention. Federal agents
took nearly 12,000 images of KISS between those years from
Przydzial.
Przydzial also claims his photos have been published copyrighted
under "The KISS Company" without his permission. He states that Fin
Costello's name was put on one of his photos in the book "Behind
The Mask" published by Warner Books, he also states the transcripts
for that book were confiscated from "The Kiss Museum News" fan club
that Edward ran edited and published. He says a man named Curt
Gooch used an image of his in the KISS Touring History Book and Mr.
Gooch put his own name on it, instead of Edwards.
"Mr. Simmons' lied to federal agents about the truth of ownership.
Simmons actually claimed he was "The KISS Museum" on the document
he signed. Stealing said images as federal agents hand over
Przydzial's copyrighted photographs collection. And possible money
changing hands or some other "sealed file" agreement."
"Right now I'm compiling and have been since '97. I've got a huge
box of KISS stuff with my images from calendars to lunch boxes.
Lot's of KISS merchandise have my photos on it." Sony Signatures
has also been named as part of the suit if Przydzial decides to
pursue this further.
Associate Press Corp.
Site comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245