The Bad Penny (beta)

We thought another Spinal Tap reunion would never happen. Well, we were pretty sure. Whatever the case, such reckless reasoning should’ve confined us to an inescapable Hell Hole for the rest of our wretched lives. Lives that cnly experience a brief respite from ceaseless, agonizing misery when a mischievous sprite throws on This Is Spinal Tap before the firebreathing sentries catch wind of it.

Anyone even tangentially familiar with dry, British wit should’ve seen from a few kilometers away that Nigel, David and Derek – all Americans, let the record show – could maybe muster yet one more victory lap (their fifth, by our count), despite their their brittle bones. (Guest and McKean are 77 years old, while Shearer is four years their senior.)

This time around, we’re willing to bet this tour will finally drive the nails into the coffins of the three comedic straight men. That’s not because we have any secret insights about Spinal Tap’s plans; we just happen to be degenerate gamblers – and proud of it, damn you.

After 46 years of being booed, mocked, gawked and pissed upon, the best aspect of Spinal Tap’s resurrection can be summarized in one word: comeuppance. They’ve now outlived so many musicians that not only didn’t take them seriously but spat on them for taking the piss out of rock and roll – which is, of course, a performative type of entertainment at the heart of which is escapism.

Now, we get to witness poetic justice in its purest form, with Spinal Tap rubbing their flabby asses at the Rolling Stones, Eagles, AC/DC, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, Kiss, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Tina Turner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden, Fleetwood Mac and Guns N’ Roses – to name just a few.

Well, the joke is no longer on Spinal Tap. Instead, it’s on the Very Serious Critics and Very Serious Musicians who lambasted the hilarious band from the beginning, and the musicians who wouldn’t even make eye with the three guys, treating them as less than because they weren’t upstanding ambassadors of rock and roll.

With their reunions, and this one in particular, Spinal Tap are once again proving that the joke is only on the people who don’t know how to take one.

“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” – directed by the first film’s helmer, comedy king Rob Reiner – opens Sept. 12.

For more on “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” go to this website devoted to the movie.

This entry was posted on 08/02/2025 at 8:25 am and is filed under Comedy with tags Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Spinal Tap. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.