Tell Us About Your Band's "Spinal Tap" Moment

[Gravedigger]

The Spinal Tap movie has always been popular among musicians; usually they see a hint of at least one band they either know
or perhaps similar mishaps occurred in their own band. With what part of the movie do you most identify? Band arguments?
Technical problems? Interference from a band member's significant other?

For me, its when Spinal Tap is playing at an amusement park. I was playing in a band in Miami in the '80s when the movie came out.
A band member knew some City of Miami manager so we got to play at some impressive places, one of which was the Miami
Marine Stadium. 50-75 people might look okay in a small club, but doesn't look so good when a place holds 6,500 or so.
When the camera pans out to the crowd as Spinal Tap plays "Jazz Odyssey", my dad said, "Looks like most of your gigs".

I'd love to hear some stories from PE members; bring 'em on!

[Garyhead]

Gigs played on Capitol Hill in Seattle in the 90’s. The three major TV stations had their towers up there. Transmissions coming through my Alembic Bass. ..... amusing thing was I could “change channels” by rotating the Bass like rabbit ears!

[moecurlythanu]

^

[SteveSly]

Gigs played on Capitol Hill in Seattle in the 90’s. The three major TV stations had their towers up there. Transmissions coming through my Alembic Bass. ..... amusing thing was I could “change channels” by rotating the Bass like rabbit ears!

For anyone who has been to ProgDay there are 3 big towers basically about a quarter mile from the venue. Transmissions have been known to bleed into the P.A. during some of the shows. One I specifically remember was when the band After The Fall was trying to do an acoustic song back in 1997. I remember it happening some other times as well, although don't remember specifics.

[markwoll]

For anyone who has been to ProgDay there are 3 big towers basically about a quarter mile from the venue. Transmissions have been known to bleed into the P.A. during some of the shows. One I specifically remember was when the band After The Fall was trying to do an acoustic song back in 1997. I remember it happening some other times as well, although don't remember specifics.

I think Thank You Scientist had NPR sunday morning programming

[MudShark22]

Man......

Opening for the Bob Boyle Band on Rte 10 in Parsippany (Rusty Nail) - there was a keg for the bands - we played our set (40 min) then proceeded to kill the 1/4 barrel of Budweiser before their 90 min set ended.... they were slightly upset at no free beer was left.

When 'signed' to Mountain Records (dont ask) in 89, we were asked by the label to play an ice cream parlor in Madison NJ. No one was there and we were asked to turn it down.

We also played at a fake wedding. Yes, a fake wedding held in a metal tractor shed in Western NJ.

We played The Dirt Club in Irvington NJ. On the load in - there was a shooting over a six pack in the parking lot. As we played, "rain water" (their term) actually leaked from above onto my keys amp. As in running down. But the surreal part was we finished a more ambient tune and from above us, we hear clapping and a voice saying 'beautiful'. It was a little person who the club had hired to work the lites in the rafters over the stage, we didn't know he was there.

We collectively saw a UFO while playing a nite gig in the Catskills.

At the Foxes Lair in Hackensack, my cousin (RIP) one time bounded onto the stage to grab me in the middle of a song as he/his friends were in a fight with the bartender over a missing $100 bill.

Flo n Eddie came to my first gig with this band 1989 (at the old bar in Port Authority on 42nd - cant remember name now) - and left before sets end.



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[progmatist]

In the early 20 aughts, I was playing bass with my cell phone in my pocket. It was one of those phones with antenna which had to be extended while using, and the ringtones were exclusively monophonic MIDI files. The phone started ringing and was picked up by the bass pickup. It drowned out the rest of the band.

[the winter tree]

When the movie came out in 1984, the band I was in then had a day off while on the road and went to see it. We all , except for our singer, were laughing hysterically. Our singer, who went on to become successful and famous, just looked puzzled throughout the whole movie and never commented on it. I think he thought it was a real documentary. Strange.

[progmatist]

^^ I previously posted this in another thread, but here I go again: While out at sea in the summer of '87, the yeoman from the division office, "Tucker" came down to my shop to watch his copy. I was one of the few guys on the ship who had a VCR at the time. The movie was playing along when it gets to the scene where the drummer spontaneously combusts, and is replaced by Ed Begley Jr. My co-worker Artie said, "Isn't that the guy from St. Elsewhere?" Tucker said "Yes." Artie started laughing and said, "You mean this is bulls***?" Tucker said "Yes," and Artie started laughing hysterically.

This was made even more poignant by Rob Reiner wearing a "USS Ooral Sea, OV-43" ball cap, a takeoff on the real ship "Coral Sea, CV-43"