SPINAL TAP 

Swindon's connection to the mockumentary legends of rock

 

Tap into Swindon: (l to r) Derek Smalls, Nigel Tufnel and David St Hubbins

They burst on to our screens in 1984 with rockumentary classics such as 'Lick My Love Pump' and 'Big Bottom' - and 23 of their drummers have died in mysterious circumstances, one in a 'bizarre gardening accident'.

 

And now in 2014, as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, its time once again to take it to 11 on SwindonWeb.

 

We are, of course, talking about Spinal Tap - the creation of comic geniuses Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer AKA David St Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls.

 

Three music legends quite literally in a rock world all of their own.

 

Can't Go Back To Swindon

 

And, guess what? In between the sex, drugs and Stonehenge dwarfs they even managed to write a song that features Swindon. Rock and Roll!

 

Their heavy bass ballad Diva Fever from their 1992 comeback (one of many) album 'Break Like the Wind' includes the lyric 'Can't Go back to Swindon' as part of the chorus which features 'Can't go back to London' and 'Can't go back to Waterloo'.

 

A song that aludes to previous Tap 'groupies' and also contains the classic lines

 

I've got Diva Fever, they'll never cure me

Diva Fever, they'll never insure me

 

Spinal Tap Diva Fever courtesy of YouTube WARNING contains Nigel Tufnel guitar solo + jazz experimentation

 

All typical Spinal Tap stuff from the band that brought us Sex Farm, which includes the lines:

 

Working up a hot sweat

I'm scratching in your pea patch

Plowing through your beanfield

Planting my seed

 

and from their 2009 album 'Back From the Dead', title track 'Warmer than Hell'

 

The Devil went to Devon
Felt like the Fourth Degree.
He said is it hot in here
Or is it only me?

Prince of Darkness went to Plymouth
Summer all year long.
Said is this global warming,
Or just some stupid song?

 

Unfortunately there are no plans for Tap to re-form Japanese-style, with their last gig at Wembley Arena (slightly more than 15,000 seats) on 30 June 2009 on their self-proclaimed 'One Night Only World Tour' being the last time we saw the band in the UK.

 

Here's Tap in conversation in 2009.