The Shocking Truth

If you haven't seen the movie 'Spinal Tap', it's a mockumentary spoof about life in a rock band. Rock musicians never forget the first time they see the Rob Reiner masterpiece, their ears burning as they see themselves and what they do mercilessly lampooned, seemingly with no stone left unturned. The shocking truth. For me it was not only broad-brush but specifically accurate. There is the 'Stonehenge' scene (pronounced Stown'enj) where a concept for a stage set is devised and drawn up. As it transpires, the builder is given the diagram measurements which were mistakenly jotted down as inches instead of feet and she builds a miniature set. This is lowered down onto the stage with hilarious results, as the incredulous band make the most of a ludicrous situation.   Only months before I'd come up with what I'd though was a great concept for the cover to the new GANGgajang single, 'Initiation'. It was 'Stonehenge'. I swear it. I drew it all up and everything. Can you imagine? I suddenly understood, in one mortifying moment, why Cal had looked at me askance when I 'd ran the "Stonehenge" idea by him, and why he'd said, "Have you seen 'Spinal Tap'?"And how the others in the studio had laughed. Good God! I found that life in a band post 'Spinal Tap' was less flabby, less fully blown. And it wasn't just me. I remember Rob James, guitarist with GANGgajang and successful songwriter and serious composer in his own right, squirm with recognition as Nigel the guitarist for 'Tap' played one of his non-band "serious" neo-classical piano works ("Lick my Love Pump" for memory). Yes, and at the end when it looked like it was all over for the band, they find out that they're… Big in Japan. Well guess what. In 1994, it comes to light that GANGgajang are big in, no, not Japan…Brazil!