That was Spinal Tap. This is the real deal.
The alter egos of Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls and David St. Hubbins, who together earned their place in history as one of England's loudest bands, are hitting the road for a 30-city acoustic tour this spring.
The announcement was made by the group's ever-so-slightly wizened doppelgängers, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean, in Los Angeles this morning, the 25th anniversary to the day of the release of their iconic mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap.
"It's going to be one tour inside another tour wrapped in an enigma inside a travesty," Guest said of the Uwigged & Unplugged tour, which, in addition to featuring both old and new Spinal Tap material, will feature a few numbers from their alter alter egos, the Folksmen.
"We've been planning this for a couple years," Guest said.
Still, any fans hoping that the Marty DiBergi-shepherded group will turn it up to the fabled 11 on this tour should be forewarned…
"We're gonna go to 8½," McKean said. "It worked for Fellini, it'll work for us. You can't go to 11 on an acoustic tour."
You can, however, offer up stripped-down performances that will give longtime fans the chance to enjoy the music for what it's worth without the added distraction of, say, a midget in a druid costume—though McKean did tease that "Stonehenge is possible"—or those unruly coifs.
"We won't have to wear those things on our heads…unless we're in a temple," McKean said, going on to underscore just how stripped-down the shows would be.
"No smoke, one mirror. Just backstage."
The effects-shy show will be no less entertaining to fans, who will no doubt relish the opportunity to stop and, as it were, smell the glove musical roses. Likewise for Tap themselves.
"We've never gone out as ourselves after playing characters all these years," Shearer said, who added that performing as themselves means they will, in essence, be acting as their own cover band.
"We have to ask ourselves, 'What would we do?'"
For a start…
"We're gonna destroy hotel rooms," Guest said.
"Actually, at our age, we're gonna hire people to destroy hotel rooms for us," Shearer clarified.
As for what the Tap originators will be bringing to the table now that they didn't or couldn't 25 years ago, McKean said they would be bringing a "looseness" and an "entire evening" of entertaining that will include a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Well, that and "sport jackets. Comfortable shoes."
But not, it must be said, a would-be ill-fated drummer.
"We couldn't afford the insurance," McKean said. "It's just not worth it."
In addition to the national tour, which kicks off April 17 in Vancouver, the band will be releasing an album of Spinal Tap material on May 26.
According to Shearer, the album will include seven or eight new songs by the group as well as properly recorded versions of the material that appeared in live form on the film's original soundtrack.
"What we believe to be the lost studio versions of the original songs from the movie," he explained. "We've been uncovering them by covering them."
In addition, McKean said the album will include "extra tracks that no one has ever heard before…not even us," and will feature an assist from some as-yet-unnamed but guaranteed "stellar" guitarists.
As for the time-tested film, the men say their legacy is safe, despite the new crop of clearly influenced acts taking hold, such as Flight of the Conchords.
"You mean the guys who beat me to the Grammy last month?" Shearer asked when the New Zealanders' name was mentioned.
"Why don't you bring up the Holocaust, man?" McKean added.
Still, about that Spinal Tap legacy…
"It's a cautionary tale we don't intend anyone to pay heed to," McKean said.
"I would say the same thing holds true for Big Momma's House," Guest interjected. "But not Big Momma's House 2."
In advance of their comeback, the group has relaunched the band's official website, www.spinaltap.com, and launched an official website for the tour, www.unwigged.com, where the complete list of cities and dates has been posted.