Dozy Liam Gallagher thought Spinal Tap was a real band – and after finding out they were actors vowed never the watch the movie again.
The 51-year-old former Oasis singer loved the 1984 film, but didn’t realise it was a mockumentary and the band had been “created” by actor-comedians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. The band was formed in 1979 as a “joke” for ABC TV comedy sketch show The T.V. Show, but became “super famous” when the movie – This Is Spinal Tap, about a British heavy metal band touring the USA – came out.
The mockumentary showed the band – McKean as lead singer David St. Hubbins, Guest as guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls – gigging and promoting their new album Smell the Glove.
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Liam and Noel went to a “Back from the Dead” gig by the band at the Carnegie Hall in New York in 2001, with Liam still thinking they were a “real band”, rather than actors playing roles. Before Spinal Tap came on there was a gig by a band called The Folksmen – also made up of the trio – playing songs from a “movie” called A Mighty Wind.
(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)
After watching the Folksmen and then Spinal Tap with brother Noel, Liam had no idea it was a “joke”. When he was told by brother Noel that they were “actors” playing their alter egos, he was fuming and walked out before the end of the gig – and has never watched the movie again.
Harry Shearer, 80 – who plays Derek Smalls – said this week that Liam wasn’t the only one to be fooled. Speaking this week, he said: “People thought it was real, including Liam Gallagher. They couldn’t understand why the film crew hadn’t followed a well-known group.”
(Image: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Speaking previously, Noel said Liam was furious that he’d not realised. Noel said: “He’d seen the film and loved it and thought they were a real band… he thought they were real people.
“We went to see them play in Carnegie Hall. Before they played, they came on as three folk singers from the film A Mighty Wind.
“We were laughing, and he said ‘This is shit’. We said ‘No, those three are in Spinal Tap… you do know they are American actors (and) they’re not even a real band?’”
Noel added that Liam said: “I’m not f***in’ ‘avin that,” and walked out the gig, with Noel adding: “He’s never watched Spinal Tap since.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
