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Eleven (11): Nigel’s key to keeping Tap among England’s loudest bands. In “This is Spinal Tap,” he pointed out to director Marty DiBergi that the settings on Tap’s Marshall amps could extend beyond the standard 10 mark.
Nigel: “You see, most blokes will be playing at 10. You’re on 10, all the way up, all the way up…Where can you go from there? Nowhere. What we do, is if we need that extra push over the cliff…Eleven. One louder.”
DiBergi: “Why don’t you just make 10 louder and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?”
Nigel (after taking a moment to let this sink in): “These go to 11.”
Drummers
Tap has a notorious reputation for changing drummers, usually after sudden deaths. David: “Most of them died peacefully in their sleep, while playing.”
In 1991, before its triumphant return to the road to support “Break Like the Wind,” Tap placed a classified ad in Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter announcing auditions: “Drummer died, need new one. Must have no immediate family. Auditions October 31 L.A. Coliseum. RSVP.” Four hundred drummers phoned about the ad and 50 auditioned, including Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, Mick Fleetwood (wearing a fire-retardant suit), Debbie Peterson of the Bangles, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Gina Schock of the Go-Gos. (MST; TS).
As to why Ric Shrimpton won the seat rather than Fleetwood, David explained, “Mick showed fear. You can’t have that.” (RL).
(This is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner)