The Greatest Band That Never Was�

2001-07-17

My husband and I went to see Spinal Tap over the weekend. I should say that I went with my husband to see Spinal Tap. When we got there I found out that he had got tickets without seats. The stand down in front of the stage kind. At first I was appalled. Standing for two hours in front of really loud speakers is not generally my idea of a good time. Only insane fans really want to stand down by the stage as opposed to sitting and ordering drinks and dinner. However, my husband is an insane Spinal Tap fan.

Once the band actually started playing I pretty much forgot that we were standing. I'm not really a Spinal Tap fan, but I've seen the movie and I know the story. I find it hilarious that these actors can compose and play well enough to pull it off.

I also had some fun with the girl standing behind me. She was tall and pretty, and the guy with her was just slobering all over her. She took it as her due. I was standing up against the front wall, next to a woman in a wheelchair. The girl kept trying to squeeze in between us. So I stood with elbows wide and leaned towards the girl in the wheelchair. She would have had to shove me to get in front of us. I'm glad she didn't. It would have been ugly. She also tried crowding up between me and my husband. That earned her stomped toes.

If it had been a regular concert with young fans I would have been a little more tolerant. But most of the audience was my age or older. Miss I-Have-to-be-in-front-of-everybody was in her mid thirties. If you haven't learned to behave like a decent human being by then, squashed toes are the least of what she deserves.

The band itself was great. Silly, but great. Stayed in character the whole time, wore the long wigs, silly pseudo rockstar clothes. They had the 24" Stonehenge from the movie. (I wonder if it's really the same one?) Rob Reiner was there, too. All in all, a pretty good time. But if my husband buys standing tickets to anything else, I'll whack him one.

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