Before ‘Spinal Tap’ Turned It up to 11, This Rock Mockumentary Was Already Blowing Out the Amps

The band is back, with legendary mock rock icons Spinal Tap — Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), fresh off his solo parody hit "Must Crush Barbie" – coming back to theaters with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. The original, directed by Marty DiBergi ... err, Rob Reiner, is a comedy classic, ground zero for the mockumentary genre and personally responsible for amps going up to 11 (and now, up to infinity). Only Spinal Tap isn’t the first mock rock band to reach audiences. That honor goes to Bad News, an equally inept band that appeared on English telly in The Comic Strip Presents…, predating Tap by a full year.