Stonehenge

The Zoo Crew is spinning the mystical vibes of Stonehenge by Spinal Tap, from their iconic album This Is Spinal Tap, and the Zoo Freaks are surely feeling the druidic energy. This song, a prog-rock parody penned by the band’s Nigel Tufnel after a bad Indian food experience, is forever tied to one of cinema’s funniest moments. In the 1984 mockumentary, Nigel sketches a Stonehenge prop on a napkin, intending an 18-foot monument, but a misplaced inch symbol results in an 18-inch version lowered onto the stage. To mask its puny size, manager Ian Faith hires dancers in fantasy costumes, who nearly crush the prop, creating a legendary comedic disaster. Harry Shearer, who plays bassist Derek Smalls, called Stonehenge “musically the silliest song” in a 2012 Songfacts interview, noting its over-the-top pomposity was a blast to perform. The scene’s absurdity is amplified by its real-world parallel: Black Sabbath’s 1983 Born Again tour featured a Stonehenge set, but their manager miswrote dimensions, ordering a 50-foot prop in meters instead of feet, making it too massive for venues. Though This Is Spinal Tap was filmed before Sabbath’s tour, the band accused the filmmakers of stealing the idea, a claim director Rob Reiner debunked at a 2019 Tribeca Film Festival panel, noting the film’s production timeline.

Another gem from the song’s legacy is its live performance history. During a 1992 MuchMusic event, Spinal Tap played Stonehenge across three Canadian cities in a day, with the tiny prop delivered onstage in a courier envelope, signed for by Derek Smalls to the crowd’s delight. A 2009 short film, Stonehenge: ‘Tis a Magical Place, available on iTunes, shows the band visiting the real Stonehenge for their 25th anniversary, adding to the song’s mythic status. Fans on Reddit’s r/Music community have quoted lyrics like “Where the demons dwell” and praised the tiny monument’s hilarity, while a GIPHY page offers GIFs of the infamous scene. The song’s lyrics, evoking druids and “the pipes of Pan,” are a satirical nod to the era’s bloated concept albums, yet Shearer noted in the same Songfacts interview that the band crafted it with genuine musical ambition, making it a worthy number despite its absurdity.

Spinal Tap began as a fictional band created by American comedians Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls), with Rob Reiner as director and mockumentarian Marty Di Bergi. Their origins trace to a 1979 ABC sketch comedy pilot, The T.V. Show, where they debuted in a mock promo for Rock and Roll Nightmare, featuring Loudon Wainwright III on keyboards. The sketch’s success led to the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, a satire of rock excess inspired by documentaries like The Last Waltz and real band antics. Reiner prepared by attending a Judas Priest concert, later saying the sound “physically hurt my chest,” while Shearer drew from touring with Uriah Heep, incorporating their Air Force base gig into the film. Most dialogue was improvised, with the trio deeply embodying their characters, who were styled as “one of England’s loudest bands” despite being American. The film’s cult status grew on home video, spawning real-world tours, albums like Break Like the Wind, and festival appearances where fans embrace the band unironically.

Stay connected with Spinal Tap through their Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where they share tour updates and nostalgic posts. Fans can dive deeper at SpinalTapFan.com, a dedicated site with news, like the upcoming Spinal Tap II, and merch links. The Spinal Tap Fan Club on Facebook is a vibrant group where Zoo Freaks can join discussions, share memes, and celebrate the band’s absurd legacy. Whether it’s the dwarf-dancing debacle or the song’s mock-mystical grandeur, Stonehenge remains a testament to Spinal Tap’s genius, cranking the satire to 11.