Superficially, ‘This is Spinal Tap’, Rob Reiner's movie from 1984, is the story of a British Heavy Rock band, Spinal Tap, touring the United States in a bid to promote their latest album. The tour opens to packed stadia, great reviews, a record deal, fame, respect and everything a band could want. By the time the tour ends Spinal Tap are playing second to a children's puppet show at an amusement park, the manager has walked out, the band has split up and what members that are left have turned their backs on heavy metal in favour of freeform jazz.

On a deeper level 'This is Spinal Tap' is about the band's failure to identify the difference between their personal expectations and their reality, in other words: delusion. The band members: David Saint Hubbins, Nigel Tuffnel and Derek Smalls, all played magnificently by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer respectively, fail to see the effect their actions have upon each other.

Their complete lack of self awareness and the constant denial of their actual situation is what provides the endless comedy here as the audience is all too aware of the former and latter.

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