This Is Spinal Tap Friendship

As a wise person once said to us: "Friendship, friendship…it's just a perfect blendship." Okay, so that's ripped off the Anything Goes soundtrack. But still.

The heroes in Spinal Tap have a working relationship, but when it comes to rock and roll, it goes a heck of a lot deeper than that. These guys would do anything for one another. David and Nigel, friends since childhood, are soul mates. "Closer than brothers," is the way they put it. They may also be brain mates, which doesn't say much for either of them. Point being, the members of the band are tight. If the friendship suffers, the "art" suffers. So staying on good terms with one's bandmates is paramount. Which is why, when Nigel high-tails it out of there, things get ugly in a New York minute.*

*The same length as a normal minute. If you'd ever been to New York, you'd know that.

Questions About Friendship

1. Rather than being open with David and telling him how upset he is about Jeanine, Nigel keeps it inside, and eventually blows up. If they can't even talk to one another, are Nigel and David actually good friends? Does longevity equal friendship?
2. Derek is friends with both Nigel and David, but clearly he's also kind of a third wheel. Does his connection with them mean any less because he's a bit on the outside looking in?
3. By the end of the film, do you think the members of the band would consider Marty a friend? Or is he still "just the director"?

Chew on This

David and Nigel's friendship has been the glue that's held the band together throughout all their incarnations.

David and Nigel's lifelong relationship seems to have contributed to their arrested development. They're both still children.