Foil

Character Role Analysis

Duke Fame

Duke doesn't have much of a part in the movie, so a little refresher is in order.

When Tap is in a hotel lobby and sees a couple of excited fans start to rush them, they get pretty pumped. But then it turns out that the fans are there to mob one of their contemporaries, musical sensation Duke Fame—someone who is on the way up while Spinal Tap is on the way down.

The band members' reactions here—as when they're listening to the radio and hear an announcer basically refer to them as has-beens—tell us that they're aware, even if they won't admit it, that their star is falling. Duke Fame used to be them. It's a surprisingly poignant scene.

Nigel, David and Derek are no longer what people desire. They're just what's on Tap.