Spinal Tap get the band back together for Vivendi lawsuit
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A lawsuit alleging that Vivendi, the French media conglomerate, engaged in “anti-competitive behaviour” and “fraudulent accounting” in its management of the royalties generated by the movie This Is Spinal Tap has been turned up to 11.
Harry Shearer, who played bassist Derek Smalls in the film and later voiced characters in The Simpsons, has got the band back together to amend the suit.
Christopher Guest, who played guitarist Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean, who played singer David St Hubbins, and director Rob Reiner have now joined the fight against Vivendi, after Mr Shearer launched a lawsuit last October.
The damages sought have been increased to $400m from the original figure of $125m.
Mr Guest, who later directed his own mockumentaries including Best In Show, said Vivendi’s behaviour was an “outrage” and needed to be challenged “in the strongest way possible”.
Mr Shearer, who said that the members of Spinal Tap had been paid a pitiful amount in royalties from the film and soundtrack of the the 1984 “rockumentary”, said: “We’re even louder now.”
Vivendi was not immediately available for comment.
Photo: Reuters
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