Scenes from the "This Is Spinal Tap" Cutting-Room Floor

"Early on in editing "This Is Spinal Tap," it became obvious that some of the film's plotlines would have to be thrown out altogether. For example, Spinal Tap initially had an opening act, a New Wave band called the Dose. The guys are against having the Dose tour with them. They feel that the group's punky music isn't a good fit with heavy metal."

"After a deliberation of about an eighth of a second, the band does a one-eighty and insists to Ian (Tony Hendra) that it's critical the Dose be their opening act for the entire length of the tour. Ian obliges and books the band. But there's a problem: Stellazine is what one might deem a "free spirit." After a scene in which Nigel (Guest) is seen making time with her, he turns up with a herpes sore on his lip."

In 1982 the director began shooting an almost entirely improvised film, This Is Spinal Tap, which became his first film and changed the lives of him and his three collaborators. After a long legal battle the film's rights were regained and the four reunited to test whether a sequel was viable. Filming on the sequel began on March 6, 2024 in New Orleans. Early editing required cutting several plotlines, including an opening act, the New Wave band the Dose, whose lead singer Stellazine, played by Cherie Currie, caused herpes sores on band members Nigel and David.

Read at The New Yorker