Forty-one years after This Is Spinal Tap first hit theatres, the loudest band in rock history is back – and they’ve convinced Paul McCartney to join the chaos. The sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, lands in cinemas worldwide on September 12, 2025, along with a brand-new album of the same name.
Director Rob Reiner returns, along with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, reprising their infamous roles as Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls. But this isn’t just a nostalgia act – the film ropes in real rock legends to blur the line between parody and reality.
At the end of the 1984 mockumentary, Spinal Tap looked finished – after botched gigs, dwindling crowds, and the unforgettable Stonehenge fiasco. But in The End Continues, the band is dragged out of retirement thanks to an old contract clause forcing them to deliver “one more album and tour.”
The new story, co-written by Guest, McKean, and Shearer, finds the trio stumbling through today’s music world: botched venue bookings (including a vegan food festival gone wrong), Nigel’s obsession with AI songwriting, and the familiar mix of overconfidence and disaster. Reiner also returns on screen as filmmaker Marty DiBergi, documenting it all.
If the first film mocked rock excess, the sequel invites real stars to join the fun:
– Paul McCartney sings, plays piano, and adds harmonies to a new version of Spinal Tap’s tea-time ditty “Cups & Cakes.” The track is already streaming, letting fans hear a Beatle alongside Nigel Tufnel.
– Elton John turns up in a chaotic piano duel.
– Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood lend their country flair to a Tap ballad that spins into arena rock.
– Questlove reportedly appears as a frustrated session drummer.
– Comedians like Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, and Jason Sudeikis pop up in Spinal Tap’s orbit, making the movie part rock doc, part comedy circus.
The companion album mixes new songs with reinvented classics. Highlights include:
– “Sex Farm” redone as a country shuffle with Garth Brooks.
– “Big Bottom” reimagined with a gospel choir.
– “The Algorithm Blues” – a riff-heavy complaint about streaming-era royalties.
– “My Amp Goes to 12” – Nigel one-upping his old “goes to 11” amplifier gag.
But the standout is McCartney’s version of “Cups & Cakes”. What started as a throwaway tune in the original film now has strings, production polish, and McCartney’s melodic stamp. It’s both hilarious and genuinely catchy.
Since 1984, Spinal Tap has been quoted endlessly (“These go to 11”), but the joke works because the band’s music was always played straight. The songs were funny, but they also rocked. By bringing in legends like McCartney and Elton John, the sequel underlines what fans already knew: Spinal Tap may be a parody, but they’re also one of the greatest fake bands of all time.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hits theatres un the USA on September 12, 2025. The album arrives the same day on streaming, vinyl, and CD.
If the idea of Paul McCartney crooning “Cups & Cakes” with Nigel Tufnel doesn’t crack you up, maybe it’s time to turn your sense of humor up to 11.
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