{"id":367475,"date":"2025-08-23T14:52:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T14:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367475\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T14:52:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T14:52:15","slug":"bad-news-the-story-of-the-spoof-heavy-metal-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/367475\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad News: the story of the spoof heavy metal band"},"content":{"rendered":"

The forthcoming movie Spinal Tap II: The End Continues<\/a> is a sequel to landmark 1984 \u2018mockumentary\u2019 This Is Spinal Tap<\/a>, which introduced the eponymous band to an unsuspecting world. But Spinal Tap weren\u2019t the first spoof heavy metal<\/a> band \u2013 they were beaten to the punch by anarchic British outfit Bad News, whose own movie had come out a year earlier. In 2019, Metal Hammer talked to the comedians behind Bad News about dodging bottles of piss at Monsters Of Rock<\/a> and recording a comedy cover of Bohemian Rhapsody with Queen\u2019s Brian May.<\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

By 1983, metal was taking itself a bit too seriously. The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal<\/a> had spawned a handful of stars, such as Iron Maiden<\/a>, Saxon and Def Leppard, but formula and clich\u00e9 were setting in as thousands jumped on the bandwagon. Meanwhile, trad Brit-metal was looking shabby beside the US rock giants of MTV.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The NWOBHM had boomed in just as a new wave of British alternative comedy was flourishing in parallel, often in the same venues. Two anarchic double acts stood out as leading lights: Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, and Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson, regulars at London\u2019s Comic Strip night.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Approached by Channel 4 in 1982 to spearhead the new network\u2019s comedy output, the foursome pitched a series of short films under the umbrella title The Comic Strip Presents\u2026, and one of the first ideas was a spoof documentary following a terrible metal band on the road.<\/p>\n

Written and directed by Ade Edmondson, Bad News Tour was broadcast in January 1983. It introduced audiences to narcissistic, control-freak frontman Vim Fuego (Ade); posh poser bassist Colin Grigson (Rik); aggressive halfwit guitarist Den Dennis (Nigel); and chirpy, drug-addled drummer Spider Webb (Peter). The script was inspired by Ade\u2019s teenage band experiences, but Peter and Nigel also had firm grounding in the rock circuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigel and I toured the country as a band in 1976, doing Zappa<\/a> and Beefheart-style rock with comedy,\u201d Peter explains. \u201cIt was an uneasy mix, but everybody in the 70s wanted to be in a rock band. Weirdly, everyone wants to be comedians now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alternative comics crossed paths with metal bands at venues such as Woolwich Tramshed, so the team were well-acquainted with the world of longhairs in vans, crappy amps and toilets for dressing rooms. With the creation of Bad News, they perfectly nailed a quartet of metalhead archetypes that still feel authentic all these years later.<\/p>\n

Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

\u201cI met many drummers when we were working in the early days at venues like the Roundhouse [in London], and they were always very jolly, simple folk,\u201d Peter recalls fondly. \u201cNot angst-ridden big-egos like the guitarists. When Nige and I did our first show we had a band exactly like that. The bassist was just like Den, and there was always the person who owns the PA who has to be in the band! So there was a lot of truth in those things. [The Pretenders<\/a> frontwoman] Chrissie Hynde said, \u2018All my drummers have been just like Spider \u2013 that\u2019s why I love them!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Spoof<\/p>\n

Bad News in 1987: (from left) Vim Fuego, Spider Webb, Den Dennis, Colin Gregson (Image credit: Andy Phillips\/Cover Images)<\/p>\n

With Bad News Tour, Ade effectively created the \u2018mock-rockumentary\u2019 a year before This Is Spinal Tap. \u201cIt was an absolute coincidence,\u201d notes Peter of the better-known American phenomenon. \u201cIt was a very different film; Spinal Tap was big bands on tour, we were a grubby little band trying to get going. People like Ozzy<\/a>, who\u2019ve seen both films, have said, \u2018Your film is the real deal, that\u2019s exactly what it\u2019s like!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u2018rockumentary\u2019 format had been spearheaded in Britain by Mark Kidel\u2019s 1976 film, So You Wanna Be A Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll Star?. It followed pub rock hopefuls the Kursaal Flyers around the UK, and Bad News Tour owes much of its detail and atmosphere to that pioneering broadcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all the characters struck a chord because they were all based in reality,\u201d Peter affirms. \u201cWe\u2019d all been close to it, so it was an observed thing; we knew the vibe. People like Ozzy and Lemmy<\/a> really got it, because there were so many things they recognised. People like what they know, and they love seeing things they know ridiculed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Comic Strip Presents\u2026 was an immediate success, and Rik, Ade and Nigel were simultaneously taking the country by storm with groundbreaking BBC student flat-share sitcom, The Young Ones. Ade was determined to use their newfound clout to take Bad News to its (il)logical extreme, and conceived a feature-length sequel, More Bad News, to culminate in an ambitious finale: taking the stage at the 1986 Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington. Peter remains blown away by the experience of entertaining the crowds with songs such as Vampire Spunk Merchants From Hell.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet this \u2013 the first gig we ever did as Bad News was Monsters Of Rock. The first time! Can you imagine?\u201d he enthuses. \u201cIt was quite daring really. Stupid, but daring!\u201d<\/p>\n

Warriors Of Ghengis Khan – Bad News 1987 – YouTube
\n\"Warriors<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Donington\u2019s booker in the 80s, Tim Parsons, remembers how these bewigged comedians came to gatecrash metal\u2019s most prestigious festival: \u201cThe Young Ones was incredibly successful \u2013 everyone was mimicking them,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt was cutting-edge comedy, so to my mind they were pushing an open door. None of the agents came up with other artists that suited that slot, so it seemed the strongest option. We were twisted about whether it was or wasn\u2019t taking the piss, but Ade came to us and explained exactly what they were trying to do, what they meant by it, and nothing seemed disrespectful or likely to be an issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did OK, it wasn\u2019t a big deal, they didn\u2019t disrupt the day \u2013 they added to it. You\u2019ll find that people looking back on it will think a lot more favourably about it than they did at the time!\u201d<\/p>\n

For Nigel, the reality of walking out to 70,000 ravenous headbangers proved literally petrifying. \u201cI was so scared,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can see it in the film; before we went on, I scratched my head, and when I saw all those people I couldn\u2019t actually get my hand down again to carry the guitar! It was so scary. And then we got those bottles of piss thrown at us. What\u2019s it called, the Donington Kiss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to happen for lots of other groups,\u201d adds Tim. \u201cThe Battle Of The Piss Bottles was almost a rite of passage at Donington!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bad News were followed onstage that day by Mot\u00f6rhead, who had memorably performed Ace Of Spades on The Young Ones in 1984. The team renewed their friendship with Lemmy, who shared his wisdom with the nervous comedians.<\/p>\n

\u201cLemmy was a gentleman,\u201d remembers Nigel. \u201cHe told us that if people are throwing hard objects at you, it\u2019s best to avoid them. Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t take his advice when we played the Marquee [in London]. We got stuff chucked at us, but it was a smaller venue, and I got a beer glass in my face. There are shots of me from that night with blood all down me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Spoof<\/p>\n

Bad News with Mot\u00f6rhead\u2019s Lemmy and Philthy Animal Taylor backstage at the Monsters Of Rock festival in 1986 (Image credit: Press)<\/p>\n

Peter picks up the story: \u201cNigel went down, crunch, beside me \u2013 it was like being in a warzone. There was a guy who kept spitting at Adrian, and Ade got it in the mouth. He was so angry, he kicked this guy in the face. Next day there\u2019s a letter from his mum, saying, \u2018My son is a BBC war reporter and Vim kicked him in the face!\u2019 We couldn\u2019t believe it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Observing this madness were the evening\u2019s surprise guest musicians, guitar legends Jeff Beck and Brian May (ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page guested at an earlier date). \u201cThey were watching from a VIP booth, thinking, \u2018Shit we\u2019ve got to go down and join that mob!\u2019\u201d laughs Peter.<\/p>\n

After Donington, with such high-profile musicians lending their approval, a buzz was growing around Bad News. \u201cThat brought us in a record deal, stupidly, and [Queen guitarist] Brian May said, \u2018I\u2019ll produce the album\u2019!\u201d laughs Peter. \u201cRecording the music was serious, because it had to be good-funny and bad-serious; enjoyably bad, as opposed to ear-splittingly horrible. There was a very thin line between the two! Brian loved everything, he laughed too much. He\u2019s a lovely man, but very easily pleased! We were like, \u2018It\u2019s not that funny\u2026\u2019 But it\u2019s all subjective, comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nigel recalls the Queen man\u2019s production technique: \u201cBrian forgot to turn the microphones off,\u201d he states, slipping into Den\u2019s sleepy-but-truculent deadpan tones. \u201cHe left them on for the whole six weeks, which is why the second album, Bootleg, is basically just us arguing and arguing.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the self-titled debut \u2013 a masterpiece of artful ineptitude containing such monster smashes as Warriors Of Genghis Khan, Drink Till I Die and their extraordinary take on Bohemian Rhapsody \u2013 Bad News embarked on a full UK tour, the comedians settling into the nightly demands of playing live, albeit badly.<\/p>\n

BAD NEWS – Bohemian Rhapsody (official music video) – YouTube
\n\"BAD<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI quite enjoyed it, although it was really weird,\u201d ponders Peter. \u201cWe would have arguments \u2013 we were like a proper band suddenly! And because there was always so much noise and travel, we would just sit in silence after the gig just staring at the wall for an hour. It was quite an amazing experience. You see how it wrecks these guys that do it, though\u2026 you can see why you would need the drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bad News were last seen in public on Comic Relief in 1991 (although Colin refused to turn up as he was sick of working for free), and the tragic sudden death of Rik Mayall in 2014 dashed all hopes for a reunion of the Four Horsemen of the Rock Apocalypse.<\/p>\n

Asked if there was ever any impulse to get Bad News back together again, Peter provides the band with a perfect epitaph. \u201cWe did the tour and that was it, we\u2019d done the joke and we moved on to other things, but it was a great project and a great time. I think people really got into it, I think they did actually love Bad News. It was Rik, Ade, me and Nige being really stupid, and you don\u2019t get to see bands being really stupid very often. Not deliberately, anyway!\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published in Metal Hammer issue 321 (March 2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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