Spinal Tap have become the latest artist to ban Donald Trump from playing their music at his rallies.
The former US President has faced backlash from a number of artists in recent months for allegedly using their songs without permission during his presidential campaigns.
Now, it appears that even fictional bands are warning him about incorporating their tracks, with Spinal Tap preemptively demanding that he thinks twice before using their song ‘Sex Farm’.
Taking to X/Twitter, Harry Shearer – who plays the band’s bassist Derek Smalls – told Trump that the song was off-limits. “Not a band to be outdone, Spinal Tap is demanding that the Trump campaign refrain from playing ‘Sex Farm’ at their rallies,” he wrote.
Not a band to be outdone, Spinal Tap is demanding that the Trump campaign refrain from playing “Sex Farm” at their rallies.
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) September 6, 2024
While it is clear that the song isn’t one that the former POTUS would actually consider using at his rallies, the tweet does seem to contain a nod to the allegations of sexual misconduct and misogyny that have surrounded the billionaire in the past.
It comes as the track is a play on many of the hard rock tracks of the ‘80s, and parodies the overly-sexualised lyrics of the era. “Sex farm woman / I’m gonna mow you down / Sex farm woman / I’ll rake and hoe you down,” they sing in the chorus.
Shearer also jokingly barred Trump from using another one of their tracks. After a follower replied to the initial tweet asking if the song ‘Big Bottom’ was still “up for grabs”, Shearer responded: “He thinks so”.
He thinks so.
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) September 6, 2024
The updates comes in light of various artists barring Trump from using their music during his Presidential campaign, and even taking legal action against him in some cases.
Earlier today (September 10) it was reported that The White Stripes were suing Trump over the unauthorised use of ‘Seven Nation Army’. Both Meg and Jack White are listed as co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and accuse Trump and his presidential campaign of copyright infringement over a video featuring Trump boarding a plane to make campaign stops last month.
Before filing the suit, Jack White last month warned the president’s campaign not to use his music. “Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.
Similarly, Isaac Hayes’ estate is suing Trump for $3million (£2.28m) after allegedly finding over 130 instances where the song was used at his campaign rallies without permission. Last week, a federal judge ruled that Trump and his campaign must stop using Hayes’ song ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’.
Throughout the last year alone, ABBA have also demanded Trump stop using their music, and Beyoncé reportedly threatened the former president with legal action for using her song ‘Freedom’ in a social media video.
Celine Dion said she did not endorse the use of her iconic song ‘My Heart Will Go On’ too, while Johnny Marr “shut down” his use of The Smiths’ ‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’.
Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Queen and The Animals have all had similar run-ins with Trump over music usage.
As for Spinal Tap, it is looking likely that a long-awaited sequel to the original 1984 film is expected released in the “spring or summer” of 2025.
The beloved mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time, with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Shearer portraying the hapless heavy metal trio.
All three actors are set to return in the much-anticipated sequel – which has been discussed since 2022 – alongside director Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride), who will also revive his own role as the fictional director Marty DiBergi within the film.
Brief details about the film have been shared over the past couple of years, most recently when it emerged that Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith were set to make appearances.
Before then it was reported by Reiner himself that Paul McCartney and Elton John will appear in the film too.
Back in 2022, Rob Reiner spoke to NME and told us about what fans can expect from the long-awaited sequel. “We never thought we would do a sequel. It was only because we started to talk to each other and we came up with an idea we think might work – we don’t know it will,” he said.
“We’re going to try. The bar is incredibly high. We debated whether or not we should do it… I said, ‘Look at us, we’re all in our 70s. How much time are we going to have [left] to have some fun?’ You don’t want us to cock it up! That’s the thing: we wouldn’t try unless we thought we had something that could work.”