EVANSTON, IL, December 6, 2000 – Shure Incorporated, the leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics, today announced that the company will celebrate its 75th anniversary in Anaheim at the 2001 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show with an exclusive performance by legendary Shure endorsers Spinal Tap. As Tap’s first show of 2001, the performance is open to all NAMM convention attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets will be issued on the day of show only, Friday, January 19th, at the Shure booth #6541, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The queue for tickets wrapped completely around Shure’s NAMM booth. Two thousand tickets, one per person, were distributed in thirty-three minutes. Put away the calculator app – that equals one ticket per second.
The standing-room-only concert took place at the Anaheim Hilton and Towers in the California Ballrooms. During the performance of “Big Bottom,” it is alleged that ceiling lighting fixtures broke loose due to the sound pressure level from the bass guitars. Litigation is ongoing.
One month before the concert, Shure issued this press release.
SMELL THE LOVE
Metal Legends Spinal Tap to Headline Shure Anniversary Concert at NAMM
Shure Incorporated will celebrate its 75th anniversary on January 19th at the 2001 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show in Anaheim with a live performance by the “world’s loudest band” and legendary Shure endorsers, Spinal Tap. These rock ‘n’ roll survivors will team up for a once-in-a-long-time concert for fans and industry insiders who attend the show.
“We’re thrilled, totally chuffed,” said Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls. “We know 75th anniversaries as diamond, so it speaks volumes that we were chosen. A lot of bands claim they are the gold standard of rock ‘n’ roll. What Shure has said to us is that we’re the diamond. A diamond in the rough, I would hope, but a diamond still. Diamond anniversaries only come around once, so we are really very honored indeed, and we hope we don’t wreck it for them.”
“A Shure microphone is one of the few things we can count on,” said David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap’s lead singer/lead guitarist. “They can be as crisp as a winter’s morning. Change that a bit to make it sound like I’m talking about music.”
Spinal Tap’s sound rose out of the London music scene in the late ‘60s, where, playing in groups like The Originals, which later changed its name to The New Originals, and The Thamesmen, good friends David St. Hubbins, guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and bassist Derek Smalls teamed up to form Spinal Tap. The near-late Skippy Skiffleton, Tap’s latest drummer, and keyboardist C. J. Vanston complete Tap’s current line-up.
For a band whose major distinction is that they play loud and know their way around a rhyme, Tap has reached heady heights with classic LPs, including Brainhammer (1970), Blood to Let (1972), and the controversial Smell the Glove (1982). The band became a household name after the release of This is Spinal Tap, a documentary of their 1982 U.S. tour directed by Marty DiBergi.
“Spinal Tap has had a tremendous impact on metal music, and we are somewhat delighted that they have chosen Shure’s 75th anniversary celebration for their first performance of 2001,” said Sandy LaMantia, Shure President and CEO.
The Shure 75th Anniversary Spinal Tap performance is open to all NAMM convention attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis.
A limited number of all-access backstage passes were issued to the press. Journalists were observed offering $1,000 to anyone who would take their pass.
Early in 2025, while an office of a retired Shure vice-president was being cleaned, a tattered cardboard box was found with a January 2001 date. Inside were Beta 87C vocal mics – labelled as Derek, David, Nigel. Smelling the windscreens verified these were indeed Spinal Tap mics. After soaking two weeks in a disinfectant, the Tap mics were transferred to the Shure Archive, cataloged as artifacts with a dubious provenance.
The mockumentary Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, sequel to This Is Spinal Tap (1984), was released on September 12, 2025.
Related information: These Go to Eleven
Arcana – mysterious or specialized knowledge
Any similarity between a Spinal Tap band member and a working musician with actual talent is a coincidence.
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Louisiana Hayride was a show on radio, and later television, featuring country music. It originated from the Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. During its heyday from 1948 to 1960, the show launched the careers of numerous American music artists, including Elvis Presley. Outside of the auditorium today stands three Unidyne II sculptures.
Elvis frequently performed using the Unidyne I Model 55 or Unidyne II Model 55S.
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