After much talk of Google tuning up for a music venture an invite to an exclusive Android event in Los Angeles on Wednesday 16th November has been sent out to the American press – issued by Nigel Tufnel, the lead guitarist of 80’s metal movie band Spinal Tap!
The event will be streamed live at 2PM Stateside, or 10PM in the UK on YouTube.com/Android and could reveal one or more of a number of possibilities as Google loads up the band wagon for its push into music fame. Previously a Google Music Store has been talked of, uniting the Big Four record labels – EMI, Warner, Sony and Universal in a scheme like iTunes (However on last word of this not all four were locked into a deal). However, this theory seems closest to becoming a reality after images leaked of a Google Music interface through the Android Market and that Google will offer a “Free Song of the Day” to its loyal ‘droid adopters.
Other music-based ideas both confirmed and rumours include the YouTube Merch Store, which will allow bands to sell tunes, t-shirts and tickets through the popular clips site. But then the Android motif could imply there’s some kind of music-based mobile on its way to rival that of HTC with its current Beats range hitting the streets to much applause.
The ‘This is Spinal Tap’ references are a nice touch and metal-heads will remember Tufnel as the character made famous by actor Christopher Guest in the mockumentary and the account from which the email invite comes from is ‘nigeltufnel@google.com’. The heading of the invite is ‘These Go To Eleven’ – a line made famous by the character in reference to the volume settings of his Marshall quitar amp as he gives the fly-on-the-wall viewers a tour of his equipment in the classic comedy.
Spinal Tap toured again in 2009, bearing a more weathered look, but still rocking as hard as they did almost 30 years ago. With the possibility of a new movie, can we expect ‘England’s Loudest Band’ to make a special appearance at the Google press event this Wednesday?
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.