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best performances you've seen by opening acts

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imaginary friend

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best performances you've seen by opening acts
« on: June 12, 2020, 11:51:32 PM »
Tell us about some of the ones you've seen. Here's five of mine.

Wire Train, opening for Big Country, Ann Arbor, 1984. The only time I've ever seen an opening band get an encore, and goddamn did they deserve it.

Peter Tosh, opening for The Police, Toronto, 1983. He torched The Police, and they were shit-hot themselves that night. Tosh was just on a whole 'nother level. 2nd to last show he ever did.

Gregg Allman, opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan, night 1 (I saw them 2 straight nights), Detroit, 1987. He didn't try to out-firepower SRV; hell, I think half of his show was ballads. Dude brought sexy back, and I think that was the last thing anyone there expected.

Flaming Lips, opening up for Candlebox, Detroit, 1994. I went to the show with three friends who were total Candlebox fiends at the time. All we could talk about for days afterwards was the FL's performance. They were like from fuckin' Mars.

Ben Neill, opening for Transglobal Underground, Detroit, 1998. Like Miles Davis gone techno, in the best possible way. Damn, did he ever get that party started right.

Sabaton, opening for Amon Amarth, Detroit, 2013. Absolutely hated them before I saw them. It's not like I'm ever gonna go get their recordings, but I'll see them any chance I get.

...well, there's six of them. Probably post some more picks later.
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riffraff

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2020, 07:04:56 AM »
Heart, opened for the Beach Boys...back in the 70's in Philadelphia. Those girls put the Boys to shame.
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imaginary friend

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2020, 10:54:16 AM »
Quote from: riffraff on June 13, 2020, 07:04:56 AM
Heart, opened for the Beach Boys...back in the 70's in Philadelphia. Those girls put the Boys to shame.

I saw them burn ELO to the ground in '78 - and ELO were great that night.
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riffraff

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2020, 10:58:45 AM »
Quote from: imaginary friend on June 13, 2020, 10:54:16 AM
Quote from: riffraff on June 13, 2020, 07:04:56 AM
Heart, opened for the Beach Boys...back in the 70's in Philadelphia. Those girls put the Boys to shame.

I saw them burn ELO to the ground in '78 - and ELO were great that night.
Yes, Heart are amazing live. Funny, I didn't really know much about them before the Beach Boys show. I went out the next day and bought Dreamboat Annie. Still have the vinyl copy.
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Smee

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2020, 11:31:14 AM »
Acts i have enjoyed.

Well, there was the Pogues, The Mission, PJ Harvey, Stereo MCs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Interpol. They have all supported u2.

I Think thats it. Every other support act i have seen were forgettable
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So Cruel

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2020, 03:36:33 PM »
I saw Guns n Roses back up Iron Maiden. It was about 2 weeks before Sweet Child of Mine broke and made them one of the biggest bands in the world. I didn’t think they were anything special though.
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Definitive U2 Top 10: 1. One, 2. Bad, 3. With Or Without You, 4. Running to Stand Still, 5. So Cruel, 6. Ultraviolet, 7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, 8. Hawkmoon 269, 9. Red Hill Mining Town, 10. Luminous Times
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MPare1966

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2020, 03:42:13 PM »
Arcade Fire on the Vertigo tour were great.
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imaginary friend

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2020, 03:50:55 PM »
Quote from: So Cruel on June 13, 2020, 03:36:33 PM
I saw Guns n Roses back up Iron Maiden. It was about 2 weeks before Sweet Child of Mine broke and made them one of the biggest bands in the world. I didn’t think they were anything special though.

any opening acts that you thought did great?
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So Cruel

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2020, 05:26:25 PM »
Quote from: imaginary friend on June 13, 2020, 03:50:55 PM
Quote from: So Cruel on June 13, 2020, 03:36:33 PM
I saw Guns n Roses back up Iron Maiden. It was about 2 weeks before Sweet Child of Mine broke and made them one of the biggest bands in the world. I didn’t think they were anything special though.

any opening acts that you thought did great?

I actually miss a lot of opening acts as my buddies and I usually go for drinks and to eat before the show.

A couple that were pretty good:

Lenny Kravitz
Kings of Leon (Eddie Vedder special guest)
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Definitive U2 Top 10: 1. One, 2. Bad, 3. With Or Without You, 4. Running to Stand Still, 5. So Cruel, 6. Ultraviolet, 7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, 8. Hawkmoon 269, 9. Red Hill Mining Town, 10. Luminous Times
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an tha

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2020, 06:42:17 PM »
Last gig i went to was in March and Big Joanie supporting Sleater Kinney were really enjoyable.

Never heard of them?

Here are a couple of tracks:




Glasvegas supporting u2 in Dublin in 09 were great.

Editors supporting REM at Twickenham in 2008

Radiohead and The Cranberries supporting REM in 95 at Milton Keynes Bowl




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guest532

Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2020, 06:43:48 PM »
Larry Graham and GCS.  Supporting Prince at Wembley Arena 1998.



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imaginary friend

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2020, 09:18:10 PM »
back with some more!    8)

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, opening for CSN, Detroit, 1987. They smashed CSN so bad that we ended up walking out on CSN and gatecrashing the Johnny Cash show happening a few miles down the road.

House Of Freaks, opening for Midnight Oil, Detroit, 1988. 2-piece band, guitar and drums at a time when no one was even thinking about that.

Utah Saints, opening for The Shamen, Detroit, 1993. Those crazy bastards killed it so hard that I ended up walking out on The Shamen 3 or 4 songs into their set.

This Ascension, opening for Xymox, Detroit, 1998(?). At a time when the first darkwave bands had completely taken over American goth, TA waved the freak flag for their hippie-goth aesthetic, and did it brilliantly. Xymox knew they were in grave danger of getting blown off the stage, and responded with a phenomenal set of their own.

Amanda Marshall, opening for Seal, Detroit, 1999. Last night of Seal's tour for Human Being, and she delivered a blistering blues-rock set, her voice even more impressive than her lion's mane of blonde hair. She had me rocking out like mad, and usually blues-rock bands put me to sleep. Seal brought her out during his 1st encore so they could duet on "Gimme Shelter," and they blew the roof off the place.

Quicksand, opening for Anthrax/White Zombie, Detroit, 1993. To this day, I'm still not sure if they were any good or not, but fuck what a sound!

Hagfish and Supersuckers, both opening for Reverend Horton Heat, 1994-ish. $10 to get in, and each band put on a show worth 4 times the price.

Course Of Empire, opening for Machines Of Loving Grace, 1996. MOLG was great that night, but CoE was up there inventing their own genre of music. Amazing to witness, and I'm so glad I did.

 
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an tha

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2020, 09:35:48 PM »
Really is a tough gig for support acts, especially in big venues...People milling around getting beers, a slowly filling joint etc....The people at the very front of the crowd right in front of you are the most rabid fans of the main act and often oblivious to who you (or often anyone else but the main act they are there to see) are.

Pouring your heart and soul out performing your art and people just not giving a shit really.

In my experience u2 crowds are particularly indifferent to support acts and largely unappreciative too.

I remember watching a  support act on the 360 tour at Cardiff called The Hours and the singer berating the people in the front of the crowd for sitting down....

Watch here:


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financeguy1

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2020, 07:10:02 AM »
Coldplay when they were among the U2 support acts at Slane 2001 - though I don't even like Coldplay.
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Joltmark

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Re: best performances you've seen by opening acts
« Reply #14 on: June 14, 2020, 08:18:17 AM »
Jj72 opening for Coldplay
Marcus King opening for a number of bands
Radiohead opening for r.e.m.
Pj harvey opening for U2
Kathleen Edwards opening for my morning jacket
Jade bird opening for Jason isbell-

Probably others but I just can't remember anymore
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