BB King opening for U2 was a good one! Seemed like a strange pairing at the time, but then the Rattle & Hum album came out.
The Steve Morse Band opened up for Rush when I saw them on their Power Windows tour in January of 1986 in Dallas. Had second row center seats. They were amazing and even came out for an encore, which I have never seen before or since from an opening act. It was also the best show I ever saw Rush do. Easily the best concert experience of my life!
Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath at the Philly Spectrum in '78. Sabbath was off but VH nailed it. Played entire 1st album minus Ice Cream Man.
Mine was Wire opening for The Tubes in late 77 at Hammersmith Odeon. I became a Wire fan overnight and never listened to The Tubes again - even though they were who I went to see. Oh, and some band called The Police opening for Spirit - and even below Alternative TV on the bill - in March 78. Wonder what happened to them?
Stevie Ray Vaughan opened for the Moody Blues on the Texas Flood tour in addition to club shows he did. Portland, ME 1983. Place was half empty when SRV came out and blew the dust out of the rafters. He played with the lights on and put on a clinic. The Moody's were ok.
I saw Poco open for Yes. A guy I knew told me Poco would blow Yes off the stage. That...didn't happen, but they were good. My wife saw Neil Diamond open for The Association. I also saw Steve Martin open for the Dirt Band.
Maggie Bell and Midnight Flyer. Bell was well known in the UK fronting a blues rock band Stone The Crows, and was the background singer on Stones Sympathy For The Devil. Midnight Flyer had original Foghat bassist Tony Stevens as well, so a fairly seasoned group. Slowly, but steadily lost the south Florida crowd in January '82 opening for AC/DC, when I saw them. Eventually getting booed off the stage. That week AC/DC's For Those About To Rock was the #1 album in the US. Never really stood a chance......
Thanks for the info. I wish I'd known this then. I would've paid much closer attention. I remember the band was good, but I thought she was awesome.
The Waterboys for The Pretenders Nirvana for Sonic Youth Skid Row (Irish version) for ( Peter Green's) Fleetwood Mac U2 for The Stranglers The Police for Spirit Noel Gallagher for The Who The Boomtown Rats for Eddie and the Hot Rods Bob Dylan for Van Morrison Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson for Bonnie Raitt Paul Brady and Andy Irvine for Clannad Iris DeMent for John Prine The Doobie Brothers for Foreigner The Doobie Brothers for Steely Dan BB King for U2 Nick Lowe for Elvis Costello Nothing wrong with the main acts either.
Van Halen, w The Henry Paul Band, opened for the Stones in September 1981 (I think the 22nd and 24th) The picture of Van Halen on the back cover of Diver Down was taken at one of those Orlando Tangerine Bowl shows.
I remember Loverboy opening up for April Wine at the CNE in Toronto. I was so impressed that the next year when Loverboy headlined at Maple Leaf Gardens I had to go. Their opining act was a guy called Bryan Adams.
Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath Thin Lizzy opening for Queen Black Uluru opening for the Police ZZ Top opening for Alice Cooper AC/DC opening for Rush
Patti Smith opening for Neil Young - Madison Square Garden, Philadelphia, Brooklyn. I love Neil, but wouldn't have seen him 3 times the same tour if Patti wasn't opening. Bob Dylan opening for the Grateful Dead - Vermont, Giants Stadium, RFK Stadium 1995. Dylan was on top of his game, the GD weren't. The Flamin Groovies opening for the Sonics - Brooklyn 2013. Amazing concert. Maybe most of all........ The Detroit Cobras opening for X - Philadelphia, NYC 2008. This because I never heard of them beforehand, and afterwards, bought all their albums and seen them live locally every time since.
Manhattan Transfer for Steve Martin (Boarding House, S.F.) BB King for Ray Charles (Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos, Ca)
ACDC opening for the Stones in Oberhausen 2003 Therapy? opening for The Wildhearts in Southampton 2004 Mindfunk opening for Slayer in Portsmouth 92 Screaming Jets opening for Thunder in Portsmouth 92 Arthur Brown opening for Robert Plant in Portsmouth 2002
John Cougar (Mellencamp) opening for Heart ('80?) - He rocked, did some Stones and Humble Pie tunes, only had one album out. Heart actually kicked it up a notch, and did a barn burner of a show. At the Concord (Ca.) Pavilion.