Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... In the early 70s, a band called "Sweathog" opened for Humble Pie at the old Academy of Music downtown NYC. Sweathog had a drummer with a big reputation ("Frosty" something) and a girth to match. Once he got good and warmed up, both figuratively and literally, he did a long drum solo. The genesis of the band's name quickly became evident. Not a pleasant experience.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Jack Johnson opening for Ben Harper a few years back. I wondered if they found this clown busking on a beach. Bloody awful. The Mars Volta opening for the Chili Peppers in 02 There are so many I've seen that blow. John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Dashboard Confessional, all these sissies with acoustic guitars singing about girls bodies being wonderlands and eating bananas and having their hearts broken. Oh yeah and hands down the lamest act I've seen in years---James Blunt...God he was awful.........
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... This was a ton of years ago, but I went to see Muddy Waters at the old Paul's Mall in Boston. The opening act was very schmaltzy, Vegasy, remember this was in the early 70s, with singers who danced with their arms stretched out to the audience, then above their heads, all in time, etc. It was so bad that my friend and I agreed the act would someday be a star. It was Barry Manilow.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Here are my three all time worst. Van Halen opening for Sparks. Awful playing and I have never understood why people think they are a good live band. I saw them 3 years later as a headliner and they were exactly the same. Aerosmith opening for the Guess Who. Horrible pointless jamming for 30 minutes. Tom Petty opening for the Ramones. Two good songs them a fifteen minute sond called dogs on the Run... all of the above are true .
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Twice saw Lucinda Williams open for Tom Petty. The most boring, tedious, monotonous opening act I've ever had the misfortune of seeing. Warbling, "You took my joy and I want it back!" repeatedly for 20 minutes is enough to make one throw oneself under some car wheels on a gravel road...
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... This will no doubt earn me a lot of enemies, but one of the worst I recall was Sonic Youth opening for Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 1991. You have to understand...I LIKE feedback! Honestly, I do. Used judiciously, it can add some very interesting, er, sonic textures. However, Sonic Youth's ENTIRE SET that night was nothing but feedback. I searched in vain for a single song structure, and there was none. They ended up setting their guitars against their amps so that they would get a continuous howl, did a couple of salaams in front of them, and then left the stage. And of course, some people applauded and cheered...and it wasn't because they were leaving the stage, I'm afraid.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... For me that is "Suicidal Tendencies". They opened together with "Megadeth" for "Metallica" in '92. They didn't do it for me.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Different tour, same era: Joe Jackson stormed off the stage at Exhibition Place in Toronto after having hot dogs chucked at him while opening for The Who.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... I've been to a few concerts where the headliner (i.e., Fuel) put on a performance more insipid than the opening act.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... You are not my enemy, but they were a lot better in Seattle. I'm trying to remember who was on before SY because I thought they were pretty dull.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... The worst shows I ever saw tended to be the headliner, not the opener. The all time worst was Michelle Shocked, who was headlining an outdoor folk festival in a rural mountain retirement community, and, instead of singing, spent most of her stage time (that we sat through) berating the audience for being racists because we hoot and hollar and they weren't no colored people there. She then launched into an excrutiating and preachy "Kum Ba Yah." As for openers, Steel Pulse opening for Bob Dylan was pretty forgettable, but this was the Down in the Groove tour, and Dylan was so terrible, that it made them look good by comparison. (Every other time I've seen Dylan, he's been great). As I had hearing protection, I was ok, but PRONG opening for Ozzy was so loud that you could feel the concussive pulses on your sternum. And I could do without Mr. Big under any circumstances. Rush seemed to go through a phase where they picked other bass led groups to open. I greatly prefered Primus as an opener, even though they sucked!
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Actually, I think, as of late, Indigo openers are artists signed to Amy Ray's label, so I'd say they have quite a hand in the decision. Personally, I stopped going to Indigo Girl concerts because the men's room fills up with lesbians. While, in theory I don't object to this, as a practical matter I really can't go under such circumstances. My last show was a somewhat uncomfortable, legs crossed affair... Actually, I may go again, but there will be no beer or soda sales to me!
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... I saw that tour @ the Meadowlands in NJ. Social Distortion were the first band on. Both Sonic Youth and Social D were totally lost in an arena, they are great bands but not arena bands. I saw the same thing happen to the Afghan Wigs opening for Neil Young in 96 or 97 at MSG. I've seen terrific shows by the Wigs and Sonic Youth as headliners in much smaller venues. One of the worst career moves an up and coming band can make is to open for a mega star in an arena/stadium tour, you're perceived as not being a legitimate band and/or a waste of time till the paying audience's heroes appear for their lovefest. I'm still convinced that opening for U2 was the death knell for The Pixies, same thing with The Afghan Wigs opening for Neil. Sonic Youth was lucky to survive. If you're an up and coming band with a new album to support, play venues you can fill yourself or co-headline with a like-minded band
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... You didn't understand their music, obviously. The day that music MUST be verse-chorus-verse, as you seem to think it must be, is the day that I will never listen to music again. I saw Fuel open for Aerosmith at Jone's Beach, and it was simply just terrible corporate rock. Very bad. I also saw The Spin Doctors open for The Disco Biscuits last winter, and they were pretty horrible as well. Other than that, really, I've never seen other shows with 'opening' acts - I don't go to those kinds of shows. Although I did catch the Afghan Wigs and Neil Young, but I thought that was a dual-headliner act, sort of like the Aerosmith and KISS tour a few years back.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Spin Doctors opening for the Stones 'Voodoo Lounge' tour back in 1994 (I think). Anyway, not that the Spin Doctors were that horrible, but between each song they kept reminding everyone that they were 'The Spin Doctors'. Granted, as others have mentioned, it's tough being the opening act for a band like the Stones in front of 60,000 Stones fans (give or take a few who wanted to hear 'The Spin Doctors').
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... You win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Yeah, I had no use for the Social Distortion/Sonic Youth opening for Neil or the Pixies opening for U2. Though I guess I'd take Sonic Youth's performance over the others, though that may have had something to do with the fact that they were the only ones I had any familiarity with when I saw them.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... I had one in mind until I saw Swing Out Sister last year and saw that awful pathetic girl you mentioned. It was hands down the worst, most mind-numbing garbage I have ever heard. Even beats Mahogany Rush opening for Aerosmith (2nd lp tour)
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... As opposed to Neil Young?? In your defense, Dinosaur Jr. does have a reputation for being too loud. I envy you, though for at least having an opportunity to see them then. The first time I saw them, was in 1997 or so.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Bobby Rush around 1985 in Macon, Ga. Disgusting. It took the great B.B. King to salvage that debacle.
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... This weird wannabe Gothic band called Stikkitty opened for The Alarm in 1991... And another vote for Mr. Big opening for Rush. Who cares if Billy Sheehan can play the bass...that band just did nothing for me! We saw them open two consecutive Rush tours... Regarding the Indigo Girls....the only time they had an opening act I enjoyed was in 1990, when The Rave-Ups opened. Really enjoyable stuff! ---Matt
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... "Twice saw Lucinda Williams open for Tom Petty. The most boring, tedious, Warbling, "You took my joy and I want it back!" repeatedly for 20 minutes is enough to make one throw oneself under some car wheels on a gravel road.monotonous opening act I've ever had the misfortune of seeing. .." Are you kidding??? I respectfully disagree. I saw her open for Petty in Toronto in 99 and she was terrific. People were coming in and saying "Who is this?" and they were all sorry they missed her whole set. To each their own but believe me, I've seen thousands of shows in the last ten years and Lucinda is no one who should be disrespected. Oh well...
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... A group called the Stray Dogs in the mid-70's; it's been so long that I don't recall who they openned for, although the featured group's concert was much better, but I do remember how bad the Stray Dogs were because it left an indelible impression in my mind at the time. Cat
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... So many shows......the worst RECEIVED had to be Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show opening for Frank Zappa....talk about bad programming - yes, booed off the stage. But the worst performers - the ones that have remained in my memory to this day - are a band that opened for Canned Heat in Charlotte ( not The Doobie Brothers who came on second that night). The blessing of time has erased their name and much of their wretched performance, but I can still hear that chorus from their BIG number " God-ZILL-a, GOD-zill-a" To hammer home their awfullness - at The Atlanta Pop Festival months later - this same band was the first to take the stage - on an open field, outside a racetrack, in 100 degree heat. You had to SUFFER for the rock in those days Jerry
Re: Worse Opening Act You Sat Through... Hey, I saw that tour in Boston! You're right, Bonham sucked and a complete mismatch for ELP. It was bad enough that the seating capacity of the venue was 15,000 and there were maybe 7,000 in attendance. Heck, it was bad enough ELP were pretty rusty at this show. But Bonham the band didn't bode well for the rest of the night. Come to think of it, I saw The Firm at The Boston Garden in 1986 and Bonham's first band Virginia Wolf opened. They were pretty bad too!! As much as I hate to say it, in 2003 Thin Lizzy opened for Deep Purple and they were pretty lousy. They were unbelievably loud and didn't do justice to Phil Lynott at all. On that tour, they were an indistinguishable metal band. I saw Warren Zevon (rip) open for Steve Winwood in the early 90s. He was pretty terrible while the Winwood show was amazing.
