Concerts you went to for the opening act, not the headliner

You brought back memories with this post. This was my first concert and it was at the god-awful Hollywood Sportatorium in South Florida.


An opening act I went to see was North Mississippi Allstars opening for John Hiatt in Fort Lauderdale. They opened for him and then were his band. It was an awesome show.

 

It Bites opening for Robert Plant at Manchester Apollo in, maybe, 1987. Blur opening for REM at Milton Keynes Bowl, July 1995 (the very tail-end of the Parklife tours).

EDIT - WHAT a setlist;

1. Intermission
2. There's No Other Way
3. Charmless Man (Possible live debut)
4. Tracy Jacks
5. Sunday Sunday
6. Chemical World
7. End of a Century
8. Globe Alone
9. Popscene
10. Supa Shoppa
11. Stereotypes
12. Jubilee
13. Badhead
14. To the End
15. Advert
16. Girls & Boys
17. Country House
18. Bank Holiday
19. For Tomorrow
20. Parklife (with Phil Daniels)
21. This Is a Low

 

First one I thought of too. Also left after The Kinks.

 

Michael Kiwanuka opening for Gary Clark Jr. Headliner was terrific too, but I bought tickets to see Michael.

 

Quite a few. Some of the more memorable ones:

Motorhead opening for Alice Cooper
Goo Goo Dolls opening for Bush
Guns n Roses opening for the Stones
Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders opening for the Woggles (stayed to check out the Woggles for a few songs and were blown away!)
Anthrax opening for KISS
The Hives opening for International Noise Conspiracy (INC claimed to be anti-capitalist, yet had a merch table that was about four times as large as any band I've ever seen)
Hellacopters opening for the Supersuckers (twice)

 

I like Joanna Newsome but my main reasons for going to see her on a couple of occasions was the support act -
Roy Harper in 2010 (Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, 15 September), and
Bert Jansch in 2011 (Marley Park, Dublin, 5 May).

Same with Bonnie Raitt ( with support from Richard Thompson/ Danny Thompson - Point Theatre, Dublin, 12 June 1994).

I have also been to a few gigs where a large section of the audience “ disappeared” after the opening act-

The Specials supporting Dr. Feelgood at The Olympic Ballroom, Dublin, 22 November 1979
Nirvana supporting Sonic Youth at the Top Hat Ballroom, Dublin, 21 August 1991.
The Pixies supporting RHCP at the Phoenix Park festival, Dublin, 12 June 2004.

 

Tift Merritt opening for Iron & Wine in 2011. Tift was nearly booed off the stage by the Iron & Wine fans, so I left the venue disappointed before Iron & Wine played.

 

Phish opening for Santana
Allmans opening for Santana
Richard Thompson opening for Emmylou Harris
Traffic opening for the Grateful Dead

 

Wilco opening for R.E.M. - Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, 2003.

 

Roxy Music opening for Quicksilver Messenger Service.
Rush opening for Blue Oyster Cult.

 

The only time I've ever seen U2 was because the Sugarcubes were opening. It was that show where they had these Russian cars hanging all over the place. Not even slightly impressed by U2, but loved the Sugarcubes. This was at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.

 

I loved the Eagles but I really wanted to see Roy Orbison the opening act.
Steve Forbert opening for Kenny Loggins. Kenny is a great performer but this was before Romeo’s Tune had broken and there was buzz about him in New York so had to see him.
I enjoy the Psychedelic Furs but I went for Robyn Hitchcock as I often dream of trains...and Hitchcock.
Huge Peter Gabriel fan but I went as much for him as for The Call.

Now that must have been bizarre...Roxy and QMS.

 

Went to see The Hives when they were third on the bill and was the first show they played in Scotland. We left after their set and was home by 10:00. Can't remember who the other bands were.
Went to see The Living End support Enter Shikari. Had no interest in the headliners and left after the Aussies finished.

 

You weren't slightly impressed by Zoo TV?

 

I saw the North Mississippi All Stars opening up for Government Mule in 1999. NMAS were one of the best bands I've see in a club setting. Just unbelievable! At the time their bass player was a thin white guy with bushy hair, unbelievable player! I never could find any information on him(?)

 

OK, I'll play — though I'm pretty sure we've done this topic a few times already. Sometimes I stuck around for the headliner, sometimes not.

• David Johansen opening for Blondie, Devo, and The Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson Band at various shows in 1978-79.
• Graham Parker opening for Cheap Trick in 1979.
• Johnny Thunders opening for NRBQ in the mid-1980s.
• X opening for Warren Zevon in 1987.
• Peter Stone Brown opening for Kate & Anna McGarrigle in 1989, for Nicolette Larson in 1990, for NRBQ in 1990, and for Bill Kirchen in 1996.
• Richard Thompson opening for Crowded House in 1991.
• Kenn Kweder opening for Richard Thompson in 1992.
• The Rolling Hayseeds opening for The Jayhawks in 1997.
• X opening for Blondie in 2013.
• Rodriguez opening for Brian Wilson in 2015.

 

The spectacle was impressive, but the songs didn't do anything for me. I spent most of the show wandering around the upper reaches of Arrowhead Stadium. I honestly didn't get how the stagecraft and the songs had any connection.

 

I saw a singer/songwriter named David Ford open for Richard Ashcroft and was so impressed I went to his show in Philly the next night opening for KT Tunstall. Saw David, met him at the merch area and told him how great I thought he was. He gave me a copy of is cd and we took a photo. Then I left.

 

Iggy Pop opening for the Pretenders
Rainbow opening for Cheap Trick (I think they were co-headliners)
Cornershop opening for Oasis
Cornershop opening for Gus Gus

Not following the rules on this one because I went to see both, but an interesting one off billing at a benefit concert, A Night For Gloria in L.A. Neil Young & Crazy Horse opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

 

Debbie Harry opening for Tears For Fears. This would have been around 1990 or so.
Father John Misty opening for Alabama Shakes in 2015.
Those are the only 2 I can think of!

A few years back now I went to see the band Phosphorescent. At least half of the people left after the opening act who I had not heard of yet. Courtney Barnette!

 

John Moreland opening for James McMurtry. Stayed for 1/3 of the McMurtry show because it was a small venue and I was conscious of just walking out. No offense to McMurtry -- I was just there for Moreland. In fact, it wasn't clear from the bill who was opening for whom, so I was pretty disappointed to learn that Moreland was the opener. He played a pretty full set though, I was pleased.

 

Motörhead opening for Slayer at the Cameo Theatre in Miami Beach.

 

I wasn't old enough, but:

Radiohead opened for Alanis Morrissette
Pixies opened for u2

I wouldn't have stuck around for either headliner!

 

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives -opening for Chris Stapleton.

 

So these are concerts you didn't attend?