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Support acts blowing away the main band.

Like the story about Peter Grant telling Grand Funk Railroad's manager to get them off the stage because he was afraid they would make Zeppelin look bad because they were to hard to an act to follow and Metallica opening for Ozzy Osbourne with more fans turning up to see Metallica have you ever been to a gig or know of one where the opening act blew away the main band?

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Permalink Reply by Harry on March 24, 2012 at 10:32am

I have to relate a really stupid story here actually.

This is not really a story of the opening act besting the headliner....both acts are in my top 50 all time (one is in my top 5) and I own the full catalog of both.

But it was the Replacements opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Garden State Arts Center, summer 1989

I'm with all my buds who are fierce Replacements fanatics, easily then and still among everybody's top couple of rock bands ever (but note...hilariously for what follows...we all love Tom Petty)

So the Mats come out and they kick complete ass.

This is probably slightly past the peak of their powers (It was Don't Tell A Soul tour) but it's defnitely at the height of all our Replacement-Kool Aid drinking.

People start yapping...I forget who, but i am taking no blame for this decision, but the gist is all about, my god that kicked ass, greatest band ever, blah blah....somehow some fool comes up with that Petty is going to be boring by comparison, and some bigger fool says, yeah lets get out of here and go out on the town....

So we Leave ! ;<)

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Ratcliffe on July 16, 2012 at 1:58pm

I know a lot of ppl who find Petty boring. It was probly for the best. :)

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Permalink Reply by Harry on March 24, 2012 at 12:15pm

Peter Grant was paranoid or on acid if he thought Grand Funk could ever hold a candle to Led Zeppelin (....GFR were OK, though...)

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Permalink Reply by Greener on March 27, 2012 at 3:12am

recently saw DEEP PURPLE and MONSTER TRUCK opened for them .... and totally kicked ass the way only a young hungry band can. check them out folks.

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Permalink Reply by Stan Schwieger on March 27, 2012 at 5:02am

I am ashamed now, but I once saw Nazareth in Omaha--Slade was an underbill. Slade managed to kick Nazareth out of the doors, packing and cowering in Shame. Mother of Pearls, I remember walking out when Nazareth began ZZ Top's "Tush" as their encore....Mr. Holder was seen (by me) stumbling back to the hotel (following the performance) yelling "Where's the pub?" with footsteps now recognized as "unsteady" and a slur to the voice....my brush with Greatness.

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Permalink Reply by shermo on March 27, 2012 at 8:05pm

To say I am green with envy is an understatement Stan, Slade alive is one the best live recordings I own or have heard let alone to contemplate being fortunate enough to see both them and Nazareth in the one night. They would be an extremely hard act to follow.

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Permalink Reply by shermo on March 27, 2012 at 8:10pm

I seen Alice In Chains and the opening band was Suicidal Tendencies. They absolutely wiped the stage with Alice In Chains and I cant say Alice In Chains were bad only Suicidal Tendencies must be almost impossible to follow.

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Permalink Reply by MzAmar on April 26, 2012 at 1:48pm

This sounds surprising but it was one of those retro tours a few years ago The Alarm The Fixx and The Psychedelic Furs in that order. Who was the best? THE ALARM and by a longshot! OMG! And the Fixx, just lifeless. It was painful to watch them.

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Permalink Reply by Stan Schwieger on April 27, 2012 at 3:04pm

The Fixx had a pulse at some point in the past?

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Permalink Reply by Harry on April 27, 2012 at 4:54pm

Sure, they had a few great tunes.

Having them on after the Alarm is a little hard to believe, I will admit...no contest there...

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Permalink Reply by shermo on May 1, 2012 at 5:29am

Went and seen Children Collide not long back and Deep Sea Arcade were the support act. I went to the gig a Children Collide fan and left a Deep Sea Arcade fan. Children Collide play big heavy punky style rock and Deep Sea Arcade psychodelic mellow music but they stood out for how brilliant there music was.