When the choice of support band just feels wrong

[ChrisB]

And I'm not talking about those ridiculous package tours of the 60's when you'd get Humperdink and Hendrix on the same bill. I was reading an on line Melody Maker from 1973, and when Slade toured America, the support was .....Steely Dan!!!???? From personal experience, I've seen Nona Hendryx support Peter Gabriel, Mr Big ( one hit wonders with "Romeo") support Queen, and Ducks Deluxe supporting Lou Reed. Any other examples ?

[C]

Nice thread - I will give it some thought.

Only one comes to mind at present: Gentle Giant supporting Deep Purple with Tommy Bolin.

It should have been the other way round - of course GG blew Purple off the stage and sadly Bolin was poor due to his 'condition'....





.

[`]

The obvious one for me was The Warner Bros roadshow of early 73/74 when Little Feat supported
the Doobie Brothers and absolutely blew the headliner to smithereens.

While not bad news for fans must have come as a horrible shock for the Spliff Siblings and their management

[Darkness_Fish]

The most jarring one I can think of was Motley Crue supported by Killing Joke. Not the same ball park at all.

[Charlie O.]

I suspect DF has the winner.


Rockpile opening for Van Morrison.

[C]

Spliff Siblings

That was new learning for me!





.

[C]

I might have been in the minority on this one but the last time I saw Hawkwind live - Steve Hillage was in the band [December 2015 at The Coronet, London] and Hillage's System 7 were supporting

To say System 7 was not my cup of tea is/was an understatement - also they were far too loud, boring and monotonous.

Surely, most Hawkwind fans wouldn't have enjoyed that?

[Theo Kasper who I went with, didn't enjoy either - Hawkwind were disappointing....]





.

[toomanyhatz]

I remember the great (OK, not really) Who stadium shows of 1982 with the Clash opening - already a bit of an odd fit, but sensible for a stadium show as both were pretty huge at the time.

The opening act (in LA, at least)? T-Bone Burnett.

Great artist, I'd recently seen him do a residency in a small club, and it was wonderful. And Mick Ronson, of all people, was playing lead guitar for him at the time.

In front of 100,000 people? Suffice to say his affable charm was pretty much lost in an echo chamber that large.

[`]

Spliff Siblings

That was new learning for me!





.

Included that little witticism just for you, C

[Geezee]

I remember the great (OK, not really) Who stadium shows of 1982 with the Clash opening - already a bit of an odd fit, but sensible for a stadium show as both were pretty huge at the time.

The opening act (in LA, at least)? T-Bone Burnett.

Great artist, I'd recently seen him do a residency in a small club, and it was wonderful. And Mick Ronson, of all people, was playing lead guitar for him at the time.

In front of 100,000 people? Suffice to say his affable charm was pretty much lost in an echo chamber that large.

There was also the time when Pavarotti opened for The Who doing Quadraphenia in the mid 90s.

[C]

Spliff Siblings

That was new learning for me!





.

Included that little witticism just for you, C

.

[Hightea]

I might have been in the minority on this one but the last time I saw Hawkwind live - Steve Hillage was in the band [December 2015 at The Coronet, London] and Hillage's System 7 were supporting

To say System 7 was not my cup of tea is/was an understatement - also they were far too loud, boring and monotonous.

Surely, most Hawkwind fans wouldn't have enjoyed that?

[Theo Kasper who I went with, didn't enjoy either - Hawkwind were disappointing....]





.

you should be stripped of your love for Steve Hillage. System 7 are awesome live!!!!!

[Spock!]

First time I saw Van Morrison he was opening for Téléphone, the French band. It was in the amphitheatre in Fréjus. Big crowd of two parts, the foreign tourists who were enthusiastic about Van and the French who were more enthusiastic about Téléphone. They were a kind of French punk band though with clear rock leanings, not knowingly heard them since. Must have been '77 or '78.

[Muskrat]

How about the Buckingham-Nicks Fleetwood Mac opening for Dave Mason?

[Matt Wilson]

Black Sabbath had Gentle Giant open for them in the early seventies for a US tour.

[Charlie O.]

How about the Buckingham-Nicks Fleetwood Mac opening for Dave Mason?

That doesn't seem so wrong... unless you're saying it should have been the other way around?

[Charlie O.]

I think the Eagles did one of their early tours opening for Yes (might've been in Europe).

[Charlie O.]

Long, but hilarious:

[Hugh]

First time I saw Van Morrison he was opening for Téléphone, the French band. It was in the amphitheatre in Fréjus. Big crowd of two parts, the foreign tourists who were enthusiastic about Van and the French who were more enthusiastic about Téléphone. They were a kind of French punk band though with clear rock leanings, not knowingly heard them since. Must have been '77 or '78.

I saw Telephone opening for Steve Hillage.

[Tom Waits For No One]

First time I saw Van Morrison he was opening for Téléphone, the French band. It was in the amphitheatre in Fréjus. Big crowd of two parts, the foreign tourists who were enthusiastic about Van and the French who were more enthusiastic about Téléphone. They were a kind of French punk band though with clear rock leanings, not knowingly heard them since. Must have been '77 or '78.

I saw Telephone opening for Steve Hillage.

Me too