Opening bands that became famous [Archive]

View Full Version : Opening bands that became famous

Alice S. Fuzzybutt

05-08-2005, 06:48 PM

What opening bands have you seen that later became headliners?I remember seeing NiN open for Peter Murphy back in 1988. I also saw Jane's Addiction open for Iggy Pop in 1988. 

<IMG SRC=http://home.comcast.net/~stan_ferguson/alicesig.jpg>

"We sound just like Cheap Trick only the guitars are louder,"
- Kurt Cobain

"I prefer to listen to Cheap Trick."
-Homer Simpson

fluffernutter

05-08-2005, 06:57 PM

Granted Pantera was already on their way to Headlining at the
release of their fifth album Cowboys From Hell, I first saw them
opening for Wrathchild America in 1989. Spectacular.Also saw
Marilyn Manson when the supported Nine Inch nails on The Downward
Spiral tour. It was fun because I saw then 5 consecutive times as they
released Portrait of an American Family a few weeks after that show and
then began to get a nice fan base each next time they came through
town. They played Philly 5 times that year. It was pretty neat just
seeing a band grow like that.I was handed a cassette for this
unknown band called Rage Against the Machine before a House of Pain
show in 1992 I think it was. A few minutes later I was informed they
were the opening band. Little did I know then just how powerful of a
group they would later become. That first impression of them just
tearing up the stage was so unforgettable. I will never forget just how
awesome of a sight it was when Zach broke down in tears of anger and
rage during the set. 

http://www.pleaseforgetme.com/SIGS/bush.gif

matt, it's not like you're trying to find a young piece of virgin meat to contaminate

The Fluffy Planet (http://fluffyplanet.blogspot.com/)

FUNKMAN

05-08-2005, 06:57 PM

Journey and George Thorogood(sp?) open for the StonesGrand Funk open for Zeppelin 'once' (but that was on Behind The Music)

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/SatCam/sig_funkmanstill.jpg">

badorties

05-08-2005, 06:57 PM

i saw live out at cw post with weezer as the opener ... five years earlier, i saw blind melon and live open up for p.i.l and big audio at the ritz ... and i saw soul asylum open for the spin doctors at jones beach ...each noted opener was right before their big album or single exploded ... although, with weezer and soul asylum it was a few months later ... it seemed to take years for the blind melon record to come out ...

.
<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=badorties" border="0" />

blakjeezis

05-08-2005, 07:10 PM

years for the blind melon record to come out ...Has been a while now, yeah. 
A cha cha chaaaa 
 

If I were any better, I'd have to be twins!!
INRI White people are so scared of blakjeezis INRI
"Well, maybe there's a god above, but all I ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you."
"When I am dead, I hope it is said: 'His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.'" 

This message was edited by blakjeezis on 5-8-05 @ 11:12 PM

curtoid

05-08-2005, 07:19 PM

I actually missed NIN open for Petey and I went to two different shows on that tour.I
did see The Smithereens open for the Ramones in Washington the week
that their album hit in the 1980s and MTV first played their video; the
audience hated them. They were almost "Hey Ho-ed" off the stage, which
wasn't unsual - the only time I've ever seen a Ramone crowd dig an
opening act was local Government Issue and in 1994 with Frank Black.

Crippler

05-08-2005, 08:50 PM

I saw Creed open for Van Halen in 97 or 98.  A year later Creed was the biggest thing in rock (even though it seemed like most people hated them), and VH was without a singer again.  But that night was a great show from start to finish.

http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/71172486.jpg
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/93558379.jpg http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/93558379.jpg http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/93558379.jpg http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/93558379.jpg http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL77/857148/1548180/93558379.jpg

JustJon

05-09-2005, 11:08 AM

Also saw Manson open for nin in '94.  At the time, only a few of
us knew who they were, and were really into Portrait of an American
Family. 

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon11.gif"> <A href="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com">Chaotic Concepts</a>

Tall_James

05-09-2005, 11:14 AM

I saw REM open for Squeeze.I saw INXS open for the Go-Go's.I saw Melissa Etheridge open for Little Feat.

<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=tall_james"> 

The Cheese-Eating Bird (http://cheeseeatingbird.blogspot.com)

WhistlePig

05-09-2005, 01:48 PM

I saw the Smashing Pumpkins open for Janes Addiction (and they were really boring), Alice in Chains open for Iggy Pop, and REM open for the Bongos.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/WhistlePig/WhistlePigSig2.jpg

You don't know me man! You don't
know me man.

FUNKMAN

05-09-2005, 01:51 PM

quote: I saw Melissa Etheridge open for Little Feat.  i had it wrong... i always thought she opened for little tongue<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/SatCam/sig_funkmanstill.jpg" border="0" />

This message was edited by FUNKMAN on 5-9-05 @ 5:55 PM

Snoogans

05-09-2005, 01:51 PM

i saw ben harper open for dave a long time ago.....i saw incubus at a
couple SOU shows around when science was out right before make
yourself...thats bout it 

<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=Snoogans194">
GO SAWX!!!!! Hassan Eats Dick!!! Snoogans 1, Monitor 0
GIMMIE MY FUCKIN CHANGE, I AINT PLAYIN WIT YOU

Freakshow

05-12-2005, 05:37 PM

i saw The Black Crowes open up for ZZ Top, but they already had Shake Your Money Maker as a hit when I saw the show (1991 or so).

I saw Sugar Ray play before Poe in 1996, I wouldn't say they were opening up exactly, but they went on to have hits and Poe fell off the face of the Earth.
 
 
I saw Fuel open a show on a Monday night in 99 or so, there were maybe 20 people there. Six months later they came back an played a sold out show in the same club. Eight months later they were on the radio in Australia, where I was on exchange.

<center><img
src=http://
img.photobucket.com/
albums/v53/monster6sixty6/
guests/freak4_sig.gif>
 Thanks, M1 We
don't need a cure we
need a final solution</
center>

This message was edited by Freakshow on 5-12-05 @ 9:40 PM

curtoid

05-12-2005, 06:17 PM

quote:i
saw The Black Crowes open up for ZZ Top, but they already had Shake
Your Money Maker as a hit when I saw the show (1991 or so).
I saw Sugar Ray play before Poe in 1996, I wouldn't say they were
opening up exactly, but they went on to have hits and Poe fell off the
face of the Earth. 
 
I saw Fuel open a show on a Monday night in 99 or so, there were maybe
20 people there. Six months later they came back an played a sold out
show in the same club. Eight months later they were on the radio in
Australia, where I was on exchange.
<img src="http://" border="0" />
 Thanks, M1 We
don't need a cure we
need a final solution

This message was edited by Freakshow on 5-12-05 @ 9:40 PM Black
Crowes played our college back in 1988, which I remember because Chris
Robinson freaked out a friend of mine when he rode in an elevator with
her at our college radio station. Oddly, that same summer Kurt Russell
was in town (a small, Southern college town in the mountains) filming a
small movie - Goldie and the kids were all there (they ended up buying
some land), including 9 year old Kate Hudson - someone else at the
radio station hasseled them at the mall.  I first
heard of Sugar Ray around 1995/1996 when they did a kick ass punked out
version of one of the songs Howard Stern wrote when he was 11 years old
("Electric Bee"?). It was fun, and very different from what they ended
making their money with.

douchebagsean

05-12-2005, 07:24 PM

i dont remember if it was after their first or second record but i saw
the foo fighters open for the stones during their bridges to baylon
tour at giants stadium 

"eck-a-see + an-frax=
am-ba-lance!"
"im a gonna c-i-l-l my landlord"

TheMojoPin

05-12-2005, 07:51 PM

I saw the Foos open for Sonic Youth and The Beastie Boys back in early '95 when they were just "that band started by the drummer dude from Nirvana."Outside of that, sure, I've seen acts that went on to have hits open for people...but for the most part they sucked dick.  Odds are...I'd say a good 96% of the time...opening acts are guarenteed to bite hard.

<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=TheMojoPin">
1979 << On the streets of your town... >> "You can tell some lies about the good times we've had, but I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."

Recyclerz

05-12-2005, 08:27 PM

Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins opening for the RH Chili Peppers a long time ago.The GoGos opening for the Specials; GM Flash & the Furious Five opening for The Clash - two even longer times ago.Salieri opening for Mozart before that.

<IMG SRC="http://www.hometown.aol.com/recyclerz/myhomepage/sigpic1.gif?mtbrand=AOL_US">

[b]There ain't no asylum here.
King Solomon, he never lived 'round here[b]

TheGameHHH

05-12-2005, 08:38 PM

i too saw ben harper open for dave as well as g. love. that's about as famous as i go.  oh yea, i also saw counting crows open for the rolling stones in like '95 at Giants Stadium. 

<IMG SRC="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v53/monster6sixty6/guests/hhh3_sig.gif">

narc

05-12-2005, 11:41 PM

Buddy of mine saw Radiohead open up for Alanis Morissette, during their Pablo Honey and Jagged Little Pill days respectively.

I'm not sure they would share a bill today.

JustJon

05-13-2005, 10:50 AM

I first heard of Sugar Ray
around 1995/1996 when they did a kick ass punked out version of one of
the songs Howard Stern wrote when he was 11 years old ("Electric
Bee"?). It was fun, and very different from what they ended making
their money with.Thier
first album was fairly heavy.  "Mean Machine" got quite a bit of
airplay on rock radio.  Then they put a poppy song on their second
album and sold the fuck out by changing their sound to pop when they
saw how well the one song did. And I saw Poe around the same time, but the Eels opened. Also saw Ben Harper open for Pearl Jam.  Twice.  But I still don't see him as famous. 

<img src="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/bans/rfjustjon11.gif"> <A href="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com">Chaotic Concepts</a>

PhishHead

05-15-2005, 07:08 AM

Saw Dave Matthews Band open for Phish, saw Ben Harper, Roots, Ben
Folds, Robert Randolph, Keller Williams, Karl Densons Tiny Universe,
Beck all open for DMB (plus alot more that I just cant think of right
now).  There is probably alot more openers I have seen that have
become famous that I just dont remember. 

<IMG SRC="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=Phishhead">
thanks to fallon and monsterone for the sigs.

Death Metal Moe

05-15-2005, 07:25 AM

I never saw a band that went out to be famous, but it just reminded me of a story.  Unhallowed has just got done playing a show at The Living Room in Rhode Island many years ago.  We were on our way out and we picked up a flyer of upcoming shows at the venue.  On it was some guy names Eminem.  I remember us making fun of his name for like a half hour outside the place and once we got in the car too.  Then, he exploded on the scene.  Funny.

<IMG SRC="http://unhallowed.com/sigs/NewToolsSuckAss.jpg">

<A HREF="http://www.unhallowed.com">www.unhallowed.com</A>
<A HREF="http://thebigsexxxy.blogspot.com/">One Big SeXXXy Blog</A>

Ralphy Ramone

05-23-2005, 07:03 AM

AliceYour SigPic reminded me of a show I saw in '78.Cheap Trick was backed by some band called "The Cars".

<img src=http://publish.hometown.aol.com/turkishtaffy1/myhomepage/licplate.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US>

It's T.V.'s fault I am this way