Memorable Support Bands?

Posted by: seagull on 19 May 2006

A comment someone made in the "Last concert you went to" thread about support bands made me think…

Most support bands are instantly forgettable mainly because they are not the act that you have gone to see. It is highly likely that I have seen bands in their early formative years who went on to become well known and I've not actually remembered seeing them. But here are a few that have stuck in my memory for various reasons...

Best support band
Joy Division supporting The Buzzcocks 20th October 1979. See, I even remember the date! Absolutely awesome and Pete Shelley's mob weren't too bad either. Saw the Undertones a few days later - those were the days!

Worst support band
Kajagoogoo (eek) - (supporting Fashion)! I was in the bar before hand (as you do) when this collection of the blokes sporting the world's worst haircuts ever walked in, I nearly choked on my pint of Pedigree.

Support band who went on to become most famous…
The Police, supporting Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias. This was just before Roxanne hit the charts.

These were all at gigs when I was at University…

Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Bananahead

I too saw Joy Division supporting Buzzcocks on 1st November 1979.

And U2 supporting Buzzcocks. And U2 were shite.

And The Fall supporting Buzzcocks.

I also saw The Human League supporting Stiff Little Fingers one week and Siouxsie and the Banshees the next.

And I saw OMD supporting The Human League.

Nigel

Posted on: 21 May 2006 by Rasher

I remember seeing Moby as a 3 piece rock outfit. It must have been supporting someone like Soundgarden mid 90's, but yes, it is a bit uncool to see be there early enough to catch a support.

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by jcs_smith

Bim Sherman supporting Gary Clail and Tackead Sound System at Les Botanique in Brussels. Unbelievable.
Van Halen supporting Sabbath in the late 70's. Halen blew Sabbath off the stage.

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by Shayman

Saw Texas supporting Foregone Conclusion at Chasers in Slough back in the late 80's. Both great bands.

Jonathan

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by jcs_smith

My dad saw the Beatles in Hamburg in 1962 supporting some local band. He said they were rubbish - there was no indication of any particular talent at the time

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by Malky

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jcs_smith:
Bim Sherman
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of the best performers I ever saw (Womad). Now, sadly, no longer with us.

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by analogue kid

best support act, first on the bill and most memorable(apart from the headliners)

Chas and Dave
Knebworth 1979

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by jcs_smith

quote:
Originally posted by Malky:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jcs_smith:
Bim Sherman
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of the best performers I ever saw (Womad). Now, sadly, no longer with us.

The man had the voice of an angel and a backing band of Skip MacDonald, Doug Wimbish and the Dub Syndicate. What more could you ask for?

Posted on: 22 May 2006 by Malky

The album he made with Talvin Singh about ten years ago was beautiful too. Tailor made for a hot summer afternoon.

Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Chris Kelly

Saw a truly dreadful band called Spontaneous Combustion support Atomic Rooster at Guildford Civic hall in 1971.
Actually looking back I think they were a protype punk outfit 5 years ahead of their time, but they were bad!

Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Steve S1

Nutz supporting Queen in the early 70's (nobody, myself included had heard of Queen at that time).

Nutz blew them off stage, I bought an LP which I no longer have - they sank without trace. Queen - the rest is history (?why but there we are) but nobody who saw that gig would ever have bet on it.

Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Malky

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Saw a truly dreadful band called Spontaneous Combustion support Atomic Rooster
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Couldn't have been any more dreadful than the headline act? surely.

Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Guido Fawkes

quote:
Originally posted by Malky:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Saw a truly dreadful band called Spontaneous Combustion support Atomic Rooster
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Couldn't have been any more dreadful than the headline act? surely.

I've not seen them live, but the first album wasn't bad and the second album when Paul Hammond replaced Carl Palmer and more importantly John Du Cann joined from the Action is a great elpee with VUG and Tomorrow Night the stand out tracks. Go for the expanded version of Death Walks Behinf You if you want their best selling single "Devil's Answer" (well worth it). Afraid it went downhill after that ....

BTW best support band I've ever seen were Third World War who supported Wishbone Ash. Melody Maker's reporter described TWW as the worst band he'd ever heard, but I thought they were great - 7 years later, the Clash were heroes for doing a set not unlike TWW.

Indeed, in 1977 Richard Williams of Melody Maker said: Listening this week to the Clash’s album, noting its attitude and sentiments, I was driven back to Third World War, and having played the old album a couple of times afresh I'm convinced that it is one of the most prophetic yet neglected items in all of British rock.

Well, I kicked on my mule, and he obeyed me,
Everyone else snuffed and delayed me.
They said you ain't got the voice,
And you ain’t got the chords,
Living in Bayswater on floorboards.
And you won’t,
No you won’t, no you won’t,
Take that load
Up Stardom Road.

Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Diode100

Undoubtably it was seeing and hearing The Third Ear Band Support the Edgar Broughton Band at the old Country Club in Haverstock Hill. From the look on Edgar's face I'm sure he had it in mind to murder them then and there on stage. And they had the gaul to come back and do it again next week. Eventually they were rescued by Roman Polanski, who got them to do the soundtrack for his version of The Scottish Play.

Posted on: 24 May 2006 by Chris Kelly

Good point Malky! But they were indeed worse!
Atomic Rooster were loud and rather samey, but had Carl Palmer flailing at the drumkit.

Not one of the highlights of my year at Guildford that's for sure! I recall various other musical events of that era: Mike Westbrook leading a largely improvised 24 hour piece based, if my aged memory serves, around Mayan myths and a light show that ended up back where it started. Loads of good bands at the student union at Surry Uni. Happy days!

Posted on: 24 May 2006 by Chris Kelly

Edgar Broughton! Another rave from the grave. The only song I recall is "Out Demons Out". Saw them at an outdoor gig in Hyde Park, which culminated with Pink Floyd playing Atom Heart Mother live for the first time. I vaguely recall that Kevin Ayers and the Whole World were on the same bill and maybe Lol Coxhill too. Maybe Roy Harper.

Posted on: 24 May 2006 by Rasher

Sounds like a Harvest outing then

Posted on: 24 May 2006 by Chris Kelly

Yes it does doesn't it! Dare say somewhere on the WWW i could find the whole menu for that day!Maybe if I check my Harvest box set other names will spring out!

Posted on: 27 May 2006 by Alan Paterson

Some more recent stuff. Saw both the editors and the rakes as support bands.

Posted on: 27 May 2006 by Diccus62

I can't remember them being better, but Japan in their early New York Dolls incarnation, supporting BOC thats Blue Oyster Cult. The headbangers didn't know what to make of a tranny Japan but I thought they were class. Saw Japan again later around the time of 'Ghosts' and were good then too if a little more pretensious.

Diccus