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Support band stole the show

Have you been to a concert where, to your surprise, the support band stole the show?  What tales have you got of the warm up turning out to be even better than the bill toppers?  
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  • Chas and Dave blew Status Quo away at the O2 a few years ago.  And, a few years before that, C&D were themselves supported by Buster Shuffle, who absolutely ripped it up. 

    Also, in 1983, I saw The Police with a support band "to be announced".  Turned out to be The Animals, reformed only that year.  The concert was recorded, released and they disbanded again. 
  • Thunder supporting Whitesnake.  Wembley Arena 2013
  • Chas n Dave came close to it when I saw them supporting the mighty Quo at the o2 a few years ago.

    The Charlatans supporting Oasis at Finsbury Park in 2002.
  • The Who at charlton back in the 70s. 
    It was raining and the atmosphere was pretty flat. 
    Alex Harvey transformed a docile crowd into a proper crowd.
    Not saying they outshone the who but they certainly got the crowd worked up enough to make the who's job easier. 
  • Chizz said:
    Chas and Dave blew Status Quo away at the O2 a few years ago.  And, a few years before that, C&D were themselves supported by Buster Shuffle, who absolutely ripped it up. 

    Also, in 1983, I saw The Police with a support band "to be announced".  Turned out to be The Animals, reformed only that year.  The concert was recorded, released and they disbanded again. 
    Beat me to it on Chas n Dave! 

    I had that animals concert on video years ago, they were superb.
  • The Killers supporting Stellastar at the Electric Ballroom, 2004 - hadn't heard of them but they were incredible, already had their great early songs
  • Black Sabbath's 10th Anniversary Tour (1979). Only two of us got tickets for the Hammersmith Odeon gig, and then they announced an extra night the day before at Lewisham Odeon on the Friday night. I swear half the school were there.

    On come some American band as the support group for their first gig in the UK, with half the audience in the bar.

    "Lewisham - the Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World" screams the lead singer.

    Van Halen blew Sabbath off the stage that night, so much so, that I bought their album the next morning and (in my mind) learnt all their songs for the Saturday night gig at the Hammy.

    They blew Sabbath off the stage that night as well.
  • Went to see Example in 2010 and Ed Sheehan was the support act, blew him away even then!
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  • Two examples I can think of:

    Chas and Dave (again) supporting the Libertines @ Kentish Town Forum (2005)
    Franz Ferdinand supporting Hot Hot Heat at Highbury Garage (2003)
  • Two spring to mind.
    Went to see showaddywaddy in Croydon with Alvin Stardust was far better.
    Also went to see Lordi and the although were brilliant, Turisas was simply amazing. 
  • Chizz said:
    Have you been to a concert where, to your surprise, the support band stole the show?  What tales have you got of the warm up turning out to be even better than the bill toppers?  
    Went to a Pussycat Dolls concert with the missus (don't ask) and Lady Gaga was the support act, at the time a complete unknown, but she was 1000x the performer that they were
  • In 1976 went to see Little Feat at the Hammersmith Odeon. They were supported by The Outlaws, whose music I hadn't heard. Wasn't expecting much but they were blinding. 
    The bonus was that Little Feat were brilliant but just not as good as The Outlaws that night.
    Brilliant night, 2 exceptional performances.
  • sam3110 said:
    Chizz said:
    Have you been to a concert where, to your surprise, the support band stole the show?  What tales have you got of the warm up turning out to be even better than the bill toppers?  
    Went to a Pussycat Dolls concert with the missus (don't ask) and Lady Gaga was the support act, at the time a complete unknown, but she was 1000x the performer that they were
    That's great to hear about your missus.  But how good was Lady Gaga? 
  • Neil Young had that collaboration with Pearl Jam and came out to Prague on the tour. Support band remained "undisclosed", and the low key way the Levellers sauntered on suggested they were a last minute call. Big mistake by Neil's gang. The Levellers were at the peak of their career and already very popular in Prague. Neil was grumpy throughout, seemed to almost pick a fight with one of the Pearl Jam guys, and made a dodgy comment about Budweiser. Embarrassing.
  • Stereo MCs supporting EMF. Hardly a surprise and quite a few were only there for the support.
  • I saw Radiohead support The Frank and Walters. I preferred the F&W but with hindsight it's an odd one. 
  • Dead Confederate at Dinosaur Jr.
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  • Franz Ferdinand supporting Oasis in Bangkok
  • Bob Dylan mid 80s at Wembley Arena - supported by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Southern Accents hadn't long been out and Petty was awesome.
  • Didn't Townshend admit that the Specials blew them off stage in the early 80's? 
  • Kasabian supporting Embrace in 2004, a couple of months after debut album came out. Absolutely incredible! 
  • Thunder supporting Whitesnake.  Wembley Arena 2013
    Thunder supporting Mott the Hoople at the 02 in 2014
  • I went to see a band in the 90's called Saint Etienne at Southsea Parade Pier the support band was Pulp, Jarvis and the band were superb. Everybody leaving was talking about them rather than the main act you just knew they were going to make it big. 
  • Not quite the same but I went to a small festival down in Devon a few years ago and was really excited Seasick Steve was headlining (and he was very good), but one of the support acts I'd never heard of went down really well, little ginger bloke called Ed Sheeran. 
  • Saw Arctic Monkeys at a one off gig at Brixton for the humbug album, support act kept secret, them crooked vultures
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