• From: Amsterdam
  • Registered: 2007-10-06
  • Posts: 5,249

Topic: Mis-matched openers

Continuing on the same theme as 'most memorable' or 'first' show, we've all seen gigs where the opening act either totally does not fit with the main act, or where the opening act surprises everyone, blows them away, and sometimes even outshines the main act. There must be so many examples of this in the accumulated musical history of y'all here, which is immense!

The finest example of the total surpise - what turned out to be the greatest and most moving show of my life, Little Feat opening for the Doobie Brothers at the Rainbow in London in 1975 - absolutely no one had any idea that 90% of the sold out Rainbow was actually there for the opening act, until they started playing. Then the place went completely ape****.

My best example of a mis-match - Lynyrd Skynyrd opening for Capt. Beefheart. Astonishing. big_smile

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith
  • From: Amsterdam
  • Registered: 2007-10-06
  • Posts: 5,249

Re: Mis-matched openers

BluesMan wrote:

What about Jimi Hendrix opening for the Monkees?

Roy

That's a VERY impressive offering, Roy!! Hard to imagine anything more gobsmacking. Well, that's the end of this topic.

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith
  • From: Orange County, NY
  • Registered: 2007-08-19
  • Posts: 574

Re: Mis-matched openers

BluesMan wrote:

What about Jimi Hendrix opening for the Monkees?

Roy

That isn't for real, is it?  Are you kidding? yikes

If heartaches were nickels
I'd be the richest fool alive

4 Reply by ohiodawg13 (edited by ohiodawg13 2008-05-01 14:42:12)

  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Mis-matched openers

Mindy wrote:
BluesMan wrote:

What about Jimi Hendrix opening for the Monkees?

Roy

That isn't for real, is it?  Are you kidding? yikes

Absolutely true Mindy. A couple of my friends in junior high saw the show at the Cow Palace in SF must have been '66 or '67. My friends were baffled about other musicians in the background playing most of the music during the Monkee's set. It was years later we found out Mike Nesmith was the only legitimate musician in the group. My friends thought Jimi was "weird", but a year or two later we couldn't get enough of him.

                                                                                             Think Green,

                                                                                             J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • From: Orange County, NY
  • Registered: 2007-08-19
  • Posts: 574

Re: Mis-matched openers

ohiodawg13 wrote:
Mindy wrote:
BluesMan wrote:

What about Jimi Hendrix opening for the Monkees?

Roy

That isn't for real, is it?  Are you kidding? yikes

Absolutely true Mindy. A couple of my friends in junior high saw the show at the Cow Palace in SF must have been '66 or '67. My friends were baffled about other musicians in the background playing most of the music during the Monkee's set. It was years later we found out Mike Nesmith was the only legitimate musician in the group. My friends thought Jimi was "weird", but a year or two later we couldn't get enough of him.

                                                                                             Think Green,

                                                                                             J Dawg

I can't even imagine that!

If heartaches were nickels
I'd be the richest fool alive

6 Reply by vickyh31 (edited by vickyh31 2008-05-01 15:55:23)

  • From: Newcastle under Lyme
  • Registered: 2008-02-29
  • Posts: 320

Re: Mis-matched openers

Didn't the Beatles open for Roy Orbison on his European Tour in 1963?

Wasn't even born then but my other half saw them with his three brothers when he was on holiday in Liverpool (later than this though I think)- his mum managed to scrape together the money for tickets - I think he was early teens and had the mumps at the time but wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Vicky

"Stellar" a word used by Joe Bonamassa (also apt as a description of the man himself cool)
  • From: Lancashire
  • Registered: 2008-02-26
  • Posts: 700

Re: Mis-matched openers

Hmm bit dif but I got forced to see kasabian, they had a DJ open for them and he blew them and the Fratellis (who also opened) away played decent classic songs tbh kasabian where just noise,

Was odd was like the DJ got every1 ready to go even had hendrix on... then Fratellis warmed everyone up more with some decent songs... then kasabian came and it was just awful prob worst live act ive seen in a while that hasnt been in a pub..