I knew them when they were nowt. Support Bands.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun May 18, 2008 7:51 pm

Chat on the 'What Are You Listening To?' thread has got onto support bands. Over the years I've seen 100's of support bands and the one thing that unites over 95% of them is that they were shite, and as such have sunk without trace. So, have you seen any support bands that you thought were crap but they went on to do well? One's that you thought were brilliant yet they never got anywhere? Support bands that turned out to be better than the main act? Have you ever been to a gig simply to see the support act? You get the drill.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Sun May 18, 2008 7:53 pm

Quite a few over the years like yerself Brucie...men of a certain age and all that. Saw Iron Maiden as support, but I think most of the others I saw - sank without trace...

qwertywarrior · Post by **qwertywarrior** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:05 pm

my dad saw oasis in early 90s playing before a rugby game

he said they were shit

i saw the automatic before they were the automatic i say they are shit

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:07 pm

Guns and Roses, sort of. I bought their first album on the strength of Tommy Vance constantly plugging it on the Friday Rock Show. Great LP. They were "joint headliners" with Faster Pussycat, at Manchester Apollo. It was less than half full. And they weren't that good, that night. But they did go on to bigger things...
Other than that, most bands I've seen (even headliners) haven't become that big...
I did go to see Jeff Lewis at the 12-Bar Club, in London, and thought that one of his supports, Paul The Girl, was superb. Much better than him. Been to see her a lot (would recommend her albums "ElectroMagnetic Blues" and "Little Miss Weird".) But she's not very big, either...

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:10 pm

One's that I thought were brilliant and that I still own stuff by; Big Country were supported in Manchester by a local band called Playing At Trains who were absolutely superb. They secured a deal shortly afterwards but were made to change their name to The Cygnet Ring. They went on to have one moderate hit 'Love Crime' which deserved credit if only for the line "I turned and watched her light up just like a film production, If God gave love to all mankind he should have sent instructions". Another one was a band called 29 Palms who can probably put their demise down to being championed by Dave Lee Travis.

One of the worst that I ever saw yet ultimately one that went on to do really well were Travis.

Oh, and you know I mentioned going to see the support band? Squeeze as they were second on the bill to Level fecking 42.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:13 pm

Saw Kingmaker supported by Elastica, who obviously did better than the headliners. I was just happy that Justine Frischmann brushed past me in a corridor.

Oh and last time I saw Weller he was comprehensively blown away by an instrument-swapping Manc support act called Doves.

InsaneApache · Post by **InsaneApache** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:35 pm

Joy Division supported us at The Ranch on Dale St. in 1977. True.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:45 pm

Might be a bit irrelevant (probably is

) but I was reading somewhere not long ago that The Honeycombs started as a support band for somebody or other then went on to have a smash-hit with "Have I the Right". Funny thing is, I never heard of them after that.

Zulus Thousand of em · Post by **Zulus Thousand of em** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:51 pm

I remember seeing a promising unknown Irish band at UMIST around 1975/76 called The Boomtown Rats. I recall saying to my mate that they could go further. An opinion not shared, apparently, by Tony Wilson. However he was a pretentious prick - unlike me. God rest his soul.

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:52 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:Saw Kingmaker supported by Elastica, who obviously did better than the headliners. I was just happy that Justine Frischmann brushed past me in a corridor.

Oh and last time I saw Weller he was comprehensively blown away by an instrument-swapping Manc support act called Doves.

Kingmaker! 10 years asleep an all that - I was only reminiscing about 'em the other day. I thought they were gonna be big news til I bought the album (since lost, as on tape.)

Puskas · Post by **Puskas** » Sun May 18, 2008 8:58 pm

Lord Kangana wrote:
Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:Saw Kingmaker supported by Elastica, who obviously did better than the headliners. I was just happy that Justine Frischmann brushed past me in a corridor.

Oh and last time I saw Weller he was comprehensively blown away by an instrument-swapping Manc support act called Doves.
Kingmaker! 10 years asleep an all that - I was only reminiscing about 'em the other day. I thought they were gonna be big news til I bought the album (since lost, as on tape.)

I wondered why they didn't make a comeback in the recent 90s band revival.
They used to play in Liverpool all the time when I was living there. The Krazy House (or Powerstation as was), did 2-for-1 beers on a Thursday night, with a live band. Often Kingmaker!

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:00 pm

Never quite understood the widespread hatred of Kingmaker. Heard a lot worse before and since. Oh well.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:25 pm

Oh, and around 1980 I remember running all the way home from Eagley CC because BBC 2 were running a thing about Irish bands. On that particular night my all-time heroes, SLF, were sharing the stage with some unheard of bunch of Dubliners called U2.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:38 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Oh, and around 1980 I remember running all the way home from Eagley CC because BBC 2 were running a thing about Irish bands. On that particular night my all-time heroes, SLF, were sharing the stage with some unheard of bunch of Dubliners called U2.

Speaking of Irish bands, are Hothouse Flowers stil going. I thought they were quite decent. (Do I need to duck?)

bobby5 · Post by **bobby5** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:52 pm

I saw Kiss with Bon Jovi as support. Crowning glory for me was seeing unknown Van Halen open for Black Sabbath in 78.

Dr Hotdog · Post by **Dr Hotdog** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:53 pm

In 2003 I saw Razorlight supporting Hope of The States at the Hop and Grape (Academy 3 in new money). Not once did I think they'd be good enough for Live 8. Awful then, awful now.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun May 18, 2008 10:58 pm

Dr Hotdog wrote:In 2003 I saw Razorlight supporting Hope of The States at the Hop and Grape (Academy 3 in new money). Not once did I think they'd be good enough for Live 8. Awful then, awful now.

I have Razorlight down as being the biggest pile of unspeakable wank that I've ever heard in my entire life. Trust me, I've heard some unspeakable wank!

Dr Hotdog · Post by **Dr Hotdog** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:04 pm

They spoil everything they touch. I hate them. I hated them then and I hate them even more now.

My mates band supported Coldplay at the Roadhouse once, that was a weird gig. Parachutes tour I think, or just prior to it. About a month later they were on Jools Holland.

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:09 pm

I quite like Razorlight

(lights blue touch paper, walks safe distance...)

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Sun May 18, 2008 11:15 pm

Agree with the Razorshite consensus. They headlined(!) Leeds last year and have to say even though I was back in the tent area it sounded awful, plus people who were there kept sayin how the stage was just filled up with images off Borrell's pasty face.

Anywho, onto the subject in hand...

The most obvious one that springs to mind is when I went to see The Bravery back in '05 in Academy 2. The support was this crappy bunch of southerners, couldnt carry a tune in a bucket, and the singer whipped out a harmonica once in a while. Hard-Fi they were called.

Went to see Franz at the MEN mainly to see The Rakes/Editors, and went to see Maximo Park at Bristol Academy for the most part to see Art Brut (f*ckin awesome).

I went to see Peter Bjorn and John at the Roadhouse in 06 and I remember being so much impressed by the support act, The Russian Futurists, that I bought one of their albums. They're still a good listen but haven't heard a peep out of them since.

Also in the Roadhouse that annum, I saw British Sea Power who were comprehensively blown away by their support, iLiKETRAiNS. Still pottering out the outskirts of mainstream somewhere last time I checked.

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I knew them when they were nowt. Support Bands.

I knew them when they were nowt. Support Bands.

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