Bad concert pairings...

Damn, I wish I had been at the show with OMD opening for the Cure. I love both of them (although I can see that the mood wouldn't match so well)!

I have been to a few shows where the musical styles of the opening act and the band just didn't mix at all. So even if the opening act is talented, the audience couldn't possibly be receptive unless they had really really broad musical taste. I'm thinking of two concerts I went to where this was the case. Oddly enough, I can't remember who I was actually there to see, but I know in both cases it was 80's alternative bands and they had Robert Cray opening one time and NRBQ opening another. Both seemed like very odd choices.

Manic Street Preachers and Ian Brown

Coldplay and Idlewild

Madness and some DJ that kept playing reggae songs

quote:

Originally posted by sister madly in da house:
[qb]
Coldplay and Idlewild

Madness and some DJ that kept playing reggae songs [/qb]

Bizarre as Coldplay and Idlewild would have been, it sounds like good value for money! hehehe.

I get why Madness would have a reggae DJ... but the sound of it might be different to the actual reality.

I can't think of any bad pairings, but I can think of one I hated -

Violent Delight (ugh) and Hell Is For Heroes (yay). Violent Delight were just SO rubbish in comparison and he was ripping of JustinHIFH so badly!

I much prefer Idlewild to Coldplay but I do like them both. The Coldplay crowd were mostly unimpressed by Idlewild though

The reggae DJ was bizarre; half the crowd were singing along with these completely obscure songs and half were looking completely horrified/heckling.

quote:

Originally posted by grace0418:
[qb] I'm thinking of two concerts I went to where this was the case. Oddly enough, I can't remember who I was actually there to see, but I know in both cases it was 80's alternative bands and they had Robert Cray opening one time and NRBQ opening another. Both seemed like very odd choices.[/qb]

There are two bands (that I can think of - there are probably more) that might be classified as alternative 80's bands that are huge NRBQ fans: REM and Yo La Tengo. Was it either of those bands that you might have seen? It might explain why they were the openers. I actually got into NRBQ from hearing Yo La Tengo cover one of their songs. NRBQ puts on one of the most fun shows you'll ever see.

edit: I just remembered that NRBQ recently opened for Elvis Costello on a couple of dates. Although if it had been that recent, you probably would have remembered who it was, huh?

I'm with Awamutu as far as having to watch Sheryl Crow open for CH...I had forgotten about that! I am now recalling her big, permed hair and glowing choppers. Yikes. Another weird show: Radiohead opening for Ned's Atomic Dustbin. I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually really enjoyed Ed Harcourt.

I have to stick up for Ed here. When I first heard Ed Harcourt, I was concerned.
But he grows on you. I think he has the Finn seal of approval too.

He definatly has the Finn seal of approval - Ed first supported Neil at Neil's London promo show for One Nil back in Febuary 2001. He was hand picked by Neil to be the support and at the time, that was the biggest audience Ed had ever played to (solo at least, I dunno if he'd done gigs that big with Snug).

I love Ed Harcourt. I don't understand why other people don't get him. But then I don't understand why Aqualung aren't the biggest band in Britain...

I knew it! Wow, Sara, that's what I call impressive Ed knowledge.

There's one I particularly recall from my teenage years, which I thought was pretty terrible pairing. But it probably won't make any sense to someone who doesn't remember the late-80's music scene in Australia... (oh well, here goes)

(the legendary) Boom Crash Opera opening for (idol flash in the pans) 1927

I forget who'd dragged me along to this show, but after BCO, 1927 just shouldn't have bothered! In fact, both my friend and I were agreeing afterward that the main act was a letdown after Boom Crash Opera's truly amazing, energetic set.

As for Neil/CH, well, they always had killer opening acts in Australia and New Zealand... and Rhett rocked so hard in NYC in Jan. I actually found myself singing along (most odd when you're hearing the songs for the first time, but always a good vibe!!!)

quote:

Originally posted by Lester Lives:
[qb]I knew it! Wow, Sara, that's what I call impressive Ed knowledge.[/qb]

Heheh. Well, I was at that show and I spoke to Ed's manager before hand for a bit, so he told me that... plus Ed was VERY nervous onstage, you could tell.

I saw him last week in London and he's brilliant now. Not a hint of nervousness anymore.

The new album's excellent as well

The worst opening act I can think of right now has got to be Billy Bob Thornton opening for Elvis Costello. Man, he was so boring, drab, blah!

One of the weirdest is Ministry opening for The Police. This is when Ministry were more "funky" maybe would be the word for it? But it was still a strange choice. They were good though.

I thought that one rap act opening for U2 on the Zoo TV tour was pretty out of hand....

And I DID SEE OMD open for the Cure. That was nuts.

Lyle Lovett opening for Sting was a bad pairing only in the regard that Lyle is so much more exciting to watch live, and as such, completely upstaged Sting. I was embarrassed for Sting.

Then I had free tickets to this one concert where what was left of Foreigner opened for what was left of Journey. I guess Lou Gramm from Foreigner has had some sort of debilitating brain disease, and the poor guy just can't sing anymore...it was painful. Journey got up, with a guy who sounds exactly like Steve Perry, and (I'm ashamed to say) was really fun to watch, totally unrepentant in their cheesiness and you had to love them for it.

Probably have to go with Koko Taylor opening for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Mind you, I LIKE Koko Taylor, but she works better in a small blues club than far away on a stage in front of 16,000 people. That, and while Zep USED to be pretty firmly rooted in the blues, it isn't really where the Page/Plant sound was going on that particular tour.

Dada, Blink were poor support for Crowded House

Voice of the Beehive were great as support to CH

Danny Wilson supported The Christians on the latters 1st UK tour, and blew the headline act of the stage (for me anyway!)

quote:

Originally posted by kia kaha:
[qb]There's one I particularly recall from my teenage years, which I thought was pretty terrible pairing. But it probably won't make any sense to someone who doesn't remember the late-80's music scene in Australia... (oh well, here goes)[/qb]

Hmm.. showing my age a bit here. I do remember these, all too well.

quote:

[qb](the legendary) Boom Crash Opera opening for (idol flash in the pans) 1927[/qb]

What a crazy pairing! I mean, I liked them both, but can't imagine the clash of styles working for anyone in the audience!

Showing YOUR age, pharmgirl? I thought I was showing MINE!

Pity I didn't know you when I was flying through O'Hare... it's been WAY too long since I heard an Australian accent (except on TV, and even then I want to cry sometimes...)

okay, I can think of one or two:
this weird rap band opened up for Foo Fighters one time, I cant remember their name...
Then for Radiohead this girl dj opened up but she wasn't all that great--she was kinda boring....

----------------
www.suprean.com

The Melvins opening for Tool. I have nothing against The Melvins, but it's an odd pairing.

[qb]
Then for Radiohead this girl dj opened up but she wasn't all that great--she was kinda boring....
[/qb][/QUOTE]

i think i remember hearing about that one.
i heard they nabbed her at the *last second* because whoever was scheduled to play couldn't make it.

handsome boy modeling school was also a hip hop/dj sort of outfit, and was actually pretty fun, i thought. a lot of people were confused and just didn't get it. but i didn't care. they were playing so many old skool jams (i.e. the humpty dance!) that i really had to give radiohead props for expanding their horizons and not limiting their opening acts to guitar driven, shoe gazer rock.

-m

[QUOTE]Originally posted by suenotsusan:
[QB]I just received an e-mail that Rhett Miller will be opening for Tori Amos on her next tour. Now, if you saw the Rhett open for Neil (or any other time) you probably know how energetic and fun he is. Tori is, well, less energetic... IMHO, a bad pairing. [QB]

hmm
having been to a few tori amos shows in the past, i wouldn't exactly say she's less energetic. she just attracts a different crowd altogether, i think.
rhett's songs are fun and cheeky and catchy and are great to sing along to.
a good chunk of tori's catalog is solemn and deals with very personal, explosive issues, and it seems to appeal mostly to teenage and college age females who are probably really angry with men. or something.
well, that was my experience anyway.

but i agree.
rhett doesn't exactly belong there.

The year was 1995, the concert was R.E.M. The opening act was Crowded House. This was like a dream come true for me but sadly the concert was in Auckland and i was a 17 year old at school with no money living in Wellington, i was crushed. 2 of my all time favourite bands playing the same venue on the same night. But there it was, the greatest pairing in the history of music.

I just realised i posted this in the bad concert pairings. Well, in a way it was bad because i couldnt see them! But pretend this is in the good concert pairings.

the village people opening for eminem.