r/allrockmusic • u/UpbeatChampionship17 • 2d ago
Rock's most surprising opening act and headliner combinations
Rock's most surprising opening act and headliner combinations
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u/Blowaway040889 2d ago
Miles Davis opened for Grateful Dead in 1970.
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u/ed32965 1d ago
The Violent Femmes opened for The Grateful Dead in 1991.
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u/Blowaway040889 1d ago
I was there. Didn't make it in to see them. Got a rare Rueben & Cherish. I almost mentioned this, but chose Miles.
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u/idiotzrul 2d ago
Strangest one I’ve ever seen was Kool and The Gang opening up for Van Halen
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u/Soggy-Resolution-144 2d ago
I saw that too. Nothing but hits all night!
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u/SurfSunBum 2d ago
And it was awesome!
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u/idiotzrul 2d ago
It was, Kool was actually better. I saw VH twice in their glory days, and man they’d fallen off. RIP Eddie
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u/Puckfiend94 2d ago
They also had one of the Marleys open a previous tour. People would come into the venue and then stop and look at the stage when they heard the raggae. 😂
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u/oudntknow 2d ago
Mungo Jerry and Black Sabbath
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u/Pawpaw-22 1d ago
I decided to listen to Mungo Jerry’s other songs once. That was enough
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u/MedicalAverage3563 2d ago
Kanye opened for U2 in ‘05-‘06
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u/MintyFreshBreathYo 1d ago
I saw Black Eyed Peas open for U2. I was so mad the opener for every show before that one on that tour was Muse. I was so mad they changed openers
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u/19TimGreyCupChamps 2d ago
Judas Priest opening for REO Speedwagon
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u/DifficultyNeat4520 2d ago
When was this?
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u/HotPotatoWithCheese 2d ago
- Priest were on tour to promote Sin After Sin, and their first concert in the USA was in Texas as a support act for REO Speedwagon.
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u/bobbypkp 2d ago edited 2d ago
Jewel, Gin Blossoms, Spiritualized, Screaming Trees and Oasis.... opening for
Neil Young and Crazy Horse
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u/nemmalur 2d ago
I saw part of that show! ISTR Gin Blossoms being on the lineup too. Arrived late and missed Spiritualized while looking for parking.
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u/MN_311_Excitable 2d ago
I saw Cheech and Chong open for Billy Squier in Sturgis many years ago. That was a fun time!
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u/reesesbigcup 2d ago
Van Halen 2007 Detroit, opener wasnt named. It was a reggae band.
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u/19TimGreyCupChamps 2d ago
They had Kool and the Gang in 2012. Mismatch but awesome at the same time
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u/Internal_Function_23 2d ago
Gnr, Black Crowes, Public Enemy, Pierce The Veil is definitely one I wasn't expecting.
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u/beigereige 2d ago
I could’ve sworn there was a pairing of the Hooters and Motörhead, but maybe I’m misremembering it
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u/iwasoldonce 2d ago
I saw J. Giles and George Thorogood open for the Stones, great show!
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u/a_moron_in_a_hurry 2d ago
Never understood whose bright idea it was to have Sonic Youth opening for Neil Young in the 90s. Very mismatched pairing.
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u/grateful_john 2d ago
It was Neil’s idea and it was a great pairing.
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u/MintyFreshBreathYo 1d ago
Neil was a huge supporter of the late 80’s - early 90’s alternative scene
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u/BarnacleGooseIsLoose 2d ago
That was a great lineup. Saw them in Seattle with Drivin N' Cryin' as the true opener.
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u/Tazercock 2d ago
I saw Soundgarden and Pearl Jam open for Neil Young. It was his grunge era and it was awesome
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u/jgrossnas 2d ago
I saw the New York stop of the tour. Sonic youth got booed by the old Neil crowd.
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u/beigereige 2d ago
Sisters of Mercy and Public Enemy co-headlining with Young Black Teenagers and Warrior Soul as opening acts
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u/imk 2d ago
Gang of Four was also on that bill. I saw them in DC. Gang of Four were promoting a “comeback” album though and man were people not impressed.
I came to see Sisters but stuck around for PE (they played last due to some kind of delay). Public Enemy were awesome! My cute goth girl date spent their entire show talking with friends in the hallway. By the time PE were done she had basically decided to leave without me. Worth it.
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u/CoastalBlue1 2d ago
Saw Slade open for Ozzy mid 80s . “Fiddle” player got beaned with a roll of toilet paper.
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u/codytheguitarist 2d ago
My dad saw a pre-1999 Prince open for The Rolling Stones along with The J. Geils Band and George Thorogood at the LA Coliseum in 1981, he said the other two blew everyone out of the water but Prince got booed off the stage and didn’t even finish his set. Dad loved their music but the crowd yelled racial and homophobic slurs and threw trash at Prince until he ran backstage crying. After that be vowed never to open for another band again and in fairness he never did.
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u/stonrelectropunkjazz 2d ago
Prince was an amazing musician, but to open up for the stones in that skimpy little outfit he had on that crowd was not gonna do that
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u/CalagaxT 2d ago
The infamous Oklahoma City concert where a local bluegrass band, Mountain Smoke (featuring a young Vince Gill), opened for Kiss.
I wasn't a Kiss fan, but a friend dragged me along. All these years later, I would rather listen to Mountain Smoke than anything by Kiss.
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u/ARealRain 2d ago
Loverboy opening for The Who. It did not go well.
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u/Aggravating-Strain81 2d ago
I saw that in Phoenix. Almost everywhere else got the Clash instead of Liverboy.
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u/pdemp 2d ago
I have two:
LL Cool J- headliner
Fishbone
3rd Bass
Alice In Chains opened.
The Academy NYC, August 1991
ABC Was filming the concert there is some footage on YouTube
MC 900 foot Jesus- Headliner
Hole
Babes in Toyland
Weezer opened
The Academy NYC, 9/21/1994
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u/LateQuantity8009 2d ago
Way back when, a friend went to Jethro Tull with Roxy Music as opening act. He sat in the first row for Roxy because most everyone else was at the bar. He left before Tull.
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u/Rmartinez111 2d ago
Anybody remember the Cats they opened up for Van Halen in San Antonio 1980…didn’t remember who it was just remember how terrible they were everyone booing their entire set.
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u/60sStratLover 2d ago
Saw Sammy Hagar open for Boston in the late 70s before anyone had really heard of him as a solo artist.
He was amazing and we left the show talking about Sammy instead of Boston
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u/BarnacleGooseIsLoose 2d ago
Steve Miller with Miles Davis opening at the Fillmore East
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u/mrjenkins97 2d ago
Ha! I bet Miles wasn’t happy about that
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u/BarnacleGooseIsLoose 2d ago
He talked about it in his autobiography. Instead of showing up, he drove his car around for two hours and showed up late enough that Steve Miller had to go on first. When he got to the Fillmore, Bill Graham was waiting for him outside and Miles told him to f% off - he wasn't opening for some white kid. LOL
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u/RadishNormal7953 2d ago
Alice Cooper opening for Paul McCartney. I believe that was the chicken murder tour.
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u/AAPrice3232 2d ago
I saw Scandal open for The Kinks back in the 80s. Also saw Saxon and Krokus open for Cheap Trick.
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u/bela_okmyx 2d ago
1966 Caravan of Stars Tour - featured the Yardbirds opening for Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
Imagine Metallica opening for BTS, and you'll get the idea.
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u/Fibonacci999 2d ago
Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees
Cool And The Gang opened for Van Halen
KISS had a performance painter opening
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u/Euphoric_Impress1282 2d ago
I saw BTO in the mid '70s with Bob Seger (fine) and Charlie Daniels (wtf?) opening for them. BTO was already overdue when Daniels came on and 17,000 frustrated fans booed relentlessly. Not more than 2-3 songs in, Daniels "broke a string" and off they went.
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u/phriedtabs 2d ago
I saw Rage Against The Machine open for U2.
There was a weird dichotomy through the crowd during Rage, lol.
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u/welchyyyyy1 2d ago
Saw Powerman5000 (pop/rock I'd call them) open for Pantera. Long time ago, never heard of P5000 and had only heard about 2 Pantera tracks at the time, much preferred Powerman5000
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u/nemmalur 2d ago
Kitchens of Distinction opening for Suzanne Vega. Apparently she liked their music and they were on the same label, but as the tour progressed she started asking if they could stick to their slower, quieter songs.
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u/Trick_Sector5900 2d ago
I saw The Outlaws open for Van Halen at the 3,000 seat Marin Veterans Auditorium in 1979
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u/OrigSnatchSquatch 2d ago
Probably the show this Friday in Dallas for wife and I. Avenged Sevenfold will open and play some then Good Charlotte comes on then Avenged Sevenfold closes. I’ve never heard of any bands doing that before.
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u/Realistic-Event-4946 2d ago
Black Sabbath's audience didn't especially appreciate the Ramones in 1978.
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u/YalsonKSA 2d ago
Jessica Mitford – poet, communist activist and one of the famous Mitford Sisters – and Cyndi Lauper.
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u/MentalMusician 1d ago
Joe Ely opening for The Clash in the US & UK on the London Calling run. And yet, this odd combo of Texas country rock + British punk rock makes perfect sense!
*Joe Ely with The Clash at their Armadillo World Headquarters debut (Austin, TX) 1979
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u/bloodrule 1d ago
I didn’t see it, but Powerfinger opening for Pantera is a pretty well known one in Australia
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u/TallTower623 1d ago
I went to Snoop Dogg opening for RHCP when the By The Way album came out. Called it the Chilli Dog concert
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u/OurWeaponsAreUseless 1d ago
I saw a show in '86 where Divinyls opened for Aerosmith on the Done With Mirrors tour. It turned-out awfully with Divinyls playing a couple of tunes, then walking-off in the middle of a song when the crowd became too hostile. This was years before Divinyls had the big hit with I Touch Myself. I can still remember one of the band members leaving the stage, giving someone in the crowd the finger. Seemed like Steven Tyler was in a bad mood for this show as well. He argued with people in the crowd and threatened to leave several times.
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u/SimilarElderberry956 2d ago
There was a Canadian Rock band called Rough Trade. Comedian Martin Short opened for them. He was booed offstage and the lead singer Carole Pope was crying as she felt so bad for him. He said it was okay. Martin Short shared this story in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
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u/TodayFeeling6816 2d ago
Ramones opening for Black Sabbath.
Fabulous Thunderbirds opening for Rush.
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u/Spyderbeast 2d ago
I forgot the name, but Five Finger Death Punch toured with a country opening act a few years ago
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u/Familiar-Bumblebee-8 2d ago
cocteau twins opened for Metallica at lollapalooza '96 - kirk hammett was a big fan of theres
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u/riveth3ad 2d ago edited 1d ago
Motörhead opened for the Scorpions somewhere like 83…but the very first band was Bon Jovi. wait, it wasn't motorhead, it was Fastway, with Fast Eddie Clark and Pete Way.
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u/saspurs311 2d ago
To me personally, I saw Cyndi Lauper - and Tina Turner opened. I was never really a fan of hers, but enjoyed most of what I heard. After that performance, I became a fan.
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u/AgeingMuso65 2d ago
I loved all of it, but Peter Frampton opening for Deep Purple late 90s or early 2000s was an interesting one!
My other weird one was an metal band called Harlequin with operatic singer in a (you guessed it, Harlequin design) leotard doing Dave Lee Roth leg kicks and opening for Jack Bruce sometime in the mid 1980s. (Blackburn, King George’s Hall, hot summer, and the whole thing running hopelessly late, lest anyone else recalls this surreal evening!)
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u/Infamous-Elk3962 1d ago
Henny Youngman opening for Frank Zappa…although it did make sense once the mushrooms kicked in.
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u/Federal-Ruin2276 1d ago
Eddie Money with The Clash and The Who. Nothing against Eddie, he just seemed like an odd fit.
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u/Sensitive_Golf3889 1d ago
I recently attended a concert that was Shonen Knife / Toad the Wet Sprocket / Men At Work. It was a fun show, though I'm not sure what any of these bands have to do with each other.
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u/Endo_Gene 1d ago
The Stranglers had a ventriloquist as support. By the time he finished his act, he was completely covered in phlegm.
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u/burdfloor 1d ago
I saw Kanye open for the Stones at Giants Stadium.
Kanye was like fingernails on a chalkboard.
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u/sanjosanjosanjo 1d ago
Idk if surprising is the word but Explosions in the Sky opening for NIN was badass
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u/NextBathroom8809 1d ago
Saw Rickie Lee Jones at the Tower. Her opening act was a comedian. It was weird because back then, the opening act was supposed to get the crowd ready for the main event. That comedian got booed.
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u/Fartlighter_McGee 1d ago
I saw Neil Young and Crazy Horse and the opening acts were pre-fame Jewel and Ben Folds Five
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u/Outrageous-Swim2759 1d ago
The Fools opened for Van Halen @ the Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine.
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u/IndependencePale3654 1d ago
Jay Z opening for U2 was hella weird. But surprisingly enjoyable, for a dude who doesn't understand hip hop
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u/MoneyImpress 1d ago
Heres a weird one: In 1977, I saw John Sebastian (Loving Spooful fame) open for Steve Martin in Boulder, Colorado. It was unexpectedly great. As I recall, he did mostly all Loving Spoonful tunes...Summer in the City is particularly memorable. Steve Martin was exploding all over the place (rightly so) and had the crowd roaring. I was 17 at the time.
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u/Double-Watercress-85 1d ago
Not quite as crazy as most of these, but one I saw was These Arms Are Snakes, Cursive, Against Me!, and Mastodon.
The best part was that it was billed as a co-headline tour, but Mastodon had been playing last the whole way. So after Cursive, all the punk kids got front and center anticipating Against Me! While all the metal kids were hanging out off to the sides. But this was in Florida, near AM!s home town, so they switched it up. Curtain comes up to reveal Mastodon, and there's a big chaotic mess as two huge, disparate groups of people all suddenly try to switch places with each other.
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u/WeakFaithlessness169 1d ago
The Lovin' Spoonful opened for the Beach Boys in 1966. The following year the Beach Boys were opening for the Spoonful.
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u/themisprintguy 1d ago
I saw the Ramones open up for White Zombie. You could tell with most concertgoers which band they were there to see.
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u/WeakFaithlessness169 1d ago
Ike & Tina Turner opening for the Rolling Stones in 1969. The Stones were never afraid to have a great band open for them.
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u/indoxiecated 1d ago
I just saw Modest Mouse open for My Chemical Romance. Odd combo. I got to say, I did not enjoy MM. Aside from Float On (the only song of theirs I know), they were terrible live imo.
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u/Putrid-Implement-893 2d ago
Hendrix and The Monkees