The opener smokes the headliner!

[Ryan]

Ok I wanna know how many of you have seen a concert where the opening act or middle act on a bill has smoked the headlining band.

I can think of a few shows that I've seen off the top of my head.

Gun's n' Roses opening for The Cult back in the summer of '87. This was before Appetite for Destruction had even hit the streets. These guys came out with major attitude and swagger. Many people in the crowd didn't even know who they were at the time (I think my friend and I were the only ones actually cheering them on, no more than 10 feet from the stage), as a result there was some "Get off the stage" and boo-ing going on. The band just flipped the audience the finger and ripped into "It's So Easy". A moment I will never forget.

Whitesnake opening for Motley Crue on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour again in '87. God when I got tickets for this one I couldn't believe the mighty snake was opening up. Sure Motley was a visual spectacle (always are) but WS kicked major ass, not to mention the obvious fact that Vince Neil couldn't hold Coverdale's jockstrap. When Sir.David came out for the encore duet w/ Neil on "Jailhouse Rock", .... enough said.

Saw Tesla trump both Def Leppard and Posion within a year. Although the Lepps were certainly at the top of their game w/ Hysteria at the time, watching the go for the throat "Cumin' Atcha Live" attitude of the band and guitarist Tommy Skeoch's wild front rolls across almost every inch of Leppard's in the round stage set was priceless. As for them opening for Poison well let's just say I saw Warrant give them a serious run for thier money as well so what does that tell you?

I saw a few Blues shows that were quite amazing as well. Otis Rush gave the late Albert Collins a great warm up in the early '90's and one of my favorite shows ever was watching Luther Allison burn up the stage for 90 mins at Jazz Festival opening for the legendary Buddy Guy, who turned in a brilliant 2 hour set of his own in typical Buddy fashion. Sadly this would prove to be one of Allison's last shows as he succumbed to undiagnosed brain cancer a month later. A show that was filmed thankfully and one that will live on in my memory forever.

There may be a few others but that's all I can think of right now, you?

[RJhog]

I saw Bon Jovi open for Ratt (I think it was 1985). Bon Jovi only played 6 songs, but they were so much better than Ratt. Stephen Pearcy was easily the worst front man ever!!!! He was drunk and could not stop cursing.....Bon Jovi might be country now, but they rocked pretty good back then.

[Richard Baines]

I saw Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush open up for Aerosmith in Nashville in September 1978. Basically, it was no contest that night, which was probably the case many nights on that tour. Aerosmith was a drug and alcohol trainwreck on that tour, and Frank had the crowd on their feet from start to finish.

[Dave]

Frank Marino made it no contest with just about everybody he played with back then. Heavywights like Black Sabboth, Ted Nugent,Aerosmith and Rainbow all were embarrased to follow Mahogany Rush and they slagged him for it. He is an artist and they were performers and it showed. Managers, critics and most of his peers gave Frank a very difficult time and it was a real shame. He did nothing to deserve it but play with heart and soul.

[THE GREEK]

THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE SHOWS LIKE THAT ,ONE THAT REALLY STICKS OUT IS THE DAMN YANKEES OPENED FOR BAD COMPANY,DAMN YANKS SMOKED THEM ,IT WAS SAD.AND THERE WAS THE THE AEROSMITH CONCERT ,PAT TRAVERAS OPENED,AEROSMITH (STEVE TYLER) WAS A MESS ,HE WAS WAYSTED.BAD SHOW FOR THEM.

[Jeff Ault]

The Damn/Yanks and Bad Co. is the FIRST one that came to my mind. I seen this concert twice, in 90 and 91, and both times I got up and left before Bad Co. was half way through playing. It wasn't really Bad Co. It was Brian Howe singing, not Rogers.

[TageRyche]

The first time I saw Cheap Trick, they were opening for Robert Plant and blew him off the stage.

Same thing when I saw Tesla open for Poison.

[Gordon Williams]

There was a thread like this a month or so ago, but I will chime in my two cents (again) for those that may care to read it. Two concerts, both now over 30 years ago, still stand out in my mind.

1977 - Went to see Black Sabbath (still with Ozzy), who was, by and far, my favorite band at the time. A young guy I had never heard of before, came out and blew Sabbath away, with incredible energy and intensity. Ted Nugent was so electrifying that he became my new favorite...for many years that incredible night. I went right out and bought the Ted Nugent and Free For All albums (uh, actually 8 track tapes!), and Cat Scratch Fever came out not long after that.

1977 or 1978 - Absolutely loved the Boston debut, so went to see them in Atlanta. Well, the Red Rocker totally killed them. Sammy Hagar was so good, that a few nights later, I went to see this show again in Athens, Georgia...but this time, I was there to see Sammy again!! One strong memory from that show...Sammy sat on the edge of the stage, and played some slide guitar on one of those "lap guitars"...looks like a big box basically...whatever you call that instrument, he did this wild slide thing, and then launched into "Bad Motor Scooter".

Sammy and Teddy...both great, great stage performers...and remember, there was no 5 hour energy drink back then!! :)

[Dr.J.Jones]

I have seen so many bands get smoked by the opening act. A couple that spring to mind;

Guns N' Roses / Faster Pussycat Manchester Apollo, Manchester England 1988

Guns were originally supposed to come over with Aerosmith for the first time in twelve years but, with Aerosmith's 'Permanent Vacation' album doing so well & America finally realising they did love them, they cancelled to concentrate on the States. Guns came over anyway & brought friends Faster Pussycat with them.

Now I am not a fan of Faster Pussycat but that night they were awesome. Guns on the other hand were terrible. Absolutely awful. In fact I have seen Guns three times now, & not once have they put on a good show.

Ozzy, Donington Festival, England 1984

AC/DC were headlining & a Roth fronted Van Halen were also on the bill (along with Motley Crue, Gary Moore & Y&T). Ozzy was amazing though. Blew AC/DC & Van Halen apart. He was inviting audience members onto the stage & when the security threatened to throw everyone off Ozzy proceeded to promise to "pummel the first bastard to touch one of my friends".

[Karl]

I saw Van Halen on their first tour open for Black Sabbath. DLR and the boys were incredible!

[mel]

UFO opening for cheap trick

[Dave Morgan]

Saw that tour in Roanoke VA. Great set by "Chapman Era" UFO.

[Gary B]

Back in about 1980 (?) I can remember Billy Squier absolutely torching Foreigner when he opened for them. Also frank Marino hammering Aerosmith back in about 1977-78...