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Bands You Saw Before They Were Really Famous







The Frantic Elevators , supporting Joy Division , The Fall , and others in a small club in Manchester , summer of '79.
.
Oh , the lead singer of the Frantic Elevators was Mick Hucknall :eek:

Was there also a bottom level support band called Attic on that bill?

Went to one gig at Salford College which I think may have been the same line-up.
 


















Dandyman

In London village.
Warsaw (Joy Division/New Order) supporting the Buzzcocks at the Top Rank in 1978 - it ended in a total riot btw.
 




Dandyman

In London village.
Didn't realise it was them. great riot btw


Twas indeed. I can remember at least one person walking to the station with various bits of drum kit stashed under their coat.
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,720
Uffern
The Specials (then called the Coventry Automatics I think) were second support to The Clash at Crawley, behind Suicide who were the main support. They were awesome that night which unfortunately ended in The Clash walking off stage when fighting broke out in the crowd for the umpteenth time !

I was at that gig and have no recollection of Coventry Automatic/Specials at all. Just remember the mayhem when Suicide played.

As for bands: I saw Tom Robinson in an audience of 15 (I counted them) at the Buccaneer. A few weeks later, 2-4-6-8 Motorway was in the charts.

Human League and Cabaret Voltaire at a small club in Sheffield (not on the same night)
Gang of Four at Leeds Poly
Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in the Brighton crypt
Altered Images at the Warehouse Club, Leeds

Oh, and I was in a band with Attila before he was famous - does that count?:lol:
 












U2 backing J.Geils Band

Bowie backing the Groundhogs

Genesis 3rd on the bill behind Rab Noakes and Lindisfarne

ELO in front of about 20 people at The Dome, when Roy Wood was a member

Supertramp for 50p at Worthing Assembly Halls around 1976

Tom Petty 2nd billing, several times and before he had any hit records.

AC/DC at the Top Rank for 50p
Ultravox ,, ,, ,, ,, ,,

Bauhaus 3rd billing behind Magazine and another.

Chris Isaak 2nd billing to Thompson Twins

and etc.
They were not all necessarily any good, mind.
 
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Saint Lennard

Prawn Sarnie Casual
Sep 30, 2004
1,256
Seafront shelters
Madness in some Brighton Poly hall in 79 around the time/just before The Prince was released. They were totally different to anything on the scene at the time and a nice contrast to PUNK. Hords of skinheads so you had to watch yourself!
 




Dandyman

In London village.
Madness in some Brighton Poly hall in 79 around the time/just before The Prince was released. They were totally different to anything on the scene at the time and a nice contrast to PUNK. Hords of skinheads so you had to watch yourself!

I think it was the Art School. Lambrettas were on the bill as well.
 


Legend

Prince Of Darkness
Jul 5, 2003
1,612
Lancing
Simply Red supporting UB40 at Brighton Centre
 


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