Bands You Saw Before They Were Really Famous

[scooter1]

The Manic St Preachers at the Richmond, and Guns n Roses at the Marquee. A mate of mine saw the Stone Roses at the Richmond, i'd like to have been there. And my Mrs saw Coldplay supporting somebodyorother at the Concorde 2 a few years back

 

[jakarta]

David Bowie supporting The Groundhogs at the Dome 1971 - Post "Laughing Gnome" & "Space Oddity" but before his Glam rock incarnations.:safeway2:

Hmmm, how did he go down with the audience - wouldn't have thought too well?

Saw Scritti Politti (in banging dustbin lids mode), The Fall, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes and The Only Ones back in 1979 at the Leeds Futurama in the truly awful Queens Hall, probably the wierdest 'festival' I have ever been to. Audience was half punk/half hippy - latter were there as the headlining act was the mighty Hawkwind.....

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Hmmm, how did he go down with the audience - wouldn't have thought too well?

Surprisingly well, mainly due to Mick Ronson's amazing guitar skills.

 

[Wilka]

The Libertines at the Pavilion theatre and the Killers at the Zap the day after Hot Fuss came out.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

I (along with about 12 others) saw the Jam supporting Little Bob Storey (French punk band) at Crawley Town Hall - I was very impressed.

Dire Straits at Nelson's Club (at Plough Lane, ex home of Wimbledon FC).

Probably a few others also, but it can take a while to dig the memories up.

 

[Tubby Mondays]

Happy Mondays supporting James at Trent Poly in 1988. Still thats all in the past now.

 

[seagull_special]

Saw Blur live at Sussex Uni just after they released their first album and have been a massive fan ever since. Still got the T Shirt from their show at the Top Rank the following year

 

[colinpants]

simply red supporting UB40 at the the centre about 25 years ago

 

[Marc]

Blink-182 at the Highbury Garage

 

[sten_super]

Kaiser Chiefs first as their previous incarnation, Parva, in Manchester, and then as KC at some dive in London, just after 'Oh my God' was released.

Snow Patrol the friday before 'Run' came out, at Moles in Bath. I'm willing to bet they've not played a smaller gig since that night!

Young Knives (although they aren't particularly famous now!), in Oxford about 8 years ago, and again in Bath just before they became 'cool' and 'famous'. In Bath they were ably supported by the Rumble Strips (another almost-famous band).

 

[Mr Blobby]

I saw REM support U2 at Milton Keynes in 1985.

Oasis on the NME stage at Glastonbury, left after a few songs to go and see James on the Main Stage.

The Levellers at the Richmond in Brighton in September 1989. My mates sister was going out with Jon the fiddle player and we went along having never heard of them. The first album "A Weapon Called The Word" was not released until the following year.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Beatles - At Maney Youth Club, Sutton Coldfield. Just after Please Please Me was released.


And we had Carl Wayne and the Vikings play at a school dance - before they transmogrified into The Move.


When I was a student, I shared a flat with a guy who ran Sussex University Folk Club. One night, the performer he had booked failed to turn up, but sent along a couple of mates who offered to step in as substitutes. They were a new duo called The Incredible String Band, who did the gig for £10.

 

[Trufflehound]

REM backing up U2 (or was it the Simple Minds) yonks ago at Milton Keynes Bowl.

No, 'twas U2. The Ramones and Spear of Destiny were there too.

UB40 supporting the Pretenders (I think) at the Top Rank a week before their first single hit the charts.

Saw them at the Hammersmith Palais on the same tour.

Saw New Order's third or fourth ever gig, at the Art College Basement in Grand Parade.

It was Jenkinson's, March 1981.

I also saw the very early Human League (long before the two women vocalists joined) get canned off stage when they were supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees at Leeds University.

They were good when I saw them support the Banshees at the Rainbow. Coincidentally it was probably the last gig at the Rainbow that had 'seating', as the first 15 rows of the stalls got trashed and ended up in a woodpile on the stage...

I hired a comedian for my 30th birthday party. £100.Paul Merton.

Saw him supporting Julian Clary - then still known as The Joan Collins Fanclub - circa 1986(?)

Peteinblack, was that New Order gig at the Basement? I was there but couldn't see them.

No, it was defintely Jenkinsons.

Saw The Pack support Skids at the Lyceum. They later changed their name to Theatre of Hate.

Saw U2 support Talking Heads in 1980
Altered Images support U2 in 1981
The Alarm support U2 in 1981
Depeche Mode support Psychedelic Furs in 1981
The Beat supporting Teardrop Explodes, supporting The Human League in 1979, when they themselves were still unfamous...

Oh, and for what it's worth Def Leppard supporting AC/DC in 1979 with a two-armed drummer. They were shit. As were Saxon supporting Motorhead the same year.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

My Chemical Romance, supporting Taking Back Sunday at the Pyramids in 2004. Awesome.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Oh, and for what it's worth Def Leppard supporting AC/DC in 1979 with a two-armed drummer. They were shit.

A couple of years back, the eldest of the junior generation of Bracknells worked the Def Leppard video show that accompanied their stadium tour of the US and Canada. I guess he had to endure about sixty performances.

If his account is to be believed ... they're still shit.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Republica were the warm up act for a Fun Lovin' Criminals gig at The Event. I am not sure if Republica count as REALLY famous.

 

[pigin stripes]

U2 at Sussex Uni, Genesis at the Top House in Burgess Hill, Inxs several times with Queen, Annie Lennox with the Tourists at the Top Rank.

 

[Peteinblack]

Republica were the warm up act for a Fun Lovin' Criminals gig at The Event. I am not sure if Republica count as REALLY famous.

But their single 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' was superb, with a really rousing chorus.

 

[smudge]

The Jam at the Top Rank in 77 I think it was.
The mighty Level 42, also at the Top Rank.

The Piranhas at the Bucaneer! (Come on, they're massive! They play their bloody song at all shitty Prem & Championship games when they score a goal!)

 

[matildaseagull]

I saw Suede upstairs in The Richmond (forgotten what it's called these days)