James Brown, when he performed before the Rolling Stones on the Tami Show.
Back when Led Zeppelin first toured the US (late 68/early 69), they were the support act for various bands including Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge and Country Joe & the Fish.
LZ were wowing the audiences and, supposedly, by the end of the tour, the headliners weren’t bothering to turn up to play! Or at least that’s what the Wiki page reports, based on what Jimmy Page said.
I have, separately, read about LZ being so hot that Iron Butterfly didn’t want to play after them after the first gig or two…
This was after Birds of Fire came out. Show started with some silent meditation, then Billy Cobham banged the big gong.
In 1979, .38 Special was the opening act for Molly Hatchet.
in 2003 my daughter and I went to see Ani Difranco at Wolf Trap. The opening talent was some guy we’d never heard of: Hamell on Trial. He did a memorable set of his punk folk songs. That means exactly what it seems to: punk rock played on a solo acoustic guitar. He started out with a bang and never slowed down through his whole high energy set. He rocked a straight ahead musical delivery with his witty and socially incisive lyrics. My daughter and I turned to each other after his first song and were all, Damn, this guy is good. The whole space rocked with his energy.
Ani also played solo her whole set. She ran through her songs competently if a bit perfunctorily. The most memorable thing about it was that a roadie brought her out a different guitar for each song. (Different songs did use different tunings.) The energy wasn’t there.
I still listen to Ani’s records. Haven’t heard anything of Hamell on Trial since then.
Oh yeah, Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution. They were groovy.
…or was it Apes-ma?
I don’t get out much these days, and frequently remember my concert-going days with great fondness. As much as I loved the music, my companions and circumstances feature in my memories as much, or more than, the songs.
in the late 70s I saw Frank Marino and his band and they were way better than Aerosmith. At the time Aerosmith was not very good in concert by all accounts.
I wasn’t there because I wasn’t born yet, this account is from a 1983-ish Rolling Stone article and it took place in 1958 in Brooklyn.
Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry shared a bill back in the day. They were comparably big, but Berry refused to go first. They were also comparably dickish. Lewis delivered a killer set and right before he left the stage, set the piano on fire. Passing Berry backstage, he snarled “Top THAT, n-----!” (In the movie Great Balls of Fire, this was candy-coated to “Top THAT, Chuck!” But no, The Killer went there.) I don’t think they shared any more bills after that.
Oooh, you need to listen to some Nightwish!
ha! good one! (heh, or possibly…) (ok I’m probably stretching it, there)
In a multi-band metal bill, Deicide opened, but Immolation mopped the stage with them - less histrionic (sorry, Glen) and overall a much sharper, meaner tilt. (and overall way cooler band to begin with)
In two gigs about ten years apart I saw my favourite Brazilian band, Krisiun, back up IMO inferior bands.
Enjoyed video game soundtrack wierdos The Advantage a heck of a lot more than the precious headliner Pinback. (oh - and the inestimable Niel Hamburger also backed up, sorta double curb-stomping Pinback.)
That should say headlined.
Can’t remember who was on the top of the bill, but back in 80’s saw Seattle’s Young Fresh Fellows steal the show.
Late 80s - The high-octane Didjits backed up the laclustre Chemical People. Didjits, especially Rick, really gave’er, live.
Early 90s - Supersuckers shouldn’t have even bothered coming onstage after the Dwarves.
2002 - Nile overpowering headliners Napalm Death.
In a 14-band grindcore gig in a trailer in the Squamish forest in 2012, my band at the time headlined at 3:30 (am, no heat, 12 below in Jan.) and every band before us blew us away.
Holy shit, thank you so much for posting that link! I’m a huge Who fan but that’s the first time I’ve seen that clip and it blew me away. I actually applauded, loudly, like a mental patient sitting alone at my computer when they finished.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Keith Moon the whole performance.
Frank Marino & the Mahogany Rush - Paradiso Amsterdam 1983. No idea who the hell else played. I was blown away. Worth the subsequent severe parental discipline for sneaking out and going to Amsterdam, coming home reeking like, well, I came from a concert.
A bit of sleuthing left me with the impression that they were the only band on the bill.