Is Extreme Hostility Toward the Opening Band Common?

[Jurched]

I never went to many live shows in the old days. Didn't have the bread or the transportation. But nearly all of them had ONE thing in common: The opening gig got shat on!

Last time I saw M.O.D. was during the Gross Misconduct tour, and Laaz Rockitt was opening for them. That was ferocious! Just about everyone in the place was screaming down at them, waving their middle fingers, or just standing like galled statues. The bouncers were holding back a group of skinheads who surged forth with both middle fingers (was Scott Sargeant with them back in 89?).

Well, they finished their set without interruption and split. Everyone was pumped up for Billy. I didn't care for Laaz Rockitt, but I couldn't get why the audience was so bent out of shape.

When I saw The Cult open for Metallica, literally nobody was paying attention to them as they played their asses off. Three heads were banging an' everyone else was chit-chatting and getting beers, and so on. One or two near me called them "dog shit" but I thought they had a fine set. Ah well. I suppose being ignored is better than being cursed by an angry mob...

Worst one (that is, most embarrassing for the band and the fans) I remember was for a local band Cyanide, an opener called Blue Diamonds or some shit like that. Most of the protesters were punk kids, shouting and cursing. Once a few sodas got thrown, they shut down the show and the other band came out to berate the audience for being "little animals." They only started playing again once the kids quieted down and started grinding their sneakers into the grass.

So, is this shit common or was I just lucky enough to witness several outrages in a row?!

Jurched

 

[Evil Dead]

My experience is that the opening band is usually local or kinda sucky. When Sabbath reformed and toured back in 99 Pantera opened for Sabbath, no problem. INCUBUS opened for Pantera. It was fucking terrible. Some concerts have some good lineups, like Gojira opening for Behemoth or something. But The Cult opening for Metallica? Might as well have Johnny Rebel open for Kayne West.

 

[AdamPeytonGin]

Definitely common at most metal shows, especially when Slayer headlines.

 

[Momo]

I can only speak for myself, but when i was younger and going to all these in NYC shows sometimes 3x a week I had a huge chip on my shoulder on which music was cool and what was fucking crap. So at these shows I would be act ambivalent or quickly disregard the opening acts even by their look some times.

This was common practice. I remember going to the Little Monsters of Rock in NYC which had Anthrax, Biohazard, Type-O and a new band called White Zombie opening.

Most of us there were to see Bio but when this dude from White Zombie came out with dreadlocks everyone started booing. I don't think anyone even listened to the music. They played like 5 songs and left after being given the finger for 20 minutes. You either were a skin or a long haired , there is no DREADLOCKS in Metal !

I also saw Bio at Roseland and this band called Korn opened up for them along with House of Pain. Some guy handed me a flyer with Korn written on it. I said this is the fucking stupidest name EVER . Who names a band after a vegetable? What's next ? Kale ? how bout Radish? This cant be Metal. I dismissed them and didn't even listen to their set. I never got into them regardless but it proves a point.

Now that I'm older and after playing in bands myself you really appreciate somebody going on stage and trying to perform. When i was younger if it wasn't Metal or hardcore I wasn't interested. Now I look for good opening bands no matter what genre I go to see. Club shows are the only way I will see a show or small ballrooms. I will not go to arena concerts they suck with the lack of intimacy and the fucking prices.

Best Regards,

Momo

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

Definitely common at most metal shows, especially when Slayer headlines.

Everytime I've seen Slayer none of the support bands got it bad. But I've read 80's horror stories where EVERY band that opened for them got various objects thrown at them at every show.

Metallica for the most part, always had a shit band open for them.

 

[Hell_Awaits]

I saw The Cult open for Metallica and the crowd was really getting on them....Ian the singer flipped out and started yelling at the crowd calling everyone useless bastard......At the time I liked both bands.....I read somewhere that during Metallica's club days fans would turn their backs,displaying their Metallica patches, to the opening band during their set

 

[gaschamber]

johnny rebel hahahaha hes the shit.

wop bob bam bam who likes a...? hahah

 

[Jurched]

Everytime I've seen Slayer none of the support bands got it bad. But I've read 80's horror stories where EVERY band that opened for them got various objects thrown at them at every show.

So have the fans gotten more civilised since then? As I'd never witnessed any walk-offs, I was impressed how the openers played right through the raging anger being hurled at them.

Shit. Gotta have balls of steel to play like your most adoring fans are cheering you on, instead of a spitting mob cursing you to death...!

What a way to earn some green!

Jurched

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

So have the fans gotten more civilised since then? As I'd never witnessed any walk-offs, I was impressed how the openers played right through the raging anger being hurled at them.

Shit. Gotta have balls of steel to play like your most adoring fans are cheering you on, instead of a spitting mob cursing you to death...!

What a way to earn some green!

Jurched

Well, most of the bands that Slayer tours with these days, I think a lot of the fans at the shows respect them (Hatebreed, Mastodon, ect...). But they were touring with Marilyn Manson a while back, and Kerry said in an interview that he gets a lot of shit some times, and you can tell who's going to see who perform.

Funny thing, when Type O would get booed back in the day I read Pete would say something like "You paid (whatever amount of $ the ticket cost) American dollars to get in here, who's the real asshole?" And if they got coins thrown at them, they'd just stop playing and pick up all the coins.

 

[Evil Dead]

johnny rebel hahahaha hes the shit.

wop bob bam bam who likes a...? hahah

the guy is still alive I think, somehow.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

the guy is still alive I think, somehow.

He is. He's gotta be pushing 80 I'll bet.

 

[SueNC]

Well, most of the bands that Slayer tours with these days, I think a lot of the fans at the shows respect them (Hatebreed, Mastodon, ect...). But they were touring with Marilyn Manson a while back, and Kerry said in an interview that he gets a lot of shit some times, and you can tell who's going to see who perform.

Funny thing, when Type O would get booed back in the day I read Pete would say something like "You paid (whatever amount of $ the ticket cost) American dollars to get in here, who's the real asshole?" And if they got coins thrown at them, they'd just stop playing and pick up all the coins.

that's on Type O's live album. the crowd is chanting, 'YOU SUCK!!' and Pete Steele says: 'YOU SAY WE SUCK? YOU PAID $15... 15 AMERICAN DOLLARS TO GET IN HERE AND WE GOT PAID... PAID FOR THIS SH*T!! NOW WHO'S THE REAL A**HOLE?'

good stuff.

 

[Evil Dead]

that's on Type O's live album. the crowd is chanting, 'YOU SUCK!!' and Pete Steele says: 'YOU SAY WE SUCK? YOU PAID $15... 15 AMERICAN DOLLARS TO GET IN HERE AND WE GOT PAID... PAID FOR THIS SH*T!! NOW WHO'S THE REAL A**HOLE?'

good stuff.

Origin of the Feces. I think the album is actually a fake live album. Funny nonetheless.

 

[SueNC]

Origin of the Feces. I think the album is actually a fake live album. Funny nonetheless.

i think it might be pieced together, but i dont think it's fake. i could be wrong, but you're right. it IS funny stuff.

 

[hndsmepete]

i think it might be pieced together, but i dont think it's fake. i could be wrong, but you're right. it IS funny stuff.

Origin of the Feces is a fake live album. They just recorded the tracks in their studio & added "crowd noise" to the tracks. The crowd noise was Type O Negative & Life Of Agony yelling shit into a mic set a few feet away from them. Supposedly they spent the money on alcohol & drugs instead of recording a real live album.

 

[Evil Dead]

Supposedly they spent the money on alcohol & drugs instead of recording a real live album.

I believe that!

 

[OldScratch]

Everytime I've seen Slayer none of the support bands got it bad. But I've read 80's horror stories where EVERY band that opened for them got various objects thrown at them at every show.

I've heard this type of thing also - but never actually witnessed. I remember seeing Slayer in the mid and then later 80's a bunch of times. I recall Megadeth, Agnostic Front, Overkill(Ithink)...a bunch of different bands as openers. Never saw anything ugly go down - that isn't to say the Slayer fans weren't er, very...devoted...but I don't remember anyone getting too much shit. God that seems like a lifetime ago...

 

[johnnieCzech]

Well out of the shitloads of shows I've seen, only two of them got booed. The first was a Czech band Enter and they opened for Death on their Symbolic tour. They sucked ass horrendously. But I don't recall any object flyings onstage. Also, Czech (or European) fans don't boo, they...erm... whistle? Our word for it is not to boo, but something like "to whistle them out".
The second were Corrosion Of Conformity opening for Megadeth. They were just terrible. Basically soundwise. Few years later they opened for Metallica in here and they were pretty good.
I also saw Cult opening for Metallica. Even thought I'd liked some of their music, they just sucked cock and yes, the audience did not give a flying fuck. Other than that, I have to say support bands, even the unknown, mostly get very good reception here in Cz.