Opening Acts That Stole The Show

[spudmunkey]

Skunk Anansie. It was them, Powerman 5000, Staind and Sevendust. This was 1999-ish.

I knew of Skunk Anansie from the Strange Days movie soundtrack and was excited to see them. Damn, did they bring it. The energy in the room was super high. I already liked the couple of songs i heard from them, but after the show, i bought everything i could find.

Then Powerman 5000 went on, and the energy in the place got kicked up a notch even higher. Say what you will about their music,they put on a hell of a show.

Then Staind came on and depressed everyone. They were an odd fit for this line-up, and the

When Sevendust came on stage as the headliner, they tried their damnedest to get that energy back, but they never really managed to.

 

[efiltsohg]

Testament opening for Priest

 

[sakeido]

Gojira over Lamb of God... they were fresh off From Mars to Sirius. LoG had just dropped As the Palaces Burn. Gojira crushed it, and probably made their entire career on this tour. Not just anybody would have been able to top LoG at that moment but they sure did.

Rivers of Nihil & Revocation over Whitechapel & Devildriver. Revocation was fresh off Deathless and Rivers of Nihil was working on Monarchy. Devildriver was 7 years past Last Kind Words and played their horrible cover of Sail. Whitechapel was in a weird, pretty mediocre transition phase to their new sound. It was a fuckin massacre.

Fallujah over Devin Townsend Project. Nothing against Heavy Devy but there's nothing like going into an opener with zero expectations and then having your face melted clean off by tech death from the space between atoms

Gojira over Devin Townsend Project. They played "Art of Dying" in its entirety. Enough said

Navene K over Animals as Leaders. He's a drummer playing a club kit on stage by himself, how good could he be? Really good, it turns out. To this day the only opening act I've seen get an encore. Also, Animals as Leaders sucks so fucking bad live. After the Burial killed em that same night too

The Fall of Troy over Protest the Hero/Chiodos. Protest was great at this show but Fall of Troy was just about to break up and was leaving it all on stage. It was cool to see a super shreddy young guy play with some actual rock star energy and front a band comfortably, complete with competent vocals. This era Thomas Erak was a proper unicorn. David Davidson probably the closest thing to him kickin these days

 

[Kaura]

I wouldn't say they stole the show but I was positively surprised by The Acacia Strain (who I had hardly even heard of before) when they were opening for Northlane along with Volumes. Actually, I gotta say Volumes really stole the show since they were the only band I even went to see and they put out an awesome show. Northlane was decent but I didn't know any of their songs so I just knocked back a few beers before their set and hardcore danced in the pit for the whole duration of their set.

Another one worth mentioning is Ghost back when they had just released their first album. I think they were opening for In Flames. I had no clue who they were and judging by the name and the fact that they were opening for IF I thought they were similar to them but man I was far off.

I had no clue what was going on when their intro started playing which was just some drone and creepy chanting and some masked guys with robes slowly walked on the stage. When their set was over I couldn't even concentrate on In Flames. I just wanted to get home and listen to them more.

 

[musicaldeath]

Gojira over Lamb of God... they were fresh off From Mars to Sirius. LoG had just dropped As the Palaces Burn. Gojira crushed it, and probably made their entire career on this tour. Not just anybody would have been able to top LoG at that moment but they sure did.

I saw this tour at then Red's turned Edmonton Events Center (now non existent). That show was insane. And Gojira won me over at that show - had never heard of them before.

Also, Gojira opening for Metallica in 2017. Large outdoor venue, was so awesome to see them play a huge setting like that.

Fallujah opening for Devin Townsend in 2016.

 

[KailM]

At Gigantour I saw Opeth open for Lamb of God who opened for Megadeth. Opeth put the other two to shame, and the other two actually put on killer shows.

 

[Bdtunn]

Gojira over Lamb of God... they were fresh off From Mars to Sirius. LoG had just dropped As the Palaces Burn. Gojira crushed it, and probably made their entire career on this tour. Not just anybody would have been able to top LoG at that moment but they sure did.

Rivers of Nihil & Revocation over Whitechapel & Devildriver. Revocation was fresh off Deathless and Rivers of Nihil was working on Monarchy. Devildriver was 7 years past Last Kind Words and played their horrible cover of Sail. Whitechapel was in a weird, pretty mediocre transition phase to their new sound. It was a fuckin massacre.

Fallujah over Devin Townsend Project. Nothing against Heavy Devy but there's nothing like going into an opener with zero expectations and then having your face melted clean off by tech death from the space between atoms

Gojira over Devin Townsend Project. They played "Art of Dying" in its entirety. Enough said

Navene K over Animals as Leaders. He's a drummer playing a club kit on stage by himself, how good could he be? Really good, it turns out. To this day the only opening act I've seen get an encore. Also, Animals as Leaders sucks so fucking bad live. After the Burial killed em that same night too

The Fall of Troy over Protest the Hero/Chiodos. Protest was great at this show but Fall of Troy was just about to break up and was leaving it all on stage. It was cool to see a super shreddy young guy play with some actual rock star energy and front a band comfortably, complete with competent vocals. This era Thomas Erak was a proper unicorn. David Davidson probably the closest thing to him kickin these days

I was going to write the same tour with gojira. They went on before machine head and had the whole place a buzz. The sound was so intense. My buddy had never heard them and leaned over to me half way through and said this might be the best band I’ve seen. LOG were damn good that night but gojira just slay’d !!!

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Alice Cooper opening for Motley Crue on the All Bad Things Come To An End tour.

Granted that it's not saying much since Crue even at their prime weren't great as a cohesive unit (more like poor Mick Mars holding everything together with an above average drummer, boring bassist and a singer getting tired at every second breath), but having Alice Cooper opening just made a mockery of them.

And whether this counts: Mayhemfest 2012 with the triple headline of Motorhead, Slayer and Slipknot.

Now there's no doubt that Slipknot tend to put on an intense live theatrical show, and they did exactly that. But I also witnessed that even they have a hard time playing after Slayer. Dave Lombardo was still in the band so it was even better.

 

[NotDonVito]

Havok opening for Children of Bodom. Best thrash band I've ever seen live, been a huge fan ever since. Bodom's live show is gimped as fuck because I don't think Alexi can manage their music well anymore.

 

[Pietjepieter]

Leprous and Between the burried and me where both opening for the Devin Townsend Project, and both crushed Devin. Especially leprous, who just released The Congregation did give a killer show.

Animals as Leaders opening for Tesseract. I like Tesseract but after animals it was kind of boring.

Between the buried and me opening for Tesseract.... same thing as above

Masterdon opening for tool, like tool a lot, but masterdon was pure madness at that time, never heard of the band before but was blown away

There are more i'm sure, but have seen to many concerts to remember them all

 

[777timesgod]

I saw Church of Misery opening for Cathedral once. The Japanese destroyed the old guys, they seemed tired and uninspired when they took the stage after them.

 

[777timesgod]

Rotting Christ opening for Dissection in 2005. The studio albums of Rotting Christ are pretty mediocre, but they were amazing that night!

RC are a nu-black metal band nowadays, if that make sense, despite being around since 1989. Their albums are full of anthem songs, which give them good material for killer live shows.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Rivers of Nihil & Revocation over Whitechapel & Devildriver.

I took my buddy to see Revocation when they came to Toronto last year. I loved them already but he had never gave them a listen. He left amazed. They were headlining and they had Rivers of Nihil open up for them

 

[MAJ Meadows SF]

A sad one, but one of the best shows I've ever seen. Fear Factory "15 Years of Fear" Tour (Transgression cycle), 3 NOV 2006 Tampa, FL; no Dino so that factors (I just noticed that pun when I reviewed this post). A Vitek and Covan loaded Decapitated opened up, and even though I had seen them before twice, this was the BEST set by far. Filled with energy and the sound engineer got their mix NAILED in that venue. It sucked because most of us were trying to get in the doors which just opened and they already had to start playing. Freaking Ybor City clubs. Hypocrisy was next, and Peter was on fucking fire. I'd never seen them live and I was blown away.

SO this show was supposed to be at State Theater in St. Pete, but a last second problem meant they had to relocate or cancel, and the promoter pulled some stunt and got some 3 story dance club in Ybor City, Tampa for the show. Smaller than State, so you are almost right up on stage with the bands. This place usually does house EDM and Hip Hop, and thus has a usual crowd that does not include kids and adults all dressed in black with thousands of piercings and tattoos. The looks we got from the clubbing crowds on 7th Street were hilarious. Third up was none other than our pals in Suffocation. Mike Smith was drumming (banner night for death metal legends on the skins!), and even shared some drinks with some of us at the bar afterwards. There was a point in the set when we noticed some of the normal crowd for that establishment walking in, between songs, wearing neon skin-tight mini-skirts. They walked up to the bar confidently, acting like they owned the place, and ordered some drinks. Frank, in such a gentlemanly fashion, started to pitch a dedication to the next song: "(paraphrased NY accent) This next song goes out to all you ladies in the crowd! I just want you to know that we love and appreciate you so much, that sometimes I just want to pull you in real close,... rip out your guts and rub them all over my face like AAARRRRGH!!!! THIS NEXT SONG IS CALLED: ENTRAILS OF YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!". Those three ladies promptly exited the show. Funniest live moment I've ever seen at a metal show.

Fear Factory was the headline of course, and it was a good set, but I was very much "meh" after all the above. Wolbers played well, and Burton's vocals were good, but I prefered them years later opening for Megadeth when they had Dino back and Kevin Talley drumming. Burton's singing vocals were NOT on par that night, and Megadeth crushed their set. Back to the Ybor show, talking with the bands at their merch tables and chatting with Mike SMith was really cool and had all my attention. It was a surreal and rewarding night, considering it was the last time I'd see Vitek ever, and Covan, plus first time experiencing the legendary Hypocrisy, and Frank's Father was there and he made some heartfelt dedications to him which was cool. It was a big death metal love fest, entrails and all, and definitely stole every bit of the show from Fear Factory for me, though they still had a big crowd that stayed late. One of the best shows I've ever been to.

 

[Ralyks]

I knew about Fates Warning and heard a few songs, and then I saw them open for Queensryche and Dream Theater in 2003. They've been my favorite band ever since, and Parallels may be favorite album of all time.

Another example, I saw Hurt open for Alice in Chains around 2006, and was floored from the moment I heard "Rapture". Vol. 1 is on my top 10 favorite albums.

 

[MerlinTKD]

Saw Queensryche on the Rage for Order tour... I have no memory of who they opened for. Ozzy? Doesn't matter. I was already a fan, and they cemented it that night. (Back when Geoff Tate was a decent human and not yet a walking douchebag).

Saw The Contortionist on the Language tour - again, not sure who they opened for (Periphery?). Had seen them once before, was NOT prepared for what Michael Lessard brought to the band and show. Converted me on the spot.

Seen some other openers that killed, being equal to without necessarily blowing away the headliner... Monuments on the Amanuensis tour with Alex Rudinger on drums, Intronaut opening for Periphery (I think), Intervals opening for The Contortionist last fall, Astronoid opening for Tesseract/BTBAM this spring. So many good shows!

 

[Ralyks]

Speaking of Tesseract, add them opening for Devin Townsend Project and One still wasn't out yet. Hella good show.

 

[RoRo56]

Mine would be Atlas and Vola opening for Monuments.

Had never heard of either, and Atlas got up on the stage after local band Bailer (who were really hard done by at that show). Atlas were absolutely insanely heavy and they looked like they were having the time of their lives up there. It's fairly standard ERG djent but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Vola were crazy good too. The songs were perfectly crafted and had the right mix of melody and heft. Each musician was a master of their craft and the frontman had an infectious personality.

Monuments were pretty good after but I had enjoyed the other 2 bands so much that I didn't appreciate the Monuments set.

 

[Ivars V]

Medeia, when they toured with CoB back in 2013.

 

[watson503]

Dresden 45 opening for The Exploited at the old Power Tools here in Houston back in 87.