Best You Ever Saw (Playing Support)

20 Apr 2010264
Lenny Kravitz, Interpol, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, Razorlight, The Fray, One Republic: depending on where you're seeing U2 this year, you'll also get to see one of the above. Last year you might have caught Kaiser Chiefs, Glasvegas, The Hours, Elbow or Muse.

And over the years some pretty fine bands have rocked the house just a few minutes before the main attraction took the stage - sometimes long before they became household names themselves.

(In fact we got so overcome at the memory of the great acts who've played with U2 that we pulled together this little gallery.)

Anyone see The Kings of Leon or The Killers on the Vertigo Tour ? Or Garbage or Stereophonics on the Elevation Tour? Public Enemy or Stereo MC's on ZOO TV ? BB King on Lovetown ? How about The Pretenders or Los Lobos or Lou Reed on The Joshua Tree Tour in the 1980's? Or Lone Justice when the band were touring The Unforgettable Fire. And, come to think of it, what about The Pixies, PJ Harvey, Patti Smith...



Was there an act you first discovered when they came out on stage before U2? Who was the best act you ever saw with them... and why? (Don't forget to include the tour or year of the show.)
Comments
264
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bienphilos
Rage in Dallas
It was the first time i saw U2 live...what an opening!
jnspellman
Slane
Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers was awesome support for Elevation Tour! But best support performance was by The Killers in Amsterdam on Vertigo - Brandon dared to walk down and use the catwalks!!!! I think Kasabaian this year in Frankfurt should pretty ace as well - just hope the Germans get them?
ciaranobrien
Best support
Coldplay or Red Hot ChilliPeppers Slane 2001
valentinab
best opening band
Phoenix, AZ November 2001 Elevation Tour leg 2: NO DOUBT ! They were amazing, I sat right behind Peter Jennings. Vowed never to sit in a seat again, now I'm a true rail hog!!! GA ALL THE WAY!
martin schepen
Snow Patrol...
No doubt about it. Saw them a couple of times during the 360 tour, but that evening in Milan..... It was magic.
pontifes
Muse
Their performance was great full of energy, that's the best opening act at least during the 360° Tour
djmartin
Berlin, 2005 Vertigo-Tour
First time with Kaiser Chiefs and then also with Snow Patrol. Never before heard something from them. because of that I thougt they could bore me. But then.....they both blew me away!! Their energy and fresh sounds! Spend lots of money to see both Bands later on their own Headliner- Tours. Now I can't make a list of most beloved Bands without including both. Many thanks to the U2-Management for those experiences.
zootval
Rage Against The Machine... No Contest
I've never seen an opening act get the crowed as pumped up as Rage Against the Machine did at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO back in 1997 for the Popmart Tour. They killed it.
Kire00
Snow Patrol, fosho
I saw U2 in Gothenburg the 30th 2009, and Snow Patrol opened. I didn't expect much, all I had heard was the radiohit Chasing Cars, so I simple nodded and smiled and expected them to go on with it. To my suprise, they were very good, and the performance sparked an intrest to listen more to them, which i now do. So definetly Snow Patrol, they performed admirably!
thwingfan
Best Opener
Tough call as there have been so many good ones. My personal faves have been Lone Justice (my first U2 show in 1985 at the Spectrum in Philly), Mason Ruffner (Joshua Tree 1987 also at the Spectrum), Primus (Zoo TV 1992 at Veterans Stadium), Damian Marley (Vertigo 2005 at Wachovia Center) and Muse (360 at Giants Stadium 2009). Would have loved seeing No Doubt and/or Garbage during the elevation tour but they didn't open in Philly.
Scott Montes
RAGE!!
Opening show of the Popmart tour in Vegas.....and as a HUGE U2 fan...it is hard for me to say that Rage Against the Machine blew them off the stage that night!! Unbelievable opening act!
WCANGELS2002
MEXICO CITY 2006
Secret Machines! awesome!
moos
B.B. King (Lovetown Tour)
Best support act I've ever seen at a U2 gig was undoubtely B.B. King and his beloved Lucille. What I really liked was the fact that B.B. and his band played and sang along on a few songs during the U2 show too.
csvalles
The Dalton Brothers
Hands down the best opening act of all time. "We only play two types of music, country and western..."
Tedder
360 Tour Vegas
Black Eye Peas...for sure! U2 and the Peas in Vegas..cant beat that.
anniebear
to karenlawer
In answer to your question about the country act, I think...(and I am another 23 yrs older since 87..lol)..it was The Dalton Bros.
skatch
NO DOUBT!!!!
I didn't get a chance to see them with U2 at the time, but No Doubt!
pappy67
Weddings Parties Anything
Lovetown Tour. Melbourne, Australia. I became friends with the bass player of Weddings Parties Anything, Pete Lawler, years later and he fondly recalled "pantsing" The Edge while they were supporting U2 on that tour. U2 had a pool table backstage and Melbourne had a big pool and live music scene back then in most of its pubs so there was a lot of good players about. So, The Edge apparently lost with all of his seven balls remaining on the table and the custom in Melbourne is that a losing player with seven balls remaining has to drop his pants and walk around the table in front of everyone. It doesn't surprise me The Edge did that. He strikes me as a great sport. Love to the band. Please bring 360 degrees to Australia. Pleeeasssee! Cheers. Brendan Papworth Melbourne Australia
paddyattitude
Naked Singer
my best memory is An Emotional Fish in Marseille on the 13th or 14th of july 1993 during the Zooropa Tour. They were great fun and great musically. Jerry Fish the singer ended up naked on stage in front of 60 000 people... few years later i had the chance to have few pints with him, and he told me he did it because it was his birthday... what ent to follow was unforgettable!
ofoghlada
Brings back memories!
1985 Longest day Milton Keynes, not the best but very memorable R.E.M., The Ramones, Billy Bragg, Spear of Destiny, The Faith Brothers! Best: Cardiff, Vertigo tour, Starsailor and the Killers. Snow Patrol on the 360 were great!
smudger9000
Glasvegas in Cardiff
They where truly incredible ;)
JackieD
The Alarm
War Tour - June 1983, NYC The perfect compliment to War Era U2.
SAUCE75
Rage Against The Machine
RATM was the best opening act I saw that was on the popmart tour stop in Dallas and Public Enemy was a good show too.
stagecustom69
Best support act ZOO TV
It was 18 years ago,during the first and second leg of the ZOO TV tour. I first remember Stereo MC's, joy and refreshing songs, Skunk Anansie for their energy,and don't forget PJ Harvey,so.......PJ Harvey! See you in Brussels 22th and 23th september!!!!!! Yeah yeah yeah!
waxe_seany
The Joshua Tree Tour 1987 (Euro Leg)
June 12th 1987, Wembley Stadium, London, (it was a Friday !!) I can still clearly remember --> (in this order ...) World Party Spear of Destiny The Pretenders they were all good...... great day aswell and Elbow last year on 360 Tour at same venue, we very good
ajfmoita1
Lisboa, Portugal 1993, 1997, 2005
1993-05-15 Zooropa 93 Stereo MC :)) 1997-09-11 PopMart Tour Placebo :))) 2005-08-14 Vertigo Tour Kaiser Chiefs :) I can't wait for 2010-10-02 & 2010-10-03 at Coimbra Stadium. Interpol 'll be the band! :)
Edwin
surfing at Croke
Has to be th Kaiser Chiefs instumental solo while the lead singer crowd surfed...Come on down Bono..Lets have ya!!
dianep
Supports
Yep, The Killers at Cardiff for me too. Enjoyed The Hours in 2009 but Glasvegas just didn't seem to fit the mix. Looking forward to hearing about the 2010 gigs now that new work is to be included. The journey goes on...
antistyle
Too Many...
Pretenders/Bodeans Public Enemy/Sugarcubes Rage Against The Machine Fun Lovin' Criminals/Long Pigs Oasis Pj Harvey No Doubt Kings of Leon Damian Marley Black Eyed Peas
galaxy2481
Gotta be The Killers
It has to be the Killers from Vertigo Tour in Cardiff June 2005. Looking forward to seeing outside the UK for the first time in Athens. Cant wait to see Snow Patrol... love their music
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