Entertainment For Lively Minds
Your Best Ever Double/Triple Headers
Posted by fedoraboy on 5 November 2010 - 11:15pm.
On the eve of tomorrows 'gig of the year' in Leicester with Midlake, John Grant and Jason Lyttle, I kinda got to thinking if I'd ever been to a better double/triple header than this. Festivals aside my top five are probably
Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips
Run DMC/Beastie Boys
Throwing Muses/The Sundays
Sonic Youth/Pavement
and
New Order/Happy Mondays/A Certain Ratio
although this will undoubtably change by the end of this sentence.
Oh yeah, Saint Etienne and Pulp (with Jarvis 10 seconds away from celebritydom)
- More from fedoraboy.
- Login or register to post comments
-
Sheffield City Hall, 1978.
Squeeze.
Radio Stars.
Eddie and the Hot Rods.
Never bettered.
Well...
Greg Khin/Aerosmith/Ted Nugent
or
Avengers / Sex Pistols
both at Winterland
Coventry, The General Wolfe - '83 or '84....
.... The Icicle Works supported by Billy Bragg.
A good one I saw was...
Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Davy Graham at Blackheath Concert Halls in the early 1990s.
Don't get me started...
Mott The Hoople/Queen 1973 Lancaster
Traffic/Richard & Linda Thompson 1974 Lancaster
The Clash/Buzzcocks/Subway Sect/Slits Brighton 1977
The Jam/Wire Eastbourne 1977
The Clash/Suicide/The Specials Glasow 1978
The Ramones/Talking Heads Liverpool 1977
The Ramones/The Rezillos Glasgow 1977 (or was it 8?)
The Cramps/The Fall Glasgow & Stirling 1980
1st Stiff Tour - Elvis, Nick, Dury, Wreckless, Wallis Glasgow 77
2 Tone Tour - Specials, Madness, Selecter Stirling 1979
Fire Engines/Boots For Dancing Edinburgh 85 ish
Graham Parker/Southside Johnny Brighton 77
Nils Lofgren/Tom Petty Brighton 77
Stiff Little Fingers/The Fall/The Human League/Mekons/ATV/Gang of 4 Lyceum 1978 (9?)
John Fogerty/BR5-49 Nashville, 1997
Gretchen Peters/Matraca Berg/Suzy Boggus/Tom Russell/Jeff Hanna/Rodney Crowell/Tia Sellers/Bryan Adams/Mary Gauthier - about a month ago in Nashville
Eddie Floyd/William Bell, Stax in Memphis Nov last year
Wow
I knew about The Clash/Suicide tour, but The Specials too! That's, et, special.
The Specials were rubbish though...
...I saw the same tour again a few days later in Crawley, when a chain wielding skinhead jumped on stage & broke Alan Vega's nose...
No manners...
But what a critic!
One day
Someones going to publish the tour diary of that Clash/Suicide tour. My old boss tells of the time he got a free ticket to one of the dates as long as he handed out flyers for Suicide. The phrase 'none more gobbed on' came up.
I seem to remember Johnny Green's book* covered it
but it's been a while since I read it.
*A Riot Of Our Own.
Yes, Mark...
... Graham Parker and the Rumour, supported by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. In my case on 30 March 1977 at the New Theatre, Oxford.
Blimey, the double headers were better at the New Theatre...
in those days. Now it's Shane Richie and Les Dennis.
Plenty
Lindisfarne
Rab Noakes
Genesis
Genesis were first on when I saw this tour arrive at Manchester's Free Trade Hall. Never saw Rab Noakes 'cos a as a plucky youth I nipped backstage to get Ver 'Sis autographs.
Ramones supported by Talking Heads
Talking Heads supported by Dire Straits
Tori Amos supported by The Divine Comedy
Ha!
I saw ver Heads supported by ver Straits as well!
Sheffield Uni, 1978. Maybe back end of 1977.
I loved TH, but have to say that the Straits totally blew them off the stage that night...
Ha!
I saw ver Heads supported by ver Straits as well!
Sheffield Uni, 1978. Maybe back end of 1977.
I loved TH, but have to say that the Straits totally blew them off the stage that night...
Me too!
De Montfort Hall, Leicester(if my admittedly porous serves). It was a full house and we had no tickets. Blagged entrance on the flimsiest excuse that we worked at Coventry Virgin...
Me too!
As a young guitarist in 1977 an english teacher at Hackney college got me on the guest list for Dire Staits at the Roundhouse (as Waylon Jennings!)she had been going out with Mark Knoffler. They were on first followed by Slaughter & the dogs then Talking heads. A great gig.
Others that come to mind -
Tom Petty supporting Nils Lofgren.
Pulp supporting Bjork
Joan Armatrading supporting Supertramp
Supertramp
Supported by Gallagher & Lyle + Chris De Burgh
The Talking Heads/Dire Straits gig at Sheffield Uni
was on 20 January 1978.
I saw them a couple of weeks later on 3 February at St.Albans Civic Hall. Great gig! ... although my mate went there with a high fever and collapsed half way through. We had to carry him out. I remember him murmuring something like "Tina Weymouth smiled at me..."
Always regretted...
...not going to see The Buzzcocks and Joy Division at the Glasgow Apollo. Instead bought a ticket for Blondie. Who were rubbish.
Well
I was at that one. The Buzzcocks were great, but I didn't think Joy Division were up to much.
Dacorum pavillion
Buzzcocks/Joy Division
the same tour
Buzzcocks were great that night.
I missed Joy Division because my pal had to have another pint in Lauder's before we went across to the Apollo -"the beer in there is pish". We took our seats as Joy Division left the stage.
"Were they any good, mate?"
"Amazin!!!"
did see Buzzcocks
...but managed to not see the Sex Pistols on the same bill at the Electric Circus in Manchester. They were touring as SPOTS and as I'd never heard of them decided it was best to get the bus back to Bury. oh well
The weekend New York came to Glasgow
The Talking Heads supporting The Ramones on the Saturday, Blondie supporting Television on the Sunday - June 77.
That pretty much set me on the path.
Also, for life-affirming pop nous, Orange Juice supporting the Undertones - Glasgow Tiffanys 1980 . And for grizzled bar-room swing, The Fabulous Thunderbirds supporting Rockpile, also at Tiffanys, Kim Wilson in a very cool turban, an R&B style from long ago.
The Fire Engines supporting Orange Juice, can't remember where in Glasgow that was. Original OJ lineup.
I saw Rockpile at Bradford Uni
supported by The Fabulous Thunderbirds and surprise extra support group.
Elvis Costello & the Attractions (billed as Horace Barlow Experience)
edit: 7th Feb 1980 according to http://www.luckygoon.com/HTML/Concerts/80_83.html
We regret to announce . .
. . that Mr Johnny Marr has broken his collar bone so the forthcoming "double-header" concert at the Royal Albert Hall featuring The Smiths and The Fall has been cancelled.
So that ticket on your wall in your bedroom is useless, pal . . . 1987? 88?
It would have been 1987 or before
as Morrissey and Marr divorced in that year.
I wasn't there myself...
but I reckon the famous 1972 Bowie tour where he was supported by Roxy Music would take some beating.
Next month in Dublin
Arcade Fire play the O2 supported by Vampire Weekend and Devandra Banhart. None more US indie but a potentially grand night out.
Supergrass/Bluetones 1995
Liverpool Lomax. Just before their first LPs (I think). Bluetones were good but I've rarely seen such a buzz when Supergrass played. Band and audience were fired up and everyone seemed to be dancing or jumping up and down.
Also saw Stereolab/Yo La Tengo there, perhaps in the same year. Mesmeric droning synthy organs. Fabulous.
Television
supported by Blondie at Birmingham Town Hall (I think.. I can't remember everything you know). Mind boggling...
BB King
Saw BB King on a couple of double / triple headers....
BB King / Robert Cray - Edinburgh Playhouse - probably sometime on the early 90's
BBKing / Dr John / Neville Brothers - Shoreline Ampitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1998.
We also had Coldplay / Travis on the same bill here in Singapore back in 2001 - both we established by that point.
Supporting Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac...
...let's hear it for that well-known typo, er, BLONDWIN PIG
My Mum has a vague memory...
of seeing Fleetwood Mac on Hampstead Heath when I was only a few months old. That would have been in late 1969. Sadly I can remember absolutely nothing about it. Oh well...
A few more
None more shoegazey - Ride/Pale Saints
None more metal - Saxon/Anvil
None more 80s - Frankie GTH/Berlin
None more bonkers - Flaming Lips/Deerhoof
None more witty - Divine Comedy/Ben Folds
None more 'CRB check please' - Butthole Surfers and The Paul Green School Of Rock
None more 'here, steal my wife' - Spiritualized/Verve
None more mixed bag - U2/Pretenders/The Mission/The Fall
I seem to recall that The Fall only played one song, a twenty minute version of 'Australians In Europe'
Mixed bag
A free concert in Copenhagen (sponsored by Carlsberg) - The Blues Brothers Band, KC and the Sunshine Band forming a sandwich for (cue drum roll) Pere Ubu.
Well, I enjoyed it.
West Bromich Gala Baths Circa '79
Eric Clapton and Muddy Waters for John Wile (ex WBA captain) testimonial - £4 well spent.
Eric and the band resplendent in Albion shirts.
I don't suppose any member of the massive saw...
Bruce Springsteen supported by Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Max's Kansas City club in New York, in 1973? No?
I've always imagined that that must have been a pretty useful double-bill.
Does the NME Brat Bus Tour Count?
Ash/Hundred Reasons/Soundtrack of our Lives (and someone else) at the Astoria in 2002. Best value gig I've ever been to.
Yes, yes...I admit
it was me giving you the up-arrow for the mention of Soundtrack...!
And me!
Didn't SOOL blow Oasis of the bill once?
Not just the once...!
Oasis were big fans and took them on a couple of tours - but Soundtrack live are a cross between The Who and The Clash so a tough act for Noel and Co to follow.
Talking of value
Stackridge
Rufus feat. Chaka Khan
Joe Walsh Band
The Eagles
The Beach Boys
Elton John
Three pound fifty at Wembley in 1976.
Annoying vague memories of..
Little Feat AND Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Newcastle City Hall, 1976 (I think). Little Feat opened (I think). Just remember it being wonderful.
Ah yes, I remember it well(ish).
Mary Chapin Carpenter
usually has pretty good support acts. As noted in My Night Out With from last week, she is being supported by Tift Merritt on her current tour.
I've also seen her supported by:
Lucinda Williams
Catie Curtis (unknown to most of you, but she is excellent)
Shawn Colvin
and as a double header with Lyle Lovett.
Emmylou Harris with Patty Griffin
Steve Earle with Allison Moorer (both before and after they became Mr & Mrs)
John Hiatt & The North Mississippi All Stars (who did their own set and then backed him)
John Hiatt with Kim Richey
Lucinda Williams with Teddy Thompson
Lucinda Williams with Beth Orton
Green On Red with Steve Earle
Suzy Bogguss with Elizabeth Cook
i have had trouble topping my first intl concert
72 ....or was it 73
deep purple - in rock just out some machine head in the set
manfred mann -spacey synth heavy mick rogers era
free - all right now was in the charts
$3.50 I was 15
in the eighties there were 2 double bills as all these bands wee headed for a festival
simple minds / pretenders think it was when chrissie and jim got together
a day later talking heads /eurythmics -
When was it again?
Has anyone mentioned the tour featuring
Doobie Brothers
Little Feat
Montrose
Banaroo
I'm racking my brain trying to remember the year. 1974 or 1975? I seem to remember it was 75p but surely not?
That was
the Warner Brothers Music Show in 1974.
I saw it at the Rainbow.
There was even a cheapo sampler LP featuring all those bands:
thhanks Mojo
Graham Central Station too. I'd forgotten about them.
And the publicist for that self-same record was...
....Steve Wright!
No ,really...
I was going to suggest that one as well
One of the best nights entertainment I ever had...
Some of mine...
The Damned & Black Flag: Lyceum December 1981
Throwing Muses & Pixies: Town & Country Club May 1987
The Damned, Fuzztones & Dr. & The Medics: Hammersmith Palais June 1985
The Meteors, Hanoi Rocks & Screaming Lord Sutch: Lyceum October 1982
The Stranglers, That Petrol Emotion, Godfathers: Alexandra Palace August 1990
R.E.M & Wilco: Olympia June 1999
The Hives, International Noise Conspiracy, Randy: Astoria December 2001
The Who & Joe Strummer: Wembley Arena November 2000
Roky Erickson & Clinic: Festival Hall June 2007
From memory
Billy Bragg/Michelle Shocked
Lindisfarne/Genesis
Tina Turner/Level 42 (in the US)
Lyle Lovett/Mary Chapin Carpenter
Alabama 3/David Ford
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers/Nils Lofgren
erm
Divine Comedy/Magnetic Fields - Water Rats
Snuff/Mega-City Four/Joyce McKinney Experience - Venue New Cross
Mogwai/Bonnie Prince Billy - Astoria
Arcade Fire/The Kills/Long Blondes - Leadmill
50 Foot Wave/Misty's Big Adventure - Boardwalk
and quit a few decent combos of local Sheffield bands and whenever you see one of the Fence bands/James Yorkston, there's a lot of other goodness in support.
Mr Hannon
Has shown me some excellent supports over the years. Duke Special, Ben Folds, Mark Eitzel, I Am Kloot to name but all of the ones I remember. Oh and Pelvis who were fun.
Also saw Divine Comedy
a few months later supported by the very lovely Frank and Walters at Camden Town Hall, just as they were really taking off (and not very long after the Eurovision Father Ted Episode first aired, so there was My Lovely Horse).
Can't remember who supported at Royal Festival Hall or Brixton...
Forgot
Seeing a pre-britpop Pulp, Lush, Blur, Ride and World of Twist over two nights at l'Aeronef in Lille in '91.
Can't remember the precise split of the nights. Ocean Colour Scene also played.
Cathal Coughlan and JimO'Rourke on the same night at the Queen Elizabeth Hall during Scott Walker's Meltdown.
Also saw CC at the Spitz supported by Florida, who went on to become the excellent but thus far unlauded Morton Valence.
PJ Harvey and Giant Sand at Shepherd's Bush
Two nights of Prodigy
When working at the G-MEX Centre. On one of the nights the support act was The Foo Fighters.
Previously we had Gary Glitter supported by the Village People. I got to do the YMCA dance right in front of stage.
well I liked
PJ Harvey/ Tricky 1995
Beastie Boys/ Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 1995
Sonic Youth/ Pavement 1992
Elastica/ Ash 1994
Blur/ Super Furry Animals 1997
Rollercoaster (My Bloody Valentine/ Jesus & Mary Chain/ Dinosaur Jr/ Blur) 1992
potentially...
LCD Soundsystem/ Hot Chip Next week
strangest, if not best
who put together these acts, at my first ever concert:
Journey (pre-Steve Perry, did Beatles covers)
The Sylvers (a disco group)
Elvin Bishop (Country rock)
Electric Light Orchestra
Cincinnati 1977. Something for everyone I guess.
Surprised
no one on the board appears to have mentioned the current Midlake tour. I caught them at the Roundhouse on Tuesday evening, with the wonderful John Grant supporting, as was Jason Lytle, former lead singer of Grandaddy. Midlake are now a 7 piece and much improved on when I saw them 3 years ago. After Midlake finished they came back on with Jason to sing "A.M. 180" by Grandaddy and then John Grant joined Midlake for a wonderful song by his former band, the Czars, called "Paint the Moon." This was the highlight of the evening for me, but all 3 bands were excellent.
The other evening that really impressed last year was the Nick Cave curated night at the Forum in Kentish Town, with Seasick Steve on first, Suicide afterward, and then Grinderman to finish.
Apart from the original post!
Saw the show last night in Leicester, although arrived at 715 which is apparently too late and so missed Jason Lytle. How long was he on stage for? Did he just do the solo stuff? John Grant was his usual amazing self but was only allowed five songs and one solitary member of Midlake to help out. Considering it's the best thing they've been involved in, I expected a bit more effort from ver Midlake.
midlake
supporting the earlies @ the monarch(?) camden about 5 years ago.
Concerts for Kampuchea
At Hammersmith Odeon over Christmas 1979, I saw over two consecutive nights:
The Pretenders, The Specials and The Who.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Rockpile (with Robert Plant) and Wings.
Happy days.
'Twas back in the mid 90's.
There was a little streak of fabulousness. Gigs where I'd have paid good money to see the support as well as the main act.
World Party / Aimee Mann
Jellyfish / The Lemon Trees
And, biggest and bestest for me
Crowded House / Dada
I loved Dada back then. For reasons I can't remember, I 'phoned Pompey Guildhall to see who the support was that night. I had a feeling in my water for reasons I can't think. I was right.
Sadly, CH were a bit shite that night. Paul Hester's problems seemed to be coming to a head and it was all a bit painful.
That'll teach me
.. for failing to even read the first sentence of fedoraboy's post before responding myself.
my tuppenthworth...
Most "punk" - Suicide supporting Siouxsie & the Banshees 1988 Liverpool Royal Court. Suicide got bottled off maybe three songs in, I never felt more "Punk" just being there.
Literate Britpop - Denim & Pulp in the Manchester (Ardwick Green) Apollo 1996. The perfect double-bill of literate & intelligent pop
Some crossover with Fedoraboy's selections too
the Mondays/ACR/New Order gig Fedoraboy mentions (Manchester GMEX 1988 I presume?) my first ever proper gig as it happens.
Also saw the St Etienne/Pulp tour, when it came to Liverpool Uni. Pulp somewhat blew the headliners off stage who sounded like they were on AM radio next door. I never saw Pulp play again though oddly enough. Or St.E for that matter.
Thinking back some of my all time great gigs were great double-headers:
Stereolab and Tortoise at Mcr Uni, both bands at their peak and doing an improv at the end.
Cocteau Twins and Seefeel at Mcr Academy
Mercury Rev and The High Llamas somewhere in London (The Astoria maybe?)
Sundown, Edmonton
on a rainy Sunday night in 1973 I saw Golden Earring (Radar Love had just entered the charts) supported by Brinsley Schwartz, Bees Make Honey and Ducks Deluxe. Pub rock heaven.
The best triple-header though was The Specials, The Selecter and Dexy's Midnight Runners at Loughborough Uni in 1979 or 80. I recall I couldn't tell who was better, they were all absolutely outstanding.
Perhaps not in the intended spirit
but the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Benefit Concert at Madison Square Garden this time last year had (in approximate order of appearance) Jerry Lee Lewis, Crosby Still & Nash, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Stevie Wonder,Sting, John Legend, Paul Simon, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel,and John Fogerty. It was rather good. Bruce played for about three hours so the whole thing ran for about six hours of virtually continuous music.
Pheeeew
Spit the Legend that isn't (quite)
Usher Hall triples
Fairly stunned at the memories of many posters- mine is a bit fuzzy.
I seem to remember Edinburgh's Usher Hall having regular triple bills in the early 70s- all of them going down a treat with this particular youth.
Exact details are unclear, but I seem to recall seeing all of these in one or other of the triples- Family, Blodwyn Pig, Chicken Shack, Stone the Crows, Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Keef Hartley. (Though in what combination, I have no idea)
Strange thing is that they all merge hazily into each other in my memory, while another bill at the Churchhill Theatre is clear in my mind. Headliners- Writing on the Wall (Pictish heavy strangeness), East West (quality blues band, including future session man Ian Bairnson), Bread Love and Dreams (wimpy folky strumming) but bottom of the bill was a pre-chart fame Bay City Rollers, whose small band of screaming fans all left after their short set...
Eric Clapton in about 1983
Eric Clapton in about 1983 with Albert Lee and Duck Dunn in his backing band plus Paul Brady in support wasn't half bad.
And for Mr Ellen, two years earlier I also saw Gillan supported by the mighty Budgie! Maybe not such a stellar double header!! Not as bad as Magnum supported by Heavy Pettin' though - what WAS I thinking?
Before this thread vanishes...
Jesus and Mary Chain & The Sugarcubes, Cambridge Theatre,London 1988
Pixies & My Bloody Valentine, Town and County Club, September 1988 (still my favourite gig ever)
Lush & Pale Saints, Norwich Arts Centre, 1990 (apotheosis of shoegazer)
Stereolab and Yo la Tengo, Brighton, Summer 1996
Blur
both as a support and a headliner:
Blur supported by Super Furry Animals (Brixton Academy late 90s SFA nearly won with Man Don't Give a Fuck closer but Blur rose to the challenge excellently)
REM supported by Blur and Belly at the Milton Keynes bowl in 1995 (Blur were very drunk but their energy was infectious then REM gave them a lesson in professionalism that got the whole sweltering crowd to forget their parched mouths and sing their throats off)
The gigs from my youth were the most memorable...
...and I could just about stretch that qualification out to 1977, so it'd be -
The Who + The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Saville Theatre, Jan '67.
Traffic + Fleetwood Mac, Roundhouse, Dec '67.
Jefferson Airplane + The Doors, Roundhouse Sept '68.
Blondie+Television, Hammersmith Odeon May '77.
The Jam + The Clash, Finsbury Park Rainbow, May '77.
May I ask
if you are that Derek Ridgers, noted pop culture photographer (NME, Face etc)?
Yes, I am.
And I've seen some fantastic gigs from the perspective of the photographers pit. But the really memorable ones, the ones I'll take with me to my grave, were from when I was growing up.
finsbury park '86
new order/ happy mondays/ railway children/ acr
the first summer of love.
Super Seventies Nights
Three Dog Night/ The Guess Who
at the Hordern Pavillion Sydney in Novenber 1972.
Both bands big Down Under at that time. 3Dog were the headliners but the Canadians opened and blew them away.
The Billy Cobham-George Duke Band/ Weather Report/ John McLaughlin and Shakti
at the Hammersmith Odeon Summer 1976
A fusion fest to die for.
Oh, and
Green on Red / The Gun Club / The Dream Syndicate
Only in part because I played in one of the opening bands not listed above.