And the bands played on.

 I sat down to write a musical historical blog and boy did I fall down a rabbit hole, I was in a mind funk of trying to gather as much information about support bands that I had seen, headliners are easy but I realised that I had forgotten many of the unsung bands that I have seen over the years.

I remember watching local bands like Dark Angel and New Disease, Wet Dream who I had to listen to outside the Mount pub as the landlord didn’t think I was old enough (he was correct I was only 14 and had just shaved off my first big bushy beard) if there was someone playing local I always endeavoured to try and get in, I remember there was a band I was desperate to see (so long ago I have no idea the name of the band) playing the Sun in Burnopfield and I had to walk home because I didn’t realise that the bus (in those days ) stopped at 10, I was in the doghouse after that one, mind you I did get a lift home from a friendly policeman who wondered why I was running at that time of night, I didn’t tell him I had been in a pub (me with my reputation).

 then there were the big boys support slots at the City Hall (still my fave venue) and other venues within the city of Newcastle, I remember seeing Def Leppard (when the drummer had two arms and was more baby faced then me) supporting the likes of ACDC and Sammy Hagar, I saw a young Diamond Head supporting Def Leppard, I also saw them headline in the city hall (superb) and in pubs like Trillian’s, Where Sean Harris came out wearing a monks habit (I have no idea why), then bands like Alcatraz (not the Graham Bonnet band) supporting the Tygers of Pan Tang, with special guests Magnum who I saw so many times as support or special guest , then bands like Trickster who supported Boston who I was able to buy their singles but had no joy finding the albums, no wonder they died a death, Budgie I have lost count the number of times I saw them as a support , never as a headliner even though they toured for years after the event.

Lucifer’s Friend, Riot, Socrates (a Greek rock band supporting UFO on the making contact tour, I had actually gone to see Billy Sheehan but he had jumped ship before even reaching the UK we got Paul Gray instead) The Greeks got abused and I kind of see why, as they were terrible. Infidel who had a lady singer who was good, the band not so, Lita Ford I saw twice as a support band and both times pretty damn good! I saw bands like Angelwitch, AIIZ whose drummer later joined ACDC UFO and Dio. I saw Zeno (Uli Jon Roth’s Brothers band) supporting the Ray Gillen version of Black Sabbath (another time Glenn Hughes didn’t turn up) then saw them announced at St James park supporting Queen (where they were introduced as it being their English debut…erm no).

I saw Terraplane before they turned into Thunder, I saw Stevie Salas Colourcode, I saw the Electric Boys, Girl supporting so many artists, I saw shite like Beltane Fire, some bands you just know when they walk on the stage that they are going to be bloody awful, and I had to endure them for virtually every night of the Misplaced Childhood tour, they recently reformed and my only question is why would you? I saw Mark Almond support Cher and he was incredible; I had seen him back in the day with Soft Cell and he was always shite. I saw a band called Ore over twenty times in the marquee they were always a great act and they had great songs, as long as you didn’t look at them they sounded great, but they had a major image problem in that they had the fattest singer in the world he was easily 25 stone, an awesome voice but god they just looked odd, and so they didn’t stand a chance.

I saw How We Live before Steve Hogarth joined Marillion but floundering after the Europeans, they were supporting Chris De Burgh, did I not tell I would go to any gig and yes Mr De Burgh was great, I saw Loud who were made up of ex members of New Model Army (I saw them as well but not as a support act) who the press said that they were going to be the next big thing, they weren’t, although I still have the 12” singles, I have no memory of virtually any band supporting Fish, yes there was support bands, but I simply don’t remember watching them. FM was a similar kind of thing but they did have one or two memorable  ones including White sister and Saraya, Romeo’s Daughter and loads of others(Bernie Marsden acoustically was great) but to be honest I was only interested in FM, I saw Wildlife supporting MSG before they morphed off into FM, again another band I saw in their infancy, including lots at the marquee and other venues around the country supporting just about everybody, usually I left after seeing the support act, I had gone to see Dereck St Holmes singing with MSG and then stumbled onto Steve Overland, and I have been hooked ever since.

I saw River City People who were really good until they got signed and then became a real crap pop act, I should know because I helped write some of the real crap pop songs that they demoed, I hope they never got released. I saw The Beat morph into General Public supporting Queen on the works tour and they were so bad I would go and buy more merch every night or maybe that was Freddie’s plan all along! I saw Fist support UFO and lost count of other local venues I saw them in, I always thought they would be bigger than they were, I saw White Spirit before Jannick joined Iron Maiden, damn they were good. I saw Gary Bardens in Statetrooper, I never rated him in MSG but loved Statetrooper, I even bought the bloody album, I saw Tik & Tok (don’t ask) Praying Mantis and a band who were decidedly second rate called Dedringer who I always enjoyed although I think that they were old enough to be my dad, not a great look in a support band!

I saw The Rods nearly destroy Maiden on the number of the beast tour, who I saw nearly destroy Priest on the British steel tour (erm no they didn’t) Paul Dianno always let the band down live, very charismatic but lousy singer live, I saw Samson and thought that Bruce Bruce should sing for Maiden, oh look at that he did! I saw Wolfsbane and always gave Blaze Bayley ten out of ten for effort but again not the best singer in the world, I saw Great white (erm no thanks) I saw them many years later upstairs at the O2 and they were great but not as a support, I saw Saxon I saw Accept and god knows how many more bands over the years, all who have done as I have , disappeared into mundane jobs supporting themselves and their families, but back in the day someone believed in them and paid for them to get onto a support slot in the vain hope that the album would sell, then you realised that the albums were not in the shops and that the label had dropped the ball.

I saw Quiet Riot and Gary Moore in his band G Force (not on the same bill or the same night) and I saw It Bites support Robert Plant to be honest I only went to see It Bites, maybe I should have stayed to watch Mr Plant,  I know I could go on forever, unfortunately though for every good or even poor bands there were far more shite ones and I really do not know how the hell they got that far, I saw a band called The Front support somebody at the Riverside in Newcastle and they had amazing brand new Marshall stacks and ultra-modern kit but they sounded like a bad version of the Doors, and I hate the Doors, somebody gave them a shed load of money to waste, I sometimes wonder what ever happened to them (no I don’t I’m lying) Don’t criticise me though, I did buy the album as they did a cover live which I thought was great and the damn thing wasn’t on the bloody album.  The moral of that tale is do not buy albums under the influence of alcohol HIC! I stood in awe of Saigon Kick supporting Extreme again at the Riverside, I was sneaked into the soundcheck and my mind was blown away as they sounded so huge in such a small space, they should have been so much bigger than what they did become.

I’ve seen Jugglers, painters and comedians I have seen what can only be described as something exotic and I have seen some downright weird, by and large I do usually enjoy the support band and until recently I usually give them three songs to prove themselves, if they don’t do it in that time I have a tendency to go and look at the merch stand, although these days I don’t buy as much as I could! I have seen the band that the blog is named after and I thought that they were better than the headline act on the night, admittedly a pretty close thing for that pairing. I have seen pairings that have been fantastic and the support has simply upped the ante and the headliners have run with it, it really does make for a much better show, I have seen some dire supports as well and boy did they get abuse, I may have got Julian Cope of Teardrop Explodes with Yoghurt whilst supporting a major rock band but for legal reasons I’m going to be in denial.

I haven’t even mentioned The Dickies, Danger Danger ,Two Tribes, Rose Tattoo, Wolf, Y&T (as a support act to ACDC), Spider, Mama’s Boys, Satan, Aldo Nova, Exodus, Tesla, China, Van Hagar and a multitude of others, you kind of get the picture! My favourite support story I loved Reckless by Bryan Adams and he supported Tina turner and because of who me and my friends worked for we able to wangle free tickets for every show on the tour there was about eight of us and we were third row every night and as soon as Mr Adams finished we buggered off to the bar I often wonder in Tina thought what the hell Is going on with those third row seats, can we not give them away, I still chuckle from time to time when it springs to my mind!

I had to stop at this point as my head was about to explode, some more would pop into my head and become more steam and then before I could make notes they vanished like steam, there so many other ones out there,  and I could do a similar blog as the ones that got away, it was fun to reminisce in a time before people stood annoying everybody behind them filming something that they will never watch again, usually because the sound is so shit! I hope you all enjoyed this one as much as did writing it, I can write something other than doom and gloom, so watch for the skies, for the next one, I know I will have missed  out so many more bands but damn it I’m old and my mind isn’t what it used to be, until the next thrilling dose of crap issued on the internet for free………………Toodles!