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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Texdoyle
Best support acts
In no particular order.. Big Country RIP Stuart Alarm Mission Silencers Cast Snow patrol Killers Pogues The Dubliners Lou Reed Glassvegas Waterboys
alx69me
rage against the machine-best act
It was in 1997 when I saw Rage Against The Machine open for U2 in Los Angeles@the Coliseum. It was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bono get better and see you guys in 2011. alx69me :)
newlands_park
Pearl Jam in Verona_1993
it surely has been the best supporting act ever seen
thecgs
Muse/Black Eyed Peas
I saw Muse in Washington DC, and they were pretty good, but when I was in Vegas for a second showing, I was skeptical of the Black Eyed Peas. They blew me away. I became a fan instantly and since they're coming here to Edmonton in August after U2 in June I'll be at that show.
desertrat76
Las Vegas 2001
No Doubt was awsome on the Elevation Tour. They knew how to get a crowd warmed up.
franzu2
and what about Pearl Jam?
don't know if it was the best performance I saw by a U2 support band, but Pearl Jam in Verona, Italy, 2003 did pretty well...Fun Lovin' Criminals in Torino 2001 performed well too.
emoberry
Great Night
Rage against the machine opened for them in Las Vegas Pop Mart tour.
Dave B
The Mission
Leeds and (unexpectedly) Edinburgh on the Joshua Tree tour. Not many U2 support bands caught my imagination. I saw the Mission 50+ times over their career.
mgers
Wembley 93
Defo Stereo MC's and Bjork!! They were awesome. Snow patrol Gelsenkirken last year were pretty good as well. Looking forward to Kasabain in Hannover in August.
fmgator
The Alarm
3K auditorium in Jacksonville, FL and THE Alarm on the War tour.
Kimbo
Black Eyed Peas HANDSDOWN!
The Black Eyed Peas ROCKED at the Rose Bowl with U2 in 2009! Slash and Fergie doing "Sweet Child O' Mine" was awesome! Wish they were going to be there with U2 in Oakland in June! Check out this video we made to BEP's "One Tribe"! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbjyuEK4bo
bellydancr
we all know it's...
PJ HARVEY!!!! on the elevation tour 2001 in Albany, it's where I first fell in love with her music, and now is my second favorite musician...U2 is first, so yeah, the best!!!!
keith360
Muse and Third Eye Blind
Muse on U2 360 in Tampa, October 9, 2009 was an awesome surprise. I didn't know much about them prior to this show, so I was hearing their music for the first time. Great start to a great night. And saw Third Eye Blind open up on Popmart in Tampa, November 10, 1997. I thought they set the night off to a great start as well. Two excellent bands.
The Alarm 87
The Alarm in wales, Cardiff arms park 1987! What a warm up for u2, more like boiling point! Great times, no golden circles just a pure gig. Watched the Alarm at Liverpool acadamey last sunday still great, 500 or 50,000 is there a difference????
ZOO_ADDICT
FEEDER
At the Arena Auf Schalke during the Vertigo tour (12th of June 2005)...Much better than Stereophonics and Snow Patrol
middlecoast
When U2 Closed For Them
Best act sharing the bill with U2 is easily Public Enemy. It's the only time it truly mattered that you saw the opening act. And, Big Audio Dynamite II wasn't too bad, either
whiz
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon in Chicago on the Vertigo Tour.----Snow Patrol, 360 tour, Chicago.---Look forward to seeing Interpol, July 6 in Chi-town.
ginger16
Arcade Fire
was fortunate enough to be at two of the few shows that Arcade Fire opened. Amazing ! Honorable mention to Garbage, Kings of Leon and Snow Patrol
jon.reid
The Mission, Above All The Mission
What a line up at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium in '87. The Mission were the biggest Runrig were excellent The Pogues and Love and Money were not bad either. Spoilt for choice. Would have loved to have seen The Alarm in '83.
CiaranArmagh2010
Ahem
Was just talking about U2s past support acts over a beer with my pal a few nights ago. Over the years the list is stunning. Some notable absences on the list on this article tho - eg - REM 1984 (dublin) Oasis 1997 (Oaklands Ca.) Moby 2001 (Slane) Coldplay 2001 (Slane) Oh, and....... worth mentioning - Axl rose caught off camera at a press conference mentioning to Slash how he`d `Really love to open for U2!` - `Throw some of our ballads at theirs!` (clip is on youtube somewhere. GNR press conference! Hail to the chiefs I guess!!
jon.reid
The Mission, Above All The Mission
What a line up at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium in '87. The Mission were the biggest Runrig were excellent The Pogues and Love and Money were not bad either. Spoilt for choice. Would have loved to have seen The Alarm in '83.
sconsin
PEARL JAM & GREEN DAY
Period.
gracesrules
Lone Justice
Lone Justice was great at Worcester Centrum for the Unforgettable Fire tour 1985. I ran out and bought their cassette the next day. What happened to them? Loved Maria McKee; she was adorable! My first u2 concert and I never looked back!
Fae
Muse.
Muse, flat out. I saw No Doubt, I saw Rage Against The Machine, I've seen a lot of U2 openers. Muse was, hands down, the most awesome, period.
sbrownell
RE: U2 360 Support Bands
The best to date is Snow Patrol. Muse was very good but are not to the creative level that Snow patrol is at. Having said all of thaty. Kasabian is the band you really want to see. Very cool stuff and a great warm up to the Greatest Band of all time!
paulette
Best line up ever....
There has been so many great openers, however nothing will ever top Slane castle....Coldplay opening for the Chilli Peppers opening for U2.... epic!
bigdrake
R E M, The Waterboys and The Alarm
The Longest Day, 1985 - Milton Keynes Bowl. They were pretty good (but not as good as our heros). What about The Waterboys? and I will also cast a vote for The Alarm - I have always enjoyed The Alarm - seeing then nearly as many times as U2 and Mike Peters and the gang always produced live. Not U2, but bloody good!
JRecio
KOL and Muse
Kings of Leon * Muse the best opening acts I was able to see. I see other opening acts that I WISH I could have seen...Coldplay, Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam??? OMG. :D
SC
Kraftwerk and Public Enemy!
The Stop Sellafield gig for Greenpeace at Manchester GMEX was a very strange occasion. Not every day you get to see Kraftwerk and Public Enemy on the same night as U2. I'll never forget that one. More recently, Elbow were great at Wembley even sat in the cheap seats.
airickgee
Zoo Tv Indoor!!!
Pixies! followed by: PJ Harvey Primus Kings of Leon No thanks to: Fun Lovin' Criminals
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