"Opening Act"

Stephen Gregory · Posted 16 Sep 2006 2:42 pm

There is a lot of talk on the internet in general and this forum, of being an "opening act" for a well known artist. There is an implication by way of this type of name dropping, that this individual or band has some sort of "sponsorship" or endorsement from the artist whose name is being "dropped". I believe that the only time an opening act really has any "bragging rights" is if he or she is picked by the artist to open and is more than likely doing this nationally or at least regionally. Otherwise it is usually just that the local band "knows" somone or is actually involved in the booking for a local venue and most likely has no more of a relationship with the the "star" then the janitor or hot dog stand guy. Your thoughts

[This message was edited by Stephen Gregory on 16 September 2006 at 03:47 PM.]

[This message was edited by Stephen Gregory on 16 September 2006 at 03:49 PM.]

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

Stephen,
Basically, I agree with you. I’ve been in bands that have opened up for major acts, and sometimes it was deserving and we put on quite a good show, while other times there were probably other bands available that could have done a better job. (And yes, we got the gigs because of knowing the person hiring for the venue, and not because of the "star" requesting us.)
Actually, even very good opening acts sometimes don’t sound much different than the not so good ones, because of the sound crew not caring about the opening act, but that’s a different topic altogether.
I’d say you paint a pretty accurate description, but perhaps not the whole story.
Any band that has not secured their way into the elite category of their live performances promoting their record sales and vice versa needs help in building a fan base and marketing themselves. Although, opening up for a major artist may not be a valid indication of how good and professional a band is, if they can use it to their benefit, I say why not. If it helps them land a few more gigs and gain some more fans, more power to them. To me it seems like this level of exaggeration is not crossing the line of false advertising, any more than most ads I see on TV or in magazines, etc., of companies trying to sell their products or services.
Marc

[This message was edited by Marc Friedland on 16 September 2006 at 09:58 PM.]

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I see no problem with this.

1) They got picked for the gig.
Most of the time these bands are worthy
of more recognition, at least regionally.

2) It IS opening for a well known act,
and so THEY HAVE or WILL HAVE PLAYED IT.
It is legitimately part of their resume,
and bands advertising and promotion schema.

I would not automatically ASSUME
because a band gets an opening slot
that it is sponsored by the lable etc.

But if they have played the gig
then they get bragging rights.

Now to get picked by a major artist for several nights of his tour IS a better gig,
but doesn't delimit the single night opening gig.

Lets not belittle their accomplishment
by nit picking about talking about it...

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Every band I've been in that has opened for a major artist was picked by the venue, except for maybe one time and we're milking it for all it's worth!

There are hundreds of bands out here in CA waiting in line at the nice rooms and venues for an opening slot. We feel grateful and honored when our band is picked to do the openers. We take it as a compliment. I guess I still think it's braggin' rights because we could still be waiting in line to open for someone at a good venue.

That's my 2 cents. DZ

[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 17 September 2006 at 02:39 AM.]

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I've been on both sides of the fence - working in a band that is the opening act and working in a band with the main act.

Although it's good for bragging rights and some ego's that the band opened for whoever, that's about as far as it usually goes.

Bad sound for the opening act is familiar too. We've worked several Marty Martel "Opry Legends" shows at Silver Springs Park (Ocala, Fl). We wouldn't go on until noon but we were required to be there at 9 am for "sound checks". However, the Opry Legend show would be setup and they would rehearse with the Opry Singers until about 11 or after - the opening act wouldn't get a chance to do any sound checks. Finally about 5 or 10 minutes before we go on the sound crew will set up the floor monitors, mic the amps and do a "quick and dirty" sound check. But the opening act gets to do 1 hour, where the Opry singers only do 15 minutes each.

But, the main act is much better (grin). The last show I did with Tommy Cash, here in Florida at a fair, the opening acts didn't get any consideration - they just unpacked their equipment in back of the stage and they were on their own. They brought in a big air conditioned motor home for Tommy and the band that we used for our "dressing room", it had a refigerator stocked with "liquid refreshments", some food, etc. They gave us all the time we wanted for sound checks, etc and the opening acts had to work around our equipment on the stage.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I worked with a couple of "opening act" bands in my old LA days and we were usually treated OK and made a little cash and they were nice venues. Since I moved to Virginia in Oct. of '85 I noticed a difference in the way opening acts are treated back here. For one thing, they don't get paid. I got a couple of calls where I'd ask what it paid and be told "It doesn't pay anything but you get a lot of exposure"..........To h-ll with that! The headliner and the promoter are getting paid so why not the opening act(s) too. About three years ago my band opened for Lone Star in Va. Beach and we did get $250 for that which wasn't much but we only had to play for 35 minutes. Trouble is there were 6 of us plus a female vocalist so after the split, I guess we didn't make anything at that one either.........JH in Va.

------------------
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

the last BIG show we did, we opened the show for Keith Anderson and Chris Cagle..

We went on at NOON, they went on at 8pm..

We were stage ready at 11 am,they were still sound checking the mains for the big boys until 11:45

We had 15 min to basically set up and when we finally started to play the monitor system wasn't working. The BIG boys had a totally independent monitor system than the HOUSE system. The rain from the night before took out something.

It was like 100 degrees, lots of folks waiting..but not without music. we had to wait another 30 minutes for the monitor system to get repaired, the crowd went away.

Our set got cut short of course..
but we did manage to get two new venues which pay pretty good from the OPENING ACT experience..

and we got to sweat a lot..

When we finished playing, like less than a minute later about 12 folks came up and just started picking up our gear to make room for the next act. One guy starts to pick up my STEEL and I pretty much read him the riot act..another picks up my Telecaster and starts to walk away..

wheres my 357 I'm thinking..

I pretty much blew a cork..the stage manager came over and I just laid it on the line..

I told him, 6 or 7 thousand worth of gear..are you taking full responsibility ?

He said..how much time do you need..
I said less than 5 min..

he told his crew to bug off..

We opened for Keith Anderson and Chris Cagle

not hardly...

I did let them carry the Session 400 and Nashville 400..

I'm not that crazy !

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 17 September 2006 at 04:27 AM.]

Barry Blackwood · Posted 17 Sep 2006 5:59 am

Dave, "HUNDREDS of bands" in CA?

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Ok, I mean thousands of bands!

Ian Finlay · From: Kenton, UK

Over here in the UK the opening act may well have to pay for the privilege. It's basically seen as buying publicity.

Ian

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Is it name dropping if you talk about opening for someone? You bet. Is it ok? Definitely. Are you a walking joke if you overdo it and go way out of your way to tell people about it, over and over again? Absolutely.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 19 Sep 2006 8:56 am

That's better, Dave .... oh, and by the way, I agree with you, John Light, word-4-word ...

[This message was edited by Barry Blackwood on 19 September 2006 at 03:08 PM.]

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

You can die from exposure.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

A band I played with for two years recently got asked to be one of the opening acts for Toby Keith's Throwdown II tour back in March.

So what did it get them?

In no particular order of importance:

1.Chance to open for national acts
2.Almost nothing in pay
3.No offers for recording contracts
4.No offers to continue on future tour schedule
5.Fee food
6.Ability to ride on one of Toby's buses
7.Ability to hang out with various opening acts band members.
8.Little to no help from roadies
9.Chance to catch every known STD
10.Ability to get free Toby T-Shirts
11.Ability to name drop at local hole in the wall venues.

In the end it got then nothing but a nice memory and oh wait, I almost forgot the T-shirt.

------------------
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

It's up to you what you do with your opportunities. Most of today's headline acts were opening acts in the past, and some will work their way back to that in the not-too- distant future.

It's an opportunity to get in front of people that would normally not see you, albeit not the full attendance of the headliner. Any band that desires success needs to first hitch on with a larger act that has an audience similar to the one it hopes to attract. Good management comes into play here. If no one is there to make sure the band is taking advantage of being on a bigger stage with a larger audience, the opportunity will fall flat. But that's probably in the cards anyway for a band without a plan and good artist direction.

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Sometimes it's a drag and seems like a waste of time. Sometimes it's great fun and profitable. One venue where we became there "pet opening act" for a while always gave us $100 each a night with free rooms, meal tickets and our own green room stocked with beer and deli sandwiches. Also, we sold tons of merch and one time when we played with.......(oops, almost dropped a name

!) we sold out of shirts and cds, plus we picked up some fans that came back the next time to see us.
Meeting and hanging out with the musicians was always fun too.

I've played for free too. Sometimes the opener can be the sound check for the headliner, and there have been times where the crew acted like we were always in the way and really putting them out by being there. Got to take the bad with the good I guess.

[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 19 September 2006 at 01:55 PM.]

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

It's one thing to name drop when you're talking to someone. It's another to put "has also shared the stage with" in your bio of your website. I see that all the time.

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Hey Chris, did I tell you that we opened for the Derailers a few weeks ago?

[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 19 September 2006 at 01:49 PM.]

Kenny Burford · From: Independence, Missouri USA

No one ever goes up to the sponsor of a loosing car racing team and asked the sponsor why they advertise that racecars use their products when the cars they sponsor have never won a race. So why should a band care who hired them to be the opening act, if they were the one selected they should make the most out of it they can. It’s called promotion.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Good one, Dave.

:>)
And did I mention--as per Dick W's post, I'm only in it for the STDs.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Willie Nelson always told me, "Don't be a name dropper."

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

How's my old buddy Willie doin' these days? He never calls!

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Don't feel bad Dave, Willie's only allowed one phone call.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Here's
an instresting account of a recent Wille concert, by a member of one of the opening acts.

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Opening up for someone is better than sitting home and waiting for calls that never come. Ambition creates success,talent backs it up. If one has neither, no use having a phone anyway.

I have two that don't ring much anymore.

[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 21 September 2006 at 05:26 AM.]

Forum Index > Music	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic