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"Dumbing Down" Set so Headliner Sounds Better

#42
Don't hold back. Set the standard for the headliner to live up to. If they can't, that's on them, not you. Always, always, play like it's your last chance to be onstage. People spent their hard earned money and went out of their way to come see you play. Why would you give them any less than your best?
 
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#44
lfmn16 said:
Speaking from a band that both opens and has opening acts, if I found out an opening act held back, I'd have no respect for them and not work with them again. If you can kick my @$$ on my stage in front of my audience, I have nothing but respect for you. A great opening act gives us just that much more incentive to do our best.

As an opening act, we put on the best show possible. If we can eclipse the headliner, that's on them, not us.
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There are legendary stories of this happening - KISS when they opened for Black Sabbath, and later on Van Halen when they opened for KISS - in both cases I remember reading the headliner that was blown away being the one telling the story and appreciating it.

Also, what is "better"? I don't think it's quantifiable. Just go out and do your thing, hopefully you'll inspire the headliner and maybe even get them to perform better!
 
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#49
hieronymous said:
There are legendary stories of this happening - KISS when they opened for Black Sabbath, and later on Van Halen when they opened for KISS - in both cases I remember reading the headliner that was blown away being the one telling the story and appreciating it.

Also, what is "better"? I don't think it's quantifiable. Just go out and do your thing, hopefully you'll inspire the headliner and maybe even get them to perform better!
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Last time I saw this happen Porcupine Tree opened for Coheed and Cambria at The Pageant in St. Louis. Had to be back in like 2010. Not saying Coheed had a bad show, quite the contrary. But PT blew them smooth away regardless.
 
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#52
Joining the chorus here - play your best show! The PA will be quieter and the lights less dazzling already, no need for you to sandbag. If you kill it you warm up the crowd and make it easier for the headliner anyway. So drop the bomb out there!m

I saw The Go-Gos open up for The Police at the old Cap center in MD. They crushed their set, got called back out for 4 encores. One of my favorite rock moments ever. That rhythm section dropped the lumber on us, all 20K of us were dancing like fools, the pure rock groove was undeniable and inexorable. So good! So don’t sandbag one bit.
 
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#54
redwingxix said:
Huh? The only courtesy like that would be to make sure you aren't playing anything on the headliner's setlist. That would be bad form. Other than than that you go out and put on your best show. Period.
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My band opened for Badfish this past winter. They’re the biggest Sublime tribute act. We normally play “Santeria” at most of our shows. We obviously didn’t for this show. :)
 
#55
unbridled said:
Here is what is going on in a nutshell:

The headliner borrowed the lead player from my band for a decent sized (maybe 1000 people) show. Our band is opening for the headliner. Our lead player says our show is better than the headliner and his group.

We're having a moral dilemma about making our set less stellar so the headliner sounds better. We aren't going to purposeley mess up, but are reconsidering song choice, energy level, etc.

I say that we should throw everything at the audience like we normally do and to let the headliner sink or swim, even though he's paying us.

Thoughts?
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Always, play to win.
 
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#58
way back in the day (2000-2001)...the band I was in would routinely outshine and outdraw the local "headliners" we didn't care because they were (for the most part) terrible people. If we played with friends we would always support each other.

However, we also would open for a lot of big name acts. And we found ourselves opening up for one of the bands that really inspired us. They were HUGE in the 80s but, as time went on, were not so huge then. They were insanely nice to us, shared their beer and food, hung out and talked gear. Even checked out our set from the sidelines.

Now...keep in mind...we were kind of local hotshots at the time. The crowd was enormous...almost at capacity. The lead singer gives me a huge thumbs up from the wings. We, as the openers, end up playing an encore.

Then they come on...and half the crowd starts filing out. I mean, just left that like giant band that was all over MTV was just an afterthought. I LITERALLY went outside to beg them to go back inside because that band meant so much to us and this was a dream come true and blah blah blah.

Things were a bit frosty backstage after that.

So...if you care about this headliner...maybe tread lightly. If you don't...blow the doors off the f'ers!
 
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#59
All you are asking for is trouble if you play less than your potential.
My band opened for a very notable band and we had the crowd more excited and enjoying it better than the major band...
Just enjoy what you do!
 
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#60
So it's unanimous. How could it not be? Who's idea was it to hold back? What would motivate that? "Sometimes when I try to understand a person's motives, I play a little game, I assume the worst. What's the worst reason they could have for saying what they are saying and doing what they are doing?" -Petyr Baelish "Littlefinger" Game of Thrones s7
 
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