Bands whose first gigs were at huge venues.

[aznsquirt]

The Loverboy thread sent me down a rabbit hole and I discovered that their first ever gig was opening for Kiss at Pacific Coliseum, and their second gig was opening for Foreigner at Madison Square Garden.

Lore was always that Bon Jovi's first gig was opening for ZZ Top at Madison Square, but I'm pretty sure they played at least a club gig or two beforehand.

Any other examples? This is obviously going to be mostly limited to artists who came out of the gate with hype/good management, etc.

I'm thinking mostly rock bands, but I imagine there probably some bands in the manufactured pop star/boy band vein who immediately got sent out on the road opening for a big star.

[HoldenSSV]

Autograph opening for Van Halen?

[Psychobolia.com]

After just 2 warmup gigs, WOLFGANG VAN MAMMOTH was playing HERSHEYPark STADIUM in HERSHEY Pennsylvania. Thanks, Axl! Thanks, Pops!

[Bono Nettencourt]

Blind Faith was playing an hour-long set at stadiums and festivals.

[GoodJudge]

I know there was an article in Kerrang! BITD (late 80s) about some woman whose rich parents booked Hammersmith Odeon for her band's debut show. Unsurprisingly it wasn't very well-attended. Can't recall her name though.

[CrankerBait]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Woodstock.

[CrankerBait]

The Band at Winterland. Yes, they were Dylan's band earlier, but this was their first show where they weren't a backing band.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

I’m pretty sure both Slaughter and Winger were created in the studio.

Slaughter because of VVI.
Winger because of Kip and producer Beau Hill.

And they both opened for Kiss on the Hot in the Shade tour.

[Turner Coates]

Hyde Park, London
The rock band Blind Faith, composed of Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Rick Grech played a small number of gigs in England, Scandinavia and the United States between June and August 1969. The first gig, on 7 June at Hyde Park, London was witnessed by 100,000 fans.

[Turner Coates]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Woodstock.

Their first major public gig was on August 16, 1969, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, with Joni Mitchell as their opening act. They mentioned they were going to someplace called Woodstock the next day, but that they had no idea where it was.

[eddie lee roth]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Woodstock.

Their first major public gig was on August 16, 1969, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, with Joni Mitchell as their opening act. They mentioned they were going to someplace called Woodstock the next day, but that they had no idea where it was.

There you go again dropping some knowledge.

Hyde Park, London
The rock band Blind Faith, composed of Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Rick Grech played a small number of gigs in England, Scandinavia and the United States between June and August 1969. The first gig, on 7 June at Hyde Park, London was witnessed by 100,000 fans.

Was that opening for the Stones after Brian Jones had just passed away gig?

[Turner Coates]

Was that opening for the Stones after Brian Jones had just passed away gig?

Blind Faith played Hyde Park about a month before the Stones. It was their big supergroup kickoff gig.
And just think; in those days, before the internet, it was advertised mostly through radio, posters, newspapers, magazines and word of mouth.
Same deal with Woodstock.

[Love_Industry]

I know there was an article in Kerrang! BITD (late 80s) about some woman whose rich parents booked Hammersmith Odeon for her band's debut show. Unsurprisingly it wasn't very well-attended. Can't recall her name though.

Lisa Dominique?

[HueyRamone]

I know there was an article in Kerrang! BITD (late 80s) about some woman whose rich parents booked Hammersmith Odeon for her band's debut show. Unsurprisingly it wasn't very well-attended. Can't recall her name though.

Lisa Dominique?

Cant be her. They played all the shitholes. I remember her being in Kerrap! all the time, but never heard the band. Finally saw a vid in the last year or so. Damn, she couldnt sing a note!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJXFjRk33nE

[eddie lee roth]

Was that opening for the Stones after Brian Jones had just passed away gig?

Blind Faith played Hyde Park about a month before the Stones. It was their big supergroup kickoff gig.
And just think; in those days, before the internet, it was advertised mostly through radio, posters, newspapers, magazines and word of mouth.
Same deal with Woodstock.

Remember the dead Dixie Chick nobody knew thread?

Wasn’t that when the Bad Company debuted in Austin Texas with ZZ Top story started between us or had they already played back home? Or do I need to lay off the weed?

I think I need to get something to eat I’ve got the munchies.

[aznsquirt]

Haha, great replies, guys. There's def going to be a lot of "played a handful of small gigs and then opened for someone huge" stories.

I was actually wondering if anybody's first gig was Woodstock.

I suppose there might be some examples from the pay-to-play Ozzfest era. Nu-metal band forms in the studio, records major label, label immediately pays to have them play the third stage at 3pm at Ozzfest.

And obv a lot of "supergroup" types where the individuals have the hype before the band is even formed.

[soulonfire]

Wasn't Santana's first show Woodstock? Or was it just that they played before releasing their first album?

[ijwthstd]

I’m pretty sure both Slaughter and Winger were created in the studio.

Slaughter because of VVI.
Winger because of Kip and producer Beau Hill.

And they both opened for Kiss on the Hot in the Shade tour.

Winger's first tour was opening for the Scorpions in 1988 and unless there were any undocumented club shows the first one was at the Peoria Civic Center

https://www.setlist.fm/search?page=3&query=winger+1988

[Dyslexicheart]

It wasn't their first gig, but I saw Loverboy in the summer of 1980 opening for Cheap Trick, and I think it was their sixth ever live performance. Saw them as openers four more times over the next 2-3 years.

[CrankerBait]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Woodstock.

Their first major public gig was on August 16, 1969, at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, with Joni Mitchell as their opening act. They mentioned they were going to someplace called Woodstock the next day, but that they had no idea where it was.

That's right. I stand corrected.

[cowpins]

There you go again dropping some knowledge.

Seriously, we come here to talk smack and he brings actual historical content. Libraries are for knowledge.

[risingfarce]

After just 2 warmup gigs, WOLFGANG VAN MAMMOTH was playing HERSHEYPark STADIUM in HERSHEY Pennsylvania. Thanks, Axl! Thanks, Pops!

There was no more chocolate left after the concert.

[BernieTaupson]

That joke band assembled around Paul Stanley’s kid that had never done a live show before being shoehorned into the last fifty EOTR dates.

Had Glenn Frey’s kid ever done any shows before he got shoehorned into The Eagles for a feel good story and to legitimise going out on a scab cashgrab tour?

Wolfgunt in 2007 with VH obviously. Bit of a theme here.

[Mister Freeze]

The first Damn Yankees show was probably on that tour with Bad Company.

This thread skews heavily toward supergroups.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Was that opening for the Stones after Brian Jones had just passed away gig?

Blind Faith played Hyde Park about a month before the Stones. It was their big supergroup kickoff gig.
And just think; in those days, before the internet, it was advertised mostly through radio, posters, newspapers, magazines and word of mouth.
Same deal with Woodstock.

They even threw Under My Thumb into their set.

And yes Woodstock got so crazy that if they didn't open the gates it would've been an even worse disaster.

[Love_Industry]

Manowar's first show was opening for Ted Nugent in 1982. Setlist.fm has their first show at the 5k+ El Paso County Coliseum, it's maybe not 100% the first but it must have been the type of venue Nugent played at the time.

[GoodJudge]

I know there was an article in Kerrang! BITD (late 80s) about some woman whose rich parents booked Hammersmith Odeon for her band's debut show. Unsurprisingly it wasn't very well-attended. Can't recall her name though.

Lisa Dominique?

Cant be her. They played all the shitholes. I remember her being in Kerrap! all the time, but never heard the band. Finally saw a vid in the last year or so. Damn, she couldnt sing a note!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJXFjRk33nE

Not Lisa or anyone you've heard of. It was some no-name band with a trust-fund singer. I'd post it if only I had enough hours to dig through the cupboard that's got all my 80s Kerrang!s in.

[HueyRamone]

Lisa Dominique?

Cant be her. They played all the shitholes. I remember her being in Kerrap! all the time, but never heard the band. Finally saw a vid in the last year or so. Damn, she couldnt sing a note!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJXFjRk33nE

Not Lisa or anyone you've heard of. It was some no-name band with a trust-fund singer. I'd post it if only I had enough hours to dig through the cupboard that's got all my 80s Kerrang!s in.

Kerrang reviewed it?!?

[Sleek]

Was just listening to a Leleand Sklar interview. His sixties band, WOLFGANG got Bill Graham as their manager. Their first gig ever was opening for Zeppelin at Winterland.

[DemonFilth2001]

My high school band's first gig was in an auditorium. 1500 people.

It was a talent show involving several high schools.