Bands you saw before they were famous

[Grievous Angel]

Genesis supporting Lindisfarne at Cardiff Top Rank. Pretentious (not me - Genesis )

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

T"Pau at a young farmers barn dance, funnily enough in a farmers barn just outside Builth Wells.
They were truly terrible.
She (Carol Decker) couldn"t sing in tune & the band were shocking.
A couple of months later I heard their song "China in your Hands ?" on Radio 1.
Pretenders at Top Rank again terrible, Chrissie Hynde as equally bad as Carol Decker.

Carol decker was a rotter with a shocking voice

[Wales-Bales]

T"Pau at a young farmers barn dance, funnily enough in a farmers barn just outside Builth Wells.
They were truly terrible.
She (Carol Decker) couldn"t sing in tune & the band were shocking.
A couple of months later I heard their song "China in your Hands ?" on Radio 1.
Pretenders at Top Rank again terrible, Chrissie Hynde as equally bad as Carol Decker.

[life on mars]

Hawkwind
Green Day
Therapy
Thin Lizzy
Hole
Black keys
to name a few

[The Lone Gunman]

Absolutely correct. Wishbone Ash definitely famous.

I'm sure lots of music fans have heard of Wishbone Ash (or at least know the name), but I reckon describing them as famous is pushing it. They never had a hit single for starters. As for the band having a 'huge following', the venues they're playing these days would suggest otherwise.

[The Lone Gunman]

X Ambassadors

They're alright. Went with a girl I knew in Boston who got us stage-front standing VIP passes.

So you had VIP stage-front passes for a show by a band who weren't famous? How did that work?

[Wales-Bales]

So you had VIP stage-front passes for a show by a band who weren't famous? How did that work?

They got to stand in front of the other 5 people.

[City123]

So you had VIP stage-front passes for a show by a band who weren't famous? How did that work?

They could have been the support

[The Lone Gunman]

I think it's difficult to establish what 'famous' is unless a band is genuinely big.

I saw Blur several times when they were relatively small, including at the Pontypridd Muni. They definitely went on to be famous.

I saw Supergrass support Shed Seven at Newport's TJ's before they had a single out.

I also saw the Offspring in TJ's with about 30 others a couple of years before they were having big hits.

[The Lone Gunman]

They could have been the support

That's possible. He didn't mention it though.

[G rangetown Blue]

Saw The Killers in Bar Fly, and helped them out on their merch stall while they ran up and down the stairs, wondering at the sight of a Castle in the middle of a City centre.
They recently played a huge show at said Castle.....I didn’t go.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Stiff Little Fingers, supported by a little known Irish band called U2, in 1978.

Also Paper Lace opening up the UK Stock Car Racing championships at Wimbledon Stadium in 1973(?).

I call bullshit. I’ve seen Fingers (maybe 20 times... I even (sadly) have a child named after one of them 😂.... probably a little too much information there

I only remember U2 and them playing one gig together and it was televised I think in 1981. Fingers were the bigger band then.

In 1978 U2 band members were still going to see SLF live

https://www.u2.com/news/title/kicking-up-a-racket/news/

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

Saw The Killers in Bar Fly, and helped them out on their merch stall while they ran up and down the stairs, wondering at the sight of a Castle in the middle of a City centre.
They recently played a huge show at said Castle.....I didn’t go.

I did and they then headlined Glasto the night after!

[Enoch Mort]

I'm sure lots of music fans have heard of Wishbone Ash (or at least know the name), but I reckon describing them as famous is pushing it. They never had a hit single for starters. As for the band having a 'huge following', the venues they're playing these days would suggest otherwise.

Sadly I am old enough to remember their first album in 1970 and they did acquire a significant degree of fame then which did last for a few years. Obviously not as great a some of the really big names then but fame nevertheless. They appeared on OGWT and were pushed by John Peel. However, I would say that their fame did not last long as they had so many changes of personnel that later versions of the band beared little resemblance to the original line up. As for never having had a hit single, well, in the late 60s early 70s some regarded that as a badge of honour.

[StraightOuttaCanton]

The Cure supporting the Banshees at Sophia Gardens 1979. Three Imaginary Boys had just been released and I heard Boys Don’t Cry for the first time live which turned into one of my all time favourite tracks. Banshees were also fantastic

[Moodybluebird]

Gunman

Famous just means well known, prominent or popular and the band certainly were all of those back in the day, as well as Andy Powell and Ted Turner being voted as two of the most influential and best guitarists of their generation. In my book that qualifies them as famous, not in a Beatles, Michael Jackson, David Bowie way but famous nonetheless.

Not all bands were singles bands and as for venues, there are only a handful of groups still going from that period who can sell out massive venues or sporting arenas. However, Wishbone Ash and many others of their ilk are still capable of filling decent sized venues.

A few months ago we saw Colin Blunstone at the British Legion club in Whitchurch only a few weeks after he and the rest of The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in the US, probably the most prestigious music ceremony of its type on the planet. So it just goes to show, that size of venue isn't a good yardstick to measure an artist's fame. By the way The Zombies are fantastic live 🙂

[life on mars]

Few more :
Bad Brains.
Husku Du.
Butthole Surfers

[Malckent]

I did and they then headlined Glasto the night after!

And what a flipping headline it was!!!!!

[The Lone Gunman]

Gunman

Famous just means well known, prominent or popular and the band certainly were all of those back in the day, as well as Andy Powell and Ted Turner being voted as two of the most influential and best guitarists of their generation. In my book that qualifies them as famous, not in a Beatles, Michael Jackson, David Bowie way but famous nonetheless.

Not all bands were singles bands and as for venues, there are only a handful of groups still going from that period who can sell out massive venues or sporting arenas. However, Wishbone Ash and many others of their ilk are still capable of filling decent sized venues.

A few months ago we saw Colin Blunstone at the British Legion club in Whitchurch only a few weeks after he and the rest of The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in the US, probably the most prestigious music ceremony of its type on the planet. So it just goes to show, that size of venue isn't a good yardstick to measure an artist's fame. By the way The Zombies are fantastic live ��

I've no doubt Wishbone Ash were influential and well-known enough in their heyday, but as I've already said I think famous is pushing it. I'm a fan of plenty of late-Sixties and early-Seventies stuff but I can honestly say I've never heard a track by Wishbone Ash that I'm aware of, and that is genuinely surprising considering I attend a music quiz most Tuesday evenings where my team are considered 'the youngsters' (we're all in our fifties) and all sorts of tracks from that era are played regularly.

I don't think you can put the Zombies in the same category. They had one of the most easily-recognised and regularly-covered hits of their day - a track which still gets regular radio play today. I've definitely heard stuff by them - I have both of their 1960's albums.

Fame is difficult to quantify. For instance, I saw Skunk Anansie play in support of other bands on several occasions before they even had a record deal. Would they qualify as famous? I wouldn't say so, although I guess others would and they did have plenty of hit singles.

[G rangetown Blue]

I did and they then headlined Glasto the night after!

I’m not a big fan to be honest, they’re a bit Meh. I think Brandon himself actually admitted that too.

They found a formula though, had some fun, and made lots of money, so good luck to them.

[Moodybluebird]

I've never heard of Skunk Anansie but if they were not around in the 60's, 70's or early 80's then that's not surprising.

Wishbone Ash were not a band you would have heard much on the radio but you could catch them on The Old Grey Whistle Test. They sold out the Capitol cinema in the early 70's and to this day that is in my Top 5 concerts of all time.

Two of their more well known tracks that I would recommend are Blowing Free and The King Will Come. Try some of the older live concerts on YouTube. You may even become a convert !!

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I've no doubt Wishbone Ash were influential and well-known enough in their heyday, but as I've already said I think famous is pushing it. I'm a fan of plenty of late-Sixties and early-Seventies stuff but I can honestly say I've never heard a track by Wishbone Ash that I'm aware of, and that is genuinely surprising considering I attend a music quiz most Tuesday evenings where my team are considered 'the youngsters' (we're all in our fifties) and all sorts of tracks from that era are played regularly.

I don't think you can put the Zombies in the same category. They had one of the most easily-recognised and regularly-covered hits of their day - a track which still gets regular radio play today. I've definitely heard stuff by them - I have both of their 1960's albums.

Fame is difficult to quantify. For instance, I saw Skunk Anansie play in support of other bands on several occasions before they even had a record deal. Would they qualify as famous? I wouldn't say so, although I guess others would and they did have plenty of hit singles.

The problem here is defining the word 'famous' when we and the general public have different areas of knowledge. I know of Wishbone Ash and have an album of theirs but most people in the street wouldn't have known about them at the height of their success.
A version of them is still doing the rounds, by the way.....

[cyril evans awaydays]

Not so much a famous band but I saw Q Tips at Swansea University student union in 1979. Fantastic soul band that paraded Paul Young's voice to the best effect before he hit the over produced ballad trail.

[NYCBlue]

I'd say Wishbone Ash were famous enough. I can remember hearing the name when I ws a kid. They had several top 20 albums in the 70s.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I think it's difficult to establish what 'famous' is unless a band is genuinely big.

I saw Blur several times when they were relatively small, including at the Pontypridd Muni. They definitely went on to be famous.

I saw Supergrass support Shed Seven at Newport's TJ's before they had a single out.

I also saw the Offspring in TJ's with about 30 others a couple of years before they were having big hits.

All utter shite bands