The Support Act

Support acts; whether in the medium of comedy, music or even film (when B-movies preceded the main picture) often undertake a thankless task. After all both they and we, the audience, have often come to the joint realisation that in general, they’re merely a subplot, a distraction, something to get your juices flowing before the main event.

When you buy gig tickets, how often is your decision swayed by the quality of the support acts? My guess would be rarely, if at all.
Support acts are often neglected. Many fans time their arrival to the arena, stadium or club so as to miss their performance altogether and purely witness the main attraction. If you do happen to be there when the support act plays, you’ll often notice the sheer lack of interest from the audience in what could be a band’s first big opportunity to perform to a larger crowd.

Rarely do the masses get anywhere near as rowdy and excitable as they do once the main act appears on stage and one imagines rarely do we spare a thought for what this must do to the morale of those occupying such a slot.

Bands have to start somewhere and whilst relentless touring of their own is beneficial, the opportunity to support a far larger and better-established band or artist is second to none.
We often underestimate the support act, fail to recognise the potential they may possess, too caught up in anticipation for the artist(s) we’ve parted with our hard earned money to see.

However, every so often, an audience’s low expectations can prove to be greatly advantageous. Every so often, a band/artist, decides to rise to the occasion, seize their moment in the spotlight and for lack of a more appropriate phrase, absolutely nail their performance.

Now firstly, I must admit, when I found out that Southampton based rock band, ‘Band of Skull’s’ were to support ‘The Black Keys’ during their three-night stay at London’s Alexandra Palace, I wasn’t oblivious to them or their music.
I’ve been a fan from the very beginning, thoroughly enjoying their brilliant debut album ‘**Baby Darling Doll Face Honey’** (2009) a mixture of both blues and garage rock that screamed of potential for bigger things.

Fast forward to 2012 and the band’s second album **‘Sweet Sour’** is imminent, arriving on the **21st February**. However, despite hearing and liking their most recent single ‘The Devil takes care of his own’ and enjoying the growing recognition they’re finally beginning to receive, little could prepare me for the quality of their live show.

Like I’ve already stated, they, along with many musicians in their place must have realised their position when playing before a band (now) as big as The Black Keys.
My theory initially proved valid, as from where I was stood three rows from the front, the opening songs of their set drew muffled recognition if any at all, from the restless audience.
However, the band quickly began to come into their own, with a slick combination of their old hits and new songs performed back to back, joined together with superbly tight effect filled jams.

The mood around me had suddenly changed, I could sense the excitement, the surprise, the joy at what the band were offering many music fans, that up until that evening, were oblivious to their very existence. The applause that followed each song, began to grow, what were previously reserved foot taps, turned into full-blown cries of praise and enjoyment.

The band had won over the audience in just under an hour and the visceral display of happiness in their faces when leaving the stage to rapturous applause, said it all. Whilst they hadn’t upstaged the soon to perform ‘Black Keys’ they had done the next best thing, nailed their performance and left the stage happy in the knowledge that they’d done all they could to promote themselves effectively.

Once they left the stage, the dust began to settle, people around me scrolled through their luminous Smartphone’s, impatiently searching for more information, or simply to download the band’s discography there and then (such is our age of immediacy).
From behind me I could hear two men talking, their conversation didn’t last long, “ ***** ** I wasn’t expecting that” one said, “two for the price of one” the other replied.

Such is the state of our society today that we are taught to expect nothing for free, to be cautious of things that present themselves as such and to expect only what we paid for.
However, every so often we are subject to an unexpected surprise that elevates a good day/evening into a great one.

And though the ‘Black Key’s subsequent set was phenomenal, It was ‘Band of Skull’s that left me smiling, as I slowly exited Alexandra Palace into an arctic London night.