best opening song to a concert

[ErikB]

Afghan Whigs in 99 - first song they played when they got on stage was 'Retarded'

[kuma]

Styx opening for Journey in Diamond Head HI, 7/4/1977 "Creater Festival" yes inside the crater!

[FLB03TT]

Guns N' Roses: "Welcome To the Jungle"

[Paneotto]

Black Sabbath: War Pigs.

Van Halen(1978): Runnin' With the Devil

+1on Welcome to the Jungle

[Laxman]

Thunderstruck probably takes it. Seen a few AC/DC concerts. Never saw Sabbath live but War Pigs would have been a sight to hear.

[FLB03TT]

"Thunderstruck" is epic, but how about, but how about some COTL (Codgers of the Leaf) vintage Bon Scott AC/DC: "TNT"

There are so many great early songs, it's hard to choose one. Don't know if they ever opened with "TNT", but I think it fills the bill.

[hoyopr]

Best Opening Song at any concert I've been to?

Jethro Tull - The Passion Play Tour, would have been early 70's anyone who saw that knows.

This wasn't the best concert I.ve attended but definitely the best opening.

[LLC]

I have to agree U2 is tough to beat as the best concert I've seen and of them the Joshua Tree concert I went to many years ago was the best concert I've ever been to.

[targa88]

Thunderstruck is epic.

Those about to rock (we salute you)

Also worth mentioning not an opening song. Tribute to Led Zeppelin -

done by Heart

[Mojo Risin]

Rolling Stones Vegas 2006 -Jumping Jack Flash

Eagles Kansas City Hell Freezes Over Tour I think it was 1996 - Hotel California

[Colt45]

For me, AC/DC's top opener would be Riff Raff:

A few that come to mind:

Aerosmith - Back In The Saddle

Extreme - Decadence Dance

Judas Priest - The Hellion / Electric Eye

..............

[sabourin]

RUSH - Spirit of the Radio

[Warren]

I had an inkling you liked AC DC.

I lost count how many times you played Thunderstruck on Friday afternoon.

[Laxman]

Never saw U2 during the Joshua Tree tour but saw the Unforgettable Fire tour and that was probably the best concert I ever saw.

[matt14]

Hit the lights. Singapore last year. Not the best Metallica tune but from the start to finish it went off, very small crowd from what they usually play but the played incredibly. First concert my Gf has ever been too , don't get big Venues in Vietnam , she is now a convert. Off to Sonisphere this year at Knebworth , not telling her what to expect , she wouldn't believe me anyway!!

[superconductor71]

Easy for me:

U2 360 Tour

Walk in to David Bowie's : Major Tom, then start the show with "Even Better than the Real Thing"!

(This was filmed in Miami, but I saw the same thing live in Dallas!) I've seen U2 13 times live, and they are without a doubt the best live concert I've seen! My credentials of live shows consist of such greats as : The Jackson 5 Reunion Tour: Victory, Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Blink 182, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Guns'N Roses, Coldplay, Tears For Fears, Ect. U2 tops them all! Hands Down!

I mean, if you can't dig this, then we just can't be friends....

I'm right on board with you there. For the 360 tour I went to 5 shows, 3 of which I travelled with my wife and 8 year old son across the pond to see them in Dublin.

That intro, along with "Breathe" is definitely one the best openings.

However, if I had to pick a U2 opening that really stands out even more, it would be "Where the Streets Have No Name" from the Joshua Tree tour, back in '87. I remember sitting there in the crowd with the 2 huge screens with images of Joshua trees on them, flickered with lightning while Edge just stood there in the dark and the flickering light doing that ridiculous extended opening.

I just see you posted that vid...hah, was just going to do that. Truly excellent opening song!

Another, is "2112", by Rush on their 1981 "Moving Pictures" tour. Just tight.

~Drew

[NastyPirate]

There are a lot of bands that put on a good show. Some have been on tour for 40+ years and put on a great show. They are still filling stadiums and school everyone else out there.

I have been going to concerts since 1968. A long %$#@ing time. You want to see an epic show? Trust the guys who have honed their skills over 40 years, not 4 albums. There are bands with a few good songs; I'm talking bands with a significant body of work. U2? Seriously? Not even in the discussion.

Hands down, the 3 best acts on the planet, EVER are: Bruce, Stones, the Who. Doesn't make any difference on the order. Anyone else is a distant fourth.

And so endeth the lesson........

[fookite]

It'll be 40 years for Iron Maiden next year, and the Churchill speech / Aces High is one of the best openings out there. My personal favorite was the Ed Hunter tour in '99, when Bruce and Adrian came back.

[Pedro2486]

rage against the machine with tom morello tuning up his guiter then breaking into "bulls on parade"

ted nugent swinging from the amps and then breaking into "wango tango"

RATM +1 never got to see em live before they fell out. I recon Bullet in the head would be a very close second to Bulls on Parade.

AC/DC Thunderstruck for sure

[foreese]

Last weekend at the Big Day Out, Primus kicked off with Here come the Bastards! Was epic!

My pic from front and centre

Primus SUCKS!!!!!

[Jeremy Festa]

Primus SUCKS!!!!!

Haha Indeed! Nice one! You'd better explain that to everyone else though.

[foreese]

Haha Indeed! Nice one! You'd better explain that to everyone else though.

Nah - we get it!

[Jeremy Festa]

Nah - we get it!

Sweet

[superconductor71]

There are a lot of bands that put on a good show. Some have been on tour for 40+ years and put on a great show. They are still filling stadiums and school everyone else out there.

I have been going to concerts since 1968. A long %$#@ing time. You want to see an epic show? Trust the guys who have honed their skills over 40 years, not 4 albums. There are bands with a few good songs; I'm talking bands with a significant body of work. U2? Seriously? Not even in the discussion.

Hands down, the 3 best acts on the planet, EVER are: Bruce, Stones, the Who. Doesn't make any difference on the order. Anyone else is a distant fourth.

And so endeth the lesson........

Have to respectfully disagree with you here. Honestly, you say that U2 isn't even in the discussion? Yet, by your own criteria: "Trust the guys who have honed their skills over 40 years" you WOULD, in fact, be including U2. They have been touring for 36 years AS U2, but performed as "The Hype" for a few years prior. I would say that any band performing for close to 40 years, would deserve to be considered within the discussion.

Even more, U2 is one of those rare bands in which their live work far exceeds their studio work. I may have maybe 1 studio album of U2's over the years, simply because i'm not a huge fan of how they sound in studio, but you take those same songs and U2 re-invents them in the live setting. Have you seen them live?

While I have not been going to shows as long as you have, I have seen Pink Floyd in '79, '80's and '90's (amazing stage show), Bruce on many tours, Stones, The Who, McCartney, you name it, i've seen it. (Yes, Maiden also deserves to be on the list....amazing shows). U2 have been honing their craft in a live setting and managing to stay relevant for 40 years now....pretty impressive in my book.

[jimschn]

Metallica Summer Sanitarium 2003 Battery