The Pits: Support Acts and the Subtle Art of being Stereotypical

By Katlyn Mortimer

Waiting for a live show to start can be the longest 90 minutes of your life, and can sometimes be an endurance test of discomfort from the lack of personal space, and the sudden realisation that you need to use the bathroom more than you ever have before in your entire life, whilst being stuck in a crowd of thousands. The only relief from small talk with strangers and distraction from your bladder could be found in the chosen pre-show playlist, which never seems to be loud enough over the chatter of the crowd to truly enjoy. But as the lights suddenly dim and music swells, your saviour has arrived – the support act is taking the stage. If you’re lucky, there is more than one. If you’re even luckier, they put on a great show. However, being a support act requires a specific skillset, and has certain requirements that must be met to be a truly great supporting artist. This month, I’ll be taking you into the pits of some recent supporting performances I have attended, and unpacking where things have gone slightly wrong and delightfully right.

To be a great support act, one must first acknowledge the criteria of the role. Energising the crowd for the main act, as well as showcasing your own discography to an audience who likely haven’t even taken the time to google your name before the show – these are the goals. For small artists, a good first impression can garner a real-life fanbase when they return to the city on their own tour, or at least a few extra Spotify streams after the show, so this is of utmost importance. A stereotypical spot of mild crowd pandering will never go amiss – I mean, maybe Glasgow isn’t actually every artist’s favourite city to play in, but they love to tell the audience of Scots with adoring glee, how fun, loud and (occasionally) how sexy their accents are. And who are we to disbelieve them?

Earlier this year, I saw indie-pop newcomer Kaeto open for Bleachers (the band fronted by everyone’s favourite producer, Jack Antonoff) and more recently she supported The Last Dinner Party on the UK leg of their tour. There were 5 months between each performance, and within this time the Scottish-born singer released a slew of singles and her first mixtape, not to mention her stage presence had become much more expansive and confident. But crucially, on both occasions the now London-based artist told the crowd of how she was born and raised in Glasgow, and truly loves performing there. Her words had an immediate impact across the room, with excited cheers in recognition of one of their own suggesting a deeper investment to the artist onstage than before. Perhaps a more unique tactic of self promotion used by Kaeto are the freebies she offers at the merchandise table – small art cards, stickers and packets of basil seeds, which now take pride of place on my laptop and kitchen windowsill, respectively. In fact, she stood at the merchandise stand after the Bleachers show greeting fans and taking pictures, and enthusiastically offered me a hug, selfie, and seed packet. Though this method of fan interaction may not be feasible for every support artist, it is an easy way to build connections with fans, and give them a reason to invest their time and attention to them. If the support act makes it big, they can brag about having met “before they blew up.” Win-win!

However, the connection to the crowd isn’t the only aspect of a support slot that must be carefully maintained, but also the quality of performance. Of course, the job description of a support slot includes “energise the crowd” in bold and underlined font, and this requires playing music which the crowd can jump or politely nod along to. Not only this, but careful selection of a support act should ensure that the headliner’s fanbase are likely to be interested in the music that the support act has to offer. Previously, I have attended concerts where this miscalculation, or simple neglect of attention, has seen small pop-punk bands opening up for pop artists whose fanbase of young girls struggled to resonate with.

While Kaeto fairs well in both garnering crowd connection and general interest, some opening acts come across as unnervingly aware at the stillness of the crowd, and in-house vocal mixing may not carry the same clarity as that of the headliner, which makes it harder to connect with an already unheard of track. This latter point can often be forgiven due to the opener and having less-specific sound engineering than that of the headliner, but remains a notable hindrance to most support sets. This past week, I caught indie-rock band Momma opening for Beabadoobee, and once again struggled to make out vocals clearly from the back of the hall. Despite this, the band were able to interact with those near the front of the crowd, and overall received a positive final cheer as they exited the stage.

Touring with a bigger band as a support act is, ultimately, a way for upcoming artists to get a taste for life on the road, expand their audience, and allow opportunities for their fans to attend a show where they are supporting to see them perform live, even if only for a few songs. Swim School are a band who are no strangers to the support slot, having toured with acts like Pixies, Inhaler, and recently Pale Waves, who I saw them open up for last month. Though the band themselves were confident enough performing in the <1000 capacity venue, there were moments where the set felt rushed through and impatient, with little time spent ‘getting to know’ the crowd, which may have benefitted the overall interest that the audience had for the musicians on stage. It felt as though the band had accepted the initial restrained audience response as something to work alongside, rather than something to try and overcome.

Being a good opening act requires a sense of showmanship and, simultaneously, an acknowledgment that the majority of the crowd aren’t here to see you, and that’s okay! In some senses, it is an audition; a first impression towards a group of music fans who ultimately wish to see a good show, and want the first act on the bill to kick it off with a strong start. So while there may be challenges when it comes to harnessing the crowd’s energy and turning it into your own, perseverance is key. The best support acts are the ones which have the power to transform the audience from a mass of distracted chatter into an eager and excited springboard for the headliner to work with. It can be a tricky task, but if all else fails, you can always cover a Taylor Swift song!