Like rhubarb and custard or Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man, some double bills are just irresistible.
When it comes to music, there's generally a natural headliner/support band hierarchy, sometimes accompanied by an equipment/volume/time restriction imposed on the latter. But when the two stars shine equally, it conjures a special kind of magic.
Four gigs stand out for me - in order of enjoyment, I'd start with Sonic Youth and Mudhoney at Manchester University in March 1989. Two bands at the peak of their powers - both had released career highlight records the previous October (Sonic Youth's epic double album Daydream Nation and Mudhoney's blistering Superfuzz Bigmuff). A joint encore of I Wanna Be Your Dog capped a perfect evening.
Next would be my headline-grabbing introduction to hip hop in May 1987 - Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys at Manchester Apollo. The kings and the young pretenders going toe to toe - Walk This Way and (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) were the invitations and here we were right in the middle of a tabloid storm of beats, booze and bad behaviour. Sensational.
Two incredible bands who never get the credit they deserve are The Lords of the New Church and Wall of Voodoo. Luckily for me, I got to see them together at Owens Park in Manchester in late 1984. A match made in heaven - the first two Lords' albums and Call of the West by Wall of Voodoo are essential listening.
Lastly, a Sub Pop co-headliner tour starring TAD and Nirvana in October 1989. The headliner rotated, and the night I saw them at Manchester Polytechnic, Nirvana actually came on before TAD. A night of bruising belligerence and all for the princely sum of £4.
Of course, there are so many more dreamlike double bills that I can only imagine - Rory Gallagher and Status Quo in 1974, Iggy Pop (featuring a certain David Bowie on keyboards) and Blondie in 1977, The Stranglers and U2 in 1978, Black Sabbath and Van Halen in 1978, The Police and XTC in 1980, New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen in 1987.
It's one of the reasons we keep going to gigs - you never know when you might just find the perfect combination.
I was fortunate to see Kraftwerk, Public Enemy and Big Audio Dynamite supporting U2 at the Stop Sellafield gig at the Gmex. To cap it all, Lou Reed joined U2 for Satellite of Love. Incredible night
You're twisting the knife with Nirvana/Tad, Steve! Few gigs I regret more not going to.
Interesting what constitutes a double header as opposed to main act/support. SY/Mudhoney, which I was at, felt like the latter at the time with the Youth very much the senior band. I take your point though.
Patti Smith and Television in 2004 springs to mind as two acts on roughly equal footing. The Academy was certainly packed for the 'support'. Or Throwing Muses/Pixies at the International in '88.
Not come across the Manchester Digital Music Archive before. That's work done for the day...