Being an opening band is a rather delicate balancing act; at times, the opener falls into obscurity, merely warming up the crowd. Other times, the opening act is able to eclipse the headlining act. This unpredictable relationship between opening acts and headlining acts can teach the business world about the benefits of supporting small businesses, stimulating up-and-coming companies, and creating internship programs.
Tips and Tricks For Your Business
As budding musicians, opening acts must be incredibly excited and grateful to work with more well-known and experienced headlining acts. In order to learn more about the relationship between opening acts and headlining acts, I looked into the various dynamics which can and will occur between these two roles. After learning about these variable dynamics, I am able to provide businesses with tips and tricks on the positives of supporting the growth of younger businesses.
How To Choose an Opening Act
Historically, band and venue managers would choose the opening act. Perhaps the manager knew a member of a band, or they were simply looking to promote some local music. Nowadays, the headlining artist might select a similar sounding band, or perhaps even a previous or current collaborator to open concerts for them. During the Zen Diagram Tour, The National and The War On Drugs selected Lucius to open for them. Lucius and The War On Drugs had collaborated previously, which is why Lucius was asked to be the opening act for the tour. Deploying the business notion of networking, these musicians utilized their previous connections to gain more support and excitement for their tour.
Grow Your Visibility
Being an opening act is a great method for new and upcoming bands to gain visibility. While gaining visibility, the opening act can also earn a large amount of performing experience and receive advice from the headlining act. This advice can foster lifelong relationships as a form of musical networking. With similar benefits to drawing from a network within the business world, these connections between bands and artists usually provide both parties with new avenues for creativity, ideas, and opportunity.
Pop Culture Parallels
Interestingly, certain opening bands can and have been able to alter the proverbial pecking order. Much like Darth Vader overthrowing Emperor Palpatine, certain opening bands are able to eventually surpass the headlining band. One eye-opening example is from Taylor Swift being the opening act for Rascal Flatts in 2008 (link goes here). While “Life is a Highway,” is a cracking song, Taylor Swift has gone on to become one of the most successful touring artists of all time. Here, the opening act’s success eventually surpassed that of the headlining act.
Ideally, there is a distinct lack of animosity and criticism between opening and headlining artists. Ben Lovett, of Mumford and Sons, once reflected on his experience as a headliner whilst the Welsh band Catfish and the Bottlemen were his band’s opening act. After seeing the eventual success of Catfish, Lovett said “It was a major point of pride to have helped create a platform that enabled a path for real music to at least be part of the conversation about what was going on in mainstream culture.” Here, for instance, a member of the headlining act is happy and proud to have been able to support a younger, more inexperienced band, along their way to realizing their own goals.
Fostering Supportive Parternships
Similar to the relationship between a protege and a mentor, the relationship between an opening band and a headlining band can provide the business and entrepreneurial world with insight into how to manage an intern within a business office. The idea of creating a supportive environment that encourages creativity, while offering stellar, tried-and-true advice, must be implemented into the entrepreneurial world.
Usually, opening artists have to possess a great deal of drive and hunger in order to attain both success and longevity. The performing arts world operates with an incredibly similar pool of skills, techniques and functions which can and should be translated into the business world. Some of these ideas include being a ‘self-starter,’ and cultivating a passion for vocation, whether that is business or music related.
Retaining Independence
Understandably, a sense of independence between the opening acts and the headlining acts has been developed. For example, although both bands are on the same tour, either band will have their manager, technical crew, musicians, and sound. While this can seem counterproductive for camaraderie, it enables both bands to truly flourish in their own way. For example, the headlining band (The National and The War On Drugs) was there to support and advise the opening act (Lucius), while maintaining a level of healthy space, which allows both bands to remain authentic.
Viewing this relationship between opening and headlining bands like a ‘business’ model, frames the relationship between openers and headliners as much more of a partnership than previously thought. These differences in viewpoint demonstrate the benefits of having a flexible mindset and a dynamic set of skills to draw from, which is absolutely applicable to the ever-changing world of business.
Business Applications
Opening bands and headlining bands have intricate, supportive relationships. The opening act has numerous functions, from warming up the crowd to connecting with the audience. As a business model, the format of an opening act working like an apprentice, or perhaps a partner to the headlining act should be utilized in the business world. More businesses should absolutely use this model of working with other businesses’ for visibility, experience, and growth. Likewise, companies should support their interns, in the hopes of fostering long term and helpful relationships. These are but two examples of the potential business relationships and decisions which can be made after a brief examination of opening and headlining acts.
