[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by David

Yeah, isn’t that weird? Who picked the opening acts back then, the tour sponsors? In 1979, they could have had their pick of a dozen good opening acts in the New Wave — Joe Jackson, the Specials, the Cars, Graham Parker, Squeeze. I think it’s great for a top-of-the-bill to get an opener that is a little edgier and trendier. It provides a nice balance. Christopher Cross was always bland middle-of-the-road, and the Night Eyes were too, come to think of it, even though they never acquired an audience. Bob Marley opened in Germany in June 1980, which was not a good fit, either, even though Marley is a legend in his own right. Actually, Fleetwood melding with Men at Work in 1982 was a good ticket, even though Men at Work weren’t critics’ darlings like Fleetwood.

But Kate Bush?! In a mass-market arena-rock setting — good God. Imagine how far the audiences in Detroit or Cleveland would have tossed her when she sang “Kashka from Baghdad” or “Wow.”

The Cars were headlining arenas by 1979 .I saw them at the same venue where I attended the Tusk show and they had sold it out just 3 months before so no way. I agree about Kate although I have never heard that she was offered to open for FM on the Tusk tour .I wonder what the source is.