Britain's The Vaccines are just one of the many great bands currently touring the US as a support act.

If you’re a regular concertgoer then you’ll have experienced it before. You’ve paid good money to see a band you love, but when it comes to the night… well, they’re a little less than you expected.

You arrived early enough to catch the support band, however, and contrary to all your expectations they rocked. Maybe you’ve never heard of them before, maybe you knew one or two of their songs from the radio – but when it came to putting on a live show their offering blew your tried and tested favorites out of the water.

Many of us have discovered new favorites this way before – it’s why bands take these support slots in the first place – but with a little research and effort you can check out some of these great support bands in advance of the shows, and decide for yourself whether they’re worth arriving early for. Myspace and Facebook have made it incredibly easy to check out a new band from the comfort of your home, and you can pick and choose which artists you want to see.

In case you’re still wanting some advice, however (and let’s face it, that’s what we’re here for), here are five bands currently touring as support acts who we think would be worth the price of admission on their own:

The Head and the Heart. Anyone who visits CultureMob regularly will know that we love Seattle’s The Head and the Heart, and it’s incredible to hear that they’re touring this summer as a support act rather than a headlining band. It really can’t be long before the bubble breaks and they go global, and the good news is that they’re touring with Iron & Wine – a fantastic live act in their own right. Visit The Head and the Heart’s website for tour details, and to download two free tracks.

The Vaccines. Buzz bands come and go, but this English four-piece already sound like the real deal. Crossing Strokes-like garage rock with good old British punk attitude, as well as some stellar pop tunes, they’re quickly becoming one of the hottest tickets on the live scene. Which makes it even more remarkable that you can still catch them as a support act, warming up for the Arctic Monkeys on their current US tour. Catch them now, before they win their own headline slot. Check The Vaccines’ Myspace page for full tour details.

Yuck. Another British band, but they’re so immersed in the discordant guitars and alternative sensibility of mid-Nineties rock that you’d never know it. Whether you remember the likes of Pavement and Sonic Youth when they were in their prime, or just love Yuck’s radio-friendly single ‘Georgia’, they’ve definitely established themselves as a band on the brink of breaking through. Currently touring the US with Tame Impala, check the Yuck blog for dates.

Canadian chamber-folk ensemble Wilderness Of Manitoba. Photo: Zuzana Hudackova.

Wilderness of Manitoba. A Canadian chamber-folk ensemble may not sound like they’ll be burning up the stage, but Wilderness of Manitoba’s rich harmonies might make them the next folk act to break through into the charts. Like Fleet Foxes with even more orchestral layers, they’re quickly making a name for themselves, and their US debut album, When You Left The Fire, arrives on May 10. They’re on tour with Cloud Cult and Rasputina throughout the summer, check the Wilderness of Manitoba Myspace page for dates.

Beast Make Bomb. What can we say about Beast make Bomb? They’re loud, undeniably from New York, and one of the fastest-rising stars on the alt-rock scene. Think Yeah Yeah Yeahs-meets-The Strokes and you’re partway there. They recently won the Converse Get Out Of The Garage Contest, netting themselves a cool $10,000 and a whole heap of coverage, and things only look to get better from here. They’re currently playing a host of shows, supporting everyone from The Whigs to Queens of the Stone Age. Visit the Beast Make Bomb site for more details, and to download their EP, Sourpuss.

If you’ve seen a great live support act in recent months please do leave details below. These bands rely on word of mouth, so get talking!