Which artists/bands are famous for big and surprising setlist changes when on tour? Some that come to my mind:

Bob Dylan
Pearl Jam
Bruce Springsteen (to some extent)
and probably Grateful Dead but I'm not a fan, so this is only my guess.

Black Crowes

bob only seems to change the setlists. a closer look reveals that he actually has a 70-song setlist that he pares down to 15 or so songs a night.

the dead invented the concept of a changing setlist...carried on by virtually all other jam bands that followed them...the allmans, phish, etc, etc.

lawd i luv the jambands....

Up until the late 80s Jerry Lee Lewis was probably the most unpredictable performer on the planet. He never actually had a written "setlist" (not until 2008 anyway), but instead could draw from literally 100's of different songs, many not even recorded. Some shows from night to night would repeat only 2 or 3 songs.

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Sleepy City
Up until the late 80s Jerry Lee Lewis was probably the most unpredictable performer on the planet. He never actually had a written "setlist" (not until 2008 anyway), but instead could draw from literally 100's of different songs, many not even recorded. Some shows from night to night would repeat only 2 or 3 songs.

jll's a lightweight. sleepy la beef...the "human jukebox." now, there's a heavyweight.

Allman Brothers and BNL

I don't think NRBQ has never even used a "setlist."

Terry Adams makes the call of what the next song will be, based on his mood or his read of the audience. There's no plan or script. Each song is chosen and performed based on what is happening in the room at that very moment. I've never seen the same show twice, even on consecutive nights.

You don't get more "live" than that.

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franzk
Which artists/bands are famous for big and surprising setlist changes when on tour? Some that come to my mind:

Bob Dylan
Pearl Jam
Bruce Springsteen (to some extent)
and probably Grateful Dead but I'm not a fan, so this is only my guess.

150-200 different songs per tour...thats quite an extent!

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loog droog
I don't think NRBQ has never even used a "setlist."

Terry Adams makes the call of what the next song will be, based on his mood or his read of the audience. There's no plan or script. Each song is chosen and performed based on what is happening in the room at that very moment. I've never seen the same show twice, even on consecutive nights.

You don't get more "live" than that.

This is exactly how Jerry Lee Lewis used to be when I followed him around the country on various tours in the 80s, a really amazing experience. He's done several song requests for me, including one obscure 1961 B-side that I've never heard him do elsewhere on the over 900 live audios that I have on him.

Nils Lofgren

Went to see him do a solo show a few years ago and he had an entire 'alternate' setlist written out.

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Gazza

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franzk
Which artists/bands are famous for big and surprising setlist changes when on tour? Some that come to my mind:

Bob Dylan
Pearl Jam
Bruce Springsteen (to some extent)
and probably Grateful Dead but I'm not a fan, so this is only my guess.

150-200 different songs per tour...thats quite an extent!

Yes, Gazza I realize that However, at least during the Working On A Dream tour, although he did change the setlist dramatically on some occasions I had a feeling that for most shows, his setlist had a certain frame, with regular songs in regular places, like Badlands, Outlaw Pete, Working On A Dream, Waiting On A Sunny Day, Lonesome Day, The Rising, Born To Run, American Land and Dancing In The Dark and other circulating. Boss's setlists are still outstanding though.

Artists that tours a lot and have a Catalogue..

2 1 2 0

I have to hand this crown to the Grateful Dead, but would also like to throw out a big thumbs up to the Stones for improving drastically in this regard later in their years. Their setlist variety and ticket prices are 2 things they have increased with age.

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doubledoor
I have to hand this crown to the Grateful Dead, but would also like to throw out a big thumbs up to the Stones for improving drastically in this regard later in their years. Their setlist variety and ticket prices are 2 things they have increased with age.

It sounds that varying the set list was not a value - or a real option - at all in their prime. If we look their tours during the seventers (this would be true of the 60's days as well) it sounded like they were looking for a "perfect" set that they could deliver in most of the dates. In the early shows of the tour some songs were varied to find out which will work and which not. Then the right balance of right songs was found that would make the essence of the shows from then on. The variation would be one or two random songs perhaps just to excite band a bit. And then they would play the hell out of the set, to 'perfect' it!

I think the idea awas to make a tour an album-like unique but identifiable experience. The set would define the nature and uniqueness of the tour from the other tours, starting from, say, a certain opening number, etc.

Yeah, the idea of changing the setlist came quite late part of their career - I think that was an option they needed to do in order to keep their shows interesting, after 'perfecting' - or milking out - the war horses set tour by tour (since 1989), and they couldn't give any fresh angle to those familiar songs. They sounded basically the same was the tour called STEEL WHEELS or VOODOO LOUNGE or BRIDGES TO BABYLON (the war horses set plus few songs from the album of the day) They needed to give something extra to their fans. LICKS TOUR was the first real "let's change the set lists" tour. With the Stones, the coin has two sides: sometimes they sound actually inspired and fresh in playing an odd song but unfortunatelly quite many times the result sounds very sloppy and horrible since they don't bother to really rehearse the song, but just 'mimic' it.

If history counts, I don't see the Stones at all any "experimental" band (a'la The Grateful Dead) with their set lists. And I am not sure if the Dylan style of picking any song from the past in any day is working with them either. Yeah, Leavell and the rest of the guys can handle it but not so sure of the main guys...

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-19 10:40 by Doxa.

The White Stripes performed without a set list.

Prince.

In recent years he's been intensively touring in a "cut n paste" mode, turning upside down last night's set list and on and on. It used to be an effective method to keep the fans on their toes, but it's becoming a bit of a bore since it feels more like a "random" play mode. Might be fun, but it doesn't feel cohesive enough if you ask me.

The Cure.

Crowded House make a habit of posting their setlists on their websites after their gigs each night to show how much they mix it up.

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Doxa
Yeah, the idea of changing the setlist came quite late part of their career - I think that was an option they needed to do in order to keep their shows interesting, after 'perfecting' - or milking out - the war horses set tour by tour (since 1989), and they couldn't give any fresh angle to those familiar songs. They sounded basically the same was the tour called STEEL WHEELS or VOODOO LOUNGE or BRIDGES TO BABYLON (the war horses set plus few songs from the album of the day) They needed to give something extra to their fans. LICKS TOUR was the first real "let's change the set lists" tour. With the Stones, the coin has two sides: sometimes they sound actually inspired and fresh in playing an odd song but unfortunatelly quite many times the result sounds very sloppy and horrible since they don't bother to really rehearse the song, but just 'mimic' it.

I think it has also something to do with the Internet and people posting setlists and clips on the web. Before that you usually didn't know what they were going to play so they could play the same setlist every night and it would sound fresh for you. Now, when people follow the setlists, watch shows on youtube and download bootlegs right after the show The Stones need to mix the setlists a bit to keep the fans interested. It's funny though that there are some bands that despite this are still very stubborn setlist-wise, like AC/DC and play the same things every night and still gather amazing crowds.

Let's face it, the Stones never mastered the surprise factor changing set lists. But that's never been the point, IMHO. That would be like expecting staggering guitar solos from the Ramones in concert.

franzk, that's a valid good point! Thanks to net and other media, everything so immediate and close these days. We get the reports of the shows online as quickly as they go on, song by song, and start 'whining' no matter if we 15 000 miles from the actual show... A concert is not anymore a matter of those happy people who enter the concert - and then months or years later by some bootleg collectors - but is shared by the whole Stones community in the very second...

Funny how much of the excitment once upon time ago - prior net - was build on the plain fact that we didn't know what was going on, or what to expect.. that was part of the magic of the whole rock and roll circus tha you couldn't reach everything 'just like that' by pushing a button; having something was a good reason for a celebration...

Does all this information make us happier? Hmmm...

- Doxa

Cheap Trick

And maybe not night to night, but tour to tour Macca plays a wide variety of stuff.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-19 15:20 by Elmo Lewis.

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franzk
Now, when people follow the setlists, watch shows on youtube and download bootlegs right after the show The Stones need to mix the setlists a bit to keep the fans interested.

I don't think the large majority of folks who go to a concert are following and dissecting the set-lists throughout a tour. They really don't care and just want to see the Stones and have a good time. It's the idiots on iorr and other boards who travel from show to show who do that. But that's just a very small group of the total attendees.

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Elmo Lewis
And maybe not night to night, but tour to tour Macca plays a wide variety of stuff.

The Rolling Stones have almost certainly performed far more different songs onstage than Macca has since they both returned to touring in 1989.

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Doxa
franzk, that's a valid good point! Thanks to net and other media, everything so immediate and close these days. We get the reports of the shows online as quickly as they go on, song by song, and start 'whining' no matter if we 15 000 miles from the actual show... A concert is not anymore a matter of those happy people who enter the concert - and then months or years later by some bootleg collectors - but is shared by the whole Stones community in the very second...

Funny how much of the excitment once upon time ago - prior net - was build on the plain fact that we didn't know what was going on, or what to expect.. that was part of the magic of the whole rock and roll circus tha you couldn't reach everything 'just like that' by pushing a button; having something was a good reason for a celebration...

Does all this information make us happier? Hmmm...

- Doxa

Stones in 72 - the setlist was pared down to the working formula. Keith even wore the same clothes every night after a while. Lucky the Net wasn't around then.
Come to think of it: could that 72 setlist be the ultimate rock'n roll setlist?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-10-19 18:09 by Palace Revolution 2000.

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Handova
Prince.

In recent years he's been intensively touring in a "cut n paste" mode, turning upside down last night's set list and on and on. It used to be an effective method to keep the fans on their toes, but it's becoming a bit of a bore since it feels more like a "random" play mode. Might be fun, but it doesn't feel cohesive enough if you ask me.

I think this is answers franzk's post re Springsteen. The Boss wants to give his fan's diversity, and keep that setlist moving - on the other hand he is a pro. A show needs some structure and pacing; certain songs have their place for a reason. And I guess with the massive computerized lights and other cues it helps to have some anchors in place.

Nobody so far has mentioned Hendrix. I think he had pretty diverse setlists and a lot of jamming going on on a stage.

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Koen

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franzk
Now, when people follow the setlists, watch shows on youtube and download bootlegs right after the show The Stones need to mix the setlists a bit to keep the fans interested.

I don't think the large majority of folks who go to a concert are following and dissecting the set-lists throughout a tour.

Yes, but those casual fans don't mind whether they change setlist or not as long as they hear warhorses. So they wouldn't complain either way. I'm pretty sure that the Stones and their management are aware of the comments regarding shows that appear on sites like this one and to please this community they modify setlists a bit.