Concertgoers today take encores for granted. However, there were times encore was not necessarily a given. The Beatles did not give an encore. Hendrix rarely did if ever. On the farewell US tour, Cream never returned to the stage once they finished the show with Spoonful and headed for the dressing room.

I have an overall impression that quite a few pop/rock concerts in the 1960’s were without encore, even that was the norm in the days of the ‘package show’ where the top bill act played a 30-40 minutes set, twice a day. The Rolling Stones were a prime example. What’s more, they kept this no encore policy way into the 70’s, the times for almost all of the touring musicians giving an encore at a gig became an essential service to the fans who spent hard-earned money to buy a ticket to come and see them. Before the 81/82 tour, the Stones concert did not customarily offer an encore with the exception of a few notable places and occasions, e.g. New York, LA as well as a small fraction of other locations.

My first Stones concert was in 1989 so I have never experienced their show without encore. I wonder what it was like and how the audience reacted when they clapped for more and soon came to the realization that the group would not come back and give them an encore.

Any thoughts or recollections, especially those who were there?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-10-14 22:14 by RisingStone.

That was an exciting time because I remember sometimes rarities were played for encores. The only time I experienced this was Neil Young in Germany 1993 . They started breaking down the stage but he came back and did Rockin' In The Free World, not rare but totally unexpected. Also the only time I saw Bowie 1990 Madrid he reluctantly returned to the stage saying sometimes you get what you ask for. I guess he wasn't in the mmod or something. I'm not that big of a Bowie Fan so I don't know much about him.

there are no encorces at Bob Dylan shows anymore

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slewan
there are no encorces at Bob Dylan shows anymore

And it felt quite strange to me...

I think the encore is cliche nowadays as well as extended solos. To be honest I saw Deep Purple last Sunday and love them since 1972 and what came to mind first was too many keyboard solos. No drum solo though. I like how they got through the set with no breaks and only one encore. I think the scene and the audiences are changing. Is it better or worse? Well I'm sure the early days must have been very exciting as the musicians and fans were younger. Plus the whole thing was still new. However, I still love concerts and will go as long as they play.

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frankotero
That was an exciting time because I remember sometimes rarities were played for encores. The only time I experienced this was Neil Young in Germany 1993 . They started breaking down the stage but he came back and did Rockin' In The Free World, not rare but totally unexpected. Also the only time I saw Bowie 1990 Madrid he reluctantly returned to the stage saying sometimes you get what you ask for. I guess he wasn't in the mmod or something. I'm not that big of a Bowie Fan so I don't know much about him.

the only real (= unplanned) encore I ever experience was when Bob Dylan played Blowin' in the Wind in Leipzig/Germany in 1998. The usual encores had been played and the show was over, the house lights were switched on again, the amplifiers on stage had been switched off, the instruments had been put away by the roadies and recorded music was played on the venues sound system. Then suddenly there was some movement and confusion on stage, the house lights were switched off again, people rushed back and Dylan and his band reappeared on stage and played Blowin' in the Wind. Although the song was played accoustic Dylan's bass player had to play an electric bass instead of his accoustic bass guitar which was obviously already stored away.
well, it was a moving moment and many grown men had tears in their eyes.
(for the rest of the tour – except for the show in Rostock two days later – Blowin in the Wind became a regular encore)

one strange thing about encores nowadays is: if an artist plays 25 songs without any encore people feel betrayed. If the same artist plays 15 songs and comes back two times to play 3 encores each time people feel deeply satisfied althouth they got less.

That's the human mind, eh?

The first time I saw them was in Cleveland, 1978. No encore. But I knew to expect that. They used all the useless audience clapping, stomping, and pleading, to get in their limos and 'see my taillights fading'. They still seemed sort of magical at that point, as if they'd deigned to come down from Mars to see us. I attributed this seeming arrogance to their one of a kind status, and appreciated it.

Also, encores at the time seemed so phony. Of course the act was coming back. They hadn't done their big hit yet. Years later I would use the fireworks at a Stones show as a cue to get out of Dodge myself. That last encore song enabled me to get to the parking lot and out of the stadium before the other 60,000 people. I was never that fond of their encores because it just seemed speeded up to a ridiculous drone.

No encore for The Smashing Pumpkins on their current tour (they are the headliners).

I believe it was 2019 I saw John Fogerty in a tent in Winterbach near Stuttgart. He did 4 encores including covers like Blue Suede Shoes and Cotton Fields. The last song was Traveling Band which has been the opener two hours earlier. Later I found out these 4 encores have only been played at this show. It was amazing.

Two of the most popular German bands "Die Toten Hosen" and "Die Ärzte" both play a bit more than one hour. After that they're doing one hour or more of encores. They get praised by the press for that. Generally for the German press encores are an important thing.

Roger Waters hasn't done an encore for years, but he does have a 20-minute intermission 1/2 way through.

Encores used to mean something. They would be an unplanned and spontaneous reaction to an overwhelming response by the audience.

A friend of mine once told me that the first show she remembers seeing an encore that was planned in advance was a Creedence show at the Forum. She knew something was up because they had left their guitars on the stage, plugged in and ready to go.

Certainly by the mid-70's they became part of the act. Expected by the audience and pre-arranged.

I think the first time lighters (or matches) were raised at the end was during the Dylan/Band tour in '74, and it is illustrated on the cover of Before The Flood.

After that, EVERYBODY got that treatment. It became part of the ritual.


I saw Springsteen at the Santa Monica Civic in '76 and he did something like three or four encores. Yes, the crowd went nuts and demanded it, and yet it should be noted that he coaxed each one of those encores out of the crowd by not playing "Born To Run" during his set! In fact, the next-to-last song was him coming out and singing a slow song--the as-yet-unrecorded "Racing In The Street" solo at the piano. BOR-RING!!!

When they finally came out and did "Born To Run" at the very end, it was't even good because they raced through it at double-speed since they had run so late with the venue.

The reviews cited the number of encores but made no mention of what incited them.


I'd rather see a show without an encore. Seems more "real" for both the artist and the audience.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-10-14 23:31 by loog droog.

Elvis just left the building.

The Who stopped doing them since 2009 and it doesn’t feel odd at those shows.

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tommycharles
The Who stopped doing them since 2009 and it doesn’t feel odd at those shows.

Because everyone knows there won't be anything after Won't get fooled again.
In fact Baba o'riley and won't get fooled again are the encores.

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StonedRambler

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tommycharles
The Who stopped doing them since 2009 and it doesn’t feel odd at those shows.

Because everyone knows there won't be anything after Won't get fooled again.
In fact Baba o'riley and won't get fooled again are the encores.

It’s more like post-2015 they stopped giving the encore.

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StonedRambler

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tommycharles
The Who stopped doing them since 2009 and it doesn’t feel odd at those shows.

Because everyone knows there won't be anything after Won't get fooled again.
In fact Baba o'riley and won't get fooled again are the encores.

Similar to AC/DC, you know that the last song is going to be Those About To Rock. The only time I'm aware they did a song after that is in Paris, when they came out and did Ride On, which is on one of their DVD compilations. I think that's the only time they performed it with Brian.

Some musicians who came along during and in the aftermath of the punk movement didn’t (and still don’t) play an encore, presumably because they saw encore was an obligation and against the punk ethos — early New Order, The Wedding Present, The Stone Roses, Bell And Sebastian to name a few.

Strangely enough, Oasis did not play an encore in their early years. The first-ever encore they gave to the audience was at the Club Quattro, Nagoya, 19 September, 1994, the final date of their first Japan tour. They left and took the stage at the end of the show, and played Rock ‘n’ Roll Star that was the show opener one more time (it is not reported on setlist.fm). This happening was a complete one-off, as they did not do an encore thereafter for quite some time.

Nina Simone at the Wiltern had left the stage, house lights were on, house music playing...and the crowd was stomping, cheering and refusing to leave.

Finally (10 minutes?) Nina came back on, told us she would do one more and then we had to leave. It was the first real encore I had witnessed.


Seeing X at the Canyon Club, great show with tons of audience energy (surprised...maybe the best X show I've seen out of about 30), X did their encore thing...and then came back...and did 3 songs they had already played. I think they were out of songs but really were enjoying the atmosphere and wanted to keep going. Good times.

they should do the encore at the start of show ....



ROCKMAN

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RisingStone
Some musicians who came along during and in the aftermath of the punk movement didn’t (and still don’t) play an encore, presumably because they saw encore was an obligation and against the punk ethos — early New Order, The Wedding Present, The Stone Roses, Bell And Sebastian to name a few.

Strangely enough, Oasis did not play an encore in their early years. The first-ever encore they gave to the audience was at the Club Quattro, Nagoya, 19 September, 1994, the final date of their first Japan tour. They left and took the stage at the end of the show, and played Rock ‘n’ Roll Star that was the show opener one more time (it is not reported on setlist.fm). This happening was a complete one-off, as they did not do an encore thereafter for quite some time.

You can edit setlist.fm. I do it all the time.

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NashvilleBlues

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RisingStone
Some musicians who came along during and in the aftermath of the punk movement didn’t (and still don’t) play an encore, presumably because they saw encore was an obligation and against the punk ethos — early New Order, The Wedding Present, The Stone Roses, Bell And Sebastian to name a few.

Strangely enough, Oasis did not play an encore in their early years. The first-ever encore they gave to the audience was at the Club Quattro, Nagoya, 19 September, 1994, the final date of their first Japan tour. They left and took the stage at the end of the show, and played Rock ‘n’ Roll Star that was the show opener one more time (it is not reported on setlist.fm). This happening was a complete one-off, as they did not do an encore thereafter for quite some time.

You can edit setlist.fm. I do it all the time.

I know. I used to do a bit.

But once I clashed with one of the moderators over a certain setlist description. Despite I knew the correct setlist, they refused to update and locked it. I have since had a reservation about their policy and kept my distance.

No Stones encores until the Stevie Wonder 1972 jams

Pink Floyd - The Wall, 1980 - I saw the show twice at the L.A. Sports Arena.
No encores, just the album in it's entirety start to finish, but there was an intermission after the wall itself was completely built up between the stage and the audience.

Similar with Roger Waters' version of The Wall live 2010-2013 which I saw several times - no encores, but he did add a tune or two that wasn't on the album itself as the tour evolved, and there was an intermission.

I think the most encores I've ever seen was at a Neil Young show...maybe three encores...can't be sure about that though. Or maybe it was Motorhead...or The Clash...

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Is this The Rolling Stones’ first ever encore?
Wild footnote too!

[www.setlist.fm]

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NashvilleBlues
Is this The Rolling Stones’ first ever encore?
Wild footnote too!

[www.setlist.fm]

No, Let It Rock was an encore at Leeds 1971

Kick me like you kicked before
I can't even feel the pain no more

"Rocks Off", Exile on Main Street
Rolling Stones, 1972

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RisingStone

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StonedRambler

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tommycharles
The Who stopped doing them since 2009 and it doesn’t feel odd at those shows.

Because everyone knows there won't be anything after Won't get fooled again.
In fact Baba o'riley and won't get fooled again are the encores.

It’s more like post-2015 they stopped giving the encore.

They also rarely gave encores prior to 1979.

And Mexico City 2016, about the same time as Desert Trip, they did what seems like a real encore, just 2 random songs not in the setlist because the crowd deserved more.

[www.setlist.fm]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-10-15 06:25 by Dan.

I saw The Beach Boys at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago in the early 70's (when they were a great live band). After their standard encore set, the house lights came up, but the audience refused to leave.

About 5 minutes later, the lights went down and the band came back on stage. The band said that had gone to their cars in the alley behind the theatre, but were called back in.

They played Jumpin' Jack Flash one of the times I saw them at the Auditorium. It may have been the extra encore that night. (My memory is a little hazy on that -- it's been 50 years.)

“We’re gonna do one more then we’re gonna go “

I never saw them do an encore in the 70s , it was either 81 or 89.i remember being a little torn between glad to see it and not liking them being like everyone else.