Often overlooked, setlists can make a difference between a “good” and a “great” show. Pre-internet days – you went to a concert not knowing what the band might have played the night before, now the curtain has been pulled back.
The Importance
With artists turning to touring as their main source of income it has become big business. Can they afford to not play the hits? Will they lose the excitement of the crowd by playing older material or deep cuts? The role of the songs on the setlist can be very important.
Let’s step back for a moment – a setlist is the order of what songs will be played. Some bands follow it to a T and never change it over a tour, others treat it merely as a guideline. You may have known that – but did you know there is websites that track setlists? Or fans that obsess over what ISN’T played?
With the internet you can preview the show of sorts thanks to sites like Setlist.fm which allow users to contribute setlists for shows (and surprisingly most shows – big and small – are on there). As a casual fan seeing a band every few tours, the setlist isn’t a big deal.
What gets played, what does not
For a band on the up side of the career the setlists will likely shuffle as new albums are released and new songs morph in the band’s biggest hits. However for many bands – particularly in the classic rock realm – setlists are almost identical year after year, tour after tour. No big deal? You want to hear the hits and only see the band ever few years. However, check the message board of any band and one of the most heated topics among fans is the setlist. “Why is it always the same?” “Why don’t they play this?” “Why do they always play that?”
Dry County, a Bon Jovi fan site, has post after post of fans debating setlists before, during and after the tour. Similar sites for Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and U2 have fans debating setlists day in and day out. Before their 2015 tour was even announced, Rolling Stones fans site were filled with posts of fans making suggestions of what they wanted to hear (and what they hoped the band would stop playing). Most fan sites conduct a “play-by-play” setlist watch as a show is going on with those in attendance posting updates of what songs are being played. For many their favorite songs from their favorite band might be a deeper cut rarely played – discussion forums help see insight and perhaps predict to some extend when that song may be played.
Artist Comparisons
Then there are some bands that break all the rules. Springsteen could be crowned the king of crazy setlists. Driven largely by the requests on signs from the crowd he practically “wings” a better part of the show. From my seat I once saw a setlist taped to the stage – comparing after the show only 25% of what was originally planned was played. And he admittedly uses teleprompters on the stage so he can remember lyrics to songs that may have been requested but not played in years.
Thanks to Setlist.FM we can take a look at some data and compare artists:
Take Springsteen’s last tour – “High Hopes” which was only 35 dates long. 181 different songs were played and for shows that averaged just under 30 songs, only 5 songs were played every night of the tour.
Artist | Tour | # of shows | # of different songs played | Avg setlist length |
Bruce Springsteen | High Hopes | 35 | 181 | 29 |
Van Halen | Different Kind of Truth | 60 | 34 | 24 |
STYX | All 2014 shows | 73 | 25 | 14 |
Katy Perry | The Prismatic World Tour | 116 | 37 | 21 |
To add to those numbers a consistent setlist does not automatically equal a bad show. Look up reviews of Paul McCartney – his shows get high marks but the set remains nearly unchained – because unless you see multiple shows you would never know the difference. For other bands it makes sense – generally pop artists such as Katy Perry as well as bands like KISS strict to a similar set due to large amount of production the show features. Bands don’t want to pay thousands of dollars for fireworks perfectly cued to a song or hire dancers then cut that song for something that wasn’t rehearsed.
Are some shows better than others?
One general widely “accepted” theory (a term used loosely since this is a setlist post not a scientific discovery by any stretch) among fans on the discussion boards is that should a band play two nights in a city the second night usually features a less of a standard set and perhaps more “surprises” (rare songs, covers, etc.). Even bands who stick to a fairly standard set night after night tend to shake it up for a few songs. McCartney, with his fairly standard setlist is nearly predictable that night two in a city two or three songs will be switched out for others, where as other groups such as Bon Jovi will turn the setlist upside down and usually expand it by a few extra songs for night two.
Also bands tend to tweak setlists for festival shows. Seeing someone as part of an all day festival? Chances are the set will be shorter than normal. When a band plays a non-music festival or venues, or a more generic festival (think state fairs, shows in theme parks, free concerts in city parks, etc.) bands tend to lean strictly on hits since they know a majority of the people may not be there just to see them, rather the crowd may be made up of more casual fans than normal. In a DVD documenting Bon Jovi on the Lost Highway’s tour, Jon Bon Jovi is interviewed about playing a large free show in New York’s Central Park and remarks that knowing the crowd, the set should lean heavily on rockers and less on ballads.
Do certain genres lean heavier towards new material than others? What bands are brave enough to play new songs without the crowd flocking to the bathroom? We’ll take a look at that in part 2 in the coming weeks.