Greatest hits setlists

[OneLittleFish]

Something struck me recently about the gigs I've most enjoyed in the past couple of years, in that none of them could accurately be described as 'greatest hits' setlists (bar a couple of notable exceptions).

As a matter of fact, I've found that when bands have been playing all of 'the hits', it's been leaving me cold. It's kind of disappointing when you can guess what's coming next quite easily and there's no real surprises.

One of my favourite recent gigs was an Idlewild b-sides and rarities show at a shitty nightclub in Glasgow - they played four or five 'hits' in a 18 song or so setlist, the rest was unexpected and it provided plenty of "holy f**k, I can't believe they're playing that again" moments, and they even went on to drop b-sides into their shows for the next few months, and that was probably the most enjoyable time to see them, I remember in Dunfermline they opened with 'Paint Nothing' which they hadn't played in years.

Went to see Yeasayer earlier this year - dropped '2080' and I realised a couple of days after that actually I probably liked them even more for that, I'd rather they dropped it occasionally than trudge through it in a half-arsed style if they didn't want to play it, and it also gives me reason to go back and see them again in the future.

What kind of setlists to other people prefer? Do you prefer having a few hits left out to make you want to see more of a band, or do you prefer getting all the ones you know and a few choice cuts from albums/new material to fill the rest of the set?

[BlackHole2006]

Personally I think it just depends on the time/place.

For example, I went to see The Fall at Brighton Concorde 2 in May and they mainly played stuff from their new album (which is excellent) and I really didn't mind at all and no one else seemed too. BUT I know that if I saw them at say, a festival, then I would expect them to play a setlists of just hits and would have probably been very dissapointed with the setlist that they played that night.

So basically to sum up my opinion:

Festivals= Only play your greatest hits

Gigs= A good time to promote the album because fans will hopefully appreciate the new stuff

[OneLittleFish]

Personally I think it just depends on the time/place.

For example, I went to see The Fall at Brighton Concorde 2 in May and they mainly played stuff from their new album (which is excellent) and I really didn't mind at all and no one else seemed too. BUT I know that if I saw them at say, a festival, then I would expect them to play a setlists of just hits and would have probably been very dissapointed with the setlist that they played that night.

So basically to sum up my opinion:

Festivals= Only play your greatest hits

Gigs= A good time to promote the album because fans will hopefully appreciate the new stuff

[Pogues Mcgogues]

So what you're both saying is festivals are pretty shit?

[BlackHole2006]

So what you're both saying is festivals are pretty shit?

[Pogues Mcgogues]

Not at all.

We're saying that bands need to realise that you get better crowds at festivals when you play your greatest hits, not just your new album stuff which youc an play at gigs because your fans will have looked it up and listened to the leak etc. I wouldn't be on EFestivals if I thought festivals were shit

[BlackHole2006]

Relax man I was taking the piss.

[glastofun]

Rather than a distinction between festivals and normal gigs, I would draw a distinction between bands you're really into and artists that you're not mad about (who, you might only be going to see because you like a couple of songs, or a mate really wants you to go).

If you're really into an artist, in my experience, the singles often become annoying. For example, Massive Attack are one of my favourite acts, but I dread the moment in the set list when they play Unfinished Sympathy or Safe From Harm. It's so predictable and karaoke-esq. However, the majority of the crowd seem to love those moments. Also, the more you like a band, the greater the chance that you've seen them before, so you've already heard their greatest hits. They're also the songs of theirs that you're likely to hear if you're out, on the radio, on tv etc etc. Furthemore, the best tracks of some artists never get released as they fear they may not have mass appeal.

For acts that I only go to see for my mates, standing through a load of stuff that you were never into in the first place, those singles provide moments of relief.

Whether it's a gig or a festival, to me is immaterial.

Edited August 6, 2010 by glastofun