The National

[strummer77]

There's a playlist on Spotify that has their two Ally Pally sets in from September. First half/set is probably closest to what they play - but the second half has all the other possibilities.

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, strummer77 said:

There's a playlist on Spotify that has their two Ally Pally sets in from September. First half/set is probably closest to what they play - but the second half has all the other possibilities.

The second night has I Need My Girl and Terrible Love, which are usually staples, plus Graceless, which gets played more often than not and a few album tracks that randomly appear now & then. But yes, the first set is the staples.

[Little Andy]

Thanks for all the advice. 🙂  I reckon I'll start with Boxer and High Violet.

[Ben7amin_]

11 hours ago, Little Andy said:

Thanks for all the advice. 🙂  I reckon I'll start with Boxer and High Violet.

If you did not know it already Blood Buzz on High violet is a belter..

 

Make sure you get Trouble will find me in at some point.  Dont swallow the cap is top tier

[NorthernSoul52]

There's just an endless parade of great stuff. Not sure they've put out that much gold-tier stuff post-Sleep Well Beast, but there's definitely enough to be an absolute riot.

[glimmers_of_hope]

54 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

There's just an endless parade of great stuff. Not sure they've put out that much gold-tier stuff post-Sleep Well Beast, but there's definitely enough to be an absolute riot.

Yes I'm actually quite envious of someone discovering the national at this point, so much great stuff. 

Last 2 albums are top tier national albums for sure. Some of the tracks are among the best they have done.

I happily accept that there are some tracks you could probably lose between the 2 of them though.

Those are now the albums I reach for when I want to listen to the national (probably because I have done the other albums to death).

[nikkic]

7 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

There's just an endless parade of great stuff. Not sure they've put out that much gold-tier stuff post-Sleep Well Beast, but there's definitely enough to be an absolute riot.

Different opinions and all that, but I honestly think that Laugh Track and First Two Pages hold up against anything else they’ve done.

Once Upon A Poolside, Eucalyptus, This Isn’t Helping, Deep End, Weird Goodbyes, Alien and Space Invader are among some of their best tunes. 

I’ll concede I Am Easy To Find was a little weak in comparison to the rest of their output, there were too many collabs for my liking. We still got Rylan, Light Years and Hey Rosey from it, but not much else on there that will stand the test of time. 

[Superscally]

7 hours ago, glimmers_of_hope said:

Yes I'm actually quite envious of someone discovering the national at this point, so much great stuff. 

Last 2 albums are top tier national albums for sure. Some of the tracks are among the best they have done.

I happily accept that there are some tracks you could probably lose between the 2 of them though.

Those are now the albums I reach for when I want to listen to the national (probably because I have done the other albums to death).

 

39 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Different opinions and all that, but I honestly think that Laugh Track and First Two Pages hold up against anything else they’ve done.

Once Upon A Poolside, Eucalyptus, This Isn’t Helping, Deep End, Weird Goodbyes, Alien and Space Invader are among some of their best tunes. 

I’ll concede I Am Easy To Find was a little weak in comparison to the rest of their output, there were too many collabs for my liking. We still got Rylan, Light Years and Hey Rosey from it, but not much else on there that will stand the test of time. 

Agree...though I will say I really like I Am Easy To Find... I reckon Stevie drops out late and National deliver the sleeper set of the century on the Pyramid

[Barneym]

I would rate the National as one of my favourite bands, have seen them over 10 times but I just don’t want to see them at Glastonbury again.  They are not a good band to watch if you don’t know their stuff and prime for being talked through and their last appearance on the pyramid was by far the worst of those shows I’ve been too. I accept if you got very near the front with the die hard fans it will be amazing but I’m too old to be bothered so think I’m likely to give them a miss which is a shame as they were in such good firm at Ally Pally earlier this year, so much so I’m gutted I didn’t go to night 2 especially given some of the less well played songs they pulled out.

[Superscally]

21 minutes ago, Barneym said:

I would rate the National as one of my favourite bands, have seen them over 10 times but I just don’t want to see them at Glastonbury again.  They are not a good band to watch if you don’t know their stuff and prime for being talked through and their last appearance on the pyramid was by far the worst of those shows I’ve been too. I accept if you got very near the front with the die hard fans it will be amazing but I’m too old to be bothered so think I’m likely to give them a miss which is a shame as they were in such good firm at Ally Pally earlier this year, so much so I’m gutted I didn’t go to night 2 especially given some of the less well played songs they pulled out.

Don't punish yourself. I was midway back last time and it was great. If there is something you really want to see at the same time, then fair enough, but if not, do it. 

[matrainertje]

7 hours ago, Barneym said:

I would rate the National as one of my favourite bands, have seen them over 10 times but I just don’t want to see them at Glastonbury again.  They are not a good band to watch if you don’t know their stuff and prime for being talked through and their last appearance on the pyramid was by far the worst of those shows I’ve been too. I accept if you got very near the front with the die hard fans it will be amazing but I’m too old to be bothered so think I’m likely to give them a miss which is a shame as they were in such good firm at Ally Pally earlier this year, so much so I’m gutted I didn’t go to night 2 especially given some of the less well played songs they pulled out.

They’re playing the best shows of their now, last year’s tour has been amazing. If they actually headline that Other stage, I will be amazing. 

[1986]

Yeah headlining a stage to their fans will be a different beast, pun intended.

I get it though I saw them at Reading in 2011 to a similar reacting crowd. I was close to the front as well and before they came on I heard a guy behind me say "I've heard one song, it was really slow." Felt like he summed up the crowd's interest well.

[nikkic]

They’re my favourite band, but if they are up against Stevie, then the soul man will win that battle. 

Will likely grab a ticket to the CP show instead. 

[Badlands]

On 2/20/2024 at 8:44 PM, nikkic said:

I’ll concede I Am Easy To Find was a little weak in comparison to the rest of their output, there were too many collabs for my liking. We still got Rylan, Light Years and Hey Rosey from it, but not much else on there that will stand the test of time

Where is her Head was the best song on the album and an absolute beast live.

[gigpusher]

On 2/20/2024 at 9:24 PM, Superscally said:

 

Agree...though I will say I really like I Am Easy To Find... I reckon Stevie drops out late and National deliver the sleeper set of the century on the Pyramid

 

23 hours ago, Barneym said:

I would rate the National as one of my favourite bands, have seen them over 10 times but I just don’t want to see them at Glastonbury again.  They are not a good band to watch if you don’t know their stuff and prime for being talked through and their last appearance on the pyramid was by far the worst of those shows I’ve been too. I accept if you got very near the front with the die hard fans it will be amazing but I’m too old to be bothered so think I’m likely to give them a miss which is a shame as they were in such good firm at Ally Pally earlier this year, so much so I’m gutted I didn’t go to night 2 especially given some of the less well played songs they pulled out.

I really hope they don’t end up on the Pyramid Stage. They are an incredible band but they are not one that will blow people away listening for the first time with their catchy tunes. I found their sub headlining set before Foos incredibly annoying because people just talked all the way through it. I would much rather they were headlining their own stage and know that the people there are more likely fans rather than just waiting for the next act. 

[Superscally]

1 hour ago, gigpusher said:

 

I really hope they don’t end up on the Pyramid Stage. They are an incredible band but they are not one that will blow people away listening for the first time with their catchy tunes. I found their sub headlining set before Foos incredibly annoying because people just talked all the way through it. I would much rather they were headlining their own stage and know that the people there are more likely fans rather than just waiting for the next act. 

SOON

[Madyaker]

15 hours ago, gigpusher said:

 

I really hope they don’t end up on the Pyramid Stage. They are an incredible band but they are not one that will blow people away listening for the first time with their catchy tunes. I found their sub headlining set before Foos incredibly annoying because people just talked all the way through it. I would much rather they were headlining their own stage and know that the people there are more likely fans rather than just waiting for the next act. 

That was a terrible slot for a band like The National. 

[glimmers_of_hope]

2 hours ago, Madyaker said:

That was a terrible slot for a band like The National. 

I think was a combination of things.  Following Katy Perry was hard because she had wall to wall pop bangers and then being before Foo Fighters probably is fine but not really their crowd.  I know I've said this before but I also think it was a misjudged setlist from them.  Anyway - Other stage headliner should right that wrong.

[fraybentos1]

Similar to Lana Del Rey for me in the sense that a Pyramid sub slot would be bad but Other Stage headliners could be great (which Lana was imo before she got cut off)

[ghostdancer1]

That 2017 sub slot was fine, would have been a whole lot better if they didn't play 4 unreleased (and 1 recently released) songs though.

A 60min festival main stage sub-headliner set is a time for the catchy hits*, not playing new stuff.

 

*or at least whatever the closest to a catchy hit is that The National have.

Edited February 22 by ghostdancer1

[Hugh Jass II]

On 2/20/2024 at 8:44 PM, nikkic said:

Different opinions and all that, but I honestly think that Laugh Track and First Two Pages hold up against anything else they’ve done.

Once Upon A Poolside, Eucalyptus, This Isn’t Helping, Deep End, Weird Goodbyes, Alien and Space Invader are among some of their best tunes. 

I’ll concede I Am Easy To Find was a little weak in comparison to the rest of their output, there were too many collabs for my liking. We still got Rylan, Light Years and Hey Rosey from it, but not much else on there that will stand the test of time. 

Said elsewhere that if they condensed Frankenstein and Laugh Track down to one album it could have been an all timer.

[MEGABOWL]

On 2/21/2024 at 9:04 AM, 1986 said:

Yeah headlining a stage to their fans will be a different beast, pun intended.

I get it though I saw them at Reading in 2011 to a similar reacting crowd. I was close to the front as well and before they came on I heard a guy behind me say "I've heard one song, it was really slow." Felt like he summed up the crowd's interest well.

I was at that and totally agree, the crowd just wasn’t into it at all.

I didn’t go in 2017 but that looked similar. Whereas I was at their Other Stage set in 2010 and that was magnificent.

[Calvin Klein]

The National closing Other would be perfect.

The Pyramid slot in 2017 was the worst place for them. And on top of that, they decided to play new songs for half of their set. 

 

[Superscally]

4 hours ago, glimmers_of_hope said:

I think was a combination of things.  Following Katy Perry was hard because she had wall to wall pop bangers and then being before Foo Fighters probably is fine but not really their crowd.  I know I've said this before but I also think it was a misjudged setlist from them.  Anyway - Other stage headliner should right that wrong.

Yeah, I loved it because the new stuff was ace, but brave call for a fest. I would love to see them play every rowdy song they have in a set once. 

Cue: "That'll be a short set"

Their top 20 most animated ditties then. It would be good. 

[Spindles]

4 hours ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Said elsewhere that if they condensed Frankenstein and Laugh Track down to one album it could have been an all timer.

Frankenstein is top tier, Laugh track has some moments but doesn't really do it for me.  I have spent a lot of time with the first record and the second has thus far failed to grab me.