Here's a set list. What do you reckon? How best to order the songs?

close2u

I've been in my current band since last Autumn.  We haven't gigged yet.  We were building as a soul / r&b / motown band for functions / weddings / parties etc.  But we have had problems with that.  We've gone through 3 keyboard players ... 2 couldn't commit, one wasn't the right sort of player.  And our 2nd vocalist left.  So, we were in limbo for a while, a little lost and directionless.

In frustration I suggested we just get going as a 4-piece and get out playing live in pubs / clubs etc.  Drums, bass, guitar, female vocals.  All agreed and we have learned a clutch of new songs to give greater variety and more pub-ness to our song list.  We now have 25 songs, about 90 minutes worth to assemble in to a set list (2x 45 minute lists really).

If any one fancies a challenge, I'd welcome any input on building this in to a good set list for gigging, with a view to having a dynamic range across the whole set and of course building thoughout to a strong climax.

Cheers 

Or, just a general comment .... what do you reckon to these songs as a set-list? Good? Bad? So-so? Please give reasons.

close2u

Here are the songs in alphabetical order:

Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Amy Winehouse - Valerie

Blondie - Maria

Blondie -Sunday Girl

Bob Marley - One Love

Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved

David Bowie - Let's Dance

Doobie Brothers - Long Train Running

Duffy - Mercy

Eliza Doolittle - Pack Up

Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

Jackie Wilson - Higher & Higher

Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love

Pixie Lott - Mama Do

Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out

Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You

The Noisettes - Never Forget You

The Police - Roxanne

The Temptations - Get Ready

Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High

Womack & Womack - Teardrops

EricTheWeary

Such a lot of diverse vocals in there I do wonder if you are playing to your singer's strengths thru out?
Long Train Running is one removed from Mustang Sally so I would be tempted to cut that.IMHO of course.
Doing a set list start with your best 4 ( the ones where you think you've really got your shit together) and use them to start and finish your two sets.Generally avoid running very samey stuff together.
Be flexible. If everyone is up and dancing do more dance stuff and hang the set list.

close2u

@EricTheWeary

 

EricTheWeary said:

Such a lot of diverse vocals in there I do wonder if you are playing to your singer's strengths thru out?

It's a good work out for her no doubt. There have been several key changes to accommodate.

 

 EricTheWeary said:

Long Train Running is one removed from Mustang Sally so I would be tempted to cut that. IMHO of course.

It's a great song though! Better than Mustang Sally.

 

EricTheWeary said:

Doing a set list start with your best 4 ( the ones where you think you've really got your shit together) and use them to start and finish your two sets.

Do you mean to start Set 1 with the 4 best and end Set 2 with those same 4 best? Thinking that the early punters have moved on etc?

 

EricTheWeary said:

Generally avoid running very samey stuff together. Be flexible. If everyone is up and dancing do more dance stuff and hang the set list.

I've quoted these two together consiously.

I was thinking that it'd be good to have sections where the songs are upbeat and danceable. I understand both your statements here. But they seem a little at odds with one another.

Although the 'be flexible' gets around that in some way I guess.

 

Thanks Eric.

EricTheWeary

Best songs ABCD so set list:

A
X
X
X
X
B


C
X
X
X
X
X
D

People recall what happens first and last, its also good to start with something you feel comfortable with.

If your audience is fairly sedentary then that dynamic curve is important so plan for variety but if you get a good reaction keep prodding at what works. Oh, yes, if your audience has basically changed from one set to another ( as is often the case with pub gigs) then why not repeat something if it's a strong song? Even if it hasn't then whatever song went down best in set 1 you could repeat toward the end of set 2 as your greatest hit.

close2u

@EricTheWeary

thanks

 

Does any one else have any other comment?

viz

Definitely finish with Mustang, then long train - that'll be a hell of a finale. We used to finish with long train once, it's toe-snappin'.

close2u

@viz

We don't have Mustang Sally in our list.

Eric was comparing Long Train to Mustang Sally as being cliched I think and suggesting we ditch Long Train.

viz

Oh yes. Well don't ditch long train whatever you do!

supes

To me it's a very 'pop' setlist, and for that reason I think you'll do well with it up here. Loads of classic rock covers and every now and then pubs just want something different. You'll get club work too.
In terms of order, you guys know which ones sound absolutely storming and which are just ok. Hit 'em hard to start and end, and 2nd set needs the lively dance numbers. What's the band called, and when you starting?

close2u

@supes thanks

supes said:

To me it's a very 'pop' setlist, and for that reason I think you'll do well with it up here. Loads of classic rock covers and every now and then pubs just want something different. You'll get club work too.

That's good feedback, thanks. We built on a soul / r&b foundation but have widened the variety of songs for pub/club gigs.

supes said:

In terms of order, you guys know which ones sound absolutely storming and which are just ok. Hit 'em hard to start and end, and 2nd set needs the lively dance numbers.

I have come up with a draft: 2x 45 minutes ... below

 

supes said:

What's the band called, and when you starting?

No name yet.  Hopefully this month, April for certain.

close2u

Set 1

 

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Amy Winehouse Valerie<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Womack & Womack - Teardrops

Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You

Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

The Elgins - Heaven Must Have Sent You

Gabriella Cilmi Sweet About Me

Blondie – Sunday Girl

The Police – Roxanne

Doobie Brothers – Long Train Running

 

Set 2

 

Adele – Rolling In The Deep

Blondie – Maria

Duffy – Mercy

Pixie Lott – Mama Do

Temptations – Get Ready

Tina Turner – River Deep

The Noisettes – Bever Forget You

David Bowie – Let’s Dance

Eliza Dolittle – Pack Up

Bob Marley – One Love

Bob Marley – Could You Be Loveed

Phil Collins – You Can’t Hurry Love

Jackie Wilson – Higher & Higher

 

 

 

edit

copied from Word - how do I get rid of that annoying format message?

close2u

viz said:

Oh yes. Well don't ditch long train whatever you do!

For sure - I like it too.

ESBlonde

To reinforce the above somewhat,

When you start people will be attentive and you create your reputation for the night. So start strong and confident with something that appeals and shows your strengths, it does not have to be fast.
After a couple of numbers you can do other 'plodding' tempo songs or your favourite ballad, then move the tempo into happier mode. End the first set with a couple of dance numbers and the last one must be tight with a nice ending.

Open set two with another confident up tempo tune and be ready for them to dance, have 4 or 5 dance tempo songs right there then put in a couple of slow or average tempo songs then end with 5 strong dance tempo songs (possibly starting with Long Train to fill the floor). The last but one should sound like an ending but have another in hand as the encore (try to not have it look contrived). Once you have done your encore leave the stage (it prevents you being held there doing more stuff than you want to and puts you in control).

BUT always read the audience and play to them at the moment, if they only come in the pub at 10:15 they will want to dance from 11:00 onwards, if the came in at 8:00 they will be jumping much earlier. YMMV.

meltedbuzzbox

ESBlonde has pretty much hit the nail on the head

You start to get the idea after a few gigs. Songs you think are great might go down like a shit sandwich then a few weeks later another crowd might request the very same song.

Its always worth having a few extra spares just in case. Stuff that goes down well, the usual suspects like Mr Brightside, Song 2, Chelsea Dagger, sex on fire (most requested song in the land I reckon) etc

All depends on the singer though I guess. 

ESBlonde

Have to agree with @meltedbuzzbox about peoples tastes and favourite songs. We did a wedding one time and their special request song was 500 Miles!!! Apparently they had been to another wedding and it had gone down a storm.

Well we did it and the bride, groom and a number of others leapt about and enjoyed themselves so we threw it in the set the next week at another wedding - nothing! Two weeks later another wedding - zilch. We never bothered with it again until we got a request to the stage about a year or so later.

nickp

don't forget the singalong factor.  

we have tried to start both sets on a strong song.

then have three or four numbers at start of set 1 which aren't too stretching so we settle down into the gig

end second set with 3-4 numbers that are "singalongs" once the crowd are pissed 

we play v different stuff to you but we end on 

Sex on fire

2-4-6-8 motorway

encores:

my sharona

monster

chelsea dagger

in a blatant attempt to curry favour with the crowd

Phil_aka_Pip

If it were my decision, I'd go along with @EricTheWeary's suggestion, plus consider this:

Set openers need to be fairly easy to execute so that you're not coming cold to tricky stuff. Stuff that you don't know that well goes in the middle of the set so that if you screw it up the punters will forget it easily.

Assign an "Excitement Index" to each song - eg points out of 10. Start a set with a few 6s or 7s, drop it down towards the middle of the set, then build it back up at the end of the set to the 8s 9s and 10s.

Encores: high EIs, but finish with something that'll make 'em go home so you can pack up - but keep it short so that their main memories are of a wildly exciting time not of the lullaby you ended with