How do you structure your set list order?

fastonebaz · May 2022

It's a constant challenge getting agreement on set order and also finding a flow that works well for audience and musicians too.

Any tips on how you structure your set?

Bangers indulgence bangers
Slow fast slow fast
Unknowns familiars popular

?

roberty · May 2022

I usually save all the swearing until the end, in case I get kicked out

andy_k · May 2022

In my band, there is no consensus, the singer decides.
It used to bother me, but I gave up caring, and am just along for the ride.
some singers just have to be tolerated.

Could be lines for a new song, but is actually the reality.

Musicwolf · May 2022

I tend to compile the set lists for both of my bands. I try to start the first set with something upbeat and that we’re very familiar with as a settler. After that it’s just juggling dance stuff into the seconds set, finish the first set with something big, sing-a-longs at the end etc then I run it by the band. There are usually a few tweaks for the singers i.e. some songs not too early in the set as they need to warm up, sometimes it can be difficult to go from song X to song Y. The drummer in one band wanted to switch two songs around as he found it easier that way so I always keep that in mind. If there are songs where someone needs to change tuning then we either keep those songs together or try to put them at the start of the set so that there’s only one change.

If we’re playing somewhere that we’ve played before we might tailor the set around that audience a little. If something doesn’t appear to be working we might try moving it before dropping it as this can often change how it is received.

I know how long our arrangements of each of our songs are so that I can check the set lengths. I’ve got things pretty well established now but the fun comes because we are constantly learning new material and we need to decide what to drop. I’m usually the ruthless one when it comes to dropping stuff. I don’t care how much time it took to learn a particular song or how much we enjoy playing it, if the audiences don’t like it then it’s gone.

TTBZ · May 2022

All bangers, we don't really have many slow or unfamiliar songs in the set list. Totally kills the mood. For a while we had Creep straight after Basket Case (no idea who decided that was a good idea) - Creep is a crap song anyway but putting it after such an upbeat song really doesn't work. Imo there's no place for self indulgence in a pub set list either and I try to keep solos to the bare minimum. Sometimes our other guitarist goes for extended widdly solos and you can see when people switch off and turn away to head to the bar.

We leave all the bigger anthems for the end where everyone is pissed and just want to sing along to something like Don't Look Back In Anger.

EricTheWeary · May 2022

I used to quite enjoy coming up with set lists. I don’t really know if I did it right or not but these were the kind of things I’d be thinking:

Generally avoiding too many songs in a row that might be heard as one long song by the audience. That might be not all covers of the same band together, not all songs in the same key together, not all songs with the same rhythmic feel together,etc.

Keep in mind proximity effects. When your audience goes home they will remember the first couple of songs, the last couple of songs and only anything in between if it stands out in some way (drum kit falling over,etc). So tightest/best/ most popular songs at beginning and ends of sets. Opening songs should be ones you can play in your sleep so you give a good first impression and it helps settle nerves. You’ll also be aware if something weird is happening sound wise.

When doing pub sets we might play a ‘greatest hit.’This seemed to always work somehow. So something that works well in the first set gets resurrected to end the second set. Probably an hour or so inbetween and in pubs the audience may have changed a bit or at least a be a bit more drunk and for those who have been around it’s a guaranteed recognisable song. Can only do this for one song though!

Roland · May 2022

A couple of things we do: Start with a strong song, but also an easy song. Preferably one which gives you gaps to reach out and tweak controls, adjust mics, or turn up your monitor or IEMs.

Group songs in threes or fours where, aside from tuning problems, you can run straight from one to the next. Have the singer think through what he/she is going to say in the gaps.

Only one ballad per set, and this comes at the start of the second group, after which the tempo builds through the set.

End the first set with a strong song. Start the second set with a bang.

End the second set with a group of dancing or singalong songs. Particularly songs where you can repeat choruses to extend the song.

Have a quiet slowdown song in your back pocket. In a rowdy pub, after a couple of encores, the landlord will appreciate a final song which calms everyone down. For many years I’ve used Feeling Good, more Nina Simone than Muse.

DesVegas · May 2022

I'm sure the Pixes did a tour with their set list in alphabetical order

Danny1969 · May 2022

There's loads of variables really. Sometimes the keyboard players not there so we will switch to a rockier set. Sometimes a big name has died (Bowie, Lemmy, Frey etc) so a song or 2 from that artist will go in as a tribute. Truth is you can't please everyone. Some people are in the audience to have a dance and singalong. Others are there because they are muso's themselves and they want to hear Hotel California, Beat it, Eruption etc. Some people like the heavier stuff like Van Halen, AC DC ... others want Kings of Leon, Madness, Sam Fender etc.

All you can really do is arm yourself with huge setlist (preferably 100 songs plus) of different styles of material and then you generally have a chance of pleasing most people.
I've worked with bands that have been gigging the same 30 songs for 5 years or more and I that gets stale for the audience really quickly.

So here's the setlist from the last covers band gig. It was in Portsmouth where Madness and The Jam are very big so straight away songs from them got chucked straight in .

20TH CENTURY BOY

WILL WE TALK

EATON RIFLES

LOCAL BOY IN PHOTOGRAPH

DESIGN FOR LIFE

BOYS OF SUMMER

START

LETS DANCE

NEVER TEAR US APART

MY GIRL

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

STAND BY ME

RUN

SET TWO

BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY

THE DAY WE CAUGHT THE TRAIN

FIX YOU

IT MUST BE LOVE

GOING UNDERGROUND

BY THE WAY

ALL THESE THINGS I VE DONE

TOWN CALLED MALICE

MR BRIGHTSIDE

DOWN IN THE TUBESTATION

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

UPTOWN FUNK

MAMAMIA

LIVING ON A PRAYER / DAKOTA

CaseOfAce · May 2022

Singer generally comes up with the list for each set - we play 'em and watch the state of the dance floor and adjust.

That was working until fairly recently but unfortunately we've started going off-piste and are now doing that amateur hour thing of band discussing what to play next between songs (how about...no ..let's do...etc..etc).

Mind you I saw Chill Peppers do that at Live Earth gathered round Chad Smiths' drum kit deciding what to play next in a stadium !!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob · May 2022

I just play whatever the lead singer tells me to play!

p90fool · May 2022

So many variables. We have two singers, one of whom belts it out so I have to consider vocal stamina first of all, then age and demographic of the audience.

We played a 90 minute set at a biker's rally last night, and it's 2 1/2 hour set in a pub with a crowd mainly in their 20s tonight, so they're almost entirely different sets. (We have about five hours' worth of songs).

Sometimes it's a young farmers type thing which is pretty much the same set as say a 60th birthday party despite the age difference.

For all of them it's about momentum and flow, and whether there's an interval or not. Sometimes we'll have a quietish first set but will sacrifice a couple of great dance tunes so people know it's worth hanging around for when they're more pissed, other times the dancefloor is full from the first chord.

I do all our setlists because the only talent our singers seem to have is singing, even after nine years together they're fucking clueless about everything else!

I'm of the opinion that a good DJ is very skillful, but bands need that same skill, as well as the ability to make the actual music, so while I'm playing guitar I'm constantly revising the setlist in my head as the gig pans out, knowing that the rest of the band can change course at will if I shout out new songs.

RocknRollDave · May 2022

I do weddings, so generally speaking it’s:

Set 1 is mostly the less modern and/ or less boisterous songs, ending with a couple of upbeat, singalong songs to end with a bang.

Set 2 is livelier and generally more modern. End with a banger followed by a raucous singalong.

Requested songs that are likely to fall flat are buried midway through set 1, when people are usually less likely to be listening anyway.
Songs which tear my voice to
shreds go as far towards the end of set 2 as I can fit them.

I try to avoid having too many similar paced songs together in the set, and try to avoid juxtaposing songs with very similar drumbeats, as it can really throw you when you end one song and the next one is similar - it’s hard to get the first song out of your head!
I try not to bunch up
songs that are in the same key, to avoid monotony (literally and figuratively.)

digitalkettle · May 2022

DesVegas said:

I'm sure the Pixes did a tour with their set list in alphabetical order

Excellent!

We only do Bon-era AC/DC so often I push for doing a full album in set one…keeps me happy anyway

Tannin · May 2022

Back in the day when I was playing weddings and functions and 21sts and so on, it was very simple. We would usually only play 20-odd songs in a night, but we had to know more than 100 because you never knew which 20 the crowd was going to like.

So for the first set the singer would pick a song and we'd play it - a current pop song maybe. Then he'd pick another song, maybe a country number, and we'd play it. Then he'd pick an Elvis song and all of a sudden the dance floor would be full. So we would spend the rest of the night playing 50 and 60s tunes - Buddy Holly, Beatles, the Big Bopper, all that stuff.

Next week Elvis would leave them cold, but they would bop along to Led Zep and AC/DC. And so on. How the singer remembered the words to all those different songs I have no idea.

p90fool · May 2022

Tannin said:

Back in the day when I was playing weddings and functions and 21sts and so on, it was very simple. We would usually only play 20-odd songs in a night, but we had to know more than 100 because you never knew which 20 the crowd was going to like.

Bloody hell, we play about 45 songs at a wedding!

Tannin · May 2022

Might have been 30 some nights - this was 30 years ago. The band leader was full bottle on playing to time. Book for two hours, play for two hours, not 2 hours and 10 minutes, that was his theory. (Unless they pay extra.) He seemed to think that was not a problem and he must have been right - we got plenty of bookings. And frankly, some of the functions you couldn't wait to get out of the place.

Except for one unforgettable night out in a tiny town way up the Mallee, best part of 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, and the same distance north-west of Adelaide. That is wheat growing country, very flat, pretty hot, pretty dry, and it goes forever. This was the one-a-year town ball, and they were fantastic, none of this little pokey table behind the stage to take your breaks at, best of everything - country cooking, gallons of drink, help yourselves lads, you want anything else, sing out.

And they danced like it was the only chance they'd have for a whole year... which it probably was.

For the one and only time ever, we ran out of material. Played every song we knew, played a few we didn't know, and (with the dance floor still packed) played half of them again. Dunno what time we finally finished up. And for the one and only time that I ever saw, the band leader didn't care that that we had only charged for three hours (or whatever it was) and played for five and a half (or whatever it was). I don't miss playing gigs in the slightest, but I'd do the Hopeton Town Ball again in a heartbeat. (Mind you, being on the wrong side of 60 now I might need a digestive biscuit and a little nap between sets.)

RocknRollDave · May 2022

p90fool said:

Tannin said:

Back in the day when I was playing weddings and functions and 21sts and so on, it was very simple. We would usually only play 20-odd songs in a night, but we had to know more than 100 because you never knew which 20 the crowd was going to like.

Bloody hell, we play about 45 songs at a wedding!

I always put 17 songs in set 1 and 18 songs in set 2 for weddings. It’s never not enough, but I often play all of them.

fastonebaz · May 2022

Thank all, very interesting to rest the thoughts.
I restructured our set list for last night and it seemed to go really well. Specifically included:

Start off with tight easy well known couple
Finish set 1 with a couple of big singalong
Start set 2 with thunderous well known one
2nd half of 2nd set all upbeat pacy well known

Mix in the massive guitar solo showoff pieces and vocal ballads in-between

fretmeister · May 2022

3 bangers to start. Segue through them. No breaks. Then say hello to the crowd.

then another 2-3. Reasonably up temp.

then maybe a slower one or 2, then some mid tempo, them maybe another slow and then think about the build up to the end depending on the length of the set.

Last 2 should be real bangers with singalong potential.

WeZ84 · May 2022

For 2 sets with a break in between, I try to have a 3 -4 bangers at the start then slow it down a bit with some of the slower / quieter songs in the middle and in the middle of the second set some of the sing along ones get added as the beers will have flowed by then then go into bangers again to finish. Balancing that middle section so you don't lose momentum sometimes means you have to swap things about on the fly to react to the crowd.

Our band has 2 singers - one male and one female so while this allows us to have a voice that is most suitable for the particular song, I have to try and juggle the set so the balance between the 2 is right. The male singer plays bass so if there are a few songs in a row that he's not singing it's not so bad but for the female singer, she's left with not much to do unless there is any decent amount of backing to add when the male singer is singing lead. There's also some songs that we can't have first as the singers need to warm their voices up a bit first. (I'm making them sound like divas but they really aren't)

We also have a few songs where the other guitarist plays acoustic instead of electric so I try to keep the number of guitar swaps to a minimum too.

Fez · June 2022

We also have two singers one male and one female who is fairly new in the line up I sprinkle her lead songs through the set. When playing long gigs we can start a bit slower then the second set will be rockier. I try to not have songs in the same key next to each other.
Pacing is important so I place the slow songs strategically to change the pace.
For shorter sets we will start with 3 or 4 rockers then put a slower one or two in then build to a big finish.
I always give the band chance to comment in case I have put difficult songs back to back.
It is just as important to have dynamics in the set as in the songs.

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How do you structure your set list order?

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