Ready, Setlist, Go!

"What do you want to play next?"  

Seven words that will bring a band's show to a grinding halt.  This is one of the differences between just playing a bunch of songs, and putting on a show.  Learning the songs and rehearsing them is a large part of the equation...but putting them together is the final polish a lot of bands miss.

Enter the set list,  our musical road map for the evening.  Sure, some bands get by just fine without one.  Heck, I've been a hired gun a couple of times where the band leader just held a certain number of fingers up or down to indicate the key of the song and off we went.  But for the most part, the "show" bands I've been involved in always have a set list done ahead of time.

The more people that are involved in a production, the more important the set list becomes.  If you're a trio, the fingers up/down thing works.  But what happens when you've got 5 or 6 people on stage?  Then add a sound man.  Add a lighting person with a programmed show, and they really need to know what's coming up next.  And that's not even considering if you're a band that uses backing tracks...you don't need to be hunting for the right track between each song...they should all be lined up and ready to go.

OK...I've made my argument for making a set list.  So, how do you go about doing it?  For some bands (like The Rhythm Dawgs), it's a group effort.  We'll all get together a week or two before a show and discuss what we would like to play that night.  We'll look over our master song list (you've got one of those too, don't cha?) and see if there's anything we haven't played in a while we would like to bring back as well as any new material we would like to try.  Plus...it's a good excuse to get together, have a beer or 4, and a few laughs.  I'm proud to say that we've managed to write a different list for every show we've ever done. 

Other bands I've been a part of, it's been one person that takes care of it.  For me, this is cool as long as I get a copy of it a couple of days before the show so I can add my performance notes and get the songs ordered in my iPad.

There are pros and cons to both methods.  The group effort method takes a bit of every one's time, but you also get to discuss things like "I've got to change guitars after this song", or "that's 3 really high songs I've got to sing in a row...can we break those up?".  The one-man method gets it done with less work from the band (and usually goes quicker), but you loose that "logistics" feedback.  On those, if I see something really hokey...I'll usually shoot an email back saying "OK...you've got me changing guitars 3 times in 3 songs...are you cool with that?".  At least you've made them aware.

What goes on a set list?  Obviously, the name of the song (duh).  We like to put the key of the song as well.  If we're going to run 2 or more songs together (more on that in a minute), then that should be indicated as well.  After that, I've got my own notes I always add. 

This is actually part of the 4th set from The Dawgs show in Georgetown, TX last night:

The first 3 columns have the set/song number, the song, and the key.  This info gets sent to everyone (so we're all working off the same list).  The next 2 columns are information I add that's specific to my performance needs.  Namely, which guitar to use and the patch to call up on my guitar rig.  On the third song, you'll notice I have the note "Open G".  The guitar I'm using (a Fender VG Strat) has electronically altered tunings on it.  You gotta be in open G to do the Keith Richards thing right.   I've seen drummers add tempos in beats per minute.  Anything that helps you execute the song,,,add it in.

So...how do you pick the songs and order 'em?  There's as many theories on that as there are bands.  This is how I've done it for years in my bands that play predominately cover songs, and it seems to work pretty well.

Think About Where You're Playing
If it's a club date and you're starting late, then people are probably going to be tanked up already and want to dance.  Don't hold back on 'em, but don't waste your money shot on the first song either.  I like to start the evening out with a mid-tempo tune that's familiar to 'em.  Think of it as "breaking the ice".

That said, if I'm at a venue that has a earlier start or maybe has people still having dinner, then I will restrain things a bit.  I don't have any 40's or 50's lounge music in my catalog, but I'll lean to the bluesy side of things or some of the lighter Top-40 of the 60's & 70's (if it fits the age group there).

Ebb & Flow
In a typical one hour set, you'll probably play about 12 songs unless you fall into one of these categories:
 - You're a jam band.  In that case, you'll play 2 or 3 songs and you can stop reading this now.
 - You're a  Ramones tribute band.  In that case, you'll play 25 or 30 songs in that hour.

You should be building the energy a little bit with each song.  Don't jump the tempos and intensities all over the place...have some flow to it.

Always keep the entire night in mind.  Most places have a "peak" time...the time everybody's into the party, but before they have to leave to get home before midnight (and get he baby sitter home).  You want to load your strongest material in the slots that corresponds to that time.

Gimme A Break
If you're a dance music band, you probably want to keep things building throughout the entire set.  Personally I like to see, as my partner in crime Dana Vandiver calls it, a "reduced intensity" song in the middle of the set.  It breaks things up and provides contrast.  It also gives people a chance to order more drinks (after all, we here to sell booze first and foremost).  The Rhythm Dawgs originally started doing this to give our drummer a little breather in the middle of the set, but it turned out to work so well we always put 'em in.  And of course, the only dancing that most white people can do correctly is "slow", so there you go.

Intensity vs Tempo
Notice we said "reduced intensity", and not necessarily a "slow" song.  They can be the same thing, but don't always have to be.  A song can be slow and still be intense...Sad But True by Metallica is a good example. The tempo is only about 100 beats per minute, but it's really heavy.  At the other end of the spectrum would be something like Get Together by The Youngbloods.  That moves along at a pretty good clip (about 125 BPM), but it's more a ballad than a rocker.

You can think of intensity in terms of how dense the instrument arrangement is, or how aggressive the tones and the vocals are.  Once you start thinking about more than just the tempo of the songs, you'll really be able to craft a great set list.

Keep It Moving
I've always tried to play the first 3 songs of a set back to back to back.  After that, we'll stop and do our "Good Evening" thing with the crowd.  It's a powerful way to start a set, but you have to make sure to plan for it.  If someone has to stop and change guitars it kills the effect (unless the rest of the band can cover the intro while they change...but you work that out ahead of time).

And as far as that "guitar change" thing goes, try to make sure that everyone isn't changing at the same time.  There should always be someone available to talk to the crowd, whether it's just the "are you doin' alright" stuff or promoting your merch.  Dead air...it sucks.  Don't have it.

Have You Seen My Keys
Earlier I mentioned that I like to see the song key on a set list.  During the performance, it's a nice reminder (especially if I have to use a guitar with an altered tuning).  But it's also useful as a debugging tool while writing the list out.  I you see that you have 3 or 4 songs in the same key, you might want to switch some things around.  Non-musical people might not can tell you why, but the songs will start sounding the same after a while.  

Remember what I said about building the energy during a set?  The key of a song can help do that.  When you have 2 songs with about the same tempo, it's going to sound more energetic if you move up in keys in the order.  In other words, if you have one song in A and the next in C, put the song in A first.

Don't overlook an opportunity to run two songs in the same key together every now and then.  Did you know that Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash, and George Thorogood's I Drink Alone make a dandy segue?

Finish The Set Strong
After the reduced intensity, it's back to building up for a big finish at the end of the set.  I always try to have something strong, on the intense side, and a crowd favorite to close out a set.  And for me and my guys, it's a plus if we can stick a B.S.E. (Big Stupid Ending) on the end.  You know, the drawn out note at the end over which you shout "We are (insert band name here).  We're going to take a quick break and be right back...be sure to tip your bartenders and waitresses" speech.  Yeah, it's been done a million times, but it works (and the staff appreciates the mention for tips), and it gives the set some closure.

It's always kind of been a pet peeve of mind when bands end a set cold and just walk off.  The audience is left sitting there like...."that's it?".  It's kind of like the time your date got up to go to the bathroom and never came back.  OK, maybe not that traumatic, but still somewhat unsatisfying.  

Don't Be Redundant & Repetitive
Be aware of sound-alike songs in your catalog.  You don't want to play LaGrange and Boogie Chillen back to back...same song.  And if your song list is diverse enough to include He's So Fine and My Sweet Lord...you get the idea.  And heaven forbid...don't ever play The Alphabet Song right after Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...people will think you're crazy.

Even if they're not copies of each other, be aware of playing the same rhythm over and over for several songs (unless you play House or Trance music...but then again you really don't need this information then).

Read The Room
Unless you're playing arena shows with a 40-person crew that has to coordinate lights, backing tracks, lasers, pyro, and a flying gag all in one song...then you have to leave yourself the flexibility of changing things around.

There have been nights that we wrote out this great rock-n-roll show, but the crowd that particular evening was in the mood to hear blues.  So that's what we pulled out.  During the first break, we re-wrote the set lists and gave 'em what they wanted.  Likewise, if someone asks for a song that you know how to play (and puts a $10 bill in the tip jar) you're going to play it whether it's on the set list or not.  So you figure out what to drop and move around.  Don't be afraid to swap things between sets...especially if someone is giving you money for it!

Along these lines, make sure you have a master song list handy in case you need to switch things up...that saves the "what do we know" discussion.

We've got a master list that's divided in different categories:

 - Songs we can play at the drop of a hat
 - Songs we could play if we talked about a second
 - Songs that require rehearsing them in the parking lot
 - Songs that we were obviously drunk when we picked 'em

Watch Your Backs
Just because you've indicated that you're going to run 2 or 3 songs together on the set list, make sure everyone is ready before starting each one.  Strings break, kick drum pedals come apart,  shots need to be drank.  Make sure everyone has made eye contact before moving on.

We'll Be Back
You always want to plug when you're going to be back at a venue, but trying to remember that date along with everything else you have to keep up with can be a bit of a challenge.

Once again, I've gotta give credit to Mr. Vandiver.  In the Dawgs, he's the guy that formats the set lists and sends 'em out to everyone to edit for themselves.  He now adds "Return Date:  xx/xx/xx" at the bottom of each page.  Freakin' genius.

Thank You Very Much...Good Night
Again, this is just one set of opinions that happen to work for me and the bands I've been associated with.  The idea is to minimize the dead time between songs and keep the show moving along (and interesting).  

If your band is rehearsed well enough and everyone can set up quickly enough between songs, then maybe you don't need this.  But for me, the less thinking I have to do about the stuff around the songs, the more I'm able to concentrate on (and enjoy) playing the songs themselves.

I've recently received a few emails asking "how do you learn songs?".  For me, it's actually a bigger challenge to learn bass parts on a lot of songs than it is guitar...just because it's usually harder to pick out the nuances with a busy arrangement on top of it.

Next week I'll share with you some of my techniques for learning parts, as well as some of the software tools I use.

Until next week, keep the meters out of the red!

Ken



Ken Carver has been a musician and performer since the early 70's, and involved with live music production since the mid 70's. He worked for 15 years as a broadcast engineer, building numerous studios and transmitter sites around Texas. He's also worked in Critical Care Communications for the medical industry, R&D for an automated lighting manufacturer, and owned Project Lighting & Sound in the 80's. He currently heads up an R&D Hardware Technician Team at National Instruments in Austin, and still performs on the weekends in the Central Texas area. You can reach Ken at itsjustlogistics@gmail.com