Opinions Appreciated on Song List

[pmorlen]

Hello,
Relative newbie here as far as posting on the board, but I've enjoyed many of the great discussions on various topics. I was looking for some feedback on my band's song list. We've just started lining up some gigs, and I was curious how our song list would be received by potential audiences. I realize there are other factors that would determine how well the music is received, but as some sort of starting point, I would like to hear your comments.

Thanks for your time.

Alice In Chains: Would?
Blur: Song 2
Chevelle: The Red
Collective Soul: Simple
Creed: Torn
Dwight Yoakam: Fast As You
Eve 6: Inside Out
The Flys: Got You Where I Want You
Foo Fighters: Everlong
Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench
Gavin DeGraw: I Don't Want To Be
Godsmack: Keep Away
Godsmack: Moon Baby
Hank Williams Jr.: Country Boy Can Survive
H.I.M. - Wicked Game
Incubus: Wish You Were Here
Jet: Cold Hard Bitch
Jimi Hendrix: Fire
Lit: My Own Worst Enemy
Matchbox 20: 3am
Nirvana: Breed
Nirvana: In Bloom
Our Lady Peace: Starseed
Rage Against The Machine: Killing In The Name
Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love
Seether: Gasoline
Seether: Remedy
Smashing Pumpkins: Cherub Rock
Social Distortion: Ring of Fire
Steppenwolf: Born to be Wild
Sublime: What I Got
Third Eye Blind: Jumper
Tonic: Open Up Your Eyes
The Vines: Get Free
Weezer: Pork and Beans
3 Doors Down: Kryptonite
3 Doors Down: When I'm Gone

[xgator4u]

Well my friend, for starters that is possibly THE most diversified set list I have ever seen.

What kind of venue, what kind of audience demographics are you working with???

[tycobb73]

WE do an equally diverse setlist but we try to go to more of the danceable songs. If you're targeting bars you have your crowd that wants to see you and your crowd that wants to dance.

[Mo'Phat]

While I commend you on choosing some 'not quite as popular as their hits' songs by popular bands, there's some songs on the list that are the band's most popular...hence, every bad cover band covers them.

Killing in the Name by Rage is, quite possibly, their most recognized hit. Not to mention, their most inane lyrics. Great song, but I've heard it a billion times and no band but Rage can capture the emotion of it. Also, the "Fark you, I won't do what you tell me" only translates in the most hardcore of bars. For casual or even a little bit rocking clubs, it just comes across as whining. There's better and more creative Rage songs out there.

For that matter, Sublime's "What I Got" is very similar...just a very popular song that everybody's heard a thousand times. Try 'Caress Me Down' to get the ladies going, or rock out with 'Same in the End'. Or try Boss DJ's or Waiting for my Ruca to go a bit more obscure in the Sublime catalog.

Props to your Weezer choice.

(I only commented on the song genre's that I'm interested in. I have no idea if the Hank Williams or Dwight Yoakam songs are a good choice. I would personally avoid Born To Be Wild like a syphilitic Vietnamese prostitute.)

[pmorlen]

Thanks for the replies so far.

We are targeting the bars initially for venues, and would like to play to those people in the age range of 20s to 40s. As I say that, it seems we should add some newer songs to the list.

More danceable tunes is a good suggestion. We've discussed it before but I'm not quite sure why we haven't added more.

On the Rage song we do cut out the entire section "Fark you, I won't do what you tell me". We're trying to strike a balance between songs we want to do and songs an audience wants to hear. It seems tough to reach a middle ground on playing worn out songs that audiences like and lesser-known songs the band likes but the audience might not know. I guess these are typical growing pains of any new band.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment.

[Mo'Phat]

Originally Posted by pmorlen

On the Rage song we do cut out the entire section "Fark you, I won't do what you tell me".

ACK! Don't do that! That makes it worse.