• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Sorting out a setlist

C

Corbeau

Dec 14, 2011
261
2
Australia
#1
My band - playing all originals - are in the midst of sorting out our setlist. I was wondering what is the best way of arranging a setlist? We have nine songs at the moment with three instrumentals. So far, we worked out the song that would be our closer - it's a fast song that gallops towards the end.

We initially started off with two mid-paced songs, but we also noticed people didn't really start warming up to us until we started playing a faster song. So, should a setlist be something like:

Fast opener > mid-paced > slow > mid-paced > fast ?
 
#3
You have to start with your catchiest upbeat song. The second song should be strong, not slow or depressing. After that I like to mix the middle of the set so from song to song you have enough diversity to keep it interesting. Then finish with the song you want to be remembered by.

Good luck, hope this helps
 
#4
What's the style of music, the type of venue and the audience? Do you want to get people dancing? Is it a demographic that will have couples who want to slow dance? (as near as I can tell, young crowds don't slow dance anymore... they just grind on the fast songs). Or is it just a concert or background music set up? If you have an eager crowd up and dancing, do NOT drive them off the floor by switching to a slow song mid-set. You may have to think on your feet and decide that on the fly. If nobody is dancing anyway, do your slow song... But yeah, basically agree, start with something uptempo and exciting, end on something impressive and memorable, and vary it in between.
 
#5
I like to have a setlist but stay flexible.

First set for us is usually a little more laid back. We kick it up later in the night. I like to have mostly dance songs in the middle of the gig.

Maybe it is just the places I play but it seems quite often slow songs fill the dance floor not empty it.

If no one is dancing I sometimes like to do a slow sexy dance number to bring people out then do two or three upbeat dance tunes.
 
#8
Corbeau said:
Thanks for the tips so far. We play progressive hard rock, but we do have one song that is rather slow. At the moment, we put that song in the middle. Maybe we'll put it further back now.
Click to expand...

Find a song in the sa.e key, or a key you can easily modulate to.

Get some ambience (maybe even some programmed orchestration) do a minute or so of the slow song and the band build up into the heavy one.

As a fan of most progressive rock, audiences won't care much for the slow song unless it's awesome or the heavy ones suck. As you get fans who will recognize it, I would begin throwing it in the last quarter or so to break up the upbeat ones
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back