What would be a good setlist for an RHCP tribute band?

How about some older stuff like Higher Ground?

 

Just find a list of their top 10 and start there.

 

+1 for higher ground.

How bout Jungleman?

 

Absolutely nothing after Californication.

Green Heaven
Out In LA
Sir Psycho Sexy
If You Have To Ask
Power of Equality
Breaking the Girl
Give It Away
Apache Rose Peacock
Warped
Aeroplane
Suck My Kiss
My Friends (off One Hot Minute)
I Could Have Lied
Around The World
Parallel Universe

 

This is a pretty good list. When I think of 'peppers' these are the songs I associate with. I would also add songs from 'Mother's Milk' to the list.
- Subway to Venus
- Taste the Pain
- Magic Johnson
...etc
And even older stuff like 'Catholic School Girls', 'Me and My Friends' were pretty rocking too. They were red hot back then. I guess it all depends on ya target audience.

 

This.

If you're playing for long-time hardcore fans, you can get away with just about anything.

But if you want to win the hearts and minds of the somewhat more casual fans and establish yourselves with more mainstream appeal (and the repeat invitations/referrals that go with it), lean on the hits baby, the hits. The stuff that got played in heavy rotation on radio and MTV.

Most trib acts are fortunate to get two sets max. That's around 30 songs. Thanks to RHCP maintaining their career into new generations, cull the best of the best most well-known songs spanning their entire catalog. Can't fail.

 

You gotta have some stuff from Freakey Styley and Uplift Mofo Party Plan

 

What? No "Fight Like A Brave"?

...and +1000 on Higher Ground and Give It Away.

 

They best set list for any tribute band will resemble a Greatest Hits album for that band. Nobody wants to see an Eagles tribute band that doesn't do Hotel California or a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band that doesn't do Free Bird.

 

Higher Ground
Give it Away
Suck My Kiss

Those NEED to be on there - otherwise it's gonna be not good.....

 

It would never work cause the songs are so obscure and practically dated out of pop existence but almost anything off the first album I'd love to hear.

Don't do it. Fail written all over it. Can you imagine performing "Mommy where's Daddy"?

 

Definitely need some older stuff in that list.

 

those are definitely songs i'd expect to hear from any RHCP tribute band.

 

this is reliant on what the local fans want
start a poll on your FB pages & ask this same question

before you play Higher Ground, tell everyone you're playing the Stevie Wonder version, and then look at the surprised looks as they talk to each other about the fact that Stevie wrote it

 

I think the key is to open with a few recognizable songs, and finish the set with a classic hit. For example

For authenticity, always start with a quick jam which leads into the first track

--Intro--
Can't Stop
Dani California
I Like Dirt
Higher Ground
Suck My Kiss
Me and My Friends
Otherside
Look Around
Californication
--Break--
Throw Away Your Television
Scar Tissue
Under the Bridge
She's Only 18
Give It Away
--end--

Obviously switch out some of the lesser known tracks if you play multiple shows and shorten or lengthen depending on the set

But this lets you hit the big songs, cover a lot of the albums/eras, and lets you vary up the styles a bit

For example, look at the set lists of the "Red Not Chili Peppers"

 

I'd recommend RHCP songs......

 

If you stuck with only their hits from radio play, you would have a complete show list easily. Like others have said, spread out the selection from across their whole history.

 

I'm surprised no ones mentioned Love roller coaster - not as many people know that was the Chillis as know that song (I think). Cracking tune though! Any combination from BSSM, One hot minute and californication + only the more recent ones that were commercially successful. I'd go and see that set