I am talking with a bassist friend of mine about forming a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band to gig around bars in the are and also because they are one of our favourite bands. While speaking with him about the idea, we started wondering what a good setlist for gigs. Personally, I know the following songs by them: -Dani California -Snow (Hey Oh) -By The Way -Scar Tissue -Otherside -Californication -Under The Bridge -Monarchy of Roses -The Adventures of Raindance Maggie -Meet Me at The Corner -This is The Place -Dosed -The Zephyr Song -Can't Stop -Soul to Squeeze -Charlie -Wet Sand -Tell Me Baby -Hard To Concentrate -The Getaway -Encore Out of those, my friend knows seven, but that's okay because he is a fast learner, responsible and he's motivate to do this so I know that he won't give me any BS about not learning them. All of this being said, what do you guys think is a good setlist? Obviously, I need to learn a bunch more songs by them, but I want to get the perspective from people who are fans and what they would like to hear at an RHCP tribute show.
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.
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"?
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"
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