Successful Songs in Set?

New in my band learning a whole slew of new (new to play) songs. I’m interested in the pros and cons of a set’s song list of what works and what does not to make a band successful to the audience.

My band will play covers with some unique songs thrown in to suit. A female and male singer, Guitar, bass, drums, sax and keyboards. Looking to play events, private, mid-size venues (not small dives) and outdoor. Just starting fresh, so to get going, we will learn 40+ songs for now.

I have not played live in a very long time. Wondering what today’s audiences are wanting and/or expecting. My previous band mates said we should always select the top songs by the artists. Once you deviate, you could lose the audience.

This makes me think about this bands song choices. Several of the songs I’ve never heard before, but are really good. Some of the songs are not top 10 from the artist.

In my mind, I want the band to be solid from beginning to end with sets that will entertain the people. Yet the other half of me says, get some creativity in there. So will these ‘off’ songs be hindrance or add depth to the band?

So what’s your formula for successful song sets?

Note, our songs thus far:
I HEAR MUSIC IN THE STREET - UMLIMITED TOUCH
BRING ME BACK TO LIFE - EVANESCENCE
WARWICK AVENUE - DUFFY
GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC
YOU MAKE LOVING FUN - FLEETWOOD MAC
CAR WASH - ROSE ROYCE
RASCAL FLATTS - WHAT HURTS THE MOST
MELISSA ETHERIDGE - IM THE ONLY ONE
N'DEA DAVENPORT - OLD MAN
PINK - TRY
N'DEA DAVENPORT -SAVE YOUR LOVE FOR ME
BLACK VELVET - ALLANAH MYLES

Good question. I'd like to know this stuff better, too.

I always tend to think of a band as being a human jukebox. You have to play the stuff people know, appreciate, and want to dance to. If you go off track and play some songs because you (or the band) think they're cool and the audience doesn't recognize the tunes, all you have is butts in the seats and people trying to talk (yelling, actually) over your music. This makes for a lousy experience on both parts.

My band structures sets according to energy levels of the music, and that seems to work. It's pretty standard.
Start with something high-energy, punchy, tight and exciting.
Follow with a high-energy song also.
Then in the middle part of the set, bring the energy level down a bit perhaps, culminating with the mellowest song. This is the spot for your ballad etc.
To end, bring the energy back and finish with a grand finale.

I agree with Zero! High energy, slowly coming down and finish high energy for the set again. Looking over your bands list there I see one or two I am not extremely familiar with. I like most of the songs on this list, but to me, I would never play this set list in a bar setting. I feel there are too many slower/downer songs in there. I feel Black Velvet and Am I The Only One should not be in the same set, too similar and slow. I would suggest at least 4 more songs that are fun and upbeat. Carwash is a cool/funk song that will get people up, but the others I feel would make all the drunk people in the bar start crying over their ex. Maybe add in Play that Funky Music, Soul Man, anything to get the people up dancing or at least make the sets more fun. Maybe Walking on Sunshine or Dancing in the Streets? I do love how you added in Bring Me Back To Life though!

I think you guys underestimate people sometimes. When we play covers, we're often some of the only people in the room who know it's a cover, except that we generally announce it.

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that people don't have to know a song to like a song. If we try one a few times and people don't seem interested, we'll drop it, if one works, it works regardless if everyone in the room knows it.

As Zero mentions, much more important than the song you play is the feel it provides to the room. It needs to have excitement, be approachable (not math-rock-ish), and needs to be played well. People would rather hear us do a good rendition if a radiohead song that isn't on the radio than hear a poorly performed mustang sally run through.

Dr_Watso said:

I think you guys underestimate people sometimes. When we play covers, we're often some of the only people in the room who know it's a cover, except that we generally announce it.

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that people don't have to know a song to like a song. If we try one a few times and people don't seem interested, we'll drop it, if one works, it works regardless if everyone in the room knows it.

As Zero mentions, much more important than the song you play is the feel it provides to the room. It needs to have excitement, be approachable (not math-rock-ish), and needs to be played well. People would rather hear us do a good rendition if a radiohead song that isn't on the radio than hear a poorly performed mustang sally run through.

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I agree with you to a point. My group is an original band that plays covers but try to make it our own, yet still very noticable to the original. We try to play places that will appreciate that. At the end of the day, that is what got us the show. We also try to feed off the crowd. Unfortunately we have to go outside our local area because 99% of local bars would much rather hear 4 guys come in off the street and stumble through Don't Stop Believing than hear our group come in, well rehearsed, and play any song that you do not hear every other local cover band play or hear on the local classic rock radio station.

You might try various songs and see what your audiences like. Audiences are not the same everywhere.

Try adding some Beatles to your list. My audiences like Beatle songs.

We play long sets......so usually the first few we stick with the set list, but if the dance floor is loaded up......don't buzzkill it with a slow song when people want to party and are reacting to high energy, conversely, if people want to dance.....it isn't the time for your long jamming songs with chops solos.

we call audibles to keep things going.....

River19 said:

We play long sets......so usually the first few we stick with the set list, but if the dance floor is loaded up......don't buzzkill it with a slow song when people want to party and are reacting to high energy, conversely, if people want to dance.....it isn't the time for your long jamming songs with chops solos.

we call audibles to keep things going.....

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This. It's one thing to have a set list, but you need to be able to flex with what the crowd wants. Keep some alternatives in your pocket that you can jam in if need be.

Unless you're playing a dinner set, assume that people might dance. Therefore, every song should be familiar and danceable, or sound familiar and danceable. Energy is always good whether people are dancing or not, but the occasional slow song offers the necessary slow dance opportunity, or a break for those who need one (like the band!)

Classics always work, whether you can stomach them or not - Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Midnight Hour, Chain Of Fools, Proud Mary, My Girl, Grapevine, Brown Sugar, Satisfaction, Get Down Tonight, Play That Funky Music, Lay Down Sally... there's a long list of songs that are tried-and-true dance floor fillers, whether the crowd is younger or older.

That's not to say there aren't some great sounding songs from the last 35 years. The New Wave era alone has spawned many songs that are destined to remain classics.

But in a cover band, playing for people who want to hear songs they're familiar with, avoid the urge to educate them with your choice of 'good' music. They're genuinely not interested in hearing how well the band can play their favorite songs.

And, for players that don't have the temperament or discipline to stick to the program, I understand. In that case, a cover band is the last musical situation you should be involved in. I'm tired of hearing the old line about 'if the people want to hear hits, let em play the jukebox'. If you're the guy who genuinely thinks a club should play a jukebox instead of hire a live band, I will pray for you, and the future of all musicians.

Bermuda

My very limited experience (playing parties) is that the first set is mostly used by the audience as a sort of getting-into-the-mood thing. So we've taken a slightly different approach to our set list. We play gentler, more relaxed songs for a short first set.

We take a short break and then open our second set with both barrels between the eyes.

I'd be interested to hear comments on this approach from those with lots of gigging experience.

JustJames said:

We play gentler, more relaxed songs for a short first set.

We take a short break and then open our second set with both barrels between the eyes.

I'd be interested to hear comments on this approach from those with lots of gigging experience.

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Depending what time the first set is, that may be a sensible approach.

One of my bands has a regular, early gig on one Saturday a month. The first set starts at 5pm (!) and people are generally eating. So, rather than 'give away' too many strong songs when historically, nobody dances anyway, we play our b-list material (but still familiar, danceable radio hits.) Our a-list is in the 2nd set, and the 3rd set, we assume that people have been drinking a bit, so the songs are a little rowdier in some cases, just to keep 'em interested. (see list below)

Not much psychology at work here, we've just learned that the crowd at this venue (and the previous venue with a 6-9pm slot) follow a pattern. We respond accordingly, and keep getting called back! I think they've been together 8 years, and I've been with them for over 4.

In fact, this is the band Bo is playing with Saturday! When I'm on tour, he keeps my stool warm (so to speak.)

Bermuda

1
And She Was
Hurts So Good
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Jumpin Jack Flash
Take Me To The River
Higher Ground
Second Hand News
Down On The Corner
I Saw Her Standing There
All Day & All Of The Night
Gloria (Them)
Dirty Water

2
American Idiot
ROCK in The USA
Lonely Boy
All Summer Long - segue -
Sweet Home Alabama
Brown Eyed Girl
Play That Funky Music
Long Cool Woman - segue -
Honky Tonk Woman
Wooly Bully
Old Time Rock & Roll
The Middle
Joy To The World

3
I’m A Believer - segue -
One Way Or Another
I Love Rock & Roll
Vertigo
Blister In Sun
Mustang Sally
Sedated
What I Like About You - segue -
Runnin Down A Dream - segue -
You Wreck Me
I Want You To Want Me
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Move It On Over
Friends in Low Places
Highway to Hell

3 Little Pigs - Green Jelly

'Now the first little pig....'

JustJames said:

My very limited experience (playing parties) is that the first set is mostly used by the audience as a sort of getting-into-the-mood thing. So we've taken a slightly different approach to our set list. We play gentler, more relaxed songs for a short first set.

We take a short break and then open our second set with both barrels between the eyes.

I'd be interested to hear comments on this approach from those with lots of gigging experience.

Click to expand...

As several have already pointed out, you must be ready to read the audience and the situation, but your observation is a good one that my band used quite frequently, especially when we played conventions and the like. Even at events where people already know each other (weddings, etc), there will often be the "settling in" period you refer to where people want to just find their seats, drink the first one, and get the conversational niceties out of the way. Watching the crowd's alcohol consumption can be a good guide here. The more the booze flows, the faster people will be ready to get up and start dancing as saturation levels do their tricks.

GeeDeeEmm

Here's our set...

Set 1:
Redneck Woman
I Know You Rider
Bleed Rail (original)
Long Train Running
Breakdown
Tin Pan Alley
I Put A Spell on You
Funk #49
Come Together
__________________

Set 2:
Georgia on a Fast Train
Indio (original)
Piece of My Heart
Me & My Uncle
Honky Tonk Women
White Rabbit
Roadhouse Blues
Pink Flamingo (original)
Wooden Ships
____________________

Set 3:
Not Easy (original)
Bobby McGee
Butterfly (original)
Midnight Moonlight
Gimme Shelter
Goin' Down the Road
Change (original)
Paint It Black
Better

Those are some great setlists.. my only addition would be;

If you want to get gigs.. entertain the audience - put on a show; and choose material that is familiar and danceable... to the point where people want to jump out of their chairs! Throw in a slow one to give everyone a breather every once in a while - unless the dance floor is jumping and they want to keep going.

Get known as a great party-dance band.. and the ladies will come out to dance followed by the guys buying drinks.. followed by the bar owner wanting to book you again as you draw a crowd/ get a reputation or following.. and best if your 'crowd' is not just friends and relatives - you can only ride that pony for so long. Good luck!

bermuda said:

Unless you're playing a dinner set, assume that people might dance. Therefore, every song should be familiar and danceable, or sound familiar and danceable. Energy is always good whether people are dancing or not, but the occasional slow song offers the necessary slow dance opportunity, or a break for those who need one (like the band!)

Classics always work, whether you can stomach them or not - Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Midnight Hour, Chain Of Fools, Proud Mary, My Girl, Grapevine, Brown Sugar, Satisfaction, Get Down Tonight, Play That Funky Music, Lay Down Sally... there's a long list of songs that are tried-and-true dance floor fillers, whether the crowd is younger or older.

That's not to say there aren't some great sounding songs from the last 35 years. The New Wave era alone has spawned many songs that are destined to remain classics.

But in a cover band, playing for people who want to hear songs they're familiar with, avoid the urge to educate them with your choice of 'good' music. They're genuinely not interested in hearing how well the band can play their favorite songs.

And, for players that don't have the temperament or discipline to stick to the program, I understand. In that case, a cover band is the last musical situation you should be involved in. I'm tired of hearing the old line about 'if the people want to hear hits, let em play the jukebox'. If you're the guy who genuinely thinks a club should play a jukebox instead of hire a live band, I will pray for you, and the future of all musicians.

Bermuda

Click to expand...

This is kind of where we are coming from. To that end, this is our band's current set list, but never get to them all, so we pick and choose as the situation fits. there are few we play when no one's dancing or just to play it like the SRV song in the list.

SONG
Funky Music
mustang sally
Forget you
My Sharona
uptown funk
Blurred Lines
500 miles
That’s the way I like it
what I like about you
purple rain
smooth
shaky ground
Feelin' Alright
Billy Jean
Get Down Tonight
Just Dance
Bye Bye Love (cars)
Long Train (doobie brothers)
brick house
dazz
Grooveline
Impression That I Get
Ladie's Night
Gangnam Style
Don't stop Believin'
shake shake shake
rappers delight
Could you be loved
get lucky
fame
lets stay together
give it to me baby
treasure
hot in here
September
American Band
One head light
disco inferno
Boogie Nights
canned heat
Fly Away
Don't know why
Locked out of Heaven
happy
Couldn't stand the Weather
Once in a lifetime
Your all ive got tonight
Let's go Crazy
Superstition

If it was my band...

... wait, it is.

But seriously, years ago, no decades ago when I use to go the clubs to watch live bands, I remember one night very clearly. I got to the club when the band started. The place is hardly full. Since there is no one dancing, the band decides to play (non-dancing music) Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Yes, etc. I was really loving it and thought from a band perspective, that must be really cool. They then kicked in with party danceable songs the rest of the night.