Song Order - Advice Please?

Let Us Know About Your Performances Past, Present and Future
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

Okay heres the deal, I have a gig on June 17th, me on bass/vocals, my brother on guitar, and my friend Shane on drums/backup vocals. Also, I play acoustic guitar for Yesterday.
We're having trouble with the order of the songs, but we want to end on the Peppers Reprise.

Things to note: I feel extremely comfortable singing and playing Beatles songs since I've emulated the McCartney voice and playing style all my life. I have a high tenor (McCartney range I guess, I don't know the correct terms) voice, so I can hit the notes in the songs, but I don't want to get worn out in the beginning, or have trouble singing them towards the end.

What would be a good song to start on, and what would be a good order, I'm thinking this:

1. Get Back
2. Waiting on the World Change
3. American Woman/ American Girl
4. Misery
5. Carry on My Wayward Son
6. Who Did You Think I Was
7. I Saw Her Standing There
8. Yesterday
9. No Matter What
10. Out of My Mind (Slow Jam)
11. Good Love is on the Way
12. Can’t Buy Me Love
13. Ain’t No Sunshine
14. Something Like Olivia
15. For No One
16. Purple Haze
17. Kansas City (Hey Hey Hey)
18. Pepper’s Reprise
19. Encore: I Saw Her Standing There

All input is appreciated, Thank you.
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

Here are the supplies I will be using if anyone is curious:
User avatar
bartyclue
Intermediate Member
Posts: 619
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:11 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by bartyclue »

Why dont you and your band figure it out? Who would know better than the guys singing and playing?
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

bartyclue wrote:Why dont you and your band figure it out? Who would know better than the guys singing and playing?
Good point, but we've never gigged before, so we need advice from someone who is more experienced with gigging and knows how to please a crowd.
User avatar
sloop_john_b
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 13843
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:00 am

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by sloop_john_b »

My favorite opener there is "No Matter What".

Some basics: Start with a bang, end with a bang, don't put two boring songs back to back (i.e., "Yesterday" and "For No One").

My band is able to bypass this by not playing anything boring, ever. :D
User avatar
bartyclue
Intermediate Member
Posts: 619
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:11 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by bartyclue »

Good point, but we've never gigged before, so we need advice from someone who is more experienced with gigging and knows how to please a crowd.

Maybe.. but if you wanna pay yer dues.. then you need to learn by trial and error.
JakeK
RRF Consultant
Posts: 5757
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:08 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by JakeK »

I agree with John. Open with "No Matter What". Also, Get Back would be a good ending song (okay, before Pepper Reprise).

Good luck, dude. You'll do good. It's been a while since was last onstage performing. (SCARF '11)
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

sloop_john_b wrote:My favorite opener there is "No Matter What".

Some basics: Start with a bang, end with a bang, don't put two boring songs back to back (i.e., "Yesterday" and "For No One").

My band is able to bypass this by not playing anything boring, ever. :D
Thanks for the advice! I've classified them by colour (boring vs. fun) and am in the process of reworking them. I'd like to start on "No Matter What" but I'm probably going to be nervous and I have less of a likelyhood to screw up if I do a Beatles song first. :P
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

JakeK wrote:Good luck, dude.
Thanks, Jake!
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

Reworked Order:

1. Get Back
2. Waiting on the World Change
3. American Woman/ American Girl
4. Misery
5. Carry on My Wayward Son
6. Who Did You Think I Was
7. I Saw Her Standing There
8. Yesterday
9. No Matter What
10. Out of My Mind (Slow Jam)
11. Good Love is on the Way
12. Something Like Olivia
13. Can’t Buy Me Love
14. Ain’t No Sunshine
15. Purple Haze
16. For No One
17. Kansas City (Hey Hey Hey)
18. Pepper’s Reprise
19. Encore: I Saw Her Standing There
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15029
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2000 5:00 am
Contact:

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by admin »

I would go with 18 songs. Drop the repeat at #19 and move #1 to the end of your set. :)
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
User avatar
jimk
RRF Consultant
Posts: 5355
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:27 am
Contact:

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by jimk »

The basic advice of open up with a rocker and end with a rocker is sound. If a slow song is in your collective opinion boring either drop it altogether, or rework it so that it isn't boring. Slow, ballad type songs don't have to be boring. In fact, they can be performed to advantage showing the versatility of your band.
Best wishes.
JimK
User avatar
jps
RRF Consultant
Posts: 37216
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:00 am

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by jps »

sloop_john_b wrote:My favorite opener there is "No Matter What".
We opened with that song at our gig this past Saturday, and ended with Chasing Cars (not on Ivan's list :? :roll: :mrgreen: ).
User avatar
paologregorio
Senior Member
Posts: 6373
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:56 pm
Contact:

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by paologregorio »

+1 on starting with a bang, ending with a bang. I would eliminate one of the ballad-ish numbers altogether.

Unless your band plays "Purple Haze" better than the Jimi Hendrix Experience, I suggest eliminating it.

I would also eliminate "Carry on My Wayward Son"; that's a train wreck waiting to happen without keys, and at a first gig.

Also, and especially if this is your first gig, eliminate about 9-10 songs from the set list. If you're playing a club, generally, you only get an hour to set up, play, and tear down; with that set list, that's probably about 9 songs max, assuming you have no tuning or technical problems, and no dead air between songs.

If you're playing a club that is allowing you enough stage time to play two sets, i.e. if you're the only band for the night, or the main band for the night, with another band opening with a short set, play two sets with a short 15 minute break in the middle. You'll still want to start and end with a bang, but that will allow you to play one ballad in the middle-ish per set.

Gigs are fun to play, but always remember this; it's better to play a shorter set and leave people wanting more, than to play too long a set.
There is no reason to ever be bored.

...why yes, I suppose I do have a double bound guitar fetish...

"Uh, I like the double bounds. . . ."
Ivan3000
Advanced Member
Posts: 2392
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: Song Order - Advice Please?

Post by Ivan3000 »

Guys, all of this advice and input is great!

We have "Over an Hour" to play so I'll go with an hour and 15 minutes to stay on the safe side.

We aren't setting up and tearing down, we will set up the day before, and we don't have to tear down until later.
It is at a community center gig.

Any more advice on what to take out?
Post Reply

Return to “My Gig Forum”