Setlist changes during tour

[Guitarman1972]

It just struck me why probably not many changes are made in the setlist during a tour. After seeing this video of John  Mayer's Rig Rundown:


I never gave it much thought until i saw the video, cause being a musician myself most of the stuff in and around the bands I play we do ourselves. So we can easily change a few songs for the next setlist. But in megashows, like the one of our beloved Mark, the whole show is programmed. So minor changes don't really exist. One song change is kinda major change. Cause the whole band and a whole crew needs to be informed and know what to do. From the sound guys, the lighting crew, the guitar technicians, etc. And some of the equipment might need to be reprogrammed for the guitarplayers and the keyboardplayers.

This might be an eye-opener for those who complain about the same setlist during the tour. 

Ofcourse the minor changes in the setlist from tour to tour is a whole other story. 

[dmg]

What you say may be true and is understandable but surely that is why they have dress rehearsals?  This is why I have always said that for a while now they haven't rehearsed for long enough before a tour, probably not helped by having band member from across the pond.

[border_reiver]

Bruce Springsteen. And the argument is quickly invalid.

- Bigger setlists, bigger band, bigger productions, bigger crew, bigger everything.

Yet he takes requests from fans holding signs to the most rarely played and unrehearsed songs.

The reason for Mark being Mark is that Mark is Mark.

The above stated could be seen as an excuse to be lazy. Not saying that's the case but...

Did you see the production collapse here? Said no one ever...

 

[border_reiver]

Thinking about it, this should be the equivalent of someone requesting MK to do 'Nadine'.

A song that's been played both in the early days of DS and as well with NHB (+ the odd private party show). And quite frankly, a rather easy one to pull off.

Imagine how Richard would panic 

[Jules]

Thinking about it, this should be the equivalent of someone requesting MK to do 'Nadine'.

A song that's been played both in the early days of DS and as well with NHB (+ the odd private party show). And quite frankly, a rather easy one to pull off.

Imagine how Richard would panic 

You can say that "Oe Oe Oe" it´s his only concesion, and, since all this years, you cannot say its improvised 

[MK-47]

What are the chances of hearing Beryl live on tour? I would really like to hear some live versions other than those promo shows. Lyrics aside, Beryl is a very good song in my opinion. As an instrumental it could be sold as a Shadows song I think.

[Rail King]

Yeah, Springsteen (and Bob Dylan, for that matter) clearly show that's possible to play anything, anytime, no matter how big the show. You don't NEED that perfectly timed light show, and you don't NEED a dozen guitars.

To Mark's defense, it may be worth mentioning that his routine probably saves him a lot of time (practising, remembering lyrics, rehearsing), time he uses to write songs on tour (which many artists don't). The quantity and quality of songs he comes up with never fails to impress me – in that respect, he's clearly better than Springsteen or Dylan. Well, better than pretty much anybody, I'd say. I would love a more diverse, spontaneous setlist, too, but I wouldn't want to get it at the price of less brilliant new music.

[Pottel]

dylan is no longer varying much these days. sticking to relatively fixed sets.

[Lis]

...I would love a more diverse, spontaneous setlist, too, but I wouldn't want to get it at the price of less brilliant new music.

+1 

[silentguy]

Being a big Springsteen fan too, I agree with the comments.

However, I also agree that Mark is Mark.

Its a big deal to me that he is now playing OES after 23 years.

Springsteen played a song for the first time in 28 years on a tour a few years ago.

Mark is a perfectionist, and that leaves less room for spontaneity.

I think he likes to practice more before he plays a song.
Of course he could do more sound checks and practice with the band, but maybe he's writing songs or thinking about them.

Anyways I'm happy to hear new songs and old.
Its the quality of the playing with Mark, not the quantity.



I

[Jules]

Interesting that the songs he adds are DS songs, and not his own solo songs. He says a lot in interviews that he looks forward and as he is so prolific writting songs nowadays, DS are the past, and he looks forward...

Two big looks backwards this tour, while his solo albums GH, KTGC, ATRR and GL are left behind, even most of the Tracker songs...

[border_reiver]

Interesting that the songs he adds are DS songs, and not his own solo songs. He says a lot in interviews that he looks forward and as he is so prolific writting songs nowadays, DS are the past, and he looks forward...

Two big looks backwards this tour, while his solo albums GH, KTGC, ATRR and GL are left behind, even most of the Tracker songs...

This tour doesn't make much sense at all. First static, then static, then more static but with two DS songs kicked in that makes you forget all the staticness.

But I'll take these additions any day!

And I do agree with you that the choices are surprising. Terminal had a shot but got binned.

[dmg]

Interesting that the songs he adds are DS songs, and not his own solo songs. He says a lot in interviews that he looks forward and as he is so prolific writting songs nowadays, DS are the past, and he looks forward...

Two big looks backwards this tour, while his solo albums GH, KTGC, ATRR and GL are left behind, even most of the Tracker songs...

This tour doesn't make much sense at all. First static, then static, then more static but with two DS songs kicked in that makes you forget all the staticness.

But I'll take these additions any day!

And I do agree with you that the choices are surprising. Terminal had a shot but got binned.

They both make use of Nigel so in this sense both songs are logical.  Hardly any solo songs use sax, probably only In the Sky.  Next he'll resurrect Two Young Lovers!

I was never very excited about YLT but OES is a fine addition IMHO.

[yontwocrows]

Interesting that the songs he adds are DS songs, and not his own solo songs. He says a lot in interviews that he looks forward and as he is so prolific writting songs nowadays, DS are the past, and he looks forward...

Two big looks backwards this tour, while his solo albums GH, KTGC, ATRR and GL are left behind, even most of the Tracker songs...

This tour doesn't make much sense at all. First static, then static, then more static but with two DS songs kicked in that makes you forget all the staticness.

But I'll take these additions any day!

And I do agree with you that the choices are surprising. Terminal had a shot but got binned.

Oh boy, that TOTT and OP got absolutely no chance to evolve is a pity. I think they are great live songs. To be teased with TOTT was a kind of a torture. I hope that someday some tracker songs pop up as a surprise on the next tour (if there is one!), but the "chances are slim" 

[RockinCat]

I attended shows in Red Bank, NJ and Philly.  Fantastic shows, of course.   But along with others (as expressed on the Doc's forum), I couldn't help but feel some disappointment with the set list.  Not that I would dare complain on the Forum!  I wondered if the set list was different on the European leg?  As far as the old DK stuff, I would have loved to hear TR.   A no brainer.  But there is so much great material from the two new albums that was left out.  I was delighted to hear OES though, even if the brilliant sax playing had a tendency to overpower that beautiful bell-like quality of the guitar at the end.