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Post by dougs on May 25, 2018 22:41:25 GMT
The Rolling Stones just played two big London concerts (May 22 & 25) and their set lists were a real lesson:
The set lists for those two London shows were quite unlike one another. The Stones varied the songs greatly from one night to the other. This means that over two nights more songs actually get played. It also means that the second show is not simply a replay of the first. The second night can be as exciting as the first. All bands, Elton included, can benefit from an approach like this. Radiohead is another band that keeps the nightly set list very fresh by varying what they play. It certainly would prevent or limit the performance becoming autopilot. The longer Elton has toured the less likely he became in altering his set list. Too bad; he has so many great singles and album tracks that have simply disappeared.
Bands take note!
Doug
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Post by rocketman on May 29, 2018 17:20:49 GMT
I became aware of this in 1986, when I had tickets to see two Elton John concerts a week apart. The set list was exactly the same. Up until then, I took for granted that artists with enough material would be inclined to vary their set list. I was a bit disappointed, though both shows were excellent in and of themselves.
When I saw Elton in 2016 (WCN Tour) I noticed that he played several songs from GBYBR; they were the same several he's been playing for years now - FFF/LLB, Bennie, Candle, Alice, Sister Can't Twist, Saturday, and the title song. I enjoyed the show immensely, but I did walk away thinking that he's just plugging in that same batch of songs all the time lately.
The Farewell Tour, which appears to be themed on GBYBR, I suspect, will have a similar batch of songs from that album. I hope I'm wrong.
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Post by dougs on May 29, 2018 20:47:42 GMT
rocketman:
I really believe that the FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD tour, once it gets going, will not change up the set list BUT I really hope and expect that EJ launches into this final tour with lots of new songs plus adding noticeable changes to songs that have gone unchanged for years; "I'm Still Standing" and "The _itch is Back" and "Philadelphia Freedom" haven't seen any changes forever it seems except very minor tinkering; they all end the same way too...very anti-climatically. We all know that the FAREWELL shows will be understandably dominated by hits but it would be nice to see ones like "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "The One" and "Simple Life" plus others which have been long-lost from band shows.
Even though Elton long ago got away from altering the set list from night-to-night, there was a time that Elton changed the set list several times within a tour; that long and great 1997-98 THE BIG PICTURE tour had a set list that changed several times within the full year of concerts. I caught the 4 North American legs of that tour and saw refreshingly different concerts each time! This is something that, unfortunately, Elton has moved away from. Too much of the same songs in the same way; at least they are played well by EJ and the band..."Levon", for example, is incredible, but it is one of few songs treated to a creative extension.
I hope that the FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD shows are like either the ONE NIGHT ONLY or 60TH BIRTHDAY concerts - without the guests, of course! Great set lists. I would have purchased tickets to two FAREWELL shows instead of just one if I knew that EJ would switch up the set list like the Stones and Radiohead and others do. Tough to spend hard earned money for identical shows.
Doug
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Post by Dr Johnny Fever on Jun 4, 2018 23:23:54 GMT
I seen the Stones the other night...first I must say how good the video screens were...4 across the stage...I'd say one would be twice the size of one Elton uses....the other thing I liked that they did...and think Elton could easily do...they got to a point that the crowd/public voted for the next song...not sure how they did it...but 4 songs came up on the screens and Mick said, "let's see what Coventry voted for"...and it went to one song...and that's what they played...can't see why Elton couldn't do something like that...just pick 4 songs that he knew how to play...and you get to vote which one he plays...I don't know how to do that...but I don't need to, do I...
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Post by dougs on Jun 5, 2018 1:29:18 GMT
Dr. John:
I'm not sure either how (texting?) fans pick certain concert songs but I was talking to someone last week who mentioned the same thing at a concert that she went to see recently. It sounds like it is something that some bands are doing to engage their fans into the show. A good idea. I wish EJ had that type of spontaneity. I remember when he would rehearse a song like "Just Like Belgium" specifically for his Belgian concert fans...
Doug
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Post by Dr Johnny Fever on Jun 5, 2018 8:01:32 GMT
Yes, I was at the Belgium show he did that...yes, I'm not sure how the Stones did the vote thing...I've seen it done before, well not the texting bit, it was done by asking the crowd what song they wanted to hear next...the people called out songs, with him (Chris deBerg) saying, "I'm doing that one later" I can't remember all the words to that...and he picked one he wasn't quite sure how the words went and had to ask the crowd...I did think at the time it was a set up, but when I looked in the paper the next week for his show list for his London show, it was a different song...
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Post by rocketman on Jun 5, 2018 15:34:25 GMT
I'm guessing the can pick the one they want and text it to a certain number.
Standard Texting Fees May Apply. :-)
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