How many set lists does it take to make a band?

[glocke]

With Jeffs recent post about his ex-band, I just thought I would share one more nutty-dysfunctional band story.
 
The guys I play with on friday nights are really pretty much fried in the brain (they are actually the reason Ive decided to take a break from smoking herb), but are still good player especially when it comes to dead stuff.
 
Ive been playing with them since the summer, and when I first started was given a list of 20-30 tunes to learn, and was told to pick another dozen, all we had to do was get some keys, and maybe a bobby type guy and than we could hit some bars. We found a KB player that can handle the vocals and to make a long story short, every three weeks since than, they have revised or basically rewrote the setlist, so that means previously learned tunes are no longer played and are forgotten, and more weeks go by while new tunes are learned.  
 
This morning I opened up my email and think I saw the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.  Yet ANOTHER setlist, with some of the original tunes on there, and than a whole bunch more.  To make matters worse, the new ones are skynard, marshall tucker, etc...Nothing wrong with that stuff, its just not what Im looking to play these days ( I spend three years playing in a southern rock band in MD, and have had more than enough)...
 
Every other band Ive been in that has played out always starting with a fixed list of 30-40 tunes that they had polished, and than along the way added 2-3 new tunes a month.
 
This isnt a proband, we are all dayjobbers...
 
Am I just being anal, or are these guys just cracked? HAs anyone else ever encountered this BS of rewriting a setlist every 3 weeks ?

[bassman10096]

Sounds like somebody else is being anal (the nothing we decide is good enough variety).  I've been through a couple variations:  We really need to change our focus -- out with the old setlist (and all the work that went into it); We need more ____ and/or less ____ -- Out with the old, in with the new.  Usually it winds up with people who can't make up their minds and are afraid to play out (for any number of reasons).  It can turn into endless woodshedding and changes and turns friends into people who don't especially want to talk to each other.  Bring it to a close.  Either they go out with what you all committed to or they will yank your chain endlessly.  Pardon the rant and the bitterness.  I'm just finishing untangling a time-waster like this myself.  Good luck.
Bill (the other one)

[keith_h]

Sounds to me like you will never get out to play. I've always figured you nail 3 sets to get out playing. This is with full knowledge that some of the songs are less than desirable. Once you are out playing you start to fine tune the list by keeping the songs the audience likes and replacing  the clunkers.    
 
Keith

[crobbins]

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear  
You shout and no one seems to hear.  
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes  
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.  
 
I can't think of anything to say except...  
I think it's marvelous! HaHaHa!

[flaxattack]

i can understand having a setlist and then adding tunes along the way to keep it fresh.
i have this problem with the other band i play with- leader picks all the tunes-
the plan for my band is to sit down after we finalize the group and pick out tunes to play
i am guessing 3 hrs worth eventually and 2 hrs to get off an running- if the group is talented they should be able to wing a lot of a dead stuff anyway
my personal feeling- the group has to agree on all tunes-otherwise you wont get maximum efforts
when i played in the first band i was with- i dropped out after the lead bitch picked = its in his kiss- to play

[gare]

I agree with Jeff..have set lists and add to them as time goes on.  
Lists changing every 3 weeks ? Band I played in a year ago used to change the lists on a weekly basis..and songs would appear that I've either never played of even heard of. I believe in a polished sound and performance. I left when all the new songs were punk (not the direction I wanted to go). But as Jeff stated, everyone has to head the same direction.
 
Gary

[terryc]

Tell you what is worse..rehearsing a couple of songs forever and they never get played at the gig.
I will not rehearse unless they get played at the gig..if they don't work at either rehearsal or gig then drop them..there are just too many songs out there to keep grinding away at ones which are not played or have been played too much!

[glocke]

yeah...I understand adding new tunes once you are playing out and an established set is happening, but these guys are just nuts...
 
 
The only reason Ive put up with it this long is that they are pretty cool to hang with, its a big, isolated farmhouse with lots of room inside, and they actually LIKE it when I play loud, but this friday Im basically telling them that unless they are able to stick to a list of 40 tunes to get polished and than play out, Im leaving....All my free time is getting eaten up by learnng tunes these guys think of to add to a list, only to have newer ones added a few weeks later...

[briant]

As others have pointed out these guys appear to have never leave the woodshed problems.  Without a push they will forever be changing up their setlist and will never gig.  It's not good enough, We need more songs like , We need to practice this more, etc...
 
They need to get out and just play.
 
My cover band has ~60 songs currently in our big list of stuff we know.  We're (generally) always learning some new songs to add to the list based on requests that we get or stuff we just think is going to work.  If something doesn't work after three or four shows we'll ditch it and move on - maybe revisit it again later maybe not.

[flaxattack]

my old group needs a bassist
cut the top 2 strings off and leave your creativity home
that should work out fine....

[briant]

:-) brilliant!
 
I'll take the cheap P bass copy that I've beat the ever living hell out of and beat it some more.  then remove the D and G strings and apply for that band. :-)

[5stringho]

Problems keeping cohesive setlists? My main complaint with the most recent ensambles I've been gigging with has been playing the same old setlists with the same old tunes for months on end! Our loyal followers can pretty well tell you which songs go where; like, Hey, that set was supposed to end with Stranglehold, Duuude!
Anyone else have this problem, Or is that a new can of worms for another thread???

[glocke]

I think thats another thread Mike....
We have not had one gig yet, not a single one, and my guys have written new setlists once every two weeks to three weeks.....each one different from the other.The kicker is I joined these guys because they played a bunch of Dead tunes, but the most recent list of songs they sent out has little Dead, and a ton of Skynard....I dont mind driving two hours to play dead tunes, but Im not driving two hours to play skynard.
 
My other band, which is a bunch of college kids half my age that writes their own tunes, does the exact opposite and is doing much better.

[terryc]

Glocke..they will never play a gig at that rate, I mean how on earth are they going to fine tune the songs and maybe add their own mark on them..you know drop the volume dynamically at certain sections, bring it up, add some other tonal colours, okay keep the song close to the original but bring it to life.
And it is totally selfish of them or anyone to give up their leisure time if they have no intent of getting out there and gigging. If that is the case why have they bothered to learn to play at all.

[grateful]

42?