How To Put Together a Good Set List For Original Rock Show

Okay so your in a band. You guys have a handful of songs, you've rehearsed hard for 3 to 6 months (whatever) and now it's game time. Tonight is your first show! How should you arrange these songs for maximum impression on audience.

Well there are a few options. To figure out which way you want to go, consider the venue you will be playing at. Is it going to be jammed packed with rowdy punk rock kids? Is it going to be wall to wall with scenester emo goth types? Is it unknown territory in a state you've never played before? Are you the first act of the night? Are you the closing act? If so how did the last band end there set?

All this matters. Do you want people to give you the "pity fuck" nice job when it's over or do you want them asking you to play at their party and trying to hunt you down for a CD. Do you want the bar owner to give you the cold shoulder and no doe or do you want him schmoozing up to your guitar player trying to get the band back there.

Yeah you know what you want. you want to be the shit.

So lets break this down into song types. Yeah your playing original songs that no one outside your circle of friends and family has heard of but all songs share characteristics. You have a few types:

• slow power ballad type
• slow creepy dark ballad type
• driving rocker (moderate tempo)
• balls to the wall rocker (fast tempo)
• off time strangling (trying to be different type)
• well known cover
• progressive masterpiece (little bit of everything)

So there are a few models there but to simplify it even further lets just say you have some slow songs some medium speed songs and some fast songs.

• slow
• medium speed
• fast

If your playing last or second in a 3 band show usually that means your in the prime spot. All the people that were coming are now there and it's not too late and their not too drunk. How did the last band end their set. They were the opening act...they want to show stop the place have no doubt. Its usually pretty predictable. Alot of bands save their epic power solo 10 minute masterpiece to close on either that or a well known heavy metal type cover that makes the crowd like them like "walk" by Pantera.

So if they go 10 minute power solo blow out. Attack the audience in a different way. Appeal to a different sense. Pull out your creepy slow clean song to start. Draw them back in by not over stimulating them right off the bat. Try maybe something like:

1. slow creepy ballad
2. driving rocker (if possible medley from the ending of 1)
3. strangling (off time trying to be different song)
4. balls to the wall rocker
5. power ballad
6. progressive masterpiece
7. well known cover

Or in layman's terms

1. slow
2. medium
3. medium
4. fast
5. slow
6. slow to medium to fast
7. something the audience is familiar with (preferably something they can jump up and down to)

That's seven songs say about 3 to 5 minutes a piece, you probably need half hour to 45 minutes for a 3 band bill so you might need a couple more songs depending on how long your songs are.

The point is there are endless ways to arrange your set list. The moral is some work and some don't. It's like a date with a hot girl. You need to impress this girl so you use every tool at your disposal to accomplish that. With a set list, it can be a well planned calculated date. This girl (the crowd) is in your house. You have the stage literally.

If your an opening band. You want to have a strong opening song. You want to come across like hey look bitches...were here and we came to run this town. That song can be slow fast or medium as long as it's awesome and you performed it well.

GOOD IDEA NUMBER ONE:

don't let a stupid sound man talk you into doing a sound check and then going right into your first song. He basically just screwed up your mojo with that shit ass sound check. Now your first impression on the crowd was " kick drum please?" "right mic please?" stage left guitar please?"

no no no, whatever he says tell him after sound check we'll be back in 5 minutes. Go out back and chill for 5 or 10 minutes if you have to. But when you come back on that stage make sure the first sound the crowd here's is the first note of the first song from your calculated set list.

That's my word,

Peace,

-KAM