Im working on the setlist for May 8 at Royal Room with Runaway Symphony and Being Lucius. (Details can be found here... www.facebook.com/events/1587196571525186/
Setlist are interesting cause you have to thing about the arc of the performance, where you want energy and where you want to bring it down, how the songs link together, etc. But there is another factor for me when I'm designing setlist. Every time I have to switch guitars I introduce variables that increase my likelihood of a major mistake. It goes like this, "ok new guitar, tune, drop D?, drop D two capo Ben Howard tuning?, capo in the right place? new setting on my global pedal, Y switch to amp or PA?, capo in the right place (again for emphasis)?" Doesn't seem like a big deal but silence sucks! Silence between songs seems to go on for ever and ever and ever and get ever more awkward. I already know I am not the greatest showman so I am really trying to put together a smooth professional performance. Its difficult. I figure their are other successful bands where the front guy doesn't jump around like a moron and pretend to be a bigger deal than he is. Arctic Monkeys....that dude is so cool, doesn't jump around like an idiot. As my drummer says..."you should never be more excited than the crowd."