How to write a good setlist
What makes a good set list? Here’s me, from The One Night Band to give you some magic tips.
Actually, let me burst that bubble straight away. I’ve been doing this for over 6 years now, and I’m still not 100% sure. I often believe “I know best” but how can I really know that what I consider is a bad song, really IS a bad song?!
One rule I live by is to sack off the slow numbers. Let’s have one slow song for the first dance then get the party started. Leave the other slow songs for the final number to calm to guests down (Think Wonderwall, or Angels!) then at the very end of the night, finish the DJ set with “Time of My Life” into “New York, New York” — Really show those guests how to relax! Works like a charm.
Don’t have too much rock together in the set. It gets so loud, and people get exhausted! But, here’s a tip: do put a really cheesy number after a rock song so people are buzzing already and forget that to like cheese is ‘uncool’. There’s nothing uncool about Spandau Ballet ‘Gold’. Trust me.
If someone says they want the first set to be Jazz, they probably don’t know what they want from their wedding! A lot of people think a wedding is supposed to impress their guests, and that Jazz is impressive. It is impressive, but it’s not what the guests want to dance to! Unless you’re all hardcore jazz fans. Your guests will be far more impressed by a packed dancefloor, which your dancefloor will not be if it’s 45 minutes of jazz.
(BTW: Jazz during dinner or canapes is a TOTALLY different story! Especially on a boat. Just Sayin’. We have a lovely little Jazz Trio for that occasion!)
I always allow my clients to chose from our huge repertoire, and then guide them in what I think is the right direction. I ask them to choose 5 more songs than we need, and then I have leeway to get rid of the songs that I actually don’t like to play anymore! I also sometimes ask them to highlight the ones they REALLY want, and then I’ll know that if it’s highlighted then it should have some people up dancing.
Another tip: If you’re guitarist needs to tune up or down, make sure all songs within the same tuning are next to each other. Prepare something to say in that time, or put a song with a really long piano intro as the first song in that new tuning. Give your guitarist some time to do his thing…
Read the crowd! You may think you’ve written the best set ever, and then get to the gig and realise this crowd are all secret cheese lovers! Just throw ‘500 Miles’ and ‘Come on Eileen’ in and reap the rewards.
Don’t be afraid to play solos for years. Drunk people love air guitar. Fact. Throw a solo into every song. Cut the set in half as you run out of time because you’ve just played 5 minutes of an epic solo based around the first 6 notes of Baker Street.
So in conclusion?
Ignore the clients, and go with your gut!
But, if you pay us to learn a song, we will definitely play it. BTW!
If none of these tips work, and the crowd just aren’t loving it.. Stick your tie on your head and force them to do a human pyramid.
You’re welcome.
Heart throb of the post goes to: The guy punting us around in the McFly video. Shout out Salisbury Punting — You made waiting around to perform a very festive experience. ❤ ❤ ❤
