I don't get Paul's setlist choices

[chris]

Which is a step in the right direction...

well...good thing he's not screwing it up for you anymore.

i suggest you don't attend his concerts if you don't care for his choices.

or...don't buy the live release (should it actually be released)...that'll teach him.

[From A Lover To A Friend]

Forgive me for not reading ALL the posts regarding this one but in case anyone hasn't mentioned this, the reason most of the set list stays in the same order or 90+ percent of the show is the same is due more to technical issues (lighting, video, etc) than anything else. It's mostly all computers these days so certain things are programmed to coincide with certain songs.

It's still can be done. I don't know if you've attended a Radiohead concert, but their light show is INSANE, and they do completely different sets every night. They have their sound guy who knows the setlist and all the lights to the songs, and do it manually. The lightning simply can't be all computer; creating a fully automatic light show would require using a click track, which I don't think Paul does. Different performances differ slightly in their tempo - there has to be someone taking care of it...

[EddieV]

well I´m kind of satisfied with the way he chooses songs. Little by little we get some changes in the setlists. Of course we won´t hear Oh darling, if he shouldhave done this was when touring in 1975-76. But he chose Call Me Back Again.

I have just one regret why doesn´t he play Maybe I´m amazed anymore

[chris]

Eddie, if I had to guess, I'd say it's (MIA) is too hard on his voice.

Back during the 89 tour, he stopped doing it about half way thru because of the strain it put on his voice.

Funny...if I had to say, I'd suggest his voice is even stronger now than it was back in 89.

[james1985]

Agree with FALTAF. It's not hard to have light shows programmed for more than 25 songs. Radiohead do it.

It would be nice not to have to "spoiler alert" the first setlist of every tour.

[vintage61lefty]

Errrrr theye did nearly 50 songs here including the pre-show, ..thats 100 in two days.

What more can u ask for?

REALLY looking forward to all the reviews and THEM CHANGES> or not..
We're very HAPPY WITH THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SHOWS ..here. see pics posted in the 3/31 thread.
&
thanks Mike for the great Forum that u keep rocking here for all these years ..cheers!

[mr h atom]

biggest difference between '89 and now....

in '89, he had not toured in what...ten years...and the 'concert' voice was rusty...
now, he's touring regularly...keeps that stage voice in shape as much as running keeps the rest in shape, dontcha think

as far as getting his choices...i get his intent...i'm just not as enamored with all the pandering to the 'not-so-much-mccartney-fan' ...let's face it; alot of these folks are of the 'gimme the hits i know/love or shut up' variety; the 'sing the changes ?...bathroom break ! types...

and a real fan would be happy with anything he chose to sing...just as they would with any other artist they like

i'd like to know the setlist in advance simply because the changes are so few, yet sometimes significant; it would be helpful in making an attempt to get a ticket away from the bozos who only want to hear 'hey jude', 'band on the run' or 'get back'...then sit around and complain about what he is playing...and could care less about the rest

[Mark Rink]

We've had this conversation several times every tour right? There is one reason of many why Paul is still touring. This main reason being he has tried and true set ways of doing things, fixed routines that prolongs his longevity of a grueling tour. As short or as long a tour is, it is still torturous on one's being. Paul is not being dictated by money hungry management, he controls the shots period. He has his methods and tour traditions that work for decades for him. Simple as that.

Simple As That......now that would be a great song to hear live

[linclink]

I just don't understand him... he comes up with quite a few new songs every tour, but still he won't mix up anything. All the shows are exactly the same. He's with the same band for ages, they all know the songs, he definitely could have played a different set every night with cool surprises and stuff, or at least change the songs every now and then like many artists do, but he won't...

Here is a list of all the songs Paul performed in 2009/10:

(I Want To) Come Home
A Day in The Life/Give Peace A Chance
All My Loving
And I Love Her
Back In The USSR
Band On The Run
Birthday
Blackbird
Calico Skies
Can't Buy Me Love
Coming Up
Dance Tonight
Day Tripper
Drive My Car
Eleanor Rigby
Every Night
Flaming Pie
Get Back
Got To Get You Into My Life
Helter Skelter
Here Today
Hey Jude
Highway
Honey Hush
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want To Come Home
I'm Down
I'm Looking Through You
I've Got A Feeling
Jet
Lady Madonna
Let It Be
Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady
Letting go
Live And Let Die
Magical Mystery Tour
Mrs. Vanderbilt
Mull of Kintyre
My Love
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Only Mama Knows
Paperback Writer
Sgt Pepper/The End
Sing The Changes
Something
The Long And Winding Road
Two Of Us
Venus And Mars/Rock Show
Yesterday

That's 50 songs! He can do a great, diverse tour with these songs only... play different stuff every night, and that's only with tunes from the last year and 4 months. If you count in 2008, you add:

C Moon
Fine Line
Good Day Sunshine
Hello Goodbye
Here, There and Everywhere
I'll Follow The Sun
Let 'Em In
Michelle
Penny Lane
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Too Many People

With an overall of 61 songs he could do a great tour... and of course, that's not counting stuff from older tours, or solo songs that he could pull of without rehearsing with the band...

Everyone else seems to do it, but Paul just sticks to the same set every night... why?

Rotating things in & out is certainly a doable thing...and at least he appears to be veering towards this a bit.
I'd love to see him rotate in & out a good dozen or tracks a night...or less...whatever works for him, but just keep it a bit more surprising/interesting.
That certainly wouldn't take much effort at all. He & the band now know loads of songs, and with 61 to choose his 36 from that gives him a whole lot of leeway to mix it up & keep it fresh. I hope the bit of change we are seeing at the start of this tour not only continues, but actually gains momentum & grows in that direction!!!
You could also figure in the fact that the band also knows even more songs from older tours, including a nice bit of highlighting on the last few albums, and those could easily be brought out & re-learned & woven in & out- especially in this era of teleprompters.

[jgkojak]

Think about this: how many other artists Paul's age are out there putting on the kind of show Paul does?

Dylan, Springsteen (a few years younger, but I'm sure The Boss will be belting it out at age 68), and who else?

I'm grateful for what we have and for what he continues to do for us. (gratituuuuuude, gratituuuuuuude)


You know, when he did I'm Looking Through You, I think its clear he's gone through his catalog and he's making sure he hits everything at least once with this band that he'd gonna do-- he's pretty much cleared his Beatle catalog - the only ones missing are All Together Now (obviously), Your Mother Should Know, Honey Pie and She's Leaving Home.

Much as we'd love to hear That Would Be Something or Some People Never Know, its doubtful it will happen at this point.