Fantasy Concert Setlists

[AaronLancs]

Ruminating on this a long time. What would the ideal make up of a concert setlist be?

- How many hits?
- How many album tracks / b sides?
- How many non attached covers?

What's your view? I'll post mine a bit later.

[dcd747]

Always a fun topic!

For me, there would be several of the usual staples that need to be temporarily retired:

Sometimes
Ship of Fools
Love to Hate You
Breath of Life
Chains of Love (maybe)
Drama!

I would be not disappointed in the least to attend an Erasure concert and not hear these songs. Personally, I love "Chorus" but I found it refreshing that it wasn't played on the last tour. And it's funny that "Drama!" makes the list after going so many years without being played...but it's getting tired. That being said, I get the whole "what if this someone's first Erasure concert?" argument. But this is my fantasy setlist.

Here's what I'm feeling at this particular moment:

Take Me Back
Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon
Waiting for the Day
Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
Senseless
Phantom Bride
I Love Saturday
You Surround Me
Save Me Darling
Supernature
I Lose Myself
Push Me, Shove Me

How Many Times?
Heavenly Action
Mad as We Are
Don't Suppose
Chorus
Victim of Love
Oh l'amour
Blue Savannah
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Stop!

Spiralling
The Hardest Part
Home
A Little Respect

Probably forgot something important but I certainly would be happy to attend a concert with this setlist.

[MikeyC]

Always a fun topic!

For me, there would be several of the usual staples that need to be temporarily retired:

Sometimes
Ship of Fools
Love to Hate You
Breath of Life
Chains of Love (maybe)
Drama!

I would be not disappointed in the least to attend an Erasure concert and not hear these songs. Personally, I love "Chorus" but I found it refreshing that it wasn't played on the last tour. And it's funny that "Drama!" makes the list after going so many years without being played...but it's getting tired. That being said, I get the whole "what if this someone's first Erasure concert?" argument. But this is my fantasy setlist.

Here's what I'm feeling at this particular moment:

Take Me Back
Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon
Waiting for the Day
Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
Senseless
Phantom Bride
I Love Saturday
You Surround Me
Save Me Darling
Supernature
I Lose Myself
Push Me, Shove Me

How Many Times?
Heavenly Action
Mad as We Are
Don't Suppose
Chorus
Victim of Love
Oh l'amour
Blue Savannah
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Stop!

Spiralling
The Hardest Part
Home
A Little Respect

Probably forgot something important but I certainly would be happy to attend a concert with this setlist.

I completely support Ship of Fools, Breath of Life and Drama! (even though it’s a favorite of mine) being temporarily retired from the live sets!

Great set-list, but don’t you want something from THE NEON???

[Rod]

Always a fun topic!

For me, there would be several of the usual staples that need to be temporarily retired:

Sometimes
Ship of Fools
Love to Hate You
Breath of Life
Chains of Love (maybe)
Drama!

I would be not disappointed in the least to attend an Erasure concert and not hear these songs. Personally, I love "Chorus" but I found it refreshing that it wasn't played on the last tour. And it's funny that "Drama!" makes the list after going so many years without being played...but it's getting tired. That being said, I get the whole "what if this someone's first Erasure concert?" argument. But this is my fantasy setlist.

Here's what I'm feeling at this particular moment:

Take Me Back
Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon
Waiting for the Day
Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
Senseless
Phantom Bride
I Love Saturday
You Surround Me
Save Me Darling
Supernature
I Lose Myself
Push Me, Shove Me

How Many Times?
Heavenly Action
Mad as We Are
Don't Suppose
Chorus
Victim of Love
Oh l'amour
Blue Savannah
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Stop!

Spiralling
The Hardest Part
Home
A Little Respect

Probably forgot something important but I certainly would be happy to attend a concert with this setlist.

This is such a wonderful setlist! Love it. I agree with your points. I think those hits can still be relevant but we need new versions, almost Phantasmagorical tour level of rearrangement. I would add some tracks from The Neon, there are some songs that would sound really nice live.
I think Stuart Price would be an amazing asset as a musical director for an Erasure tour. He did an amazing job with Madonna's Confessions Tour, where he updated old classics in a really modern way. He has also done it with The Pet Shop Boys. Chris Lowe is always really good at updating their live sound.

[AaronLancs]

I don't know exactly what songs I would put in, but here would be the formula for a setlist in my opinion.

ONE: At least 50-60% have to be hits / singles and from across the career.
There would be I'd say four must haves (WNLLT / L'Amour / Sometimes / Respect) that need to be aired / played.

TWO: At least 25% have to be album tracks / b sides and also from across the career.
A mixture would be best.

THREE: The remainder would be fresh [current album] tracks.
Need I say more.

I'll try to figure this out into an example / ideal setlist once I have settled in on how many songs are being "performed".

[Islanderab]

I’ll keep my setlist to 21 (including 5 from Neon):

Always
Drama
Careful What I Try To Do
Heart of Stone
Knocking On Your Door
Fallen Angel
La La La
Make It Wonderful
Sometimes
Phantom Bride
Sacred
Hey Now
Chorus
Shot A Satellite
Freedom
Blue Savannah
Love To Hate You
Stop
Nerves Of Steel
Victim Of Love
A Little Respect

[AaronLancs]

Here is the backbone of the concert will be deciding on songs later on.

Copied from the word document that I have produced this with.

=== === === === ===

II: INTRO*

01: NEW ALBUM TRACK**
02: HITS***
03: ARCHIVE****
04: HITS
05: ARCHIVE
06: HITS
07: HITS
08: NEW ALBUM TRACK
09: ARCHIVE
10: HITS
11: ARCHIVE
12: HITS

13: HITS
14: ARCHIVE
15: NEW ALBUM TRACK
16: HITS
17: HITS
18: ARCHIVE
19: NEW ALBUM TRACK
20: HITS
21: ARCHIVE
22: NEW ALBUM TRACK
23: HITS
24: HITS

EE: HITS
EE: HITS

* = Instrumental intro from a range of the various Vincestrumentals.
** = Five tracks from the new album of the time.
*** = Selected tracks from across the career. Encore must be pre-1994 heavy to leave the crowd on a high. There are a few songs that must be included as standards (Who Needs Love / L’Amour / Sometimes / A Little Respect / Drama!).
**** = Stuff from album tracks to b-sides and possibly new one off covers like Blondie’s Atomic from a few years back.

=== === === === ===

So what do you think of the formula?

Also designed with the CD recording in mind.

[MikeyC]

I think this time around more than five tracks from The Neon should be performed. It’s deserving of more. It’s THAT good!!

[AaronLancs]

Through @MikeyC's suggestion I have upped The Neon tracks to six. The singles in Act One. Select others in Act Two. So here we go.

AARONLANCS' FANTASY CONCERT SETLIST: THE NEON TOUR EDITION

INTRO: Would be either a straight up instrumental or an adapted instrumental from throughout their career
II: Instrumental: Tomorrow’s World

ACT ONE: Would be twelve tracks and be nine singles heavy, new album singles also included in this act.
01: Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)
02: Who Needs Love Like That
03: Nerves Of Steel
04: Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer’s Day)
05: Push Me Shove Me
06: Breathe
07: Drama!
08: Fallen Angel
09: “Tour Exclusive Cover” (A bit like Blondie's Atomic from World Be Live)
10: Ship Of Fools
11: Tenderest Moments
12: In My Arms

ACT TWO: Would be geared toward the fans more with a bit more of a dive into the back catalogue more, also there would be six singles, three dives and three non singles tracks from the new album.
13: Oh L’Amour
14: Alien
15: New Horizons
16: Love You To The Sky
17: Elevation
18: Waiting For The Day
19: Diamond Lies
20: Always
21: Oh What A World
22: Kid You’re Not Alone
23: Solsbury Hill
24: Stop!

ENCORE: Two singles from ideally, pre-I Say, I Say, I Say days so then the majority of people still know the words and have heard of the songs, although the odd post ISISIS track may be used occassionally. If there are any that are known.
EE: Sometimes
EE: A Little Respect

===============

The setlist can evolve over the tour with songs being moved about, being replaced by others and so on. So the 27 songs I have shown may not be the final number used.

And finally. The way I have designed it is to be CD friendly as much as possible to then you know that Intro and Act One is on Disc One, Act Two and Encore is on Disc Two. So what do you lot think? Feedback welcome.

[dcd747]

I completely support Ship of Fools, Breath of Life and Drama! (even though it’s a favorite of mine) being temporarily retired from the live sets!

Great set-list, but don’t you want something from THE NEON???

Ha ha! I guess I was just thinking about stuff I'd heard (or wish I'd heard) from the past. I guess the other problem is such a rich catalogue, how do you make room for the new stuff? I suppose they'll just have to play longer...