What's a song you absolutely LOVE, but would NEVER play at a gig? Maybe it doesn't suit your voice, it's too obscure, goes on for nine minutes, has 14 chord changes before the first chorus, or you already know the audience would stare at you like you'd just started reading from the electricity bill. We all have songs we'd love to play if audiences weren't involved. What's yours, and why doesn't it make the setlist?

I was commenting in a different thread, and it made me think about the approach I've taken to building my catalog and putting together my set lists. It made me wonder whether other folks might find this helpful. Or it might make them realize I was insane. I'm OK with either result. For One-Man Cover Band, I maintain a catalog of over 500 songs, so I had to enforce some organization just to function. The first level of organization was to create broad song categories. I chose to use song decades with a few genre-specific categories. My categories are: - - Individual Decades from 1950s - 2000s - - Country - - Showtunes and Standards (a single category) - - Spooky Songs (Hurray, Halloween shows!) The next major category was around the song's *function* in the set. I identified (with the help of some online resources) the following song functions: - - Attention-Grabbers / Openers - - Momentum Builders - - Anthems - - Breathers - - Closers The net effect of this was making it much easier to pull a set together quickly. Since one of my offerings as a performer is offering a custom show for an event, this was a critical goal of mine. To put a set together, I use a formula or two that gives me a set that is just shy of an hour's worth of music and that automatically moves through emotional peaks and valleys to keep the audience engaged. Four of these sets make a show. For a set geared to quieter environments where the music is more background (so coffee shops, restaurants, etc.), I'll use the following formula: - - Anthem - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Breather - - Momentum Builder - - Anthem - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Breather - - Closer or Anthem For a more energetic set (pubs, wedding receptions, private parties, etc.), the formula changes a bit: - - Attention-grabber - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Anthem - - Momentum Builder - - Momentum Builder - - Breather - - Closer

All channels talk about filling the repertoire with "bangers" - song that are recognisable, and have broad appeal across the world and different age groups. And audiences truly enjoy them - leave out "Brown-Eyed Girl" at your own peril. I've noticed how pub entertainers all play the same songs, and I've sometimes played bingo - ticking them off the checklist. Last night I watched someone play 12 of these core songs in a row, and it was all so predictable. Standards are useful, but I can't help but feel that a set only composed of bangers becomes a caricature of a gig. It's like having a magic power - it should be used wisely. How do you keep from sounding like everyone else, or a Spotify playlist?

How do you all find venues when you are just starting out? (beyond open mics)?

🎤 Muso Question of the Week What's the STRANGEST thing a venue or client has ever asked you to do at a gig? Not necessarily the worst gig or rudest venue. Just that moment where someone from management, or a wedding or a private client has walked over and made a request that left you thinking... "Sorry, you want me to do WHAT?" I've got a few of these myself after 4,000+ gigs, but I'll hold mine back for now because I want to hear yours first. 😂 There must be some absolute crackers in this group.