Faith No More - ChCh - Feb 16th 2010 ...

[xCaptainx]

I saw Bowie at the caketin and of the almost 30 songs he played I'd say he played maybe 15 enormous hits. The rest were new tunes, album tracks off older records and a couple of well chosen covers. I walked away from the gig thinking to myself that he could have ditched those non-hits and replaced each one with a genuine mega-hit, and I was glad he didn't do that, as it made for a much more interesting gig for me. Granted there were definitely members of the audience who got annoyed when made to wait one or two songs between singalong moments, but I was chuffed.

That was a great peformance! hahah how was the 'ground control to major tom............BUT we're not going to be playing that tonight' hahaha I got a chuckle from it.

[badmotor]

I guess that is the covers band dude approach "play your hit songs ya barstard!" - I think it is healthy for the artists when they are a little selfish sometimes. Which is pretty much what HG said before. I'm a parrot.

I normally agree with this, but for FNM I don't think it applies.

They haven't recorded any new material. They regrouped so they could tour the world playing the old hits from 15+ years ago and make a bunch of money. To me, if they're not offering anything new, that means these concerts should be live "Greatest Hits" with the odd obscure song thrown in for good measure.

But they DO do a greatest hits type thing. Check out the gigs on YouTube. They just didn't play Dave fav. song, with arguably wasn't really a hit anyway.

[Hot_Grits]

I saw Bowie at the caketin and of the almost 30 songs he played I'd say he played maybe 15 enormous hits. The rest were new tunes, album tracks off older records and a couple of well chosen covers. I walked away from the gig thinking to myself that he could have ditched those non-hits and replaced each one with a genuine mega-hit, and I was glad he didn't do that, as it made for a much more interesting gig for me. Granted there were definitely members of the audience who got annoyed when made to wait one or two songs between singalong moments, but I was chuffed.

That was a great peformance! hahah how was the 'ground control to major tom............BUT we're not going to be playing that tonight' hahaha I got a chuckle from it.

haha, that's right!

-Bowie is an interesting test case on audience desires: for a few years in the 90s he mostly didn't play any of his big hits. Over that period he was mostly playing smaller theatres. He softened his stance and the venues sizes grew. Still, a theatre-full of really into-it fans is nothing to sneeze at.

I often think about audiences when I'm at the BDO. there must be thousands of heavily motivated serious music lovers onsite, but there's obviously also thousands of people who are there because it's something to do. Though all major gigs have an element of that.

[badmotor]

in fairness though, neither the covers band nor the originals would be playing gigs if there weren't punters there.. and punters have expectations.. I mean if I want to choose to play stuff that the punter doesn't want to hear over stuff they do, I could also choose to do that where the punters aren't.. like at home... surely everybody would be happy then?

Hang on, are you saying the artists don't really have rights to not play the odd hit song sometimes? That sounds like it is now selfish on the punters part. Surely it doesn't need to be so black and white. Someone's always going to be annoyed their fav. song wasn't played, by the same token if a band finds that keeping the playlist rotating so it is still interesting for them and they don't end up getting bored and breaking up from becoming a hit-machine.

Of course some artists are fine being a hit machine which is great. I think I'd personally get bored playing the same songs forever without getting some freshness in there.

[rocklander]

in fairness though, neither the covers band nor the originals would be playing gigs if there weren't punters there.. and punters have expectations.. I mean if I want to choose to play stuff that the punter doesn't want to hear over stuff they do, I could also choose to do that where the punters aren't.. like at home... surely everybody would be happy then?

Hang on, are you saying the artists don't really have rights to not play the odd hit song sometimes? That sounds like it is now selfish on the punters part. Surely it doesn't need to be so black and white. Someone's always going to be annoyed their fav. song wasn't played, by the same token if a band finds that keeping the playlist rotating so it is still interesting for them and they don't end up getting bored and breaking up from becoming a hit-machine.

Of course some artists are fine being a hit machine which is great. I think I'd personally get bored playing the same songs forever without getting some freshness in there.

fair call, and I'm not saying that per se, but I think of the two, the punter has more right to be selfish than the performer cos one is performing a service based on the other paying for it to happen.

[Hot_Grits]

fair call, and I'm not saying that per se, but I think of the two, the punter has more right to be selfish than the performer cos one is performing a service based on the other paying for it to happen.

Good point, though an original artist's audience is made up of people with a variety of expectations. At least a portion actually want to be surprised. The trick for the individual artist is balancing those audience needs. Play the hit machine card too much and the hardcore fans (y'know, the ones who buy all the records, the t shirts, the lunchbox...) get alienated...

[ash]

If they don't play Anne's Song I might storm out of the place a create a bit of a scene.

[badmotor]

I just want a FNM lunchbox.

[rocklander]

fair call, and I'm not saying that per se, but I think of the two, the punter has more right to be selfish than the performer cos one is performing a service based on the other paying for it to happen.

Good point, though an original artist's audience is made up of people with a variety of expectations. At least a portion actually want to be surprised. The trick for the individual artist is balancing those audience needs. Play the hit machine card too much and the hardcore fans (y'know, the ones who buy all the records, the t shirts, the lunchbox...) get alienated...

yup yup.. it's all a balancing act, and I suspect the most successful artists are prolly also some of the most successful at that particular trick.

[xCaptainx]

Of course some artists are fine being a hit machine which is great. I think I'd personally get bored playing the same songs forever without getting some freshness in there.

Reminds me of this comic I saw recently, haha

[NZRS-Dave]

Apparently, one of my friends was at their sound check and one of them (he didn't say which) said that they had nearly 80 songs in their repertoire rehearsed and ready to go.

80 songs ... and they didn't manage to dump a lesser known one and chuck in From Outta Nowhere or Falling To Pieces (someone just reminded me that they didn't play that one either.)

Oh well, I am over it now.

[Some Bozo]

I think in the end it's better to miss out on a song that the band want to rest for a bit, than to get a bored, by-the-numbers, done-it-100-times-in-row version.

[Hot_Grits]

Apparently, one of my friends was at their sound check and one of them (he didn't say which) said that they had nearly 80 songs in their repertoire rehearsed and ready to go.

80 songs ... and they didn't manage to dump a lesser known one and chuck in From Outta Nowhere or Falling To Pieces (someone just reminded me that they didn't play that one either.)

Oh well, I am over it now.

Haha,the whole point of rehearsing 80 songs for a reunion tour is to get set variety and for themselves and the fans.

it's a lottery: you missed your fave and somewhere else in the crowd some fan got their fave track instead. maybe a few hundred of them. Maybe just one.

[dayl]

Haha, nice review Dave. Its refreshing to see someone reviewing a band without the stars in their eyes.

Mike 'Puff' Bordin is Killa!

I could rattlea bunch of tracks I'dlove to hear live but one would be Small Victory.... I've only heard a couple live versions and the song rocked, less production dynamics, sped up and just sick.....

hhhhhh

Ho hum.

[NZRS-Dave]

Haha, nice review Dave. Its refreshing to see someone reviewing a band without the stars in their eyes.

Heh ... just pray I never get to review a Nightwish gig.

Hey.

On second thoughts ... pray that I DO for my sake.