I
had an idea at the beginning of this tour to check
out the Website to get some REAL feedback about
the shows. We all know the press don't like what
I do, witness some of the recent reviews reprinted
on the site!!!
Unfortunately
what I found on the Website disheartened me a little.
If one thing keeps rearing its head, it's 'THE SET
LIST', so I'll try now to explain a couple of things
about choosing a set of songs to play.
Firstly,
I don't choose a set list for people who travel
to multiple gigs... I choose it to be seen once,
as that is the way MOST people will see it in the
City I'm playing in. If people go to more than one
show then they have to expect the probability of
hearing the same songs. There will always be things
people miss, and I've seen it mentioned a few times
that people have liked it more the second time.
There's
a lot to take in at one sitting. The complaint that
the set is "safe" or "just hits"
is a bit unfair as these are the songs that MOST
people have shown to be their favourites over the
years, and presumably would like to hear 'live'
for the last time.
MOST
bands, once they have material that is paced and
in the right kind of order DO NOT change the set
much from night to night. To get the pace right
over 2 hours requires tweaking here and there during
rehearsals and believe me, if you mess with it,
it can really change the flow of the show.
WITHIN
songs different stuff happens, but the sequence
of songs may not change once they're in their best
place. One other major point about changing the
set is that it has a knock-on effect with the Lighting
Cues etc. Most days it's all the crew can do to
assemble the rig in time, without relighting new
songs.
The
list of songs in some of your set lists would have
MOST people scratching their heads.... they include
some of my favourite songs too, but there is nothing
worse than looking into the audience and seeing
a bunch of bewildered faces. I have to think of
the 90% of the audience that don't spend time on
the website, and just want to hear their favourite
songs. In amongst all of that I do try to put in
some new or different stuff if only for the band
and me. I too could have put together 2 hours of
material that even you guys may not have chosen,
though personal favourites of mine, but I had my
reasons for choosing what I did. I do though, take
it as some kind of backhanded compliment that there
are so many different favourites among your choices!!!
I,
perhaps mistakenly, hoped that this set list would
be looked at as a celebration of my music, covering
a lot of what's been enjoyed by MOST people over
the last 25 years or so. I have changed a few things
around, contrary to some opinion, arrangement wise,
and brought some songs back to the way they were
originally, as well as adding some new pieces altogether.
The
point though, that actually led me to write this,
having held my tongue for the last few weeks about
the set list, is that I don't "respect my fans",
as I don't listen to their input or opinion. Some
of the replies to this point were right on the money
and thanks to those who jumped to my defense! I
do of course have great respect for my fans....
you like what I do, which means in some ways we
connect... who'd listen if you didn't!! I don't
inter-react with the site, as quite honestly, I'm
too busy doing the things that you end up discussing!!!!
Regarding
the CD of every concert being made available via
the Internet, such as Peter and The Who and others,
this WAS something I was going to do... however,
The Record Companies stepped in and stopped me:
even I answer to someone... so there you go!!! I
am obviously pissed of about this and am pursuing
it, but if you want to get involved, complain to
Atlantic Records in the USA...
I
am not the neurotic perfectionist that people make
me out to be and I can see why people would want
that sort of memento, warts and all!!!
True,
the Internet does not interest me as much as Peter.
I could see even as far back as the Interactive
CD period that you either immerse yourself in it,
or you carry on and gradually absorb the technology:
I chose the latter, he the former. Incidentally,
something that nobody has mentioned at all considering
you seem to notice everything, is that we change
the language every night for the statistics in Paradise...
every night we have the city we're playing in on
the 'Take me Home' screen...so the show is not static
at all.
Frankly
I'm really bored with the continuing comparison
of Pete and myself. We're great friends that once
played in a band together 30 odd years ago... aside
from that we have no reason to be compared to each
other.
Finally,
it is my dog Jack that participates in 'Wear My
Hat', and it's not loud on stage, just a bit warm
for his feet!!
This
tour IS the last tour.... I will play on stage again,
but not for months at a time, like this. Again some
of you have responded sympathetically to this. As
you know, I have a young Son who I will be taking
to school. As some of you have also pointed out,
I did say I wouldn't Tour as I'd been advised not
to due to the hearing loss. So this tour is something
of a bonus. I just thought it would be nice to go
out one last time, play everybody's favourites and
say 'goodbye', and I'm really enjoying it, as are
the audiences so far.
Most
of what I've read on the site is just good old discussion...but
I felt I had to straighten a few rants and theory's
out. I don't want to indulge in a great debate here
either, I'm putting my thoughts and reasons to you,
and I know already what some of you think!!!
I
suppose the old adage of "you can't please
everyone" is as true today as it was when someone
first said it...
Meanwhile,
we'll keep on keeping on.... hoping that you'll
still be there...
Much
love, and relax, enjoy it, it won't be here forever!!
