We got to chat with so many fantastic artists this year—about everything from new music to amplified stage production to onstage bloopers. But we also stay true to our name and dig into how they approach building their setlists, modifying it show to show, how much is fan demand versus personal preference. Some answers have been a smidge obvious (we have to ask, right?) but some are absolutely enlightened.
In this supercut we've compiled some of our favorite replies, from Melvins to Metric to Slipknot to Simple Plan and more. Watch:
Metric: "It does amaze me though, how passionate we all are about it. We have this sense that there is this secret code to the best setlist."
Dashboard Confessional: "I really only ever know the first song I'm going to play and the last song I'm going to play. I never write a setlist. The audience IS the band."
"I really only ever know the first song I'm going to play and the last song I'm going to play. I never write a setlist. The audience IS the band."
Slipknot: "Right now we have the best problem we could ever have. Six albums for 90 minutes."
Melvins: "Melvins have so many records. Even if it's not a brand new record, there's still plenty of ways to freshen up the setlist and keep people super excited."
Simple Plan: "We're not going to be snobby and be like, 'we don't play that anymore, that's not us anymore,' no. Everything is part of our history and if people want to hear it, it makes us so happy to play it. We always have seen ourselves as a people's band and if people want to hear a song, then they're right. We should be grateful and happy that we have songs that have had impact on people."
What setlist-related questions do you want us to ask in 2020?
Stay tuned for a part two of our best of Tour Update 2019!
