I occasionally look up a bands setlist before seeing them in concert. Usually only for bands I’m half interested in. If it’s a bucket list band, I don’t go near it. I like to be surprised. However, Roger Daltrey of the Who seems to be a bit of a curmudgeon about it.
Roger Daltrey. Photo by Fabrice Demessence.
In a recent interview with Billboard Daltrey said “There’s no surprises left with concerts these days, ’cause everybody wants to see the setlist. I’m fucking sick of it. The internet’s ruined the live shows for me. Who wants to know what’s coming next? People forget about surprises. I can’t stand it.”.
I get where he’s coming from. I’m sure bands like surprising fans with some b sides and fan favourites. However, maybe change the setlist from night to night. I know some production issues can hinder this, but it doesn’t seem to slow down bands like Pearl Jam and Metallica from changing things up night to night.
The fact of the matter is, if a fan pays good money (tickets to see the Who are not cheap) to come see you, who are you to get upset about if they look at a setlist? If I’m dropping $200 on a ticket, I should not only know what song is coming next, I should know what colour gitch you’re wearing.