lord brazle Wrote:"Dear Tragically Hip,
You are receiving this email due to disappointment in your leagues of fans. It seems your current set-lists are becoming increasingly bland and tiresome. Your dearly devoted fans, witnessing your every song, have decided that it may be time for a vote of sorts. You post on your official site the opportunity for your fans to vote for their favourite five (5) songs and, after a designated amount of time, the voting ceases and the top five are picked. Those songs are then played in November in Toronto as part of the new, revamped set-list. This email has been the result of a thread on the Hipbase (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hipbase.com">www.hipbase.com</a><!-- w -->) and the fans that frequent it."
This sounds like a ransom letter!
I think more variety in the shows would be nice, but complaining seems like the wrong route. Requesting with a total lack of pride and dignity is better. Begging, if you will.
Somehow I doubt the Hip will listen though.
Anyways, your letter needs more ass-kissing. Make sure you end it like this:
WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!
WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!
WE'RE SCUM!
WE SUCK!
Steve
Hahaha thanks, man. I don't know though. They were talking about a "contest" or sorts for fans to vote for the top five songs. Send an email and ask the Hip to do it but make it generic so anybody could send it. I just made the skeleton, I wanted other people to repost and say change this to this or add this, but in all seriousness. I went out, got drunk and come back. Woke up at like 2 in the morning, get on here and there's millions of threads. And normally I'm on here like 16 hours everyday. I don't think this is trying to tell the Hip what to play, it is a request for more fan-input into the set-list. I basically wrote it due to what was already being said in the thread, "November" "Toronto" "Setlists being boring"... So how many people sent this email? I haven't... yet. (I'm hungover, leave me alone :wink: )
I don't understand why people keep saying "if you don't like the setlist, don't go to the show" or "be greatful they're still together". I'm not saying I won't go to the show or have a great time, but instead of just accepting something as great, why not try to improve it to amazing?
Again, when the Hip make their setlist for the night, they know that they will play at least 5 of Poets, M@W, Nautical, NOIS, Blow, Grace. That isn't because those are their favourite 6 songs or they just have a big urge to play them that night. They are playing those songs, because they know they're fan-favourites and they want to put on a good show for their fans.
So what's wrong with saying "Hey guys, if you're gonna play 5 songs for the fans anyway, why not let the fans pick those 5 songs?". Maybe the top 5 will end up being 5 of the staple 6 listed above and that's fine. But if they're playing a handful of songs just for the fans anyway, why not have them choose? I think the Hip's creative interest or opportunity to play what they're into that night comes from a couple other songs on the setlist. So really, nothing changes.
lord brazle Wrote:Hahaha thanks, man. I don't know though. They were talking about a "contest" or sorts for fans to vote for the top five songs. Send an email and ask the Hip to do it but make it generic so anybody could send it. I just made the skeleton, I wanted other people to repost and say change this to this or add this, but in all seriousness. I went out, got drunk and come back. Woke up at like 2 in the morning, get on here and there's millions of threads. And normally I'm on here like 16 hours everyday. I don't think this is trying to tell the Hip what to play, it is a request for more fan-input into the set-list. I basically wrote it due to what was already being said in the thread, "November" "Toronto" "Setlists being boring"... So how many people sent this email? I haven't... yet. (I'm hungover, leave me alone :wink: )
Yeah, I think the contest thing COULD work. But it should maybe be presented more like, "we think this would be a really great idea that would make more people want to come to the shows" rather than, "we're pissed at the lack of rare songs and you'd better do what we say".
On another note, I think this could be real hell for the hip if different songs are being chosen all the time. How many released songs do they have in total? 115 or so? I'm sure they rehearse everything they do a whole bunch of times before they come out on stage, and if they have to worry about that many songs...wow!
Plus, if it's a public vote, everyone will just vote for NOIS anyways, lol.
Steve
i saw the hip 3 nights in a row during the phantom power tour...all 3 shows were for the most part really different...sure, a few songs were repeated..but what the hell? most people, unlike the people on this board dont go to the hip as obsessively as we do., or like some of you have 300 bootlegged shows.....so they want to hear the hits...that's the danger of being as loyal as we are...the hip are stuck between a rock and a hard place...so they start to play a bunch of old "album" tracks..what gets dropped? some new tunes? what about the people who go to the show wanting to hear the new songs live...then they're pissed...so they drop grace, too? people get choked...i think the best way to do this, would be to have a televised show, where requests are taken by phone, email, members of the audience..etc...this way they only have to do it once, and whoever wants to tune in can...that will never happen, but hey...what the hell...wishful thinking right? i think we should just thank ourselves that they keep touring as much as they do, keep putting out great music consistantly for 20 years...(wow..this turned into a long post..sorry!!)
Rem's new live dvd, live in germany has them playing a couple songs that their fans voted for...I thought it was pretty cool...
Ultimately I think this is a great Idea, but a lot cooler if it was the bands decision and not the force of the fans
hmmm ..... i agree, it would be great to be able to meet the band in the parking lot before the show and ask for "times are passing us by" and suddenly its played. BUT by doing a mass emailing -- i dont really know if it would have an impact like we are all assuming it might -- if anything, (this is no disrespect to anyone who supports this idea) i think it kinda makes the "hipbase" look like a bunch of winey assholes -- it degrades us down to the guy wearing the "leaf jersey" and yelling for Little Bones non-stop. BUT my biggest reason to post on this is because i like hearing the "rarities" once in a while -- thats what makes them special -- i have heard Montreal, Flamenco, Sherpa, etc... Live and when i walked out of those shows i was like ..."wow, can you believe that!!" Hell, hearing Long Time Running at Mulcahy's in Long Island in 2000 when it was like the 4th time they've played it since 1991 -- was that special -- you're damn right it was -- was it as special when i heard it 2 years later at the Amphitheatre in TO? not even close -- why -- well, mainly because it was with 10000 other assholes who kept yelling for little bones BUT more importantly because i consider myself a diehard and i have those special memories of driving 10-15 hours and paying $10 at the door and having this thrown on me -- now to me, and i think to lots of others -- thats what is really Memorable and something that will stay with me (you) and makes me appreciate it even more than seeing it with tonnes of people who are there to just party and hear NOIS! That same night in Long Island -- Gord came out with Kate Fenner and played Tears of Rage (bob dylan & the band) -- am i pissed he has never done it again OR did i consider myself lucky enough to love this band, follow them around and be rewarded with something great!! its the latter and if you really are a diehard -- do you REALLY want to hear them play Get Back Again at the ACC or would you rather hear it when you make the 11 hour drive to Bohagers in Baltimore -- to me, hearing it unexpectedly after a long drive and paying $10 at the door to get in is FAR MORE SPECIAL and it reminds me that I AM A DIEHARD & PROUD OF IT!!! soooo anyways(susan), this has become long-winded and i have no clue what im talking about anymore -- oh yes -- i guess what im really trying to say is that a contrived email requesting songs just isnt as special soooo if you are a die-hard, continue being that -- go to obscure shows and be patient because that day will come where you hear something youve been longing for and when that show comes to an end -- YOU TOO will feel special for making the long drive and being rewarded -- as opposed to hearing it with the guy wearing the leaf jersey who only cares about NOIS!!!!!!!
remember the intimate and interactive, where they had to take a request from the audience? the guy requested cordelia, and gord was like "oh we don't know that one", then he requested something even older so they went a head and played Cordelia for the guy but they made him sing it with them, man was that ever awesome
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The Darkest Canuck Wrote:remember the intimate and interactive, where they had to take a request from the audience? the guy requested cordelia, and gord was like "oh we don't know that one", then he requested something even older so they went a head and played Cordelia for the guy but they made him sing it with them, man was that ever awesome .
Pret Sure he asked them to play 3 Pistolz, they then opted for Cordelia..
Summiteer Wrote:The Darkest Canuck Wrote:remember the intimate and interactive, where they had to take a request from the audience? the guy requested cordelia, and gord was like "oh we don't know that one", then he requested something even older so they went a head and played Cordelia for the guy but they made him sing it with them, man was that ever awesome .
Pret Sure he asked them to play 3 Pistolz, they then opted for Cordelia..
"Do You know the words? No, seriously, no fool'n, do you know the words?"
And then after:
"Thanks for all them blank stares."
Here's my opinion in a few words. Like the old saying "If it isn't broken, don't fix it" I would love to hear some old songs in the setlists. I could care less if the hip played church music (that would be interesting). Everytime I go to a hip show I come out loving what they've done. I'm not a seasoned tour fan like some people on here, but it is what it is. That's my 2 cents :thumb:
Yeah, thinking about it and after reading other people's opinions on it, I'm beginning to think it's not as great of an idea that i first thought it was. Most people at concerts, not diehards, want to hear the new songs. It only makes sense they'd play new songs but the entire new CD (13) plus 5 fan-voted oldies would only make 18 songs. But, yeah, i think we should just let them be. It wasn't meant to be fan-forced and then when they do go back and play a supposedly-"retired" song, it'll be that much more of a surprise.
This subject has been beaten to death over the RUSH tour. Diehards want all the old stuff, stuff they haven't played in years. Geddy actually came out and said that they tried some of the songs that always top the fans picks for songs they want to hear live. Geddy said "after we tried them out we just didn't like playing them". Now Rush is a totally different animal than the Hip. Light shows and videos all must be programmed, too much stuff to switcharound. So they haven't changed ONE song so far this whole tour.
The Hip will mix it up some, but they probably play what they want to play and what the HAVE to play, I would be a little bit bummed if they didn't play a few of their must hear songs.
Phil Collins wrote a great piece about set lists on his web page (before you think I'm a Phil Collins fan it was linked to a message board just because of the setlist discussions
I'll try to find it)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.philcollins.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=tour;action=display;num=1086973664;start=0">http://www.philcollins.co.uk/cgi-bin/ya ... 64;start=0</a><!-- m -->
So basically be glad you aren't a Rush fan too. I'll see them twice this tour and can promise I'll see the same exact show.
the band does indeed hear peeps yelling for favs in the crowd. The show out in edmonton had a girl screaming for wheatkings and guess what they played for their last oncore....wheatkings. It is not that far of a stretch to think that the hip can play their own songs even the oldies the dead can play any one of their songs on any given night and I think that is over 300 songs. I think they might be a little nervous about screwing up their own material. Although this may lend itself to some long jams. I wouldn't mind hearing NOIS or Courage every night if they extended the jams out to like 15-20 minutes. Think about it...a 17 minute version of All Canadian Surf Club :jump
Maybe a more interesting question is WHY the Hip seem to be playing it so conservatively with their setlists this time around. Any ideas?