[scottitude]

Consider this...

While I fully respect opinions on setlists and overplayed songs, not all TH fans are fortunate enough to attend endless shows...They are playing for the masses, not the select few who get to see them repeatedly.


Just a thought...

See Above.

No backlash of hatred or even passive-aggressive anger intended Jesse, but you don't represent the average concert-going consumer; you represent an extremely small minority, even in the 'base, I think. Many of us are obsessed, many of us go to as many shows as we can, unfortunately, many of us have obligations that prevent us from seeing more than one show in a tour, even though there may be four more within a couple hours' drive. If it were in my nature, I'd certainly envy your experiences, but I wouldn't trade my life ouside The Hip for anything.

It isn't reasonable to expect The Hip to cater to the desires of one, or even several obsessed fans over the desires of many, especially those that may not have the awareness or understanding of "Blonde Solid", "Get Back Again", "Double Suicide", "Killerwhaletank", etc.

I have seen all I ever wanted to see and done all I ever wanted to do as far as the Tragically Hip is concerned.

Okay, prepare for backlash of observation...

If your above statement is true, then why are you here, to rub it in? Perhaps you are wasting precious time that would be better spent with marching ants!

~Scott

[The Horrible Esthete]

The popular claim that "some of us fans are not so fortunate to attend multiple shows, and we want to hear all the 'staples' when we do get to a show" is complete bullshit, IMO. Here's why:

I was living in Cincinnati, OH when I first discovered The Hip, circa 1991 or 1992. I was a college student, and any 'disposable income' I had was gleaned from the tips I made waiting tables. I started hitting every show The Hip would play within a three or four-hour drive, and did so by planning ahead, budgeting what little money I had, and even skipping a meal here and there or carpooling. I saw at least ten shows this way, maybe more.

To date, I've seen almost 30 shows, and I've never had any 'extra money' just lying around to make any these shows 'easy' to afford. In fact, there was a time when I made sure I caught as many DMB and Widespread Panic shows as possible, and ended up seeing them each aat least 10 times. And these shows were among scores of other one or two-time shows. I made it happen; I made it a priority. And I'm not the only person who has done this - almost every 'hardcore fan' I've ever personally known of any band does this to some extent. Springsteen fans, Phish fans, Metallica fans - you name it - I've known many who have had to sacrifice and struggle in order to attend multiple shows by their favorite band. It's hard to do, but we all somehow find a way to make it happen.

So here's where I'm headed with this: I've caught almost 30 Hip shows, which means I've forked out almost 30 tickets' worth of money (plus expenses) to see this band play, not only because "I just love them", but also because I want to see as much of their material performed 'live' as possible. As a result, I've seen them do NOIS a minimum of 25 times. I've seen Meridian, Courage, and Grace a minimum of 20 times. I've seen Poets, Bones, Nautical, Fully, Fireworks, Bobcaygeon, Giftshop, ABAC, and Springtime a minimum of 15 times. And I've seen Wheat Kings, Locked, Fire the Hole, Something On, Save the Planet, Chagrin Falls, M@W, Lake Fever, Blow, and several others a minimum of 10 times.

The fact is, I love alot of those songs, and would be happy to hear them almost much as I do, if only I could hear some of my other favorites just half as often. I've never even heard about five songs from UTH, and about five more from RA. In all, there are roughly 30 different songs that I absolutely love, but have heard only three times or fewer.

So my question is this: Why in god's name does the 'Hip concert newbie' get consideration over veterans like myself?? It defies all logic. My net total of over $1000 spent on Hip concerts is getting trumped by some half-fan who decided to drop $30 on one Hip concert instead of the Nelly show the following week? Hey, GORD SINCLAIR, if you're reading this, please explain why someone who has sacrificed so many dollars and has never once heard Fight gets no 'setlist consideration' so Johnny-come-lately gets to hear Courage on his first and only show?

[thipfan73]

I had resevations about posting this. I had a feeling something like this would errupt over this. I think some people didn't even READ WHAT I WROTE!!

I just thought it was funny that I wanted them to play "It's a good life..." and I had written that little letter in the book and about how much that song means to me and they didn't play it in Clifton Park but they played it in every show on the last few stops but Clifton Park.

Like I said. I wouldn't trade thursday night for anything.

[The Horrible Esthete]

Isn't the first time a discussion strayed from the content of the initial post...

[scottitude]

I think some people didn't even READ WHAT I WROTE!!

Not true. I read it; I understand; I see the beauty; it makes my heart smile. I can almost imagine how you feel. I think more peolpe get it than you realize.

Those who don't never will; it's their loss.:thumb:

[thipfan73]

Isn't the first time a discussion strayed from the content of the initial post...

yes but it seemed to stray awfully fast! I mean like people just saw the subject and posted.

[The Horrible Esthete]

Well....I did read it, but didn't have anything to contribute....however, once it 'turned' I have plenty to contribute :lol:

But I will say this about your post:

There is some irony in the fact that they 'skipped' Good Life for your show, and there is one perspective that makes it 'beautiful' that you did not hear it. It's absence could be viewed as a sign which reminds you that the trouble and hardship during which you leaned on Good Life are no longer present in your life - you found refuge in the song when you needed comfort, and now that the hard times have passed, the Hipgods knew that you no longer need it for support!

:wink:

[skippy the wonder dog]

Here's a thought: the thousand bucks you've spent got you into a thousand bucks worth of past shows. You've already got what was owed you.

You aren't entitled to anything, least of all to complain that they aren't playing decade-old outtakes.

[spottrax]

I hope all of us hipsters are arguing these points with a smile :thumb: . I am. In a world with so many real issues, whether or not I get to hear "Another Midnight" live in my lifetime just doesn't matter . In defense of all of those who have big issues with the somewhat lame set lists, I do somewhat agree with your argument. Lots of $$ spent and a set wishlist not fulfilled. I love the Hip, I've never met them, don't know them and never will. I'm safe to assume however that the guys, now that they are older, have families and such which take time...even when they are on the road. This probably cuts into such issues as to whether all five guys can make it to a soundcheck an hour earlier so they can relearn "On the Verge" or "Pigeon Camera". Point is that to dig that deep for the minority from here (including myself) who would like to hear the deep cuts is simply not worth it......Then again, If I was one of the guys I would be sick to death of playing NOIS every show and make it a point to relearn something different from UTH or RA! :thumb:

[thipfan73]

But I will say this about your post:

There is some irony in the fact that they 'skipped' Good Life for your show, and there is one perspective that makes it 'beautiful' that you did not hear it. It's absence could be viewed as a sign which reminds you that the trouble and hardship during which you leaned on Good Life are no longer present in your life - you found refuge in the song when you needed comfort, and now that the hard times have passed, the Hipgods knew that you no longer need it for support!

:wink:

Never thought about it that way. Just as well that they didn't play it. I might have cried! Besides, my situation HAS change and right now my "get me through it" song is Joe

[The Horrible Esthete]

Here's a thought: the thousand bucks you've spent got you into a thousand bucks worth of past shows. You've already got what was owed you.

Wrong. My $1000 hasn't 'got' me a single rendition of some of my favorites like Fight, or Another Midnight or When the Weight Comes Down, or Bring it All Back , because I guess it's more important to play Courage, Poets, and 100th Meridian every show for all the part-time fans.

An important point (which you are completely missing) is that my patronage has contributed valuable revenue towards the band's 'bottom line' ($1,000 from a single fan is pretty darn significant, don't you think?). You can bet that any 'fan' that refuses to attend a second show because they didn't get Poets wasn't going to be a diehard supporter of US tours anyway. The last thing any band wants is for loyal fans who are guaranteed buyers of four or five tickets per tour to stop buying them altogether simply because their setlists are redundant. That's just a basic business fundamental, is it not?

[opiated]

well..something keeps ya goin back after 30 times....let's face it...not many bands play as many tunes from a new cd on a tour as the hip do...you ever think that those "lost classics" and rarites didn't make it on an album for a reason..maybe the band didn't like them enough to warrant putting on a disc, therefore, why would they want to play them..i for one love watching the reaction of the crowd for those songs they play often...i just saw my 20th show, and the only song i'm sick of is courage, and that's because i never liked it to begin with..but watching the crowd is quite enjoyable...i think it would be quite strange for them to pull out some obscure song, and be one of only a handull of people who knew it... there's something odd about a show when more than half the crowd doesn't know the song being played....new orleans sounded hasn't sounded as fresh as it did in seattle a few weeks back, in years...any band that can play a song that much, and still put passion into it warrants it being played again and again....if the setlists bore you, save 1000 bucks over the next few years.... :wink:

[scottitude]

Here's a thought: the thousand bucks you've spent got you into a thousand bucks worth of past shows. You've already got what was owed you.

Well-said, Skippy! :thumb:

Wrong...$1,000 from a single fan is pretty darn significant...

Dude, I dropped that much on one trip to Toronto for the '99 / '00 TTH & Friends gigs! :lol:
That includes hotel, gas, & food, but it also includes THREE Hip shirts, TWO Hip hats, FIVE Hip2K planners (when they were current and selling for like $20), and TEN packs of THC papers. And that's just one trip to two shows out of about fifteen. Do the math.

I've been puttin' money in their pockets to that extent at every show I've been to in the last nine years, all the while knowing I'll never hear Get Back Again, Blonde Solid, Killing Time, Last American Exit, Small Town Bringdown, Fiddler's Green, Fight, or any other absolute rarities. I'll continue to do it. As long as they stay together and keep making music that moves me, my investment is worthwhile and I'll never cry about it.

You're no more entitled to anything than anyone else.

[ShannonW]

I defiantely spent more than $1000 this summer on them... and it was TOTALLY worth it! I'd do it again in a heartbeat.... but that doesn't mean that I still would rather NOT hear Fireworks.... but it doesn't matter what I want! Everyone is just saying what they prefer.. nothing will come of it, so there's no point in fighting! They play Grace every night and it's STILL awesome!

[The Horrible Esthete]

Wrong...$1,000 from a single fan is pretty darn significant...

Dude, I dropped that much on one trip to Toronto for the '99 / '00 TTH & Friends gigs! :lol:
That includes hotel, gas, & food, but it also includes THREE Hip shirts, TWO Hip hats, FIVE Hip2K planners (when they were current and selling for like $20), and TEN packs of THC papers. And that's just one trip to two shows out of about fifteen. Do the math.

I believe my post stated that the '$1000' figure is an approximate value of what I have spent on tickets alone, for myself....the hotels, airline flights, gasoline, food, and merchandise are not included in that figure....include all that crap, and we're adding an extra digit to that number.....

As long as they stay together and keep making music that moves me, my investment is worthwhile and I'll never cry about it.
You're no more entitled to anything than anyone else.

Did I say my investment wasn't worthwhile? Did I say I was entitled to more than anyone else? No.

Obviously, I keep going to shows because I enjoy them, and I do feel I get my money's worth. More than anything else, I go to hear the new material, and hope to hear a gem or two. If you'd bother to try to comprehend my post, you'd find that my point is not that I deserve more because I spend more; my point is that from a business standpoint, it makes waaaaayyy more sense to cater setlists (the concert 'product') to the loyal, repeat customer (like myself, and you, and most Hipbasers), then to placate the casual fan. Are y'all going to tell me that you'd rather see them do Courage for the 20th time than to hear Fight for the first time ever? Please. If so, than you might be the only one.

I just want to know the logic behind playing those select songs again and again and again and again, when it would be simple as pie to reduce the frequency of those numbers just a smidge and work in some numbers that never or rarely get played. That's all. I'm not outraged or throwing a fit of tears, I just simply_do_not_understand....