Artists that stop playing their most familiar material

[CK]

Was thinking about John Mellencamp with this one, primarily, but then remembered that Billy Joel has also gradually dropped more of his most well known work from concerts. I know it must be very hard for the artists to keep playing the same songs night after night after night (Pat Benatar has said many times that now she loathes "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", but knows she has to play it in concert), but reckon it's rather disappointing to go to a concert and not hear the favorite songs by an artist, because they are moving on to "new styles". Mellencamp, for example, refuses to play "Cherry Bomb" among a number of others in his wonderful catalogue (I'm a massive fan of his music), while Joel plays a lot more of his less "pop oriented material" now also.

Are there many other artists out there who simply don't play many of their big hits in concert?

[Bum Crack]

Was thinking about John Mellencamp with this one, primarily, but then remembered that Billy Joel has also gradually dropped more of his most well known work from concerts. I know it must be very hard for the artists to keep playing the same songs night after night after night (Pat Benatar has said many times that now she loathes "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", but knows she has to play it in concert), but reckon it's rather disappointing to go to a concert and not hear the favorite songs by an artist, because they are moving on to "new styles". Mellencamp, for example, refuses to play "Cherry Bomb" among a number of others in his wonderful catalogue (I'm a massive fan of his music), while Joel plays a lot more of his less "pop oriented material" now also.

Are there many other artists out there who simply don't play many of their big hits in concert?

She's no orphan

[Dogwatcher]

At least they've stopped playing it at SANFL GFs.

[Pseudo]

I reckon Billy Joel stopped playing at least one of those songs 'coz it reminded him of his ex missus. (Uptown Girl, Christie Brinkley)

[fisho mcspaz]

Bob Dylan

[Mr66]

How often does Pearl Jam do "Alive"?

[southee]

The Church have only recently played "Under The Milky Way" in their sets. (last few years anyway)

I saw Fleetwood Mac last year and they played nothing from 1987's "Tango In the Night" album. Tracks like Seven Wonders, Everywhere, Little Lies. All big radio hits.

Lou Reed is another artist who is completely unpredictable in concert. Saw him in 2003 (I think) and he did play "Walk on The Wild Side"....but you could see it was a task for him to do it. He's the sort of artist that plays what he feels like on the night. (No Satellite of Love or Vicious)

Simple Minds I dont think play "Dont you forget about me".......has been said Jim Kerr cant stand the lyrics to it and hates the song with a passion.

Just a few off the top of my head.....

[CK]

The Church have only recently played "Under The Milky Way" in their sets. (last few years anyway)

I saw Fleetwood Mac last year and they played nothing from 1987's "Tango In the Night" album. Tracks like Seven Wonders, Everywhere, Little Lies. All big radio hits.

Lou Reed is another artist who is completely unpredictable in concert. Saw him in 2003 (I think) and he did play "Walk on The Wild Side"....but you could see it was a task for him to do it. He's the sort of artist that plays what he feels like on the night. (No Satellite of Love or Vicious)

Simple Minds I dont think play "Dont you forget about me".......has been said Jim Kerr cant stand the lyrics to it and hates the song with a passion.

Just a few off the top of my head.....

Fleetwood Mac would have a task narrowing down their set list, I'd reckon . I could think of 20 of theirs, at least, that should all be essentials, including the three you mentioned.

"Don't You Forget About Me" certainly did become an albatross (no Fleetwood Mac puns intended) for Simple Minds, having one of the longest chart runs of all time in the UK, some 18 months.

[Hondo]

Simple Minds I dont think play "Dont you forget about me".......has been said Jim Kerr cant stand the lyrics to it and hates the song with a passion.

That was one of those songs specifically written for movie soundtracks that got farmed out to whoever wanted a hit single during that era of movie tie in songs 1980 - 1995?. There's now a term for these songs but i can't remember it (some artists become soundtrack specialists like Kenny Loggins).

Anyway, you are right according to what I have read and heard. Simple Minds were talked into doing that song against their better judgement and Kerr hated the lyrics right from the start. I think it would be their biggest hit single? I think I heard in the same doco that they are now finally relenting and starting to play the song for the fans. Not 100% sure on that though.

A similar story occured with Berlin and "Take My Breath Away" which was such a huge hit but apparently far removed from the style of music they normally did. The story goes that the tensions created within the band from the repeated fan requests for the song at concerts when the band (or some of the band I think) didn't want to lead to the band's demise. Their biggest hit single destroyed them!

Bit off topic but I love these types of useless trivia ..

[Pseudo]

Simple Minds I dont think play "Dont you forget about me".......has been said Jim Kerr cant stand the lyrics to it and hates the song with a passion.

That was one of those songs specifically written for movie soundtracks that got farmed out to whoever wanted a hit single during that era of movie tie in songs 1980 - 1995?. There's now a term for these songs but i can't remember it (some artists become soundtrack specialists like Kenny Loggins).

Anyway, you are right according to what I have read and heard. Simple Minds were talked into doing that song against their better judgement and Kerr hated the lyrics right from the start. I think it would be their biggest hit single? I think I heard in the same doco that they are now finally relenting and starting to play the song for the fans. Not 100% sure on that though.

I reckon - and have no evidence to back this up - that that song was offered to Bryan Ferry first, who turned it down.

[Interceptor]

I reckon - and have no evidence to back this up - that that song was offered to Bryan Ferry first, who turned it down.

Wikipedia is your friend:

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song written for the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and performed by the band Simple Minds in 1985. The songwriters were producer Keith Forsey (who won an Oscar for "Flashdance... What a Feeling") and Steve Schiff (guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen band).

Forsey asked Cy Curnin from The Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol to record the song, but all three declined; Idol would later perform a cover of it on his 2001 greatest hits compilation. Schiff then suggested Forsey ask the Scottish New Wave band Simple Minds, who initially refused as well, but then agreed under the encouragement of their label, A&M. According to one account, the band "rearranged and recorded 'Don’t You (Forget About Me)' in three hours in a north London studio and promptly forgot about it."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_you_forget_about_me

[TEX07]

Radiohead wont play Creep.

[Pat Malone]

Silverchair don't really do any frogstomp, smashing pumpkins at v festival didn't anything besides their new cd.

[Rik E Boy]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers turned their backs on 'One Hot Minute' but I love that album. I don't think I'd shell out the do re mi to see the multiple inferior copies of Blood Sugar...

regards,

REB

[Q.]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers turned their backs on 'One Hot Minute' but I love that album. I don't think I'd shell out the do re mi to see the multiple inferior copies of Blood Sugar...

regards,

REB

They did 'Pea' one time I saw them.

[piccachu]

Silverchair don't really do any frogstomp

what a pitty because that was by far there best stuff i still love that album gets played pretty regularly on yorks tripps and footy club jukebox.

[maxyoz]

Regurgitator summed it up best: "I like your old stuff better than your new stuff".

[The Dark Knight]

Silverchair don't really do any frogstomp, smashing pumpkins at v festival didn't anything besides their new cd.

Yeah, is carp that they don't. It's heaps better than their more recent stuff.

[heater31]

Silverchair don't really do any frogstomp, smashing pumpkins at v festival didn't anything besides their new cd.

Yeah, is carp that they don't. It's heaps better than their more recent stuff.

Daniel Johns is on record somewhere that he doesn't like that stuff anymore. I think he has a point too they were 14/15 years old when that album was written/recorded and now their music has evolved with time.

The band have moved on from the hard grunge to more easy listening music and with most albums selling well they must have some people who like their music

[Rik E Boy]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers turned their backs on 'One Hot Minute' but I love that album. I don't think I'd shell out the do re mi to see the multiple inferior copies of Blood Sugar...

regards,

REB

They did 'Pea' one time I saw them.

Yeah but what about Deep Kick, Coffee Shop, Warped and One Big Mob? Pea is one of the weaker offerings on the album.

regards,

REB