TOP 10 TIPS FOR WRITING THE PERFECT SET LIST!

Hey guys!

Here are my top 10 tips to writing the perfect set list for your band!

-------

Serious? Let’s go.

THE INFO:
📲 Instagram: @damiankeyes1
📲 TikTok: @damiankeyes

ESSENTIAL VIDEOS TO RELEASE YOUR MUSIC:

📚 MY BOOKS:

👇 ABOUT ME:
Hey! I'm Damian Keyes and I've worked with musicians every day of my life for the past 20 years. The internet is deeply untrusting understandably and here is my background so you can have the full picture.

When I was 18, I was signed to a major label (dropped 6 months later) and at 23 I co-founded a Music University in Europe called BIMM (valued at $300M). I’m also a bass player, I’ve played for a number of artists including Eric Clapton, Alanis Morrisette and Billy Cobham. I initially retired at 30, but realised that life gets boring if you’re not building!

I have always been in-between the music industry and education which is how I ended up building my YouTube channel - I’ve been teaching artists how to release music long before it was a ‘niche’! I now educate artists around the world with my Academy, YouTube channel and I work directly with labels internationally alongside owning a live agency and management company.

It’s great to meet you and looking forward to working together on your music!

[coryvermillion]

As a cover band, we had to do four 45 min sets a night. But we had 5 sets in rotation because although we practiced the sets in order, most times the audience would change throughout the night. The first set was always great songs that weren't really danceable because people were filtering in and would have a few drinks first. But the 2nd set on we'd start the list and then do something most bands can't or refuse to do and that's READING THE CROWD! If everybody"s dancing and the energy is high, don't go to a slower song just because it's on the list. Keep it going! And nobody AND I MEAN NOBODY SPEAKS INTO THE MIC EXCEPT THE LEAD SINGER!

[GirlNamedNino]

REHEARSE THE SHOW! Yes, Damian, THANK Jesus, everyone who leads a band needs to watch this

[AnthonySforza]

I remember reading a study a number of years ago, where one of the findings was that the most hated thing said at a concert, is something anything akin to "Here's a song from our new album."

[guidokreeuseler]

Cool tips here! One thing I always do in addition to the tempo/mood curve is the "rising key" approach, i.e. avoid putting songs in the same key next to each other and if possible start on a "low" key and gradually go higher throughout the set (i.e. a starter would be in E, followed by a song in F, then G# etc.). This especially usefull in genre's with lots of similar songs (such as blues, punk and rockabilly) and an absolute life-saver for solo acoustic performers. if it turns out the songs you want to play revolve around a few comfortable keys you find easy to play or sing, block them up in smaller sub-sets of songs in different keys (E, G, A, C, E, A, C, E, G, A for example) or transpose some songs a (semi)tone up or down if you have lots of songs in the same key. Use a capo if you required specific chord voicings or get badass with CAGED chords

[curtisrobinson]

When you have a set list that isn't thought out and isn't working the worst thing that happens on stage is you start trying to adapt it to fit the room. Say you want to skip one slow song to keep the energy up from the last song; one band mate gets confused, another gets insulted for mucking with the set list, another frantically flips through their disorganized book trying to find the next song, another didn't hear you when you said skip and keep's yelling "what's next what's next?" The next day somebody quits.

[lowellirish]

I was the owner and part of the band. Everything you said is 💯% spot on! I played Irish trad on the West Coast USA. It was fast moving, with many songs not being over 3-5 min in length...so we'd string 2, 3, 4 jigs together...and that was "one song"...I'd do them on the computer, color coding them. GREEN for fast songs, whether they were instrumental or vocals- didn't matter.
BLUE for medium tempo, yellow for slow (airs, ballads) I could then, with a glance...SEE how thick our 1st set list was with these songs! Was the first set comprised of all yellow? Half blue? No green?

This helped me out TREMENDOUSLY!

1st Set:
Green-Instrumental
Green-vocal
Blue-vocal
Blue- vocal
Yellow- vocal
Blue-instrumental
Blue- instrumental
Green- vocal

I could ALSO pinpoint if I had too many vocals versus instrumentals in any one 3 hour set! How long they were...and where to insert a joke, or a story, or some historical context, relative to the song...BANTER...

My bandmates had NO CLUE how in depth this was for me!!!

[mjmooney]

A thought on 'cover versions can show up your own material in a bad light' - it can work the other way round. If the cover song is familiar to the audience, and you play it in a similar arrangement to the original, they will judge your performance against that original, so you better be damn good. Whereas at least with your own songs, nobody can tell you you're 'playing them wrong'.

[drjaxon]

I don't play many covers. Even with 25 years of busking I've mostly done my own thing. Personally I tend to take a cover and make it my own. Play it your own way. I find this helps engage the audience but get them to appreciate that this is about you and your music not someone else who's not there... Good tips. Thanx

[PortgasDdude]

"We all know it....10 - 15 min before the gig we are arguing backstage to where put which song"


Actually, no. I never have had this experience. In my band we talk about the set at least 2 weeks before the gig and from that point on play the set again and again, trying to figure out if this order transports the things we want to transport and when we want. We even plan between which songs the singer could or should talk to the people etc.

After watching the whole video I guess we are doing not that bad of a job with our setlist planing :D

[FergieSaenzCR]

Thanks for all these great advices! I really appreciate people like you takes the time to give us a little more of perspective. Greetings from Costa Rica lml

[christopherlynnjohnson]

Great Tips! Much Gratitude for sharing this information!

[n.tonyartist]

I’ve been struggling with the correct set list for several months now, and finally your video made my day! Thanks a lot, Damian. Your tips helped me right away and I had tested and finally finished my performance list before the video ended. Take care!

[satchmo]

Great stuff as always, Damo! You've given me some great ideas. Thanks again!

[seanpaul]

Love the info on stagecraft! I’ve found so little knowledgeable content on the nuts and bolts of how to put on a good show. Good stuff!

[DAGBEe]

DAMIAN KEYES I love watching your vids I have learnt a lot from you THANK YOU!!

[Maxsteamer]

Great advice and I don’t know about you guys but I learned something here that has baffled me for years?? Game changer for me and from now on it’s my songs and no more covers...Thank You Damien...my fellow musicians subscribe and support this great man with all you can ..this guy has the X Factor !!!

[JawJX]

you give really the best advice ever.. huge fan of your videos !!

[ARDENITE]

Great tipps Damian! Thanks so much! ;D

[malachismith]

Thank you so much for this. My first gig is this summer and I rewrote my setlist based on these tips and now I’m even more hyped for this show it’s gonna be so much better now

[AdamWestUS]

Excellent content and 100% relevant no matter what the size or scope of the band is.