For the Setlist Complainers

[Gnrcane]

After my 5th show since the reunion I was thinking about the setlists and how there were a lot of complaints about the setlist being stale.  I saw them in Orlando (2016), Miami (2017), Missoula (2021), Hollywood, FL (Oct 3 2021) and Hollywood, FL (2023) as of this post.  If I combine all of the setlists, I have seen/heard 44 different songs played (not counting solos/jams).  The breakdown is 11 AFD (all except Think About You), 13 UYI (The "covers" that were on UYI are counted here), 2 Lies, 1 Like a Suicide, 4 CD, 4 Reunion Releases (I counted SOYL here), 6 Covers and 3 Duff Covers.  I counted "You're Crazy" as AFD although I guess that is debatable.  There have been a few songs that they've played at other shows that I haven't gotten (SOD and Madagascar for sure).  Even before the most recent show, the order of the songs they have played at all shows did move around a bit from show to show that I attended.  There were 15 songs that were played at all 5 shows I attended.

Here is the list of the songs I have seen/heard live with the number of times I've seen them:

It's So Easy-5
Mr. Brownstone-5
Chinese Democracy-5
Welcome to the Jungle-5
Double Talkin' Jive-5
Estranged-5
Live and Let Die-5
Rocket Queen-5
You Could Be Mine-5
Civil War-5
Sweet Child o' Mine-5
November Rain-5
Knockin' on Heaven's Door-5
Nightrain-5
Paradise City-5
Coma-4
Better-4
Patience-4
Don't Cry-3
The Seeker-3
Slither-3
Absurd-3
Wichita Lineman-3
Attitude-2
This I Love-2
Black Hole Sun-2
You're Crazy-2
I Wanna Be Your Dog-2
Hard Skool-2
Out ta Get Me-1
Yesterdays-1
Used to Love Her-1
My Michelle-1
Don't Cry-1
Whole Lotta Rosie-1
Shadow of Your Love-1
Bad Obsession-1
Pretty Tied Up-1
Perhaps-1
Reckless Life-1
Down on the Farm-1
Anything Goes-1
T.V. Eye-1
There Was a Time-1

[ZoSoRose]

I feel like people haven’t been complaining about the setlist with PTU, AG, RL, BO, and 2 new songs being played every show 

[Gordon Comstock]

Yea this post is like a year too late. Most people here have given credit where it's due and are glad they've finally given the sets a decent shakeup...

[Gnrcane]

4 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said:

Yea this post is like a year too late. Most people here have given credit where it's due and are glad they've finally given the sets a decent shakeup...

Fair point.  8 of the unique songs were from the most recent show.  That still means I got 36 different songs in the pre-2023 shows and, as I said, the order definitely changed a bit between all 4 of those shows.

[DSTK]

Set list complainers do my tits in, I'm only bothered about the set they play at the show I'm at , I don't care less about the ones I don't attend...I wanna see great stuff at the shows I'm spending money on

[jacdaniel]

I wouldn't consider myself to be a setlist complainer. I think it's a pretty cool set for those attending the show. 

But it's ok to point out that they don't change much. 

They opened every single show in the last 7 years with Easy and ended with PC. 

The vast majority of songs played in early 2016 are still in the set. 

 

[allwaystired]

I don't think any complaints have been made at all recently about the setlists. They've been varied and (most importantly) different from previous legs. 

2022 was a different story though, and complaints were pretty valid- the setlist was tired and weary. The band are much more energised and enthusiastic now things are switching up and who can blame them? Any one would be on auto pilot playing the same songs in the same order night after night. 

[t-p-d-a]

This is my list, 43 Songs in 6 concerts:

Chinese Democracy	6
Civil War	6
Double Talkin' Jive	6
Estranged	6
It's So Easy	6
Knockin' On Heaven's Door	6
Live And Let Die	6
Mr. Brownstone	6
Nightrain	6
November Rain	6
Paradise City	6
Rocket Queen	6
Sweet Child O' Mine	6
Welcome To The Jungle	6
Better	5
Patience	5
Slither	5
You Could Be Mine	5
Wichita Lineman	4
Absurd	3
Coma	3
Don't Cry	3
Hard Skool	3
Shadow Of Your Love	3
This I Love	3
Attitude	2
Black Hole Sun	2
I Wanna Be Your Dog	2
Reckless Life	2
The Seeker	2
Anything Goes	1
Bad Obsession	1
Down On The Farm	1
Madagascar	1
My Michelle	1
New Rose	1
Pretty Tied Up	1
Riff Raff	1
T.V. Eye	1
Used To Love Her	1
Walk Over You	1
Whole Lotta Rosie	1
Yesterdays	1

Edited September 17, 2023 by t-p-d-a

[DoMw94]

3 hours ago, ZoSoRose said:

I feel like people haven’t been complaining about the setlist with PTU, AG, RL, BO, and 2 new songs being played every show 

Oh there was still a couple a few shows in...

But yeah, I can't stand the setlist complainers. For one, most bands do the same thing, and two, they're not playing for the same audience every night. If someone wants to follow every show, that's on them. They're not the target audience

[DSTK]

2 hours ago, jacdaniel said:

I wouldn't consider myself to be a setlist complainer. I think it's a pretty cool set for those attending the show. 

But it's ok to point out that they don't change much. 

They opened every single show in the last 7 years with Easy and ended with PC. 

The vast majority of songs played in early 2016 are still in the set. 

 

It doesn't matter if they start and end with those two, they'll be played somewhere...so does it really matter?

[Gordon Comstock]

3 hours ago, Gnrcane said:

Fair point.  8 of the unique songs were from the most recent show.  That still means I got 36 different songs in the pre-2023 shows and, as I said, the order definitely changed a bit between all 4 of those shows.

 

Looking at the Hollywood setlist, there's 10 songs I haven't seen this lineup play (11 if we count Duff's solo spot), and most of them were added this year. If they play something similar in Vancouver, I'll be happy with that. Especially if they add The General by then.

[Gnrcane]

There also seems to be some randomizing by Axl (maybe with consultation with Slash sometimes).  He seems to do a lot of talking into the private channel between songs (which is separate from his joking with Melissa during songs).  The other night, after Wichita Lineman, Duff was still sitting on the steps to the drum riser for a good 15-20 seconds after Slash and Richard went to switch guitars and then he got up and went to the side of the stage for a different Bass.  It seemed like they might have been planning to do something other than KOHD and then it got nixed (debut of the General? ).

Also, after TWAT after some time of Axl walking around by his tissues, he signaled to the side for a new shirt to get his Ukraine shirt for Civil War.  It wasn't until after he started walking over that Slash switched guitars.  Again, it seemed there was some discussion about doing another song before CW.

Edited September 17, 2023 by Gnrcane

[F*ck Fear]

As someone who hasn't attended a GN'R show since 2016, it is nice to see the changes in the set list, for sure. 

 

[©GnrPersia]

I personally have no complain specially when they've added PTU, AG, RL, BO as mentioned above.

Besides there not much to complain about setlist of a band with barely four albums to be honest.

[Dani_1455]

My opinion on this is that It's not too much work to change the order of the songs every night,  they did this during the UYI Tour, I think it's great for the fans to hear for example WTTJ at the encore or Estranged also in the encore or a different opener because Easy has been there since 2016.

Just imagine this setlist and change the order every night so everybody can hear different songs even on the same tour!

1. Nightrain 

2. Bad Obsession 

3. Madagascar/ Chinese Democracy

4. Walk All Over You/ Fall to Pieces

5. Pretty Tied Up

6. Knockin on Heavens Door

7. Rocket Queen 

8. It's So Easy 

9. Reckless Life/ SOYL

10. Absurd 

11. Don't Cry 

12. This I Love/ Prostitute 

13. Live And Let Die 

14. Welcome To The Jungle 

15. Down on Farm 

16. Used To Love Her 

17. Locomotive/There Was A Time

18. Hardskool

19. Civil War 

20. So Fine 

21. Anything Goes 

22. You Could Be Mine 

23. Think About You/ Out Ta Get Me 

24. Slash Solo 

25. Sweet Child O Mine 

26. November Rain 

27. Perhaps 

ENCORE:

26. Estranged 

27. Mr Brownstone/You're Crazy 

28. The General 

29. My Michelle/Nice Boys 

30. Street Of Dreams 

31. Patience

32. Paradise City

[allwaystired]

3 hours ago, DoMw94 said:

Oh there was still a couple a few shows in...

But yeah, I can't stand the setlist complainers. For one, most bands do the same thing, and two, they're not playing for the same audience every night. If someone wants to follow every show, that's on them. They're not the target audience

I don't think doing the same setlist for the whole tour was the problem- it was that it was (broadly) the same setlist tour after tour. 

It's definitely the major reason I didn't bother seeing them in 2022, and the changes are definitely the reason I did in 2023. 

 

 

[ZoSoRose]

I’d love to get Locomotive, TWAT, Catcher, and The General at a show sometime but other than that, no real complaints for me

Maybe a new opener? Nightrain or Jungle would be nice

[adamsapple]

I still think the setlist sucks, but I've stopped complaining. For me it's less about what songs they play in what order and more about the ever same arrangements. I hate WTTJ not being the opener. I don't care about Duff's solo spot and would rather hear Dizzy playing some piano instead. I would love to see some alternate arrangements, a heavy song done soft and acoustic, a fast song done slow and vice versa, another song with Axl at the piano other than just November Rain and so on. I give them credit though for making at least some changes.

[Gordon Comstock]

I've said it before, but Pretty Tied Up or the slow You're Crazy would be my ideal openers. Play ISE after WTTJ like they did in the CD era, or play it after Estranged, NR or KOHD to pick the pace of the show back up. There's about 5-6 songs they could rotate that would all be good openers - Easy, WTTJ, PTU, You're Crazy, SOYL, Nightrain...

[colonizedmind]

6 hours ago, ZoSoRose said:

I feel like people haven’t been complaining about the setlist with PTU, AG, RL, BO, and 2 new songs being played every show 

*3 new songs 

[Gordon Comstock]

13 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

*3 new songs 

 

*1 new song if we're being honest, and it was only debuted maybe 10 shows ago?

Absurd and HS were released 2 years ago. That's really not new anymore.

[colonizedmind]

46 minutes ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

*1 new song if we're being honest, and it was only debuted maybe 10 shows ago?

Absurd and HS were released 2 years ago. That's really not new anymore.

Agreed, was just going by the posters logic...

[Tom2112]

I think the setlist complaints were fair, now if you go see gnr you're getting a pretty shook up set from where it was in 2016, so it wouldn't be fair to still be complaining. 

Of course I'd still like to see another song starting the gig, but ISE is their battle cry and PC is their celebration song... I can get over that, and it's fun when you're there in person!

[Silence]

The setlist complaints are silly. In 1992 GNR played almost the exact same setlist at every show. 

[WhazUp]

14 minutes ago, Silence said:

The setlist complaints are silly. In 1992 GNR played almost the exact same setlist at every show. 

I think the setlist complaints were valid prior to them really stepping up their game this leg.  To me there is a difference between the setlist for 1992 being the same, and the setlist being 90% the same for 6 full years give or take.

That said, the inclusion of Perhaps, Bad Obsession, PTU, Anything Goes, Reckless LIfe, on top of the slow tiny additions over the years of SOYL and Slither have helped a lot as of late in terms of giving repeat concergoers some new stuff